Police and Crime Panel

The panel is composed of seven councillors from Durham County Council and three councillors from Darlington Borough Council, plus two independent co-opted members.

What the panel does

The panel has a number of powers and responsibilities, including to:

• review the draft police and crime plan
• publicly scrutinise the PCC's annual report
• review and scrutinise decisions and actions by the PCC
• review and veto the PCC's proposed precept levels
• review the PCC's conduct
• review and confirm the PCC's proposed appointments of Chief Constable, Chief Executive, Chief Finance Officer and Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner
• administer complaints in relation to the handling and determination of complaints against the PCC and / or Deputy PCC 

Durham Police and Crime Commissioner

Joy Allen was elected as the Police and Crime Commissioner for the Durham police force area in May 2021.

The PCC has a mandate for the whole of County Durham and Darlington. As well as holding the Chief Constable to account on behalf of local people, the role of the PCC includes:

• appointing the Chief Constable
• the power to call on the Chief Constable to retire or resign
• securing the maintenance of an efficient and effective police force for the area
• setting the police precept and budget
• producing a police and crime plan
• responsibility for holding community safety budgets and commissioning services

The PCC is responsible for ensuring that community needs are met as effectively as possible and for improving local relationships through building confidence and restoring trust. A PCC is expected to work in partnership across a range of agencies at local and national level to ensure there is a unified approach to preventing and reducing crime.