Police and Crime Panel
The police and crime panel (PCP) will have power to scrutinise PCC activities, including the ability to review the police and crime plan and annual report, veto decisions, request PCC papers and call PCCs and chief constables to public hearings.
The panel can also seek a professional view from Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary regarding potential Chief Constable dismissals, and will agree on a lead authority to hold central funding and provide scrutiny support.
In North Yorkshire, the North Yorkshire County Council will take on the responsibility as the lead authority. The North Yorkshire PCP will comprise of one elected representative (councillor) from each of the seven District/ Borough Councils, one from the North Yorkshire County Council and two from the City of York Council; in addition two independent members will be "co-opted" onto the panel.
Both top-tier and district councils must be represented on the PCP and it will be the first time district councils have formal involvement in policing governance. Independent members could, for example, be experts in their field, or representatives of community organisations (e.g. the voluntary sector), or appointed on the basis of other relevant knowledge and skills.
The Government's intention is to allow PCPs and member councils to decide what membership works best for their force area, taking into account the legislative framework and the balanced appointment objective. The balanced appointment objective states that in appointing panel members local authorities must as far as is practicable consider the make-up of the local areas, including the political make-up, and the required skills, knowledge and experience for the panel to function effectively.
Once established, panels will be free to co-opt further members, both elected and independent, where required, up to a maximum panel size of twenty.
More information on the Panel can be found here
