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Community Scrutiny Panel

Community Scrutiny Panel New Crown website version.png

 

Who are we?

Cambridgeshire Community Scrutiny Panel is a group of independent volunteers of all ethnicities, aged 16 and above, who share a desire to deliver positive change in policing across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

While we are facilitated by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, the panel is independently chaired and members are encouraged to speak freely and honestly to ensure the genuine view of the citizen is considered.

Where and when do we work?

We meet as a panel on the last Thursday of every month. We meet in person at Cambridgeshire Constabulary Headquarters and online in rotation and meetings are held in the evening.

What do we do?

We scrutinise police interaction with the public where officers have exercised Stop and Search and Use of Force powers. We help to ensure that these powers are being used appropriately and ethically at all times.

We pay particular attention to interactions with communities who have the lowest trust in policing.

Our recommendations have seen real change in the Constabulary, from front line interactions to system and organisational changes.

Examples of positive change include:

  • Encouraging diversity in Stop and Search training sessions
  • The quality of the grounds recorded in the use of Stop and Search has greatly improved.
  • The protection of individuals during Strip Searches has been enhanced.
  • There has been a cultural shift resulting in the increased use of Body Worn Video.

What is Stop and Search and Use of Force?

Where reasonable grounds exist, Stop and Search powers allow police to search a person or their vehicle in line with strict protocols and codes of behaviour.

When it comes to Use of Force, in exercising their duties, police officers may use reasonable and proportionate force but must always show fairness and respect.

As a member of the Community Scrutiny Panel, you will be trained to ensure you can play an active role in monitoring and ensuring these powers are exercised correctly, proportionately and professionally.

Custody Scrutiny

In 2024 the OPCC will be introducing custody to the Community Scrutiny Panel. The National Police Chief's Council (NPCC) hopes the introduction of custody will compliment existing methods of police scrutiny.

This is being introduced to increase transparency, scrutiny and performance within police custody. The objectives of custody scrutiny are to independently:

  • assess and report on detention and custody processes.
  • review and advise on matters of disproportionality; and
  • assist in generating a transparent product suitable for public consideration at the end of each annual Panel cycle.

Could this be you?

Community Scrutiny Panel members represent the voice of everyone living, working and studying across our diverse county.

We need volunteers from age 16 upwards who can give honest and constructive feedback to help improve front-line policing.

Perhaps you, or someone you know has had first-hand experience of policing?

If you are interested, please email: [email protected]

 

Exploring Outstanding Practice

The most recent HMICFRS PEEL assessment reported that ‘Cambridgeshire Constabulary is outstanding at using police powers and treating people fairly and respectfully’. As a result of this grading, the College of Policing came to do an Exploring Outstanding Practice study on Cambridge Police Stop and Search. In this report the OPCC feature for their role in scrutiny of Stop and Search. The OPCC manage the Community Scrutiny Panel, which is independently chaired, and this provides the mechanism for the PCC to hold the Constabulary to account for their use of Stop and Search and Use of Force powers. This panel has received recognition from both HMICFRS and the College of Policing for the impact this has on the Constabulary’s ability to ensure such powers are used reasonably and proportionately. The report can be read in full here: College of Policing - Exploring Outstanding Practice - Cambridge Police Stop and Search

 

Terms of Reference

The Terms of Reference (ToR) for the panel can be accessed by clicking on the following link: Terms of Reference

 

Youth Scrutiny Opportunities

In collaboration with the Constabulary, the OPCC have launched a Youth Scrutiny Roadshow to give young people across Cambridgeshire the opportunity to get involved with scrutiny. As young people are also subject to Stop and Search and Use of Force powers, it is essential to engage them with scrutiny to get representation from all of the communities the Constabulary serves.

The sessions primarily focus on S&S, but also cover elements of other police powers such as UoF. The sessions are conducted in a road show style, with members of the OPCC and Constabulary going out to youth groups in the community to provide information on what S&S is, what the rights of the person being searched are, and how officers should conduct themselves. Body worn video (BWV) of real-life incidents are shown to the youth group and their feedback is documented and passed to the Constabulary to be disseminated and acted upon as appropriate.

The team are looking for existing networks or groups within the community consisting of 13 to 18 year olds, who would be willing to have them come along and host a scrutiny session.

If this is something that you, or a group that you are connected to, would be interested in then please contact the OPCC.

Minutes

Minutes from all Community Scrutiny Panel meetings can be found using the drop down menus below.

Minutes - Stop and Search Community Scrutiny Panel 24th January 2023

Minutes - Use of Force Community Scrutiny Panel 21st February 2023

Minutes - AGM Community Scrutiny Panel 21st March 2023

Minutes - Stop and Search Community Scrutiny Panel 25th April 2023

Minutes - Use of Force Community Scrutiny Panel 23rd May 2023

Minutes - Stop and Search Community Scrutiny Panel 27th June 2023

Minutes - Use of Force Community Scrutiny Panel 25th July 2023

Minutes - Stop and Search Community Scrutiny Panel 5th September 2023

Minutes - Use of Force Community Scrutiny Panel 26th September 2023

Minutes - Stop and Search Community Scrutiny Panel 24th October 2023

Minutes - Youth Community Scrutiny Panel - Cambridge Regional College 20th November 2023

Minutes - Use of Force Community Scrutiny Panel 21st November 2023

Minutes - Youth Scrutiny Community Scrutiny Panel East Cambs Police Cadets 27th November 2023

Meet the Panel Members

Meet the members of the Community Scrutiny Panel

For many years I was an Audit and Compliance Manager for Parcelforce Worldwide and was solely responsible for 23 of our 52 Depots. I took early retirement 13 years ago ago to care for my terminally ill wife who passed away in 2012. I became a Patient and Public Voice Partner for NHS East of England and spent 10 happy years working with Junior Doctors and Speciality Recruitment. I became a member of the Scrutiny Panel when it was launched and am currently the Panel Chair, a job that I find both challenging, exhilarating and very satisfying. I also sit on the Joint Protective Services Scrutiny Panel who scrutinise body worn video from the collaboration of 3 Police Forces, Beds, Cambs and Herts. I enjoy carp fishing, helping to train drug sniffer dogs and holidays both abroad and in our touring caravan visiting all parts of our beautiful country. Yes, life is fast paced at the moment but very enjoyable as there is always something to keep my mind occupied even during the short, cold, rainy winter days.

