A Yoxall woman and a Stafford man are the latest people to join the independent panel established by Staffordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis to strengthen public scrutiny of policing.
The county-wide Ethics, Transparency and Audit Panel was established by the Commissioner in 2013 under his ‘New Dawn of Transparency’ agenda. It is made up of members of the public who have become expert citizens and has received national recognition for its scrutiny of the police use of Taser, stop and search and crime recording in Staffordshire.
The two new members will add their financial skills and expertise to the panel. Sue Finney (54) is a Chartered public accountant who has previously worked for several local authorities, including Hampshire County Council, and has been vice-chair of governors at John Taylor High School in Barton-under-Needwood. Bob Simpson (61), is a retired management accountant from Stafford who worked on audits of a variety of government departments followed by senior finance positions in the NHS and criminal justice system, and currently a governor at Flash Ley Primary School.
Mr Ellis said: “It was good to meet and welcome the new panel members who I am sure will strengthen ETAP’s vital work. Honest and independent scrutiny by the public is crucial as we strive to set the bar higher and create a new dawn of transparency in policing.
“This panel has used its wide-ranging and rigorous powers to scrutinise crime recording, forensics, Taser use, and stop and search to make sure decisions made by the police are correct and in the best interests of the public. It’s about being open and transparent so that public confidence across policing and criminal justice is improved.”
Staffordshire people interested becoming an ETAP member – who must be aged 18 or above – should click here
Following ETAP’s success, local Safer Neighbourhood Panels have been launched across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent so that people can influence policing in their communities and help hold local police commanders to account at the most local level. They are made up of local residents, local councillors and magistrates and meet regularly with their area’s local policing commander.
The panels influence local policing and community safety, scrutinise the work done by police in the area, give feedback to their community and examine the impact of community resolutions and restorative justice where they live.
