APPENDIX 15
Memorandum submitted by Fermanagh District
Policing Partnership
The following observations deal only with the Northern
Ireland Policing Board's functions in respect of District Policing
Partnerships (DPPs) as legislated for in the Police (Northern
Ireland) Act 2000.
DPPs are helping to shape the new face of policing
in Northern Ireland and how the community perceives police and
policing issues. A factor critical to the success of this is the
support provided by the Northern Ireland Policing Board.
Training members, putting financial structures in
place, disseminating timely and accurate information and developing
an appropriate timeframe to facilitate local involvement in the
development of local policing plans contributed to the difficulties
experienced during DPPs' establishment period. The debate between
the Northern Ireland Office (NIO), Community Safety Unit (CSU)
and the Policing Board regarding the crime reduction remit of
both the DPP and Community Safety Partnership added to the confusion.
The combined effect of these factors may have not helped to gain
public confidence in the DPP and its work has passed.
Both the Policing Board and the DPP share a common
background—their origins lie in the Patten Report—and
they have the same legislative foundation in the Police (Northern
Ireland) Act 2000. The DPP is also guided by the DPP Code of Practice
on the Exercise of Functions and Responsibilities which, under
Section 19 of the Act, the Policing Board has a responsibility
to issue.
The Code of Practice contains guidance to DPPs. It
is for guidance purposes and not for use to assess DPPs, as has
been the case. For example, the Code of Practice requirement that
DPPs monitor police performance at six meetings in public. Fermanagh
DPP has established that four quarterly meetings in public to
assess police performance are sufficient and that it is more useful
if the other two meetings in public address crime/policing issues
and act as forums for discussion.
DPPs were effectively established on 4 March 2003
when Independent Members were appointed. The Policing Board should
be commended for the way this process was carried out and the
broad base of public appointments made, but it is regrettable
that it took the Board four months after the local Councils completed
interviews to appoint Independent Members.
At the time of application, applicants were advised
in the recruiting literature that the Policing Board would provide
—familiarisation training on the powers
and functions of the NIPB and the tripartite policing structure
in Northern Ireland, the police organisation and any relevant
policing legislation and
—briefing on the implementation of Patten
and the progress that had been made.
This has not happened to date and an opportunity
to have all members trained in even the basic procedures of policing
and the criminal justice system has passed.
Monitoring police performance is a key function of
the DPP. Monitoring is not an inherent skill and not a role easily
undertaken by people who have not received appropriate training.
The Policing Board has provided excellent training for DPP Managers
and similar provision should be made for new DPP members in 2005.
The Policing Board provides funding for DPPs. The
Board is the principal donor providing 75% funding with the local
Council providing 25%. DPP staff are generally employed by Councils
and located in Council accommodation. The Policing Board has been
slow to grasp that Councils have a specific timescale within which
the district rate must be struck. Hence, it is imperative that
budgets are agreed by the end of autumn of the preceding year
at the latest.
There are also certain funding issues that require
clarification. The requirement for DPPs "to make arrangements
to gain the co-operation of the public to work with the police
in the prevention of crime" (Section 16(1)(c)(ii)) requires
more of the DPP than simply awareness raising, as has been suggested
by the Policing Board. This function requires DPPs to be given
powers of implementation and the financial resources necessary
to fulfil this legislative requirement. To bring this about, discussions
must take place with the Northern Ireland Office, the Policing
Board and the Community Safety Unit.
The slogan used for DPPs is "local people shaping
local policing" and the concept of the local community, through
DPPs, influencing the local police service is to be welcomed.
It was anticipated that this "bottom up" approach would
have influence upon the annual policing plan but this has not
been the case. Certainly, DPPs have contributed to the local Policing
Plan but the development of the annual Policing Plan will be progressed
by the Policing Board without sight of the findings of the local
DPP Consultation Reports.
It should be noted that the Policing Board/Northern
Ireland Office are conducting a review of DPPs at present and
the findings may provide the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee
with a valuable insight into this aspect of the Policing Board's
function.
26 October 2004
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