Issue - items at meetings - Sussex Police and Crime Panel

Report of the Strategic Director; Communities (copy attached).

(1)               That Councillor Ben Duncan (1) be nominated as the Brighton & Hove councillor to serve on the Sussex Police and Crime Panel (PCP) from the formal constitution of the Panel and (2) be appointed to the Panel if he accepts nomination and that Councillor Matt Follett be nominated as the named substitute for the PCP;

(2)               That Councillor Warren Morgan (1) be nominated as the Brighton & Hove co-opted member to serve on the Sussex PCP, as stipulated in paragraph 14a of the PCP constitution (Annex 3), and (2) be appointed to the PCP subject to ratification at the first meeting of the PCP; and that Councillor Alan Robins be nominate as the named substitute for Cllr Morgan;

(3)               That the proposed PCP constitution and panel arrangements as set out in Annex 3 of the report be ratified;

(4)               That in addition to the Policy and Resources Committee, the Chief Executive be given full delegated power to exercise the Council’s functions in relation to the establishment and maintenance of the Sussex PCP;

(5)               That the Committee note ongoing concerns regarding PCP equality and operational issues as set out in paragraphs 4.8 to 4.10 of the report and mandate nominated Members to address these during future PCP meetings.

38.1         The Strategic Director; Communities introduced the report and stated that there were two key issues for the Committee to consider; these being the approval of the proposed Constitution for the Police & Crime Panel (PCP), and the agreement to the proposed nominees for Brighton & Hove to the PCP.  He stated that the principal role of the PCP would be to scrutinise the work of the new Police Commissioner, who was due to be elected in November.  He noted that officers had made representations to colleagues from the other constituent authorities for Brighton & Hove to be able to nominate to one of the 3 additional co-optees’ places on the PCP, in view of the Authority’s position in the County and this had been accepted.  It was therefore recommended that based on the proportionality rules that Councillor Duncan be nominated as the Council’s representative on the PCP and that Councillor Morgan be nominated as the co-optee representative.

38.2         The Strategic Director also reported that officers had expressed the need to address the demographic profile of the city and to account for this as part of an Equalities Impact Assessment, however; the PCP had chosen not to take on board the action points at this point in time.  He suggested that this was something that would need to be continually raised and further representations made in due course.

38.3         The Chair expressed his concerns with regard to the process for the appointment of the Police Commissioner and thanked the officers and Councillor Duncan for their work in securing a further place for the authority on the PCP.

38.4         Councillor Mitchell stated that she also had concerns with regard to the concept of a Police Commissioner and their role within the county.  She also wished to thank the officers involved for their work to date and hoped that the council’s Members on the PCP would be able to raise the need to reflect the true diversity of communities across the county.  There was also a need to hold the Commissioner to account and she hoped that this would be effective.  In the meantime she wished to put forward Councillor Robins as the nominated substitute for Councillor Morgan.

38.5         The Chair noted the comments and put the recommendations to the vote.

38.6         RESOLVED:

(1)         That Councillor Ben Duncan (1) be nominated as the Brighton & Hove councillor to serve on the Sussex Police and Crime Panel (PCP) from the formal constitution of the Panel and (2) be appointed to the Panel if he accepts nomination and that Councillor Matt Follett be nominated as the named substitute for the PCP;

(2)         That Councillor Warren Morgan (1) be nominated as the Brighton & Hove co-opted member to serve on the Sussex PCP, as stipulated in paragraph 14a of the PCP constitution (Annex 3), and (2) be appointed to the PCP subject to ratification at the first meeting of the PCP; and that Councillor Alan Robins be nominate as the named substitute for Cllr Morgan;

(3)         That the proposed PCP constitution and panel arrangements as set out in Annex 3 of the report be ratified;

(4)         That in addition to the Policy and Resources Committee, the Chief Executive be given full delegated power to exercise the Council’s functions in relation to the establishment and maintenance of the Sussex PCP;

(5)         That the Committee note ongoing concerns regarding PCP equality and operational issues as set out in paragraphs 4.8 to 4.10 of the report and mandate nominated Members to address these during future PCP meetings.