Martin Surl is joined by North Yorkshire PCC Julia Mulligan and Northumbria PCC Vera Baird on the Police Reform and Transformation Board which is chaired by North Wales PCC Winston Roddick.

Mr. Roddick, who is also chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, said:“The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act introduced some very fundamental changes in the governance of the police service – probably the most radical since Robert Peel created the police service as we know it.

“What is clear is that further reforms are necessary and the principal role of this Board will be to oversee and influence those changes.”

The board’s five priorities are:

•          Local policing
•          Specialist capabilities like armed policing and organised crime investigation
•          Digital policing
•          Building a workforce with the right skills for the future
•          Improving collaboration in business support services

National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) Chair Sara Thornton (pictured above) said:

“Since 2010, there has been considerable reform within policing – the establishment of the College of Policing and the National Crime Agency, directly elected local police and crime commissioners and an operationally focused National Police Chiefs’ Council. But there is more to do.

 “Changing crime and an evolving terrorist threat necessitate different responses and new methods of investigation as well as a more coordinated policing landscape than we currently have. We also need to do more to ensure our staff are equipped to deal with the changing demand; modernise how we communicate with the public and make greater savings on ICT and procurement. Leaders from across the policing landscape have come together to drive this wide ranging and ambitious reform agenda.”

The Police Reform and Transformation Board also includes:

Three chief constables: Chief Constable Leicestershire Simon Cole, Chief Constable Essex Stephen Kavanagh, Chief Constable West Midlands David Thompson

Metropolitan Police representative: Deputy Commissioner Craig Mackey

Other policing bodies representative: Member of the City of London’s Police Committee Simon Duckworth
Chief Executive College of Policing: Alex Marshall
Director General National Crime Agency: Lynne Owens
Director General Crime & Policing Group (Home Office): Mary Calam
Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary (observer) – Sir Tom Winsor