Protocol and operational independence
What is the protocol?
The Protocol is a document produced by the Home Secretary under a power taken in the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 for the scrutiny of Parliament. It sets out how the new policing governance arrangements will work and clarifies the roles and responsibilities of PCCs, MOPC, chief constables, PCPs and the London assembly police and crime panel.
The protocol builds on the government's commitment that local chief constables will retain the direction and control of their forces' officers and staff, making clear that the operational independence of the police will be safeguarded. It also sets out that a PCC must set the strategic direction and objectives of the force and decide the budget of the force while the chief constable will remain operationally independent.
Why is the protocol being introduced?
During the passage of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill (now an Act) the Home Secretary took a power under Section 79(1) to issue a policing protocol, which would set out how the new policing governance arrangements will work.
The protocol underlines the government's commitment to limiting the role of the Home Office in day-to-day policing matters therefore giving the police a greater freedom to fight crime as they see fit. The government has worked with its national policing partners in the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), the Association of Police Authorities and the Association of Police Authority Chief Executives to produce this protocol.
Will PCCs focus on local issues, not national ones?
PCCs will be responsible for the full range of policing work, not simply local priorities, and they will not undermine the operational independence of policing professionals. They will not manage the forces they govern and they will have to recognise that the only way of making a police force effective is by letting the professionals do their job.
The protocol clarifies the delineation of responsibilities between chief constables and police and crime commissioners. The protocol also sets out how PCCs should provide a link between the police and the public, translating the legitimate expectations of the public into action. Responsibilities for other areas are given too, such as the delivery of community safety by the bringing together of community safety partnerships, and entering into agreements to deliver better value for money and better policing capabilities.
Can I see the protocol?
The protocol is on legislation.gov.uk.
The protocol is also available to all potential candidates for the mayor of London elections in May 2012, and is available to potential candidates for the office of PCC within each force area in England and Wales ahead of the first elections in November 2012.