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Theme 3: Representing the Voice of the Public
As an elected official, the PCC has a responsibility to engage and consult with the public to understand and represent their views on policing priorities.
ENGAGEMENT EVENTS
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A range of engagement activity is undertaken with members of the local community and a range of stakeholders including partners, third sector organisations, parliamentarians and police staff at a range of events throughout the year across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
These engagement events and activities have included:
Conferences, workshops and summits, led by the OPCC, on an issue directly related to the Police and Crime Plan priorities and emerging policing or community issues. Local authority led open days or activities, that engage directly with the local community and residents.
County events in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight that reach communities from across the area and rural stakeholders.
Visits to commissioned and partner organisation projects that support the Police and Crime Plan priorities and crime prevention. Attendance at meetings and events held by groups that represent local diverse communities including seldom heard groups from BME, elderly, disability or LGBT+ communities. Emergency services led events, such as 999 days and the Hampshire Constabulary Families Day. OPCC developed events that bring together partners and the public including annual Safer Together event and Safer Awards.
Contracted services, such as Victim Care Service and Restorative Justice Service and partners such as Neighbourhood Policing Teams have also been invited to join the team at events to provide support and guidance to those attending.
During the pandemic, events have continued to be held and have been hosted online. This included annual events such as ‘Safer Together Apart’, plus bespoke webinars on issues that had become more prevalent, such as Domestic Abuse and Hate Crime.
ENGAGING YOUNG PEOPLE
The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Youth Commission currently has 50 members ranging from 16 to 25 years old and from a range of backgrounds. It was set up to enable young people to have their say on policing and crime issues that matter most to them, and to also help inform and advise the Commissioner on topical issues and youth intervention commissioning.
The aims of the Youth Commission are:
Influencing, and working with, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner. Identifying three priority areas relating to young people around police and crime.
Consulting young people on those priorities through the ‘Big Conversation’. Linking with Hampshire Constabulary. Being the voice of young people at relevant events, conferences and meetings. Sharing views with professionals by making recommendations for change and suggesting solutions.
Creating campaigns.
To find out more about the Youth Commission visit: www.hampshire-pcc.gov.uk/youth-commission
COMMUNICATIONS TOOLS
The OPCC use a range of communications channels to inform and engage its stakeholders, partners and target audiences. These can include online and social media, printed publications, traditional media, forums and surveys, and marketing materials. The team is always seeking opportunities to use new and emerging platforms.
The Commissioner’s role is to hold the Chief Constable to account and this can be undertaken in an open and public environment. Previously the Commissioner’s Performance, Accountability, Scrutiny and Strategy (COMPASS) meetings have provided an opportunity for the Commissioner to challenge the Chief Constable on a number of issues in front of a local audience. These meetings have also been filmed and broadcast on the OPCC website to ensure transparency and to share the issues that are discussed with the wider community.
CORRESPONDENCE AND COMPLAINTS
A PCC is regularly contacted by members of the public who wish to share their experiences of policing and the wider criminal justice system. While this does include letters of praise for individual officers and staff, the majority of contact is as a result of perceived poor service.
In the past year, there have been an average of 100 pieces of correspondence per month that require triaging and a response. A PCC is required to determine how they wish to engage with the public and deal with correspondence addressed to them. Among the requests are likely to be invitations to meet with members of the public about their concerns, or to attend public engagement and give speeches about their role. Consideration will therefore need to be given by a PCC as to their approach to attending such engagements and the format of any appointments with members of the public.
Some matters raised with the PCC are formal complaints against police officers. Where a complaint is made against the Chief Constable, it is the responsibility of the PCC to handle this, in accordance with police complaints legislation. Where a complaint is made against any other officer or staff member, legislation dictates this must be passed to Hampshire Constabulary to be resolved, again in accordance with police complaints legislation.
CONSULTING THE PUBLIC
The PCC has a statutory duty to consult with the public and seek their views about matters concerning policing in the area and the views of victims of crime.
The experiences and voice of the public enables the Office to identify emerging issues and shifts in confidence and perception. A range of research methods are used to provide as much opportunity as possible to hear the views of residents.
To reach the highest numbers and ensure that a credible and representative view is achieved, an existing survey programme is used which has around 10.5k Hampshire residents who respond to different surveys each week. Our own survey with questions tailored to emerging issues for 500 people on this panel is also run every six months. This provides an indication of shifts in perceptions and concerns and helps to inform more targeted consultation. This helps the Office to understand if the trends are a widespread reflection of public experience.
A focus group programme is operated with a panel that can be joined through the OPCC website. There are currently over 400 people signed up to this. The panel includes people who:
Have been a victim of a crime or know someone who has
Want to share their thoughts on a particular issue Want to share their experiences on policing and community safety Want to help shape how we communicate with residents and share opinions on campaign materials
Many people are unable to join a panel or community group but would like to share their views. To facilitate this the Office runs ‘coffee shop consultations’. Consultation cards at events and online surveys are also used to gain feedback. We are always seeking new ways to ensure that we reach into our communities to ensure their voice is heard, particularly those who do not want to be communicated with in traditional ways or the more vulnerable people who need support.
WORKING WITH OTHERS TO EXTEND OUR KNOWLEDGE AND REACH
Masters students from local universities collaborate in the focus group programme to support their research into our priority areas
Where a particular group of people have been identified, those in the community who can help reflect on the findings or connect us with residents are contacted. This has provided an unprecedented level of insight that can be shared with police colleagues
A volunteer programme has been set up to support community members coordinate meetings regarding consultation work we are engaged with and to alert us to issues that might affect public confidence and their expectations
The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner hosts a Consultation Board to bring together professional and public stakeholders, reviewing findings from different organisations and agreeing collaborative work
