In relation to Policing and Criminal Justice, the PFCC has the statutory duty to:

• ‘Provide the local link between the police and communities, working to translate the legitimate desires and aspirations of the public into action’
• ‘Maintain an efficient and effective police force for the police area’
• ‘Decide the budget, allocating assets and funds to the Chief Constable; and set the Council Tax precept for the force area’
• ‘Set the strategic direction and objectives of Northamptonshire Police through the Police and Crime Plan’
• ‘Hold the Chief Constable to account for the performance of the force‘s officers and staff’
• ‘Scrutinise, support and challenge the overall performance of Northamptonshire Police, including against the priorities agreed within the Plan’
• ‘Prepare and issue an annual report to the Police, Fire and Crime Panel on the PFCC‘s delivery against the objectives set within the Police and Crime Plan’
•  ‘Appoint the Chief Constable and remove the Chief Constable subject to following the process set out in legislation’
•  ‘Deliver services to victims and witnesses of crime’
•  ‘Enter into collaboration agreements
  with other PCCs, other policing bodies
  and partners that improve the efficiency or effectiveness of policing for one or more policing bodies or police forces in consultation with the Chief Constable’
• ‘Comply with all reasonable formal requests from the Police, Fire and Crime Panel to attend their meetings’
• ‘Monitor all complaints made against officers and staff, whilst having responsibility for complaints against the Chief Constable’

The PFCC has wider responsibilities than those relating solely to the police force, namely a specific responsibility for the delivery of community safety and crime reduction and a wider responsibility for the enhancement of the delivery of criminal justice in their area

In addition to these statutory duties, the PFCC must not fetter the operational independence of the police force and the Chief Constable who leads it.

More information about Northamptonshire Police can be found here

In relation to the Fire and Rescue Service, the PFCC has the statutory duty to:

• ‘Put in place arrangements to deliver an efficient and effective fire and rescue service’
• ‘Set the fire and rescue objectives for their area through a fire and rescue plan’
• ‘Appoint the Chief Fire Officer, hold them to account for delivery of objectives, and if necessary dismiss them’ and
• ‘Set the budget for the Fire and Rescue Service and set the council tax precept’

More information about the Fire and Rescue Service can be found here

PFCCs must obtain the views of local people and victims of crime before the Police and Crime Plan and the Fire and Rescue Plan is issued and before the precept is set (the latter must also including obtaining the views of  residents).

The PCC must give the Police, Fire and Crime Panel the information it requires to carry out its function and must also publish an annual report which must be presented to the PCP at a public meeting. [PRSRA, S11-14; and Schedule 11]

The PFCC must publish information about their performance and that of the chief officer, and the material required by the Specified Information Order.

Further information can be found here

As well as being responsible for commissioning crime reduction and community safety services, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioners (PFCCs) have the statutory responsibility for the commissioning support services for victims and witnesses of crime to help individuals cope with and recover from the consequences.

Voice is a free, confidential support service for victims and witnesses of crime, life-changing fire incidents and serious road traffic collisions in Northamptonshire. Voice is available to anyone resident in Northamptonshire, whether a crime has been reported to police or not and regardless of when or where it happened.

Further details can be found here

PFCCs have a statutory duty to operate an effective Independent Custody Visiting (ICV) Scheme. This scheme allows for volunteers from the local community to observe, comment and report on:

• the welfare of detainees
• that detainees are receiving their rights and entitlements
• the conditions that detainees are being held in are satisfactory.

Further details on the local scheme can be found here

The Independent Custody Visiting Scheme (ICVA) also produce a briefing for candidates and this is available here ICVA candidate briefing

The Policing and Crime Act 2017 overhauled the police complaints system radically by broadening the definition of a complaint. Previously, a complaint was defined as a “complaint about the conduct of a person serving with the police”. This has now changed to “any expression of dissatisfaction with a police force which is expressed by or on behalf of a member of the public.”

PCCs now have the responsibility for holding Chief Officers to account for the way in which complaints are dealt with by the force. In addition to this, the Act gives PCCs the mandatory role of being the review body for appeals and also provides several discretionary options which allow them to undertake an even greater role within the police complaints process.

For more details on how the OPFCC deals with complaints click here

The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 set out a range of statutory responsibilities, whilst ensuring there was
also flexibility to ensure each Commissioner could develop the necessary infrastructure, governance arrangements and partnership structures in a way which best meet local needs.
In addition to this, unlike Police Authorities, PFCCs also have been granted a general power
of competence which means they are able to do anything that is calculated to facilitate their own functions.

Further details can be found here

The PFCC is the recipient of all funding, including the grant funding from the government for Policing and the Fire and Rescue Service and funding raised by the Council Tax precept. How this money is allocated is a matter for the PFCC, except in relation to a small number of specific grants such as those for counter-terrorism, in consultation with the Chief Constable who may provide professional advice and recommendations.

Details of financial information can be found here

The PFCC holds the Chief Officers to account through the Accountability Boards

The purpose of the Accountability Boards is to:

• Support the PFCC in exercising the statutory duties of holding the Chief Constable and Chief Fire Officer to account;
• Form part of a wider ranging programme of assurance across the breadth of Policing and Fire and Rescue activities;

Details of the Police Accountability board can be found here

Details of the Fire Accountability board can be here

The Police, Fire and Crime Panel (PFCP) holds the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner to account.

The Police, Fire and Crime Panel is a body made up of local elected councillors and independent members with the responsibility to scrutinise and support the work of the Police and Crime Commissioner.

The PFCP is not a local government committee, however it is obliged to meet in public, to publish agendas and minutes, and to fulfill the following responsibilities:

• To consider the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner’s Police and Crime Plan, and Fire & Rescue Plan – documents setting out the PFCC’s priorities for a three year period, and how those priorities will be delivered.
• To consider the draft policing and fire & rescue budgets and draft policing and fire & rescue precepts. The precepts are the amounts of money that the PFCC proposes to levy on council taxpayers for Northamptonshire Police and Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue. The budget will set out how both the money raised from the precept will be spent, and also how other funds will be spent for which the PFCC has overall responsibility.
• To consider the PFCC’s annual report, setting out their activities in the previous year.
• To carry out hearings when the PFCC proposes to appoint a new chief constable, a deputy PFCC, a chief of staff, chief executive or a chief finance officer.
• To work to resolve (but not investigate) non-criminal complaints made about the PFCC

Further details about the Police, Fire and Crime Panel can be found here

The Joint Independent Audit Committee
In addition to the Accountability Board, The Joint Independent Audit Committee provides independent assurance on the adequacy of the corporate governance and risk management arrangements in place and the associated control environment, advising according to good governance principles and proper practices. In January 2019, the Committee was broadened to include Northamptonshire Commissioner Fire and Rescue Authority
(NCFRA).
The Committee also examines and scrutinises both internal and external audit reports of the Force, NCFRA and the OPFCC.

Further details can be found here

APCC Candidates Briefing

Association of Police and Crime Commissioners

Association of Policing and Crime Chief Executives

College of Policing

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS)

Independent Office for Police Conduct

National Police Chief Council

Police and Crime Commissioners Treasurers’ Society