Issue - items at meetings - Update on Police & Crime Commissioner and Police & Crime Panel

Verbal update by Councillor Duncan (Chair) & Commissioner: Community Safety.

19.4         The Commissioner, Community Safety, Linda Beanlands noted that the Police Commissioner Elections would take place on 15 November 2012, and the elected person would take up office on 22 November 2012 at which point the responsibility for policing in the area would change. Following negotiation over the summer it had been agreed that the Council would have two representatives on the Police and Crime Panel to represent the higher population of the city, and the Panel would have the power of veto in relation to the budget and Local Police Plan. Work was being undertaken before the elections to help ensure that the issues which most affected the city would be prioritised under the new regime.

19.5         Councillor Bowden expressed his concern that the priorities of the city might differ from those of the other authorities in East and West Sussex. In response the powers of the Panel were reiterated, and Officers would work within the new arrangements to help bring these issues to the forefront.

19.6         Councillor Meadows also expressed concern that there was a general lack of awareness on the part of the public in relation to the changes and the elections. It was explained that Officers were attending LATS as much as possible to raise awareness, and the national campaign was due to start in the run up to the elections. There was also a great deal of information on the Sussex Police website.