Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Sir Clive Loader is calling for members of the public to join his new ethics committee to ensure that Leicestershire Police is subject to even greater public scrutiny.
The aim of the Ethics, Integrity and Complaints Committee will be to provide assurance to the PCC that ethics and integrity are embedded within Leicestershire Police. They will also ensure that complaints against the police are being handled efficiently and following due process.
The committee, which has been set up by Sir Clive, will consist of five members that are recruited to the role from the local community. They will live or work within the Leicestershire Police geographical area and will reflect the culturally diverse local community.
The committee will undertake an advisory role and won’t act as a decision making body. It will provide a transparent and independent forum that monitors and encourages constructive challenge over the way complaints, integrity and ethical issues are handled by the Force and overseen by the PCC. It will also assist and support the Force in maintaining clear ethical standards and achieving the highest levels of integrity and professional standards of service delivery.
Sir Clive Loader said: “I have set up this committee because public support for the police is far from solely dependent upon how well the police control crime. The way in which they carry out their complex, and often demanding, duties is crucial to public confidence.
“This initiative makes an explicit and highly public commitment to transparent, ethical policing in the Leicestershire and Rutland area which will enhance, even further, the Force’s reputation and effectiveness in the years to come. I am very excited about this new initiative and look forward to meeting with those who choose to volunteer with this important body.”
Those interested in being a member should submit an application by Thursday 26 February. Experience in one or more of the following is essential:
- Law and criminal justice
- Applied ethics and public policy
- Commerce/finance and business (due to the vulnerabilities around procurement and contracts)
- Community service
- Partnership/voluntary working
- Health and medicine (due to ethical dilemmas and skills deemed transferable to a policing environment)
Further information can be found here.
Posted on Monday 9th May 2016