Four new recruits will get the chance to help scrutinise and examine police and the fire service in Staffordshire.
The Ethics, Transparency and Audit Panel (ETAP) was launched by the Staffordshire Commissioner Police, Fire and Rescue and Crime, Matthew Ellis, with the aim of being the most open, transparent and independent means of scrutinising the county’s police.
Following the recent recruitment drive, a quartet of successful applicants have been selected to form part of the new-look ETAP.
The appointments will be rubber-stamped in the coming weeks, subject to vetting, with a view to meeting for the first time on December 10.
With policing constantly evolving to reflect societal changes, there remains a need for critical analysis and the need to drive performance. And the forthcoming ETAP schedule will be extended to include scrutiny of fire, after Mr Ellis assumed governance of Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service this summer.
ETAP sit as a panel and meet regularly to examine the work of the police and fire. The rigour and scrutiny previously brought by ETAP has received national recognition.
Mr Ellis said: ‘Honest and independent scrutiny by the public is crucial as we strive to set the bar higher in policing and fire.
‘This is about being open and transparent so that public confidence improves throughout our services.
‘ETAP has used its wide-ranging and rigorous powers to scrutinise to make sure decisions made are correct and in the best interests of the public.
‘We were looking for more members of the public, especially those with financial expertise, and I look forward to meeting the new panel members.’
Appointments are made for a minimum of two years with work on ETAP taking up to three days per month.
Keep an eye on our website https://staffordshire-pfcc.gov.uk for more news from the Staffordshire Commissioner.
