Policing and Politics
Policing and Politics
An exploration of the police accountability model
CC Jo Shiner & PCC Katy Bourne OBE
As you will recall Jo Shiner is the Chief Constable of Sussex Police and gave an excellent presentation to TLC on 26th January. Katy Bourne is Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Sussex and one of her responsibilities is to appoint the Chief Constable. Katy is an ‘old friend’ of TLC having previously spoken to TLC members in London in October 2017 on ‘Holding the Police to account’.
Now is a unique occasion for us to learn, enquire and the relationship and challenges that arise and exist as a result through this joint presnetation
Jo Shiner
Jo became the force’s ninth Chief Constable in July 2020 and is the first female Chief Constable in the history of Sussex Police. Jo is the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Roads Policing, and has always had a strong belief that the effective policing of our roads will reduce crime and save lives. Jo sets out three clear priorities for Sussex Police, these are to protect communities, catch criminals, and deliver an outstanding service. These priorities are ably delivered by a professional, diverse and inclusive workforce who take great pride in keeping the public safe. Jo’s career in the police spans 28 years, during which time she has undertaken a wide variety of roles. These have predominantly been operational, both in uniform and within Child and Adult Protection Units, CID and as a Firearms, Public Order and Critical Incident Commander.
Jo started her policing career in Norfolk in 1993, serving up to the rank of Chief Superintendent. She then transferred on promotion to Kent as Assistant Chief Constable in 2014. Jo joined Sussex Police in late 2018 as Deputy Chief Constable. Throughout her career she has been committed to taking a preventative and proactive approach.
Jo sits as a Trustee for the charity Embrace (Child Victims of Crime), the Road Safety Trust and is the patron of Sussex Search and Rescue. She has previously, actively supported other charities such as the Prince’s Trust, Beachy Head Chaplains and Community Foundations. Jo is a keen advocate for fitness, regularly signing up for events including marathons and long bike rides, to fundraise for good causes. She also volunteers at ground level for a number of local charities.
Katy Bourne OBE
Katy was raised and schooled in Sussex before graduating from Aberystwyth University. She still lives in mid-Sussex, is married to Kevin and has two adult sons. She was a successful business woman before entering politics and retains a keen interest in innovative business start-ups especially green technologies.
Katy is in her third term as Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Sussex. She was first elected in 2012 and re-elected in 2016 and 2021.
The PCC’s role is to hold the Chief Constable of Sussex Police to account for the performance of the Force, effectively making the police answerable to the communities they serve.
Katy is responsible for setting the strategic direction and priorities for Sussex Police through the Police & Crime Plan. This includes setting the police budget and local police precept – the amount residents pay for policing in their council tax.
She also has a statutory duty to commission support services for victims of crime and to deliver community safety initiatives including restorative justice and crime reduction grants.
Katy brings a genuine passion and commitment to make a difference and her work to support victims of crime has won her praise from successive Home Secretaries and Prime Ministers. Katy was also nationally recognised for founding the award-winning Sussex Youth Commission in 2013 and the Sussex Elders’ Commission in 2015.
Katy is a former Director of the Board of the College of Policing and former advisor to the editorial board of the Guardian Public Leaders Network. She is currently Chair of the Sussex Criminal Justice Board; Chair and National Spokesperson of the Association of Police & Crime Commissioners Retail & Business Crime Portfolio; and former Chair and a non-Exec Director of the national Police ICT Company.
In June 2019 she was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for public and political service.
Should be absolutely fascinating as 2 weeks later we will be hearing from Matt Parr CB who is one of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services.
Join us by registering via the events page of the website www.theleadersclub.org or using the link below