Four new members have been welcomed onto the independent panel established by Matthew Ellis, Staffordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), to strengthen public scrutiny of policing.
The Ethics, Transparency and Audit Panel (ETAP) was launched under the ‘New Dawn of Transparency’ agenda by Mr Ellis and aims for policing in Staffordshire to be the most open and transparent in the country.
Following the latest additions, ten members of the public sit on the panel and meet regularly to monitor the work of police including how crime is recorded and how complaints from the public are dealt with.
The rigour and scrutiny brought by the ETAP to crime recording was recently praised in Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary’s (HMIC) assessment of policing in Staffordshire.
The new members, David Davies, Dickie James, David Miller and Hayley Smith, spent their first day at Staffordshire Police HQ last Wednesday, 14 January.
Mr Ellis said: “It was great to meet and welcome the new panel members who I am sure will strengthen the 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 is about being open and transparent so that public confidence across policing and criminal justice is improved.
“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. We’re looking for more members of the public to step forward and get involved in this vital work.”
Following the ETAP’s success, new local independent panels are being launched so that people can influence policing in their communities and help hold local police commanders to account at the most local level. Pilot Safer Neighbourhood Panel will be set up in February in Cannock Chase, Staffordshire Moorlands and South Staffordshire after those councils successfully bid to become early adopters. Other panels are planned in the rest of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent over the coming months.
They will be made up of local residents, local councillors and magistrates and will meet regularly with their area’s local policing commander. The panels will 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.
People interested in joining a Safer Neighbourhood Panel in their area should email junaid.gharda@staffordshire.pcc.pnn.gov.uk
For more details on the ETA Panel visit www.staffordshire-pcc.gov.uk/eta
