Candidate Questions and Answers

Date received: 11/01/21

Question:

Please can you advise how I proceed with applying for the Hampshire PCC post?

Answer:

Our elections webpage Interested in being a candidate? – Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner (hampshire-pcc.gov.uk) contains links to the Police Area Returning Officer and electoral commission that provide guidance on applying to be candidate in the next Police and Crime Commissioner elections, as well as information on the role and details of a briefing for candidates. A briefing day for prospective candidates is being held on 12 January, details of how to register and attend can be found on the “Interested in being a candidate” webpage.

Date received: 13/01/21

Question:

1. Please advise what age the PCC must retire by?
2. Also please advise if I apply for the post but do not secure it, would I be able to support the PCC as a nominated Volunteer?
3. Also if I don’t secure the post would I be entitled to the return of my £5,000 application fee?

Answers

Response to Question one and three: We are unable to provide a response to either question. However, the Police Area Returning Officer (Local Returning Officer) who is appointed to conduct the elections, will be able to provide guidance on your questions.  Details on how to contact the PARO can be found by clicking on the attached link: Candidates and Agents (southampton.gov.uk)

Response to Question two: You would still be able to apply for volunteering opportunities within the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office. This would be subject to standard procedures i.e. application for the role, checks and an interview.

Date received: 12/01/21

Question:

Given the projected unemployment attributed to Coronavirus this will fuel the Crime Pandemic. I am also mindful that Police Force employees have been in demise for years but am aware of a pending recruitment drive. I’m also aware that Crown Court Jury’s are suspended where Criminals are effectively still ‘on the run’ and no doubt committing more crimes.
I’m also mindful that Prisons are closing and Probation is not suitably robust to mitigate breaches. Therefore, please advise what corrective action is pending and if the HPCC can put in place a robust strategy to counter measure?

Answer:

Thank you for your question relating to the impact of COVID-19 on the prison, police, probation and court service. The local probation, prison and court service are part of national agencies each has a strategy in place to deal with COVID-19. The following links set this out :

Probation Roadmap to Recovery (publishing.service.gov.uk)

National Framework for Prison Regime and Services (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Message from the Lord Chief Justice: latest COVID-19 restrictions | Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

HMCTS368_recovery_-_COVID-19-_Overview_of_HMCTS_response_A4L_v3.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk)

A PCC has as part of their responsibilities the need to engage with partner agencies that work within the criminal justice environment, in other words local senior managers responsible for providing prison, probation and court services. It is through this engagement that a PCC is able to hold the agencies to account and to scrutinise the way local services are being undertaken. There are many opportunities to do this but one major way is through attendance at the Local Criminal Justice Board. As a PCC and as the Hampshire and Isle of Wight PCC you would be part of this board.

In respect of your question relating to police recruitment numbers, Hampshire force is increasing its officer numbers and has been undertaking a recruitment campaign. Details of this can be found on their website Home | Hampshire Constabulary

Date received 13/01/21

Question:

Can you provide link to online version of briefing for candidates

Answer:

The questions and answers that were asked at the briefing, and the videos of the presentations, will be added to the OPCC website and all candidates will be informed when they are available

Date received 01/02/21

Question

In your email you stated you would send me the link for the recording of the candidates briefing meeting in early January. Can I please have this.

Answer

Just a quick note to let you know that our election pages have been updated and now contain:

• The slides from the candidate briefing
• Videos of the presentations given at the candidate briefing
• The updated candidate briefing pack
• The interaction with candidates protocol
• A page where questions received into the office from candidates and the answers are being posted

Transcriptions of the Q&A sessions at the candidate briefing day are currently being finalised and will also be available on the election webpages shortly. To view the new content visit: Interested in being a candidate? – Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner (hampshire-pcc.gov.uk)

Date received 13/01/2021

Question:

In terms of a future, session, once the election has been called, it would be good to have a quick refresher on key points of today. In addition key stats like: how many police officers there? Total wage bill? How many police stations there? How many police cars the force owns? How many miles are covered in foot approx? How many traffic cops we have?

Answer:

Thank you for recent correspondence to the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.

Please find attached the following responses to your questions which have been complied by the OPCC and Hampshire Constabulary:

• To date there are 2979 police officers.
• The total wage bill for Hampshire Constabulary is £265million for 2020/21.
• The requested information can be found on the OPCC’s website by clicking on the attached link: Estates – Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner (hampshire-pcc.gov.uk)
• Hampshire Constabulary would provide this information to a successful candidate.
• Approximately 1602 square miles are covered by foot.
• Hampshire Constabulary would provide this information to a successful candidate

Date received  29/01/2021 

Question:

Once the decision is made on the precept, it would be very helpful for candidates to have a training session focussing in detail on the 2021/22 budget and the longer term plans in place. Is there anything else planned currently?

Answer:

Thank you for your email. I trust you found the Police and Crime Panel Informative. The January meeting is one that starts its journey in July of the previous year when we start work with the Chief reviewing half year performance and likely challenges for the remainder of the calendar year, review the Medium Term Financial Strategy and pressures that are emerging for the coming financial year.

The amount of scrutiny undertaken by a PCC with regard to budget setting here in Hampshire takes a significant amount of time and effort to get right with regular work ongoing right through until February.

The funding formula has historically and continues to see Hampshire with £43m per annum less funding than even the average force (mid-point is 21 of 43 police services but Hampshire is the 5^th largest outside of the metropolitan forces) this continues to be a problem for Hampshire.  We in Hampshire are also a low preceptor (we collect a relatively low total amount,12^th lowest compared to say our next door neighbours in Surrey for instance who collect the most of any police service).

