Please reply to: Chief Inspector James Sutherland B.A Hons, M.A, M:Litt
Area Commander for South Cambridgeshire
Telephone 101
E-mail
: xxxxx.xxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx.xxxxxx.xx
Your Ref: 15-2895/LAM
Our Ref: 0042/2015
14 July 2015
Swavesey Parish Council
Linda Miller – Clerk to the Parish Council
21 Thistle Green
Swavesey
CAMBRIDGE
CB24 4RJ
Dear Ms Miller
Thank you for raising concerns regarding the format of our Neighbourhood Panel
Meetings and for allowing me the opportunity to address these issues directly.
The format of our panel meetings has not been fundamentally altered – I believe
there has been some misunderstanding and miscommunication of our intentions
around these meetings. The panel meetings have evolved over the years and
continue to do so. Agenda’s, speakers, venues and running orders are sometimes
tweaked and experimented with but the fundamental purpose of the panel meeting
remains unchanged: to allow local residents, their elected representatives or
nominated delegates to raise issues of concern, to highlight local priorities and to
hold their police force to account.
The Panel Meeting that you refer to was in fact the first that I have attended in over a
year, during which time the format and agenda has continued to evolve. I have been
advised by the three local area sergeants who attended all three panel meetings that
the structure of the meeting did not differ in any substantial way from recent previous
meetings. What I have personally observed from my time carrying out panel
meetings is that the majority of people who attend these meetings have come
because they have a specific issue or concern to raise and they most value the
opportunity to speak and to be listened to. For this reason I always prioritise
minimising the amount of time given to speakers on the panel and ensure that the
vast majority of the meeting is dedicated to questions and debate. On this particular
occasion there was over an hour of questions being put to the panel and quite
spirited debate around their answers. Everyone present was afforded as much time
as they wished to ask as many questions as they wished. At this meeting I did
request that if anyone asking a question was representing a group/village that they
say so at the outset of the question - a number did so including representatives of
NHW and Parish Councils.
There were several concerns raised by NHW and Parish Councils prior to the
meeting - these were addressed in the panel document that was prepared and
circulated prior to the meeting and also addressed by Sergeant Rabel in his short
update where he felt it pertinent to do so. There was then the opportunity for any
NHW representative present to raise further concerns. If that has been interpreted
as NHW not having the opportunity to provide feedback on local concerns then it is
highly regrettable, but to be clear - that is absolutely not my position. NHW is a
CAMBRIDGESHIRE CONSTABULARY,
Sawston Police Station, 4 Cambridge Road, Sawston, Cambridge, CB23 3DG
TELEPHONE: 101
www.cambs.police.uk
highly valued organisation and will remain a vital component of how we engage with
local communities and share information and intelligence.
To avoid any future misunderstandings we will ensure that any NHW representatives
are explicitly asked for any updates or issues that they wish to raise.
On the subject of the live-streaming of meetings: this was a pilot attempt to increase
participation and inclusion. I am keenly aware that not everyone who would wish to
attend the panel meeting is able to do so due to traveling times or work/family
commitments. I strongly believe that we need to do everything we can to make these
meetings open to all and that policing decisions should be made as openly and
transparently as possible. I would also stress that these panel meetings have always
been public, never closed, and that they have never been the correct forum for
sensitive or confidential matters to be raised. We emphasis this point at our
meetings and our staff make themselves available after the meeting for any private
matters to be raised confidentially. The email to which you refer was not a
notification of a change in format but rather an attempt to publicise the live-link to the
panel meetings.
In the event, the live-streaming was a considerable success. We received many
positive emails and comments in person. We were subsequently advised by one of
the regional NHW co-ordinators that nobody had raised any concerns to him about
the live-streaming and no other concerns were made to us - quite the opposite. The
overall ‘look and feel’ of the meeting was not affected and nearly 250 people logged
in over the course of the three evenings, compared to about 60 people who attended
in person. We were able to engage with people on-line in real time and this now
makes it possible for anyone in South Cambs to attend these meetings irrespective
of their personal circumstances. Furthermore this was achieved at virtually zero cost
to the tax-payer. In my view this represents a successful experiment in digital
democracy and we intend to carry it on, while ensuring that the appropriate safe-
guards are in place for those attending the meeting in person.
Thank you again for raising these concerns with me directly. The Police Panel
Meetings have always been the centrepiece of our engagement with local
communities and I hope I have reassured you that they will continue to be so.
Yours sincerely
Chief Inspector James Sutherland
Area Commander
South Cambridgeshire
CAMBRIDGESHIRE CONSTABULARY,
Sawston Police Station, 4 Cambridge Road, Sawston, Cambridge, CB23 3DG
TELEPHONE: 101
www.cambs.police.uk