The South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner has responded to the publication of the Sheffield Race Equality Commission Report today at a launch event at the Millennium Galleries.

Speaking at the launch Dr Alan Billings said: “Policing and criminal justice are one strand in the report. My office, South Yorkshire Police and our criminal justice partners have all actively engaged with the Commissioners during this process.

“We are fully committed to ensuring that Sheffield is a city that welcomes diversity and practises racial equality. We want all our organisations to oppose racism and earn and keep the trust of our diverse communities.

“The report sets out a number of recommendations that dovetail with work already being undertaken by my office and by South Yorkshire Police. The police are already committed to the National Police Chiefs’ Council Race Action Plan which sets out a framework to address race disparities across all police forces.

“I look forward to working with the Legacy Board to understand how we can all work better together to tackle prejudice and discrimination and to take forward the recommendations alongside the work that is already underway.”

 

Note to Editors:

• The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) is not a named ‘Sheffield Anchor Institution’ within the report.
• His roles and responsibilities are distinct from those of South Yorkshire Police – a named ‘Sheffield Anchor Institution’. The Chief Constable, Lauren Poultney, is operationally independent to run the police force, which is a separate organisation to the PCC and his office (the OPCC).
• The PCC is democratically elected to perform a number of duties, including holding the Chief Constable to account for the exercise of her functions on behalf of South Yorkshire’s communities.
• The PCC’s other duties include setting the policing priorities and budget for the whole of South Yorkshire, covering the four districts of Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield.
• The PCC is also responsible for commissioning a range of services, including services for victims of crime. He also has convening powers to bring partner organisations together and influence the achievement of certain priorities, particularly in the areas of community safety, violence reduction and criminal justice.
• The PCC chairs the Local Criminal Justice Board (SYCJB), which is made up of criminal justice partners a number of whom cover an even larger geographical footprint than South Yorkshire. For instance, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and Probation Service operate across Yorkshire and the Humber, although they are national bodies and are led and governed as such.