Written evidence from Kevin Hurley,
Police and Crime Commissioner for Surrey [PCC Progress 08]
1.1 The role of a PCC is significant, substantial and wide-ranging. Although still early in its evolution, it is already apparent that the creation of a direct democratic link between the public and the police service that serves them has been a healthy step in the right direction for this country and a significant improvement on what came before.
1.2 In considering the effectiveness of PCCs to date and into the future, I believe we must reflect carefully on what it is we base our judgement of police success. In my view, the public’s sense of safety is the key measure of the value of the authorities. I aspire towards a county where anyone can feel safe walking down any street at any time of day. Reducing crime is just one part of that. It also involves a strengthening confidence that the authorities will deal with our concerns and be there when we need them, not when it suits them. It involves restoring faith that the criminal justice system will tackle lawbreakers firmly and victims compassionately.
1.3 I am delighted to work with a Chief Constable, Lynne Owens, who lives and breathes the ethos and the mission of British policing. One who passionately believes in the relentless pursuit of criminals; in making sure that the police are there when people need them; and keeping people safe. In short, she believes in putting the public first. I back our Chief Constable and our police officers and staff to use their judgement and discretion to make the right decisions for the public. They are the professionals. I believe in their goodwill and their determination to make our society better. I trust them to do their jobs.
1.4 As Commissioner, it is my role to support the police and add value to their work for the public with the strategic decisions I make. Below, I outline some of the activities that my team and I have initiated during the first year in office to help improve the effectiveness of the police service – and the wider community safety partnership - in Surrey:
1.5 Partnership is perhaps the most exciting frontier for Commissioners to explore. PCCs have a remit and a level of political influence not before seen at a county level. We are in a unique position to bring partner agencies together in the public interest and I have spent much of my first year in office meeting with those who have a part to play in improving the sense of safety in Surrey’s communities. I am working with councils to promote better joint working between Safer Neighbourhood Teams and Local Authorities. Local authority staff who already have powers of enforcement, such as planning officers, environmental health officers and traffic wardens, will work together with police Safer Neighbourhood Teams in order to deal more effectively with the antisocial behaviour problems that the public consistently raise as concerns. The aim of this project is to deal with problems by making the most of all the legal powers the authorities – police and councils – have to tackle those causing persistent nuisance and concern to residents using the legal powers entrusted in us.
1.6 By enforcing the law more quickly, consistently and strongly against anti-social behaviour wherever the authorities encounter it, we send out a clear message that selfish, antisocial and criminal behaviour will not be tolerated in our county. Our first joint enforcement team is planned to go live in January 2014.
1.7 Looking ahead, I would like to see Police and Crime Commissioners’ remit – and the direct democratic link with the public that they provide - extended across the criminal justice system. Local communities are detached from a criminal justice system overseen remotely from them and oblivious to their priorities. I can see significant advantages in those involved in the delivery of criminal justice being held to public account at a local level.
1.8 For more details on my effectiveness, I attach the Police and Crime Plan and my first Annual Report.[1]
2.1 Holding the Chief Constable to account is a key statutory responsibility and it is important that both I and the wider public can see how Surrey Police is performing against the Police & Crime Plan and that the Force is rightly and properly subject to oversight, scrutiny and accountability to ensure it is operating efficiently and effectively.
2.1 One of my first acts as PCC was to do away with numerical targets for the police force – the first in the country to do so. The target culture has had a negative impact on British policing over the last 20 years. Targets provide reassurance to politicians but they mean very little to the wider public. They can lead to perverse incentives towards policing activity that satisfies performance managers and no-one else.
2.2 No targets does not mean no accountability however. I openly and constructively scrutinise the Chief Constable and the force. I do not wish to take an adversarial approach, nor do I want senior officers and staff to be spending time in unnecessary meetings. In holding the Chief Constable to account, I don’t seek to fetter her operational independence or undermine her ability to direct and control the Force. Rather, I have sought to strike a balance between effective oversight and scrutiny and allowing the Chief Constable to deliver the ‘day job’.
2.3 Central to my oversight activities are bi-monthly management meetings. These management meetings are webcast live so that public, media, partners and police can see how I am holding the Chief Constable to account and what progress is being made. I was the first, and until recently the only, PCC to webcast these meetings and bring about such a novel approach to transparency. Agendas are set in advance and papers published on my website for all to see.
2.4 In addition to this very public scrutiny, and recognising that there is an equally important scrutiny role to be carried out on operationally or legally sensitive matters, I meet privately with the Chief Constable at least every two weeks and more often as necessary. My staff also attend relevant Surrey Police meetings, such as their Crime Performance Board, to understand force performance in more detail.
2.5 I am also in the process of setting up a bi-monthly scrutiny panel. At this meeting I, my Deputy and Assistant PCCs will look at Surrey Police performance in greater depth where aspects of the Police and Crime Plan are not being met.
3.1 The first year of the new system of police governance has been a process of evolution for Panels as well as PCCs. We continue to learn as we go.
3.2 I feel I have been subject to robust and open scrutiny by the Surrey Police and Crime Panel. I have attended 5 public Panel meetings in my first year as well as informal workshops and meetings. I have presented on and answered questions about my budget, the Surrey Police budget, progress against the Police and Crime Plan, how I have held the Chief Constable to account, collaboration and change programmes as well as many other issues.
