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Gloucestershire Constabulary has a Black, Asian and minority ethnic Community Legitimacy Panel who support the community. The panel is made up of a variety of people of all ages (16+) from a Black, Asian and minority ethnic background who come together to provide independent advice to the police. The group complements the six existing Independent Advisory Groups, which already offer advice on a range of issues but are not representative of specific communities.
We are looking for volunteers from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities to help us make sure we provide a quality service to the communities of Gloucestershire. We need the advice of people who are willing to help us understand the issues affecting Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, while questioning and challenging current practices in a constructive way.
These include:
We want to, in particular, hear the voices of younger people from black, minority ethnic communities who often do not come forward, as well as individuals who may be part of their local mosque or church. Or simply someone who is interested in community relations and has something to contribute to local policing from a Black, Asian and minority ethnic perspective.
If you identify yourself as Black, Asian or minority ethnic and have a keen interest in policing and its effects upon your community, we want to hear from you.
We want you to point out any criticisms you may have, but we also want you to be able to offer suggestions about how we could do things better.
We have a strong focus on diversity and the ‘protected characteristics’ as covered by the Equality Act 2010:
We want to make sure that we deliver the highest quality police services to our diverse communities across Gloucestershire. We need the advice of people who are independent of the police to make sure our services match community needs as closely as possible.
Yes. We are asking for people who reflect Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities to ensure we hear the voices from all our communities. Although you are naturally likely to reflect the opinions of other people you know, as well as your own, ultimately the only person you will represent is yourself. As member of a Black, Asian and minority ethnic community, you will have a better understanding of the issues affecting its members.
No. You do not need any formal qualifications. We want you for your opinions, advice and personal experience. To carry out the role, it is important that you can:
The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) is committed to ensuring that the police consider advice from members of its independent advisory groups. However, the police are legally responsible for the actions they take. We value members’ contributions, but there might be occasions where no action is taken on the advice given or the police will act differently from the way you advise. Whatever action is taken, the police will act with your views in mind. Where possible, we will make sure we tell you what action we take upon your advice and the reasons why.
The group will meet at least four times per year. There may be times when members will be asked for advice on specific issues such as how the impact of a particular investigation may effect a specific community.
In these cases, we may ask for your advice at short notice, but this will only happen in exceptional circumstances
No. This is voluntary work. By using volunteers we are assured of independent advice. If it were a paid job, people may question the independence of advisors.
However, we do value your advice, and the fact that you are giving up your time to support this important initiative, so reasonable expenses will be paid.
Yes, you can use this form to apply to join these panels in addition to the Black, Asian and minority ethnic Community Legitimacy Panel.
The stop search Panel meets monthly to review a selection of stop search incidents across the county. It advises whether police action in each incident was appropriate and gives feedback that is used by the organisation to help improve processes and training.
More information on stop search can be found here.
The use of force panel meets quarterly to review a selection of incidents in which force has been used across the county. It advises whether police action in each incident was appropriate and gives feedback that is used by the organisation to help improve processes and training.
More information on use of force can be found here.
You can apply to join our community panels by using the link below.