Essex Police have written to me to encourage constituents to be part of a two-way conversation with our local police to discuss significant incidents, influence policy and procedure and give feedback on other policing matters as part of our local Independent Advisory Group.
I would encourage all of those who answer 'yes' to the following questions to consider volunteering:
- Are you willing to challenge the police to help them improve?
- Are you from a diverse community and want a say on policing?
- Are you passionate about voicing the needs and concerns of your community?
In an open letter to residents, Chief Insepctor Alcock, District Commander for Brentwood and Epping Forest, said:
The strength of our county is in our communities and I’m reaching out to you to ask for your voice. It’s important that you have a say in the way we police your area, and that’s why I’d like to invite you to become a member of our Independent Advisory Group (IAG).
An IAG is a group of people from a diverse range of communities who come together four times a year to give us feedback on a range of local policing issues and live incidents so we can improve our understanding of the communities’ needs, expectations and concerns. In response, we'll show you how we work, how we respond to incidents, and how we protect and serve Brentwood and Epping Forest, which can then be shared back to the communities.
We are looking for individuals who are under-represented in the usual decision-making processes within the police and who may not ordinarily have a voice in conversations that will affect their communities.
The IAG will discuss hate crime, significant local incidents, procedural changes and any other policing matters that are important to you. Any number of decisions made within policing can have unforeseen impacts on the community and as a member of the IAG you will be able to help us understand these issues and find ways to address them.
I promise that Essex Police will listen to your views, deliver tangible responses to those views wherever appropriate and explain the reason when a response cannot be supported. I will encourage honesty and challenge from the group, especially where it is critical of the police, so we can learn and deliver the very best service to everyone."
More information is available on Essex Police's dedicated police page, which you can access here.
