Hold agencies to account for reducing crime
This commitment acknowledges the duty placed on the Police and Crime Commissioner to work together with community safety and criminal justice partners in tackling and reducing crime and anti-social behaviour.
The police are not able to reduce and prevent crime in isolation and this commitment recognises the PCC as being in the ideal place to facilitate and coordinate efforts in response to local issues.
It also recognises the PCC role in lobbying and influencing at a regional and national level.
The PCC attends, or is represented at, a number of Dorset Police strategic governance boards, including the monthly Strategic Performance Board, to monitor and maintain oversight of police performance. This includes monitoring the local crime and anti-social behaviour picture and other non-crime demands on the Force.
The Commissioner has been able to challenge the Force on specific areas of concerns, such as firearms licensing or the use of bail, and instigate work to improve service in these areas.
The PCC also attends, or is represented on, the Pan-Dorset Community Safety and Criminal Justice Board (CSCJB), the Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) and the Dorset Criminal Justice Board (DCJB).
These groups allow organisations to work together strategically to tackle issues such as violent crime and domestic abuse.
The PCC also plays an active part in the Boscombe Regeneration Partnership and the Melcombe Regis Board, focussing on areas of Dorset with higher levels of deprivation and socio-economic challenges.
The Commissioner is able to challenge issues through these partnerships, such as carrying out work to increase local court sessions and availability after this issue was discussed at the DCJB.
The PCC has also been able to contribute to the debate and consultation on the local government review in Dorset. Since the launch of the two new local authorities, he has influenced the arrangements for Dorset’s public sector leaders to make better coordinated responses to the county’s most challenging problems.
Regionally the PCC is engaged with the South West Regional Collaboration Board and the South West Reducing Reoffending Strategy Board, contributing towards more effective joint working on areas such as forensics and armed forces veterans in the criminal justice system.
Nationally, the Commissioner is the PCC lead for the Transforming Forensics programme and chairs the Independent Custody Visitors Association (ICVA). ICVA has recently successfully campaigned for changes to legislation, ensuring female detainees held in police custody are given appropriate sanitary products.