Agenda item

(a) To consider a complaint made against the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

The Sub-Committee received a report of the Democratic Services Officer outlining the detail of a complaint received against Donna Jones, in her role as the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight (PCC).

The Chairman explained the Sub-Committee would consider whether the complaint being reviewed demonstrated a failure to meet the Code of Conduct, as published on the PCC’s website, and that the Sub-Committee’s findings would be made on fact.

The Chairman noted that within the report the complainant’s identity had been anonymised, and that the PCC had provided no comment to the complaint.

The Chairman asked that the video referenced within the complaint be played to the meeting.

The legal adviser was then invited to raise any comments to the meeting, through which they reminded Members of the process to be followed, as per the Summary of Powers.

The Chairman invited any comment or debate from Members, through which it was agreed that:

·         The Sub-Committee would not dissaply part 4 of the Elected Local Policing Bodies (Complaints and Misconduct) Regulations 2012 (the Regulations) in respect of the complaint.

·         The PCC was acting in her capacity as the Police and Crime Commissioner when appearing in the news report, and therefore the  PCC’s Code of Conduct was engaged.

·         In making her comments the PCC had not breached the Nolan principles, and further that she had acted in a professional manner throughout the interview.

·         There was no expectation that the PCC should have challenged the hosts opening comments, and doing so may have disrupted the purpose of the PCC’s attendance at the interview. 

·         It was noted, following careful consideration of the PCC’s commentary, that comments made by the PCC were factual, reasonable and clear.

·         In reviewing the Commissioner’s actions against the code of conduct, in particular 2.1.4 and 2.1.7, the Sub-Committee noted that there was no evidence to suggest the Commissioner had acted in a manner which had brought the office into disrepute or that she had improperly used resources.

·         The Sub-Committee, therefore, concluded that the complaint did not demonstrate a breach in the code of conduct.

The Chairman called a short adjournment to the meeting from 14:34 to 14:37 to allow the Sub-Committee to agree potential wording for a recommendation with legal advice.

Dave Stewart proposed an additional recommendation, as follows, which was seconded by both Councillor’s Jones and Woodward:

The Complaints Sub-Committee close the complaint, without any further action being taken, other than a letter of explanation to the complainant and complained against, on the basis that the complaint does not evidence any failure in the code of conduct by Mrs Jones, in her role as PCC.

Members were asked to vote on the additional recommendation, which received unanimous agreement.

RESOLVED:

That the Complaints Sub Committee:

• Note the content of the report and its appendices. 

·         Close the complaint, without any further action being taken, other than a letter of explanation to the complainant and complained against, on the basis that the complaint does not evidence any failure in the code of conduct by Mrs Jones, in her role as PCC.