The Policing Board appoints independent members to PCSPs and DPCSPs and they are in post until the day before the reconstitution date of the new PCSP following the next local government election. The Board assists the council selection panels, made up of 2-4 Councillors and an independent panel member, to shortlist applications against the essential criteria and prepare a shortlist of candidates for interview.
Following the interview, each Council nominates individuals considered suitable for appointment. This information is forwarded to the Board for consideration to ensure, in so far as practicable, that those appointed as independent members of PCSPs/DPCSPs, taken together with elected members, are representative of the community in the council/DPCSP area.
The Policing Board appointed 118 independent members to fill positions on 11 PCSPs / DPCSPs in 2020.
The breakdown of appointees is as follows:
The Policing Board has appointed 118 Independent Members to fill positions on 11 PCSPs and 4 District Policing and Community Safety Partnerships covering North, South, East and West Belfast.
Community Background
- 55 (47%) candidates are from a Protestant community background;
- 48 (41%) candidates are from a Catholic community background;
- 15 (12%) candidates are from other/no community background;
Gender
- 49 (41%) candidates are male;
- 69 (59%) candidates are female;
Age
- 7 (6%) candidates are aged 18 to 25;
- 23 (19%) candidates are aged between 26 and 40;
- 51 (43%) candidates are aged between 41 and 60;
- 37 (31%) candidates are aged 61 and over;
Other
- 17 (14%) candidates stated that they had a disability;
- 3 (3%) candidates are from ethnic minorities;
- 7 (6%) candidates describe themselves as Lesbian, Gay or Bisexual; and
- 47 (40%) candidates declared their participation in some form of political party activity on their application forms.
As required by the Code of Practice details of independent members appointed has been published and outlines details of occupation and any political activity declared.
* Figures correct at 15 June 2020
Meetings
PCSPs/DPCSPs meet a number of times throughout the year. Some of these meetings are in public to provide local accountability on policing and community safety initiatives.
Expenses
All Members of PCSPs and DPCSPs receive a meeting expense payment of £60 per meeting for up to a maximum of 20 meetings a year (for Chairs and Vice Chairs this is up to a maximum of 30 meetings a year). Travel and subsistence is also available for all the work throughout the year.
Declaration Against Terrorism
Independent Members are required to sign a declaration against terrorism which requires a person to declare that, if appointed to the PCSP / DPCSP, they will not by word or deed express support for or approval of -
- (a) any organisation that is for the time being a proscribed organisation specified in Schedule 2 to the Terrorism Act 2000; or
- (b) acts of terrorism (that is to say, violence for political reasons) connected with Northern Ireland.