What is Lancashire Police Authority?
Background
Until 1995, police services were run through local authorities, just like other local services such as education or housing. But from 1995/96, separate police authorities were set up, whose sole responsibility is to "secure the maintenance of an efficient and effective police force for their area". In the same respect that a board of school governors hold a Head teacher to account in a school, the members of the Police Authority hold the Chief Constable to account for policing in Lancashire.
Structure
Police Authorities normally have a membership of 17 people; nine Councillors nominated by the local authorities of the area and eight Independent Members who are directly appointed (at least one of the Independent Members should be a magistrate). Police Authorities receive most of their funding from the Government, but set their own police council tax for the area as well.
Police authorities are one leg of what is called the "tripartite structure" for governing policing in England and Wales; the other elements are the Home Secretary (responsible for national planning and financing) and the Chief Constable for the area (responsible for all operational matters).
You can become an Independent Member!
The Authority currently has no Independent Member vacancies and the next scheduled vacancy will arise on the 31st March 2011. Vacancies are advertised widely across the Lancashire area and details will appear on our website nearer the time.
The appointment process is made up of two consecutive stages as set out below:-
1) All applications are considered by a Selection Panel for each policing area which is made up of three local people: two Members of the Police Authority and an Independent Assessor appointed from a list produced by the Home Secretary.
The Panel will conduct an initial shortlisting exercise and then, if appropriate, interview shortlisted applicants to produce a list of suitable applicants (twice the number of people needed) which it sends to the existing Members of the Police Authority.
2) The existing Members will then interview the candidates on the Panel’s final shortlist and make the final selection of Independent Members.
If you are interested in becoming an Independent Member and would like to automatically receive an application pack when a vacancy is next advertised, please email us.
Specific Jobs
The specific jobs of a police authority are to:
- Set and monitor the police budget
- Appoint the Chief Constable and senior officers
- Consult widely with local people about the policing of their area
- Set local policing priorities and targets for achievement
- Monitor what the police do and how well they perform against the targets set by the authority
- Publish a three year and annual plan which tells local people what they can expect from their police service, and report on achievements every year
- Make sure local people get "best value" from their local police
- Oversee complaints against the police
So a police authority is rather like a board of non-executive directors to the local police service, but with some significant executive jobs to do at a strategic level as well.
