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Open and Transparent Quality Mark 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2019/20
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WE ARE CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES WITH SOME DOCUMENTS ON OUR WEBSITE. WE APOLOGISE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE.

Our structure

The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) has a team of staff known as the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC).

The PCC is an elected position but the OPCC is a non-political, impartial organisation and its head of paid service is the Chief Executive Officer. The OPCC is a completely separate organisation to Devon and Cornwall Police.

The Police and Crime Commissioner and their office do a number of things including:

Carrying out their statutory functions legally and openly, such as:

  • Appointing a Chief Constable.
  • Writing and publishing a police and crime plan (which sets the police’s priorities).
  • Checking how the police is performing and supporting the Chief Constable to improve policing.
  • Holding the Chief Constable to account for running an effective police force.
  • Managing schemes to help the PCC check and challenge the police, such as the Independent Custody Visitor Scheme, Scrutiny Panels and Police Misconduct Panel Chairs. 
  • Giving the Police and Crime Panel the information they need to carry out their role. 
  • Making sure that the Police and Crime Plan is delivered on time and within budget.
  • Making sure that decisions are made properly and published so that the public can understand how their police force is being governed.
  • Making sure that certain information is published by law, such as an Annual Report, Statement of Accounts and Treasury Management Strategy.
  • Writing policies and strategies so that the police (and sometimes others) can focus their efforts and get things done.
  • Commissioning project and other interventions to deliver specific things (e.g. helping local councils to improve their CCTV systems).
  • Working with other PCCs at a regional and national level when it makes sense to do things together.
  • Lobbying the government about the policing and community safety needs of Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
  • Responding to Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabularies and Fire and Rescue Services when they inspect Devon and Cornwall Police.
  • Dealing with Freedom of Information requests.
  • Processing complaints against the Chief Constable’s and the PCC’s own personal conduct.
  • Checking that the police complaints process (the whole process and not individual complaints) is working properly.
  • Having a statutory 151 officer responsible for the funding of Revenue and Capital, along with responsible for Treasury Management which includes borrowing.
  • Various financial responsibilities (to find out more visit our Code of Corporate Governance).

Talking with and listening to the public and the media, such as:

  • Being professional and helpful to the public and stakeholders who contact the PCC and the office with enquiries.
  • Keeping a record of the types of issues that customers and stakeholders are writing to the PCC about to help inform our work.
  • Organising and attending a large number of community engagement events throughout Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. You can find out where they are on our events pages.
  • Asking the public what they think about a whole range of policing and safety issues to help inform the PCC before they make decisions.
  • Making sure that the views of the public and stakeholders are included in the PCC’s Police and Crime Plan.
  • Speaking with our partners in the media and making sure that they have the information they need.
  • Communicating with the public through regular features with the media such as radio interviews and newspaper blogs.
  • Putting information out about the work of the PCC and the office in a wide variety of formats (e.g. using social media and print media).
  • Making sure that our website contains the information that it should be law, and other information that may be of interest to the public and our stakeholders.
  • Talking with councillors regularly through our Councillor Advocate Scheme.

Investing public money in important services and working with others to keep communities safe and support victims, such as:

  • Investing  over £5 million on vital  services that help victims of crime, and help those who commit crimes to stop.
  • Checking that the services the Police and Crime Commissioner is funding are really making a difference to people’s lives because it’s not just good enough to spend public money, it’s important for the commissioner to know that money is being used properly.
  • Working with other organisations to find out if there are ways of working differently together to reduce the likelihood of offenders committing more crimes.
  • Working with established partnerships such as Community Safety Partnerships who have the local knowledge to know where funds should be spent to meet specific needs.
  • Supporting groups who may need some help in applying for big pots of national money for a specific project.

Deciding the council tax precept and setting the police budget, such as:

  • Deciding how much the policing part of the council tax precept should be (i.e. the part of the council tax bill that funds the police) to maintain a resilient police service for the benefit of Devon and Cornwall residents.
  • Working with the Chief Constable to create a financial strategy which says what the police will be spending money on and why.
  • Owning and managing the police estate, such as:
  • Making sure that the police have the right type of buildings that they need, in the right places.
  • Maintaining the estate so that it is safe to use.
  • Working to reduce the carbon footprint of the police estate.
  • Selling properties or land that the police don’t use anymore.
  • Working with other public sector organisations to explore if the police could have a presence in public buildings that aren’t police stations.

Maintaining good governance and business practices such as:

  • Managing the office’s budget.
  • Monitoring the office’s performance.
  • Facilitating and administering meetings and training.
  • Making sure that the office is safe and legal as an organisation, and has good policies and practices in place.