This in from the office of Simon Hayes, in their own words. Ed
Simon Hayes, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, is responsible for challenging police culture, attitudes and behaviours and holding Hampshire Constabulary to account on behalf of the public.
On Tuesday 10 June, he will hold the 6th COMPASS (Commissioner’s Performance, Accountability, Scrutiny and Strategy) meeting at 10am at Winchester Guildhall, this time focussing on the theme of ‘Confidence in the Police’. The meeting will be recorded and available on the Commissioner’s website on Thursday 12 June to enable wide public access across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
Confidence in police severely shaken
Public confidence in police has been severely shaken in recent times following high profile criticism of the conduct of officers involved in cases such as the Stephen Lawrence murder, the Hillsborough disaster, the Plebgate affair, police response to domestic abuse and, most recently, criticism of the Police Federation.
In a recent annual assessment statement, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary stated “the police service has been damaged, but it is certainly not broken”.
Seeking assurances
Commissioner Simon Hayes said:
“At this time of heightened anxiety around policing nationally, I will be seeking assurances from Chief Constable Andy Marsh that the public can trust Hampshire Constabulary.
“Residents should be confident that their Constabulary respects and promotes the principles of exemplary leadership, governance and standards and recognises the importance of accurately reporting data and statistics and following the appropriate procedures for managing complaints.”
Submit your questions
The Commissioner’s questioning of the chief constable is informed by views and questions that members of the public raise with him on a wide variety of occasions, as well as analysis of trends, information and comparisons with other police forces.
In addition, Mr Hayes is inviting members of the public to submit questions to further inform the issues that he will explore with the chief constable.
Book your seat
The meeting is open to members of the public to attend, with a Q and A session following the recorded COMPASS. Spaces will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. Anyone wishing to attend is asked to register their interest with the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner by midday on Friday, June 6, by contacting 01962 871595 or [email protected].
In order to be considered by the Commissioner, questions must:
- be related to confidence in policing
- not discuss specific or individual cases or investigations
- must relate to the policing responsibilities of Hampshire Constabulary
The meeting will be filmed and available to view at www.hampshire-pcc.gov.uk by 2pm on 12 June.
To keep up to date with the developments around the COMPASS meetings, members of the public are encouraged to sign up to the Commissioner’s monthly bulletin via the My Settings tab on the Commissioner’s website www.hampshire-pcc.gov.uk, follow the Commissioner on Twitter @HantsPCC, or find the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire on Facebook.
