The Office of the County Durham and Darlington Police and Crime Commissioner and Durham Constabulary are looking to jointly appoint members of the public on a voluntary basis for a scrutiny panel on youth stop and search practices.
The panel will look to bring the voice of young people in our local community to the scrutiny of Stop and Search and will look to make a real difference and constructively challenge to the force’s existing ways of working.
The Office and Durham Constabulary are looking to recruit several individuals aged between 14 and 18 years old to become scrutiny panel volunteers. The purpose of the panels is to bring the important voice of young people and their experiences of stop and search in order to inform organisational learning for Durham Constabulary.
There are a number of scrutiny panels that the PCC Office already host including the Domestic Abuse Panel, Rape Scrutiny Panel, Out of Court Panel and an existing Use of Police Powers Panel, specifically for scrutinising use of force and stop and search on adults.
The group will be responsible for critically examining a sample of cases, including Body Worn Video footage and documents, and identifying issues which can lead to corresponding action by the Constabulary.
Commissioner Allen said “It is so important that we are able to hear the voices of young people to hear their recommendations for stop and search in our communities. This ensures that we can achieve a greater transparency in the way that we conduct the practice and really create a two way system for communication of feedback and response.
“Not only is this an excellent opportunity for young people to let us know their thoughts but it is also chance for them to get some experience of understanding the practices that go on throughout our police force to ensure we are constantly improving, addressing concerns, and meeting the needs of the public.”
Scrutiny Panel Volunteers will need to be available to meet 4 times each year.
To learn more about the role please email General.EnquiriesPCC@durham-pcc.gov.uk
Closing date for applications of interest is January 31st 2023.
For further information on all scrutiny groups please visit https://www.durham-pcc.gov.uk/transparency/scrutiny and Stop and Search Information (durham.police.uk).
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