The PCC's [Jane Kennedy] Selection of Cllr Ann O'Byrne For The Position of Deputy - Part 2
Josie Mullen made this Freedom of Information request to Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner This request has been closed to new correspondence. Contact us if you think it should be reopened.
Dear Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner,
Merseyside Police & Crime Panel – 15th May 2014
In relation to the PCC Jane Kennedy's personal appointment of Cllr Ann O'Byrne as Deputy Crime Commissioner, the Merseyside Police & Crime Panel stated the following:
RESOLVED (unanimously) - That, on the basis of the information provided, the Commissioner be advised in writing that:-
(i) given:-
(b) the absence of an open and transparent appointment process;
the appointment of Councillor Ann O’Byrne to the post of Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside cannot be supported at this time by the Panel;
(ii) the Panel recommends that a new, open and transparent appointment process be undertaken;
The response from Jane Kennedy was as follows:
19th May 2014
Dear Councillor Weightman,
I refer to your letter of 16 May 2014. Pursuant to paragraph 12 of Schedule 1 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, I have considered the recommendations you make. I reject those recommendations. I have now formally appointed Councillor Ann O’Byrne as the Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside with effect from Monday 19 May 2014.
QUESTION 1 - In light of the fact that the Panel did not think the PCC had followed 'an open and transparent appointment process' why didn't they bring a formal complaint against Jane Kennedy when she refused to comply with their recommendations?
QUESTION 2 - Why is Jane Kennedy still in her post when she has shown a flagrant disregard for decisions made by the Panel
QUESTION 3 - Please supply all information regarding the process that has to be followed in order to request an inquiry into this matter
Yours faithfully,
Josie Mullen
Thank you for your email to the Office of the Police and Crime
Commissioner for Merseyside.
We receive a significant number of emails, letters and telephone calls and
we will respond to your email as soon as possible.
We will aim to achieve this in 20 working days. If you have not already
done so then please include your full address, postcode and telephone
number.
If your email is in connection with on-going policing issues within
Merseyside Police, you should re-direct your enquiry to the force either
by email to
[email address] or by calling the non-emergency number
101 (in an emergency always call 999)
Regards,
Office of the Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner
Dear Ms Mullen,
Re: Freedom of Information Request – Our Ref: 2020/02
I refer to your recent request:
1. In light of the fact that the Panel did not think the PCC had
followed 'an open and transparent appointment process' why didn't they
bring a formal complaint against Jane Kennedy when she refused to comply
with their recommendations?
2. Why is Jane Kennedy still in her post when she has shown a flagrant
disregard for decisions made by the Panel?
3. Please supply all information regarding the process that has to be
followed in order to request an inquiry into this matter.
In response to your request, I can advise:
1. Question 1 requests an explanation as to a decision taken by the
Merseyside Police and Crime Panel, in relation to the appointment of a
Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner. The Panel is an external
organisation and is therefore the relevant authority to contact with your
request.
The requested information is not held by the Office of the Police and
Crime Commissioner and therefore, my response is “no information held.”
2. The information requested in question 2 is exempt under Section
8(1)(c) of the Act, as this is a request for an explanation rather than
information and is therefore not compliant with the Act.
3. Full details about the procedure for complaints against the Police
and Crime Commissioner are available via her website:
[1]https://www.merseysidepcc.info/userfiles...
As this information is reasonably accessible to the requester via other
means, we are applying a Section 21 exemption under the FOI Act. This
provides an absolute exemption. This means that if the requested
information is held by the public authority and is reasonably accessible
to the applicant by other means (i.e. it is already published in the
public domain), it is not subject to a public interest test.
Yours sincerely,
Laura Owens
Private Secretary
Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside
Wavertree Police Station | Wavertree Road| Liverpool | L7 1RJ
0151 777 5187 |[2]www.merseysidepcc.info| Twitter: @MerseysidePCC
[3]full-transparent [4]IIP_ACRED_LOGO_2021_CMYK
We work to defend the right to FOI for everyone
Help us protect your right to hold public authorities to account. Donate and support our work.
Donate Now