Guidance

Engaging Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) in national policy

Published 30 May 2019

Purpose

This protocol sets out key principles for engagement between national Criminal Justice System (CJS) departments and agencies represented on the Criminal Justice Board and PCCs, the responsibilities the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) and PCCs will fulfil in return, and practical methods of taking PCCs’ views. The protocol applies to England and Wales.

National Engagement with PCCs

Drawing on lessons learned from current engagement with PCCs and wider good practice, we have identified the following principles which we propose should be applied by national CJS departments and agencies in their engagement with PCCs. CJS departments and agencies will, in general:

1. Engage PCCs on major, national CJS policies and reforms influencing the local context.

2. Engage PCCs early in the development and testing of CJS policies and reforms to ensure these take into account, and adequately reflect, the local context and local priorities.

3. Update PCCs on the implementation of national policies and reforms and, where appropriate, agree with PCCs their role in supporting implementation locally.

4. Inform PCCs of key developments or changes in national policies, reforms and practice in a timely manner, where necessary providing background on the underpinning rationale for changes.

5. Update PCCs on ministerial and Criminal Justice Board priorities, and provide relevant supporting information to assist PCCs in addressing these priorities at the local level.

PCC responsibilities

To maximise the effectiveness of national engagement, PCCs will be expected to perform key functions in return. PCCs will:

1. Provide local perspectives and steers on national policies and reforms, highlighting potential challenges, opportunities and variations at the local level.

2. When requested by policy leads, communicate information on national developments and Criminal Justice Board and ministerial priorities within their local areas, helping to ensure priorities are addressed locally.

3. Help support the implementation of national reforms and policies locally, as agreed with national policy leads.

Principles governing engagement

1. Policy leads within the relevant government department will be responsible for determining which policies or reforms are of sufficient magnitude to merit engagement with PCCs and the most apposite time to engage with PCCs during policy development.

2. Any information, data or policies which are sensitive, or have implications for prosecutorial or judicial independence or national security are not covered by the principles of this agreement.

3. PCCs will be expected to treat any information shared with them as strictly confidential, and ensure information is not circulated or disseminated further unless explicitly advised otherwise by policy leads. PCCs should seek advice and clarification from policy leads on a case by case basis where necessary.

Facilitating engagement

The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) is the membership organisation for PCCs, enabling them to express their collective view on policy issues and engage as a body with national criminal justice agencies and departments. To engage effectively with PCCs and take their collective rather than individual views, national CJS agencies and departments will generally work through the APCC or a delegated sub group, to engage with PCCs.

In most cases engagement will be through the APCC’s standing groups which focus on specific policy areas. Where national policymakers need to engage with a broader range of PCCs beyond those participating in the standing group structure, the APCC should, generally, be consulted on how to take forward this wider engagement.

National leads can also engage with the Association of Policing and Crime Chief Executives (APACE), which brings together Chief Executives from PCCs’ offices, to help work through technical details or practical local implications, arising from policies or reforms.

Next Steps

Once this protocol is agreed with PCCs and cross-CJS senior leaders represented on the Criminal Justice Board, its operation will be periodically reviewed by the APCC to ascertain whether it is fulfilling its core objectives of facilitating effective national engagement, or whether further action is needed.