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| Police and Crime Panels | |
|---|---|
| Name | Police and Crime Panels |
| Established | 2012 |
| Jurisdiction | England and Wales |
| Parent agency | Home Office |
Police and Crime Panels
Police and Crime Panels provide local scrutiny of elected Police and Crime Commissioners in England and Wales, acting as a check on decisions by commissioners and as a forum for public accountability through supervised review of strategic policing priorities, budgets, and appointments. Panels operate within frameworks set by the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, interfacing with institutions across the devolved landscape such as the Greater London Authority and working alongside bodies including the Crown Prosecution Service, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, the National Crime Agency, and sector stakeholders like the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners. Panels are often cited in debates involving high-profile incidents, statutory inquiries such as the Leveson Inquiry, and major policing reviews like the Winsor Review.
Panels were created to oversee the conduct and performance of elected Police and Crime Commissioners following reforms introduced by the Coalition Government (2010–2015). They are statutory bodies drawing powers from the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 and interact with national policy set by the Home Office and parliamentary oversight through the Home Affairs Select Committee. Panels function in metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas, with arrangements varying in regions influenced by the Mayor of London model and combined authority areas such as the West Midlands Combined Authority and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
Origins of panels trace to debates after the 2010 United Kingdom general election and subsequent white papers that sought alternatives to the prior Police Authorities model, which included entities like the Metropolitan Police Authority and county police authorities such as Essex Police Authority and Greater Manchester Police Authority. The legislative route passed through the House of Commons and House of Lords, culminating in the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011. Early implementations interacted with reforms to the National Policing Board and coincided with structural changes following the 2012 London Olympics security planning and major inquiries including the Hillsborough Independent Panel and the Ryder Commission. Subsequent amendments and guidance from the Ministry of Justice and the National Audit Office shaped panel operations, with notable developments after high-profile cases involving forces like Merseyside Police and West Yorkshire Police.
Panels possess statutory functions including reviewing commissioners' draft policing plans, scrutinising annual budgets, and holding confirmation hearings for proposed chief constables, reflecting intersections with institutions like the College of Policing and the Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services. Panels can require reports, make recommendations, and issue reports to the public and to bodies such as the Home Office and the Local Government Association. They have limited veto powers in certain circumstances, for example requiring a two-thirds majority to veto a proposed policing precept increase, linking to fiscal oversight conducted by entities like the National Audit Office. Panels also handle complaints about commissioner conduct in liaison with the Information Commissioner's Office and legal frameworks including the Human Rights Act 1998.
Membership typically comprises elected local councillors drawn from authorities in the police area and independent members appointed via public recruitment, reflecting practices encountered in bodies such as the Greater London Authority and combined authorities like Tees Valley Combined Authority. The Secretary of State for the Home Department issues statutory guidance on size and proportionality, while specifics follow local determinations made by county councils, unitary authorities, or combined authorities including the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. Appointment processes reference statutes and guidance influenced by precedents set by the Local Government Association, and members may receive allowances regulated under local authority schemes analogous to those for unitary authorities and borough councils.
Panels convene in public sessions consistent with regulations like the Local Government Act 1972 regarding public access and transparency, with agendas, minutes, and decisions published to ensure openness akin to practices employed by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Procedures include pre-meetings, evidence sessions, and question-and-answer formats where commissioners and senior officers from forces such as West Midlands Police present performance data and respond to scrutiny. Panels may establish sub-committees, task-and-finish groups, and joint arrangements similar to joint committees formed under the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009.
Panels serve as a mechanism of democratic scrutiny linking local electorates to policing leadership, reporting to bodies including the Home Office and subject to parliamentary review by committees like the Home Affairs Select Committee. Their oversight complements independent regulators such as the Independent Office for Police Conduct and inspection regimes by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services and financial scrutiny by the National Audit Office. Panels inform public debate reflected in media coverage by outlets such as the BBC and national reporting in the Guardian and the Times.
Critics point to constraints on panels’ powers, limited resources, and variable effectiveness across areas, paralleling critiques leveled at predecessor bodies like some Police Authorities. Proposals for reform have included enhancing investigatory powers, standardising appointment protocols inspired by the Civil Service Commission, and boosting independence through measures advocated by organisations such as the Campaign for Real Ale (local accountability campaigns) and think tanks like the Institute for Government and the Policy Exchange. Debates on reform have appeared alongside broader policing policy discussions in contexts including the 2011 England riots, the Police Federation of England and Wales, and legislative reviews by the Home Affairs Select Committee.