Annual Report 2022 - 2023 - Page 13

It’s equally important that members of the public can access and scrutinise the work my Office is doing to lead the fight against crime.

• Attended five Police and Crime Panel meetings where members scrutinised and supported my work
• Made 48 formal decisions and published them
• Had nine weekly one-toone meetings with the Chief Constable
• Held five formal Strategic Scrutiny and Accountability Board meetings where I questioned and challenged the Chief Constable and his Chief Officer Team.
• My Office held four Joint Audit and Ethics Committee (JAEC) meetings focusing on governance and risk management
• My Office held four Stop & Search/Use of Force continuous improvement Panels
• My Office responded to 49 Freedom of Information requests
• My Office responded to 11 Subject Access Requests
• My Office Administered one Police Appeal Tribunal
• My Office Completed 60 reviews in relation to police complaints
• My Office entered into five Section 22 collaboration agreements
• My Office appointed four Legally Qualified Chairs to preside over Police Misconduct Hearings.

Independent Custody Visitors

My Office manages the Independent Custody Visiting (ICV) Scheme where volunteers visit police stations to check on the welfare of people detained in custody by the police to see the conditions in which they are being held and to ensure their rights are being observed.

Between 1st April 2022 to 31st March 2023, 181 ICV visits were made to the four operating custody suites within Lancashire – Blackpool, Blackburn, Preston and Lancaster. During this period 675 detainees received a visit from ICVs who were able to check on the welfare of the detainee during their detention.

Complaints against the Chief Constable

I am responsible for dealing with Complaints, Conduct Matters, Death and Serious Injury Matters and Non-Police Reform Act Misconduct or Gross Misconduct matters that involve the Chief Constable of Lancashire Constabulary. Through my Office I take steps to resolve and where appropriate, investigate the complaint. When concluded, the complainant is informed of the outcome, along with a clear rationale as to how and why that decision’s been reached. To ensure openness and transparency the complainant is also advised of a right of appeal to the IOPC if they disagree with the outcome.

In 2022/23 my Office dealt with 10 complaints against the Chief Constable – none of which were upheld or met the criteria to be investigated.

Stop and Search and Use of Force Continuous Improvement Panel

Over the past 12 months, four panels have been run by my Office to provide independent scrutiny of the use of Stop and Search and the use of Force across Lancashire. These provide feedback on Stop and Search and Use of Force practices, including policy, training and tactical considerations and allows a voice for community concerns to influence police actions.

These help to achieve greater transparency and community involvement in the use of Stop and Search powers and the Use of Force across Lancashire, helping to improve public confidence and trust in the way Stop and Search and the use of force is conducted.