 

I really enjoy working with the members of my Panel, the Constabulary and the OPCC. Collectively we have suggested and implemented many changes to help promote greater Community confidence and trust in our Police Force by providing external and unbiased scrutiny of Stop and Search and Use of Force. We also provide independent scrutiny on various other aspects of Policing and will soon start scrutinising Use of Force in Custody and Custody processes.

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My professional career has been in and around Cambridge since I graduated from Lancaster University in 1986 and trained as an accountant. I worked as a finance professional in a senior role for 35 years, the latter 15 years as a school bursar. I have lived all that time, with Rachael my wife who I met at university, in Witchford just outside the City of Ely and its splendid cathedral. 

 

I took early retirement in 2022, and now have time to see a lot of my grandson during the week!  I volunteer in the Oxfam shop in Ely, and am involved with Ely Foodbank including volunteering at the Ely food distribution centre. I work part time as an exam invigilator at Witchford Village College, the secondary school both our daughters attended. 

 

I am also an Independent Custody Visitor (ICV), making unannounced visit to check on Custody and the wellbeing of detainees. I enjoy this role and always get cooperation from the custody sergeants and other custody staff, despite being an unexpected interruption to their otherwise busy day. I get satisfaction from being part of an independent team helping custody to continuously improve the way it operates.

 

It is the ICV link that has led to me becoming a member, and Co-Chair of the Community Scrutiny Panel.  I currently chair the (new to 2024) Custody Panel. I look forward to focussing on deep dives into the different aspects of custody work which I hope will lead to ongoing improvement and increased community assurance in custody.

I am a Solicitor, now semi-retired after over 40 years of practice in various parts of England.  I have a strong sense of justice tempered by the knowledge that there can be more than one side to the same story.  I live just outside Cambridge and work in the Cambridge area.  I have been a member of the Scrutiny Panels for about 4 years now and feel that we have helped improve Policing in Cambridgeshire.

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Reem designs manages, and facilitates leadership programmes in three languages: English, French, and Arabic. She is a Master Facilitator with +600 hours of facilitation globally across different sectors and generations. A mentor with over 15 years experience in mentoring young people and a certified Transformational Coach.

A British Syrian, born in London and grew up in Damascus. Reem holds an MSc in Biotechnology. She worked as a University Lecturer in immunology at the University of Damascus from 2007 to 2010. Reem worked on her PhD degree in Immunology at the Université Montpellier II/France from 2009 to 2012. She worked as a Chief Biomedical Technician in the Cardiovascular Department at the University of Cambridge before embarking on her second PhD in religious studies and peacebuilding exploring the large-group identities of Syrians in exile at the University of Winchester between 2016 and 2019. She worked as a
Programmes Director and Development Director at Common Purpose between 2018 and 2023.

She holds a certificate in Business and Social Justice from the University of Cambridge/Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), a certificate in Embodied Conflict Resolution, a certificate in Working With Somatic Wounds with Dr. Peter Levine and is currently pursuing a certificate in Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy.

Reem is a member of the Community Scrutiny Panel at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Police and an invited observer to Cambridge Ethnic Community Forum (CECF) Trustee meetings.

She is a founding member of the Syrian Nonviolence Movement; a Syrian NGO supported by Amnesty International where she headed its Media department. She is also a co-founder of the Free Syrian Translators, a media activism group. She chaired the Syrian Platform for Peace-UK in collaboration with International Alert from 2015 to 2019. Reem is a blogger and has written for several media outlets in both Arabic and English. She is a co-author of “The Arab Spring, Five
Years On”. She is a single mother, a social activist, and a public speaker. She was the top-rated public speaker at Amnesty International Student Conference in 2013.

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Mellissa is currently pursuing a degree in Economics and Mathematical Science at the Open University. She is an active member of her community and volunteers on the CSP independent scrutiny panel.

Attending this panel has given me a whole new perspective on life, it also gives me the chance to give honest and constructive feedback to help improve front-line policing. I attend panel meetings, open events, and volunteering at the Monks Wood training ground to ensure that I can provide an effective voice for the community.

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Donald Douglas Lives in Fowlmere near Melbourn.  Brought up in Scotland, he has lived in Cambridgeshire for nearly forty years.  His wife, Pamela, taught in Cambridge schools and his three children were all educated in Cambridge.

He is a Chartered Accountant and has spent most of his career in Finance.  He was a Cambridge City Councillor and has worked with a number of charities on a voluntary basis all his adult life.  In his spare time, he cycles, swims, climbs hills and spends time with his twelve grandchildren.

He is keen to contribute to the work of the panel and to see how the police and the public can interact better.

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I am a Criminology student.

I chose to be the part of the Community Scrutiny Panel to enhance my knowledge on policing practices.

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I joined the Panel because I feel that the only way we can make sure our police service is operating at the best professional level, is to scrutinise the operational movements.

Knowing that when we find issues our feedback makes a big difference going forward is rewarding.