Involving Our Communities
The results of any consultation that we do are reported to the Community Engagement Committee.
In order to keep members of the public up-to-date regarding the work of the Police Authority, Information leaflets are produced at regular intervals throughout the year and contain relevant information that will benefit the public. These leaflets are available at Police Authority Liaison Meetings
If you have a suggestion to make regarding how the Authority could communicate with local communities please contact us.”
One of the key objectives for the Police Authority is to consult widely with local people about the policing of their area. This helps the Authority set local policing priorities and targets for the Force and provides them with feedback on how you feel the police are delivering their service. We do this in a number of ways:
Meetings of the Police Authority and its Committees
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.
Police Authority Liaison Meetings in your Area
The Authority currently holds Liaison Meetings throughout Devon and Cornwall to give members of the public the opportunity to express their views.For details of meetings in your area please click here.
Police Authority Panels
In order to engage with the public more effectively regarding policing matters we have set up Police Authority Panels. Police Authority Panels are groups of members of the public who volunteer to meet twice a year to discuss local policing issues as well as force-wide strategic policing matters.
The purpose of the panels is:
- to inform the Police Authority on issues/topics that will help to secure and maintain an effective police service to the people of Devon and Cornwall.
- act as a body of consultants that assist future consultation/engagement work.
- establish a closer link with local communities in order to develop a fuller understanding of the communities the police authority serves.
There are three panels, one for Devon and two for Cornwall. Any issues raised are fed back to the Community Engagement Committee and relevant Basic Command Unit personnel.
If you would like to become a panel member please email PolAuth@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.uk
Consultation Initiatives
During the summer of 2009 the Police Authority has undertaken a consultation exercise referred to as the “Daisy consultation”. This consisted of a single question paper-based questionnaire with diversity profiling questions. The results of this consultation are available here
Budget Consultation
The Police Authority sets the budget for the Police Force. Much of the money is provided by a central government but any additional money must be raised through local council tax, the level of which is set annually by the Police Authority.
Consultation on the budget takes place annually. Details of how to take part will be given here at the appropriate time.
Working With Diverse Communities
We are keen to work with all sections of the community and try to attend events throughout the year such as Respect Festivals, Pride, youth events and university induction weeks. Consultation undertaken at such events is reported to the Community Engagement Committee
Working With Young People
One of the main priorities for the Police Authority is to consult and engage with its community. We want to find out what issues are concern members of the community and how the police can address them. The Authority works with Foundation Degree students in Plymouth and Exeter; Students have taken up projects which are of interest to them, the Authority and Police Force. Topics have included:
- Binge Drinking and Young People
- Perceptions of Terrorism
- Complaints against the Police by Young People
- Young Peoples’ perceptions of the Police
- Stop and Search
Please note: Documents may be stored in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format. If you do not have the Adobe Acrobat Reader, visit the Adobe website for a free download. If you experience problems downloading a document, complete this online form that will allow us to email it to you.