How We Work

This section provides information about meetings of the Police Authority and its Committees. Links are provided to enable you to view the Agendas, Papers and Minutes for meetings. If you cannot find the meeting information that you require please contact us.

For a structure diagram of how the meetings structures link please select here

Please click here to view the Police Authority Calendar.

Constitution

The Police Authority has agreed a Constitution which sets out how the Authority operates, how decisions are made and the procedures which are followed to ensure the provision of an effective and efficient police service and to be accountable to local people.

Some of these processes are prescribed by the law, others are matters for the Police Authority’s discretion. The Appendices to the Constitution contain a number of documents that relate to the business of the Authority.

Oversight and monitoring of the Constitution is undertaken by the Authority’s Corporate Governance Committee based on any specific recommendations submitted by the Monitoring Officer. Other than routine updating, such as the inclusion of a revised appendix, changes to the Constitution have to be agreed by the Police Authority in a formal meeting.

Formal Meetings

All the members of the Police Authority meet together formally approximately 5 times per year regarding the work of the Police Authority. The Authority also has a number of specialist Committees who undertake more detailed work and make recommendations to the Full Police Authority on policy and strategic issues. All the Authority’s formal meetings are open to the public to attend and are webcast.

Webcast - want to see the meeting?

The Police Authority film all their formal meetings so that you can watch them live on the internet.  We also record them so you can watch them on the Internet at a later date to suit you.  A recorded film of the Police Authority’s meetings can be accessed from our website at any time for six months after the date the meeting took place.

If you do not have access to the Internet, we may also be able to provide you with a copy of a filmed meeting on DVD for a nominal charge - please contact us to find out about this option.

Further details can be found on our webcasting page.

Full Authority Meetings

The dates for future meetings of the full Authority are listed on the Police Authority page here. Meetings start at 10.00am and are held at the Headquarters of the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary at Middlemoor in Exeter. If you would like an Agenda for a forthcoming meeting or would like to attend any of these meeting please contact the Police Authority office to confirm meeting arrangements.

To find out more about the authority structure before the 10 Dec 2010 please visit here.

Committee Meetings

To find out more about the latest Authority’s committee structure, the membership and terms of reference of each committee please visit here.

To find out more about the committee structure before the 10 Dec 2010 please visit here.

Committee meetings are currently closed to the public however for each meeting, a summary of issues discussed and any recommendations arising are brought before the full Authority and as such are included in the agenda of the subsequent full Authority meeting.

Terms of Reference & Delegated Powers for Police Authority and Committees

Introduction

  1. The scope, terms of reference and delegated powers as given in this document form part of the Police Authority’s Constitution. The information given at the beginning of each section i.e. Number of Members, Number of Scheduled Meetings, Open to the Press and Public:
    Lead Officer; Decision Making, Relevant Police Service Departments are for guidance and do not form part of the Constitution.
  2. All decisions made by the Authority and its Committees (as described in the Terms of Reference and Delegated Powers) must be made with due regard to the Articles of the Constitution and any relevant legislation.
  3. Working Groups and Task and Finish Groups are not decision-making.
  4. The terms of reference for committees are approved by the full Authority (see Article 5.of the Constitution)
  5. The scope and terms of reference for working groups and task and finish groups is agreed by the Strategic Planning and Co-ordination Committee.
  6. The membership of committees and groups is determined by the Chairman of the Police Authority in consultation with the Chief Executive (see Article 5 of the Constitution)
  7. Individual Committees and Groups will appoint their own Chairmen at the first meeting after the Annual meeting of the Police Authority (see Article 5 of the Constitution)
  8. The full Authority is the policy making body; all committees and working groups must act within the policy framework set by the Authority. Only the full Authority can approve policy or amend it
  9. The Authority’s Constitution and Operating Framework are a “living” documents and will be regularly reviewed and updated if required. Article 8 of the Authority’s Constitution sets out the review procedure
  10. The procedures to be followed at meetings are detailed in the Authority’s Procedure Rules , further detailed information is also available in the “Meeting Guidance and Protocol” document.
  11. Any Member can request an item to be put on the Agenda for a meeting but the decision as to whether or not the item is will be made by the Chairman of the relevant meeting following consultation with the Chief Executive or the appropriate Lead Officer.
  12. The Authority’s Constitution (5.2)  states
    All decisions of the Authority (including those of the Committees and the Authority’s Officers) will be made in accordance with the following principles:
    • The provisions of this Constitution;
    • Legality;
    • Financial prudence and value for money;
    • The provision of an effective and efficient police service.
    • The exercise of power must be proportionate to the desired outcome
    • Proper account will be taken of consultation with partners and the public
    • Proper consideration of professional advice from Officers
    • Respect for human rights and for diversity and equality
    • Environmental impact and sustainability
    • Decisions will be made in public whenever practicable and appropriate
    • The management of risk in a proportionate and considered manner
  13. The authority and committee meetings will usually be open to the public to attend and observe, however there will be occasions when matters will need to be discussed and decided without the public being present, this will normally be indicated on the Agenda for the meeting.
  14. Committees will normally only consider items where decisions are necessary. Items which are for information only will be published on a Members Information Sheet.
  15. In some instances a report may need to be agreed by more than one committee, for example a new policy or procedure which has cost implications. In such cases the policy approving / endorsing committee should consider the report first and finalise its plans and then the report should go to Resources Committee for consideration of the costs.
  16. In the context of this document:
  17. terms of reference provides information about the topic area of authority of the committee.

The delegated power is the decisions and actions that the committee is allowed to make without reference back to a meeting of the full Authority.