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Home - 15 April 2016 – Freedom of information request – PCC Elections Q4 – Activity during ‘purdah’ and organisational structure

15 April 2016 – Freedom of information request – PCC Elections Q4 – Activity during ‘purdah’ and organisational structure

Request

We have been informed this evening that the OPCC is using the publican ring round system to promote today’s meeting by the Office of the PCC.

  • Could you please clarify that this is not the case?
  • If this is the case could you clarify why this system is being used in such a way, when that is not the purpose and if this is in conflict with Purdah?
  • During the meeting today you showed an Organigram. I have however found another published by the OPCC https://www.northyorkshire-pfcc.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Leadership-and-Executive-Board-Arrangements-February-2016.pdf this shows a Phase 2, this page implies a different structure from February 26 that differs from the one shown during the meeting. It has shows the Office of PCC as having 211 FTEs reporting to her. Could you please clarify this?

Response

By ‘today’s meeting’ I am assuming you are referring to the surgery in Scarborough on 13th April. Please let me know if that isn’t the case.

The APCC Purdah guidance recognises that Commissioners will continue to undertake ‘business as usual’, and surgeries are an established part of the PCC’s official business in North Yorkshire. The particular surgery outlined above, and all surgeries conducted by the Police and Crime Commissioner, are advertised by a number of means in order to let local people know they are able to meet and discuss policing issues with the Police and Crime Commissioner in her official capacity. As a matter of routine, those surgeries are attended by the Commissioner with OPCC casework officer support. All discussion with members of the public relate to their policing and crime issues and do not go beyond the office-holder responsibilities, including explaining to members of the public when necessary that this is not an opportunity to discuss anything campaign related.

The surgeries have been promoted in the established, conventional manner by way of:

  • posters in community locations
  • the Commissioner’s official website
  • on social media via the OPCC official Twitter account
  • via community messaging systems such as Ringmaster. (The Ringmaster system links into other systems, including Pub Watch, which is what I think you are referring to as the publican ring round system).

There is no conflict in promoting this business as usual activity via normal means during purdah. We are using the minimum number of methods to promote the surgeries to ensure individuals in a particular community are aware of the surgeries.

Regarding the organogram at the Candidate Familiarisation event on 12 April 2016, the organogram on the OPCC website reflects the functions (and the staff working within those functions) that are employed by and report into the PCC through the CEO. The organogram shown on 12 April 2016 reflects the same information at functional level and shows the relationship with the staff employed by the Chief Constable. There is one exception, in that the Acting Force Solicitor and Head of Legal Services now has a direct line management reporting arrangement to the CEO as set out in the presentation slides on Tuesday. The corporate organisational arrangements known as Stage 2, were agreed with the Chief Constable, notified to the Home Secretary and were implemented in 2014, as explained by the Acting Chief Executive Officer in his slides at the familiarisation event.