Fair cop?

Kent Police Authority seeks new independent members

Four new independent members are being sought, to join the Kent Police Authority. The role of the Authority, is to oversee the effectiveness, efficiency of Kent Police, supply resources, appoint senior officers, hold the Chief Constable to account, making sure community views and priorities are reflected in policing Kent and Medway.

Ann Barnes, Chair of the Kent Police Authority is quoted as follows on the KPA website "We need members of the public to join and share their views. Police authorities are making every effort to reflect views of communities but this really is your chance to help make a difference. This is an interesting time to join as we continue to introduce neighbourhood policing. I urge anyone who cares about the policing of their community to contact us and apply.

"We are looking for applicants who have skills in management, business, and public service. We particularly want to hear from women, younger people and people from minority groups who will enable us to reflect the local diversity of Kent."

The make-up of the current Kent Police Authority includes nine elected councillors, three magistrates and five independent appointees. Having taken a look at the brief histories given for independent members one is a university lecturer, two have had extensive local government careers, and another holding senior posts within the pharmaceutical industry and a fifth whose background isn't disclosed.

Now certainly the Police Authority should reflect the views of communities in Kent, but given that few if any, of the current members, appear to be members of what you might term working people, or at the bottom of the socio-economic strata and the Authority is apparently looking for, applicants who have a skills in management business and public service, it would appear unlikely that the Police Authority will ever be representative, in any meaningful way.

This may well get me arrested, but from the current line-up of KPA members they only appear to represent the 'right sort', and by that I do not mean politically right, but those who are in the main comfortable professionals, for whom a life is good.

Wouldn't it be great, if the Police Authority, required applicants, who had skills in surviving, self-employment, working in factories, construction industry, trying to get by on the minimum wage, basically ordinary decent people who are not currently represented.

You would think of that new Labour, would open up Police authorities to ordinary people, but clearly this sort of role is slanted towards middle-class professionals (presumably because they won't be wanting to rock any boat's). If you think I am exaggerating, here's one simple exclusion, for most people with manual jobs, part of the time requirement, is the fact that most formal meetings are apparently held on Wednesdays in Maidstone, now this wouldn't occur to a middle-class professional, but for someone say, working as a temp for an Agency employer (which many do), they are unlikely to keep their job if they take one day off every week.

Anyway if you're still interested in being a member of the Police Authority click here.

If you are interested, and not one of the professional middle-classes amply represented already why not rattle some cages and apply, there is a drop in session, being held on Friday 10th November, for details click here, I might just take a look myself, just to see how committed they are to biodiversity.