The job of the PCC is to ensure that the policing needs of their communities are met as effectively as possible.
He will aim to cut crime and deliver an effective and efficient police service within the force area. He will do this by:
- holding the chief constable to account for the delivery of the force
- setting and updating a police and crime plan
- setting the force budget and precept
- regularly engaging with the public and communities
- appointing, and where necessary dismissing, the chief constable
The PCC will also work with partner organisations, who have a responsibility for crime prevention, to tackle crime and re-offending.
The Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley has a statutory duty to deliver independent custody visiting across his policing area. Independent Custody Visitors come from all walks of life and sections of the community.
Independent Custody Visiting is a well-established scheme whereby volunteers attend police custody suites to check on the treatment of detainees, the conditions in which they are held and that their rights and entitlements are being observed. The scheme offers protection to detainees and provides reassurance to the wider community.
Anyone over 18 years of age can become an Independent Custody Visitor except magistrates, those who have been convicted of an offence punishable by imprisonment within the last five years and serving Police Officers and Staff.