We are however a high performing police service which is all the more impressive as we have fewer police officers per 1000 of population than many others, which means our officers carry a proportionally larger caseload. Hence why more officer numbers are very welcome.

This is the context we start with the yearly financial review when we look with the Chief Constable into how the policing model here in Hampshire needs to adapt to respond to how crime is growing and changing, sadly criminals are a creative bunch, and policing needs to constantly adapt and change to, as the Chief says, take the fight to the criminals. More challenging still it is recognized across policing that they cannot simply arrest their way out of the problem and it is essential that partnerships are leveraged to find more effective solutions to prevent and reduce crime whilst still continuing to enforce the law. This is where PCC’s continue to prove effective in bringing a much broader view to delivering solutions to our community’s needs for policing and beyond through into the whole criminal justice system.

The Panel papers included a financial report are written by the PCC’s Chief Finance Officer, The Constabulary’s Chief Finance Officer and myself with input from across the whole of the PCC’s team. It forms the basis of the advice given to, and the scrutiny undertaken by, the PCC regarding the detailed financial position and the publics views regarding raising the council tax precept.

We have a little more work to do to finish the budget setting process, which involves key decisions that flow from the panels support given to the Commissioners proposal as well as the communications exercise to let the public know what policing, the PCC and our partners will be doing, of which a key ingredient is the Council Tax Leaflet.

Once this is out the way we will refocus on the elections, which we continue to hope will be in May!

We are currently reviewing where to go next with our briefing for candidates and your view regarding the budget being one we should consider is very helpful.

If you get the chance, and have not done so already, please do have a read of the finance paper and let me have your thoughts as it will help me focus in on key areas to unpack.

The papers can be found following this link under agenda reports pack:

https://democracy.hants.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=185&MId=6572&Ver=4

The report starts on page 13 item 7. My apologies it is, because of the nature of the subject, a technical report that continues to page 121 and includes a number of appendices.

Date received 01/02/21

Question

Can I have a link for the Compass Meeting later this month. I want to ask a question, so can you provide me with the details of how to do this

Answer

Please see link as requested, however the deadline for questions was 29 January

What do you want to ask the Chief Constable about policing?

Date received 14/04/21

Question

Does the OPCC have a domestic abuse lead

Answer

The OPCC does have a Domestic Abuse lead within the Commissioning and Partnerships Team. If you have any questions for them please let us know.

Date Received 13/04/21

Question

Request to meet Chief Constable

Answer

I recognise the thoughtfulness of your request to meet with the Chief Constable and the reasons behind it, but I regret it is not something we are able to facilitate. The OPCC and Hampshire Constabulary has a protocol in place to manage engagement between officers, staff and candidates, published on the election candidate pages of our website at https://www.hampshire-pcc.gov.uk/get-involved/elections/information-for-candidates/interaction-with-candidates. This also includes links to other documents that guide our decision making, specifically those on the restrictions of police officers and their ability to comment on the merits or otherwise of proposed policies or manifestos publically or privately. It is for this reason that the Chief Constable does not hold 1-2-1 meetings but was part of the candidate briefing event early in the electoral cycle so that all questions and answers are done openly and transparently.

However in order to assist your request, it would be possible for you to receive a response in writing to specific questions you would wish to put to the Chief Constable and/or other senior officers or staff of Hampshire Constabulary to help you develop your list of priorities. Once I have received your questions and answers from the Constabulary, I will share these with you, as well as posting them on our website in line with the protocol.

Date Received 26/03/21

Question

Request to meet District Commanders

Your recent correspondence to Hampshire Constabulary regarding meeting with district Commanders has been forwarded to me to respond to. During the PCC elections all correspondence between prospective candidates and Hampshire Constabulary regarding information and meeting requests are managed by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.

To ensure Police Officers remain impartial during any election period, we ask them not to engage directly with any prospective or confirmed candidate. This not only protects officers and the Constabulary against accusations of bias, it is also fair to all other prospective candidates who have not had the same opportunity afforded to them.  It is for this reason that I have to deny your request for a meeting with the district Commanders.

However, if you would like to forward your questions which you were intending to ask the district Commanders, on to me. I will share these with the Constabulary / district Commanders, to compile a response for you. The response will be forwarded onto yourself by me and a copy posted on the OPCC elections webpage. This is to ensure all prospective candidates have access to the same information provided. We do this for any information requested by any prospective candidate.

Date received 01/04/21 

Question

A quick question on the Annual Report

The Restorative Justice section (page 16 of the draft) has numbers in the introduction and the first bullet point.
The next 4 bullet points only have percentages.

Please provide me with the numbers that go with those percentages.

The number of victims who agreed to a meeting to discuss the RJ process has increased from 54 to 85 (+57.4%).

–          There was a 67.3% increase in restorative processes that were facilitated this reporting period from 55 to 92.

–          Victims who expressed satisfaction in the process has increased from the previous year by 73.1% from 52 to 90.

–          Of those who engaged in the RJ process, 76.2% of the offenders have not re-offended (32 out of 42).

To confirm, the comparison is between 1^st April 2019-31^st December 2019 and 1^st April 2020-31^st December 2020 due to the PCC annual report being prepared before the end of the financial year.

Date Received  16/03/2021

Question

I expect that there will be the usual communication to all households by the PCC of the increase to the precept.

Can you please provide a PDF of the document as soon as it becomes available.

Answer

PDF of the leaflet sent – web version of the Council tax leaflet