3.3 I hope to maintain a constructive relationship, one which remains focused on fulfilling our duties - as defined in law - in the best interest of the public.
4.1 I have submitted my plan for Stage 2 to the Home Secretary which sets out my proposals for the division of assets and staff following Stage 2 transfer. The plan has the full support of the Chief Constable. In essence, nearly all police staff will be transferring to the employment of the Chief Constable, apart from a small team of PCC support staff, around 9 people (full-time equivalents). I will retain ownership of all assets, including estates. We will ensure a clear roles and lines of accountability through new governance documents.
4.2 My view is that, post transfer, the Chief Constable should be responsible for the delivery of policing and I will hold her to account for the totality of that delivery. My focus will remain on my strategic and representative role while the Chief Constable will focus on the delivery of operational policing with responsibility for the back office services that support this. Future working arrangements between the Force and PCC must be a joint endeavour, focused upon improving outcomes for local people.
5.1 Setting the budget and precept is one of my key roles and I am the main decision maker in that process. I have a very experienced Chief Finance Officer (CFO) to brief me on the technical detail budget setting. I have consulted on my draft budget and precept proposals with public, victims and businesses. I then work with Surrey Police and my CFO to go through the policing priorities, government grant funding and the results of consultation to develop the budget and precept proposals to put forward to the Police and Crime Panel.
5.2 In a climate of increasing austerity, we must make difficult decisions. I make those decisions in the best interests of the public and in line with the priorities as expressed in the Police and Crime Plan.
5.3 I also have an important role in representing the interests of the public of Surrey in the national decisions that impact on our budget and precept. Surrey residents pay the highest precept for their policing in the country, because the county receives one of the lowest levels of Government grant. Other areas with similar crime rates receive as much as double the amount of funding per head of population as Surrey. I will be playing an active role in future discussions on a police funding formula which simply does not reflect the true costs of policing in this country and fails to allocate funding accurately on the basis of need.
6.1 From the very outset, I have been clear that the priorities of the public should dictate the direction and the style of policing in Surrey. Six ‘People’s Priorities’ form the basis for the Police and Crime Plan for Surrey. I the Chief Constable to account for delivery of and progress against that Plan which I believe will ultimately lead to a reduction in crime, anti-social behaviour and a better police service for local people and victims of crime.
6.2 PCCs are visible and communicate in a way that Police Authorities were never able to. Recent research has demonstrated that over 60% of people have now heard of the PCC role. That compares to 7% who had heard of their Police Authority. This is a significant step forward for local democracy and is something I hope to continue to build on throughout my time in office.
6.3 Unlike Police Authorities, engagement, consultation and communication with the public are in the DNA of the PCC role. I am here to listen to their priorities and make sure they are reflected in the policing services they receive. To illustrate, my activities have included:
7.1 Like many other police forces, Surrey Police needs to make large savings over the next few years. Surrey and Sussex have in the last few years been collaborating on a small number of specialist crime services. Recently I have agreed with the PCC for Sussex, Katy Bourne, and the two Chief Constables, a vision for future:
“Surrey and Sussex Police working as one, operationally and organisationally to enhance and improve services for the public whilst reducing costs and responding to local needs”
7.2 On 1 October 2013 Surrey and Sussex have moved towards a lead force model for collaborating in Specialist Crime and Operations with an Assistant Chief Constable in charge of these two commands. We are currently reviewing Support Service functions to bring these together for the two forces over the next few years. These changes will help make the savings needed in Surrey and Sussex whilst improving operational resilience.
7.3 We are also working within Surrey with partners on an Emergency Services Collaboration project, encouraging closer working between blue light services. This will be worked up alongside the Surrey/ Sussex collaboration plans.
7.4 I, with support from my office, am also taking a national lead role working with other PCCs on the provision of victim support services to ensure that the proposed plans to transfer funding and governance of these services to PCCs are robust and will deliver the required level of support to victims.
7.5 The PCCs in the South East have also signed a deal with BT which will make 20% savings on telecoms over the next 7 years.
7.6 We also have a number of other local partnership projects and collaborations that we are working on including the development of Joint Law Enforcement between Surrey Police and Local Councils, a local Surrey Cyber Safe Partnership and taking a lead on Surrey partnership boards.
8.1 I aim to be transparent in the work I do. I publish all key decisions that I have made along with details of my salary and expenses as well as those for my deputy, assistant commissioner and salaries for all senior staff. I publish gifts and hospitality, a register of interests and any matters of complaints or conduct.
8.2 In addition to my webcast management meetings at which I scrutinise the Chief Constable, I also publish a quarterly update on Surrey Police performance and progress being made against the Police and Crime Plan on my website.
8.3 I attend the Police and Crime Panel which is webcast and publishes its papers for the public to view.
8.4 I am also a strong public advocate for the rights of whistleblowers in public services and the importance of a strong free press in providing an avenue for wrongdoing to be brought to public attention.
Please do contact my office if you require any further information on my work.
Kevin Hurley
Police and Crime Commissioner for Surrey
December 2013
[1] Not printed