- Conference
- 2015 Police & Justice Service Group Conference
- Date
- 8 June 2015
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
Conference understands that along with the return of a Conservative Government comes the continuation of Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC) and their elections in May 2016. In 2012 when the first elections took place the turn out of the electorate was poor to say the least, we believe with many communities not understanding what the role of a PCC was/is or what they would doing.
Whilst understanding that many branches have forged good working relationships with their PCC many have not.
Conference believes that during the first round of the PCC nomination process in 2011/12 to choose a Labour Party candidate many Police Branches were very unhappy at the lack of discussion/consultation from our Labour Link Committees and to some degree our Police Staff Sector Committee. Only when Labour PCC Candidates were known did the Police Staff England and Wales Sector Committee managed to gain any input from our National Labour Link Committee, the same can be said of many Regional Labour Link Committees yet the Labour Party expected UNISON Police Branches to get behind their candidate? Which many did whether they supported them or not!
Conference is extremely concerned that the same will happen again and they will have had no say or input around who they believe would be the best candidate for PCC in their force area. Given the ongoing attacks on policing we need PCCs that would support and deliver for policing and staff, fighting a cuts agenda and supporting the continuation of a national negotiating body for terms and conditions and pay.
Conference supports the links between our Labour Link Committees and the Labour Party (nationally and regionally) and believes some good policy and campaigning work is undertaken but on this issue we need Labour Party candidates who will take the fight of police budgets and cuts to the heart of the Home Office in order to deliver for the communities they are meant to protect.
Conference is aware that in May 2016 when PCC elections will take place there a local and mayoral elections in many areas, we are fearful that the PCC elections will get lost in the ether or be deemed not important enough to put any effort into.
Therefore conference calls upon the Service Group Executive to:
1)liaise with the National Labour Link Committee on a national strategy on a campaign around the elections for Police and Crime Commissioners;
2)through our National Labour Link Committee request that all regional Labour Link Committees work with Police Staff Branches when it comes to choice of candidate in their work with Regional Labour Party Committees;
3)undertake work for a national campaign to promote taking part in PCC elections in 2016.