Agenda item

8.1

The Committee received a report of the Policy and Improvement Officer, which presented a proposed Joint Working Protocol between the four South Yorkshire Local Authority Crime and Disorder Scrutiny Committees and the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel.  A copy of the proposed Protocol was appended to the report.

8.2

In response to a Member question, the Policy and Improvement Officer stated that the Protocol dealt with the way in which the Committee and the Police and Crime Panel exchanged information.  He added that the Panel provided updates to the Committee and that endorsement of the Protocol would enable the Panel to produce work plans and provide the Committee with an annual briefing.  The Chair, Councillor Chris Weldon, indicated that if there was something of concern, information on it would be circulated as seen fit and that adopting the Protocol would open up lines of communication.

8.3

Councillor Roy Munn, who was a member of the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel, provided the Committee with an update on the recent meetings of the Panel, following the publication of the Jay Report on Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham, particularly in relation to the resignation of the Police and Crime Commissioner, Shaun Wright. 

8.4

RESOLVED: That the Committee:-

(a)       approved the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel Joint Working Protocol proposal as set out in the appendix to the submitted report and asked the Policy and Improvement Officer to report this to the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel; and

(b)       supports the resolution agreed at the meeting of the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel at its meeting on 11^th September 2014, namely that:-

“Having carefully considered the response provided by the Police and Crime Commissioner today, and acknowledging the significant strength of public feeling, the Police and Crime Panel resolves:

(1)    that it has no confidence in the Police and Crime Commissioner and calls for his immediate resignation;

(2)    to write to the Home Secretary to support the recommendation of the Home Affairs Select Committee for an urgent review of legislation to ensure that Police and Crime Panels have the authority to be able to remove a Police and Crime Commissioner in exceptional circumstances such as these, and also to fundamentally review the current role and powers of Police and Crime Panels;

(3)    to write to Keith Vaz, MP, to support his call for emergency legislation to be enacted to enable the urgent removal of Police and Crime Commissioners in these circumstances; and

(4)    to write to the Chief Constable to ask for full and clear information with regard to those matters upon which the Police and Crime Commissioner failed to provide a response.”