Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Panel

Police and Crime Panel meetings

Most meetings are open to the public. Agendas, papers and minutes of formal Police and Crime Panel meetings are available through our committee meeting finder web page.

The Panel is supported and serviced by Bristol City Council.

What is the Police and Crime Panel?

The Panel is part of the new national arrangements for police governance. In each police force area there will be:

• an elected Police and Crime Commissioner, and
• a Police and Crime Panel which is composed of councillors from each authority in the Avon and Somerset Police area, plus at least two co-opted independent members.

The Police and Crime Commissioner

The Police and Crime Commissioner will be publicly accountable for the strategic direction, delivery and performance of the police service in Avon and Somerset. The Commissioner will be accountable to the electorate; the Chief Constable will be accountable to the Commissioner. They will:

• appoint and, if necessary, dismiss the Chief Constable
• set policing priorities and produce an annual plan
• set the annual police budget and council tax precept
• publish an annual report and accounts
• consult with and involve the public

For more information see:

• Police and Crime Commissioners on the Local Government Association's website and
• Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner website

The Police and Crime Panel

The Police and Crime Panel will scrutinise and maintain a regular check and balance on the performance and activities of the Commissioner.

It will have the power to request reports and call the Police and Crime Commissioner to attend its meetings.

Its activities will include:

• Scrutinising the Commissioner’s proposed council tax precept for policing, with the power to veto if the Panel considers necessary.
• Scrutinising the Commissioner’s proposed appointment of a Chief Constable, with the power to veto if the Panel considers necessary.
• Reviewing the police and crime plan and annual report.
• Considering complaints against the PCC of a non-criminal nature.

The Panel is not a replacement for the Police Authority. It will scrutinise the actions and decisions of the Commissioner, not the performance of the police force

Who are the Panel members?

The Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Panel is composed of councillors from all local authorities in the Avon and Somerset police area, plus three independent co-opted members.  Unitary authorities have two panel members each and 2-tier authorities have 1 each.

Police and crime panels shoud be as far as possible politically and geographically proportionate to the police area they cover.  It is therefore possible that membership may change or increase after the Bristol mayoral election, as the Bristol mayor or a nominated deputy will become a panel member.

Current panel members (pdf, 16 KB) (opens new window).

Complaints against the Police and Crime Commissioner

The Police and Crime Panel (the Panel) has responsibility for handling -

• All non-criminal complaints directed against the Police and Crime Commissioner including conduct matters
• Criminal complaints and conduct matters that are referred back to the Panel by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

For more information see the Panel's complaints procedure (pdf, 33 KB) (opens new window) and for more detailed information please see the complaints protocol under "related documents" to the right of this page.

To make a complaint, you can email pcc@avonandsomerset.pnn.police.uk

Or write to:

The Chief Executive
Avon and Somerset Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner
Valley Road
Portishead
Bristol
BS20 8JJ

The aim is to send you an initial acknowledgement of your complaint within 2 working days and to resolve the matter to your satisfaction within 28 days.  If you are not satisfied, you have the right to escalate your complaint to the Panel.

Please note that the Panel does not deal with complaints involving police misconduct or the delivery of operational policing matters.  These complaints are dealt with by the Constabulary's Professional Standards department or you can write to:

Professional Standards Department
Avon and Somerset Constabulary
Valley Road
Portishead
Bristol
BS20 8QJ

More information about Police and Crime Panels

For more information about Police and Crime Panels please see:

• Police and Crime Panels on the Local Government Association's website
• Scrutiny - Police and Crime Panel on the Avon and Somerset Police Authority's website

Contact us

For more information please email pcpanel@bristol.gov.uk.