Bringing organisations together to help make the county a safer place
Paul Withers, formerly an detective at Lancashire Constabulary, came into post as Chair in April, following inaugural chair Jerry Graham who was in place for two years.
He will oversee four local boards, which cover the North, East, South and West of the county and play a key role in helping tackle reoffending and addressing its causes. They also assist the Commissioner in the distribution of his dedicated fund, to projects which tackle crime and reoffending across Lancashire, making sure it is used in a way which best addresses the local issues and priorities in their communities.
This builds on the work that has already been done by the boards, which includes representatives from partners including Lancashire Constabulary, local authorities and the regional CRC.
The role of Chair ensures that each local board has a consistency of approach and that the work they do works towards the Commissioner’s key priorities in his police and crime plan.
Clive Grunshaw, Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner said:
“I am delighted to welcome Paul into his role as Independent Chair, he brings with him an enormous amount of experience from his time within Lancashire Constabulary, which has helped him hit the ground running, even during this unprecedented time.
“Policing alone cannot prevent people reoffending and Paul’s appointment builds on the work that has already been undertaken by partners within Lancashire’s local Reducing Reoffending Boards
“I’m looking forward to working with Paul and the Local Reducing Reoffending Boards to continue this work and make sure that we continue to tackle reoffending across the county, helping people to avoid returning to the criminal justice system and turn their lives around.”
Paul Withers, Independent Chair of the Local Reducing Reoffending Boards said:
“I’m really pleased to take on this important role and it has been great to get started, making a difference across Lancashire and working with other board members to ensure that the work we do links in with the Commissioner’s priorities
“Breaking the cycle of offending is not an easy task and requires a highly coordinated approach, which is why the boards are well placed to identify local issues and bring organisations together.”
