Police commissioners' decisions under-scrutinised, says watchdog

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jun/29/police-crime-commissioners-scrutiny-watchdog

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The standards watchdog has called on the home secretary to launch an urgent review of the powers available to hold police and crime commissioners (PCCs) to account after a wide-ranging report uncovered “significant standards risks” in the hierarchy of local policing.

An eight-month study by the Committee on Standards in Public Life said there was insufficient scrutiny of PCCs’ decisions and insufficient redress where a PCC falls below the expected standards of behaviour.

“Under current arrangements, the accountability of PCCs rests almost entirely upon democratic processes. It is for voters to assess their standards, but only at four-year intervals,” wrote the committee’s chair, Lord Pew, in a letter to the prime minister.

“In between elections, more effective day to-day scrutiny and transparency of PCCs’ decision-making is needed, including through the operation of police and crime panels, and stronger safeguards are needed in the appointments of chief constables and the roles of statutory officers.”

The watchdog recommended that the home secretary, Theresa May, order an urgent review of whether there are sufficient powers to take action against PCCs whose conduct falls below the standards expected of those in public office.

The report recommends that the pay, gifts, hospitality and outside business interests of PCCs and chief constables are made public in an easily accessible format.

The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 abolished police authorities and replaced them with directly elected PCCs for each police force outside London, a move intended to improve the accountability and transparency of the police. The first PCC elections were held in November 2012 with an average voter turnout of 15.1%.

The report said the police remained among the most trusted public office holders and acknowledged that it had found evidence of “greater innovation, increased visibility and a greater focus on community engagement and victim support” under the new system of PCCs.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We welcome this report, which recognises the new impetus that police and crime commissioners have brought to policing, bringing greater innovation, increased visibility and a greater focus on community engagement and victim support.”

The spokesperson added that the department would consider the committee’s findings and respond to them in due course. “High ethical standards and strong leadership lie at the heart of good policing, and this report shows the importance of reforms brought forward by the home secretary to improve police integrity.”