Watchdog searches for ‘disproportionality’ in Herts police UK News

Hertfordshire Police Watchdog is to set up a task force to examine ‘disproportionality’ in actions taken by the police.

The new “disproportionality” task force was launched by the Police and Crime panel, following a response to an access to information (FoI) request earlier this year.

This FoI request – addressed to the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner – requested information on monitoring the relationship between law enforcement and racial equality.

But it was refused on the grounds that the commissioner did not have the information.

Read more: Confidence in Herts Police’s Use of “Stops and Searches” Plummets

The Police and Crime Panel was asked to consider the matter earlier this year, when it determined that the CCP had answered the question appropriately.

But on Thursday, June 24, panel chair Cllr Siobhan Monaghan announced that it was a “missed opportunity” and that the panel would set up a task force to examine “disproportionality”.

And this group – which will be chaired by Conservative Councilor Pervez Choudhury (Hertsmere) – will examine any “disproportionality” relating to any “protected characteristic”.

The “protected characteristics” are: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and motherhood, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. And it is illegal to discriminate against someone because of them.

Following the meeting, Cllr Monaghan said the task force would seek to highlight whether there was a disproportion in police services in Hertfordshire, including areas such as’ stop and search “.

She said he would review all steps already taken to remedy any “disproportionality”.

And where further action could be taken, she said they would seek to influence or make recommendations to Police and Crime Commissioner David Lloyd.

In addition, she said that when the commissioner takes action, they would seek to see that it leads to the right result.

“We can already see from data like ‘stop and search’ that there is some disproportion,” she said.

“We want to work with David Lloyd to understand his strategy, what is in place to deal with it and what he expects from the results.”

At the meeting, the panel also agreed to set up a task force to review finances, which will be chaired by Conservative adviser Alexander Curtis (East Herts).

And there will be a working group designed to take a closer look at the “prevention first” approach, which will be chaired by union adviser Jackie Holywell (Stevenage).