What's a police authority?

Police authorities are independent bodies made up of local people who oversee the work of their local constabulary - similar to a school governing body. A police authority has a range of financial and legal powers, but their principal responsibility is to maintain an efficient and effective police service.

What are the authority's key responsibilities?

• Setting the police budget for the forthcoming year and deciding how much money is needed to be raised through local council tax towards the cost of policing. The police are largely funded by government grants.
• Appointing and, if necessary, dismissing the chief constable, the deputy chief constable and the assistant chief constable. The chief constable has independent operational control of Cambridgeshire Constabulary.
• Ensuring the service provided by the constabulary is Value for Money and makes the best use of available resources.
• Consulting with the community - the authority ensures an important transparent link between the police and the public.
• Setting an annual plan for policing the area (local policing plan) taking account of the views of the community - this includes priorities and targets for the constabulary.
• Reporting back to the community - our annual report tells the public whether the constabulary has achieved the targets set in the annual plan.
• Serving our diverse communities - having regard to our duties under the Equality Act 2010 including the advancing of opportunity between people of different groups.

Who sits on the authority?

Cambridgeshire Police Authority has 17 members:

• Nine local councillors - seven are nominated by Cambridgeshire County Council, two are nominated by Peterborough Unitary Authority
• Eight independent members - representatives chosen from the community
• Most members have a special responsibility for local issues in one of the local policing sectors in the county. The authority is led by a chairman and two vice chairs.
• The authority is supported by a team of staff headed up by a chief executive.