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WA04281 – Revoking of CPN relating to Warwickshire Hunt

Request Received: 25 July 2023

Responded: 23 August 2023

Q1. Decision by the OPCC not to intervene on the revoking of the CPN relating to Warwickshire Hunt

  • In the run-up to the CPN being dropped, senior Police officers met privately with the Hunt and their legal advisers and signed a private agreement, producing an alternative ‘protocol’ for Hunt behaviour on roads.
  • The nature of the protocol directly affects the rural communities and residents of Warwickshire and North Oxfordshire and its dissemination is entirely in the public interest.
  • As of 6 September 2023, the protocol has still not been made public, hence the community is in the dark about how road safety can be protected during Warwickshire Hunt activity and how the community can monitor this, even though the Hunt season has already begun.
  • The Rural Crime Team (RCT) ordered this CPN to be levelled against Warwickshire Hunt yet, apparently, the RCT knew nothing about the CPN case being dropped. It has since been reported that no-one within the Rural Crime Team was informed that the case had been dropped, including the Inspector responsible for that team.
  • Was the OPCC aware of all or any of these factors and, if so, when and how was the OPCC made aware and by whom?
  • The OPCC is the appropriate authority to investigate or handle a complaint when it relates to the ‘personal conduct or actions of the Chief Constable or other Police
    officers’. What is the rationale for you not investigating this under the terms of your remit, nor requring that the Police make the terms of the protocol public? (Please
    quote relevant clauses from your policy remit.)
  • What written exchanges have taken place between the OPCC, including Mr Seccombe, Warwickshire Police and the Chief Constable in this case during July, August and
    September 2023? We require to see the transcripts in full.
  • How many complaints and contacts from the public have you received regarding Warwickshire Police’s handling of this Warwickshire Hunt matter?
  • What formal and/or written direction has been given to your OPCC public-facing officers – like Ms Imogen Forrest – regarding how to deal wth the public on this
    matter? I require to see this written direction in full and know, by name, who issued this, when and who signed it off.

Q2. Transparency around Police officer interests

The sequence of events here has been extra-ordinary, in many respects. As a result, there is an ongoing question of Police personal conduct and transparency and whether decisions, behind closed doors, are made impartially and without conflict of interest.

In this context, there is a strong case for the OPCC investigating whether those Police officers from the Warwickshire Force who were aware of, or involved in, this 11-th hour revoking of the CPN are also associated with the Hunt and/or the Countryside Alliance (CA). Also, specifically, the OPCC should wish to know if the Chief Constable is associated with the Hunt or the CA. Otherwise, how can we be confident that a serious pro-Hunt bias is not present in the Police Force of Warwickshire and how can we be confident in the role and efficacy of the OPCC in dealing with the Hunt in future?

  • Has the OPCC considered, formally, these points on behalf of the community you represent? Will you be considering these points?
  • If not, why not? Please quote the policy that directs this decision.
  • I require to see any correspondence, emails or other written materials associated with this decision and this area of concern during 2022 and 2023.

A1: The OPCC was not aware of the above factors. The OPCC was made aware of the decision to remove the Community Protection Notice on 10th August 2023.

The OPCC is responsible for any complaints that are made against the Chief Constable but is not responsible for complaints that are made in relation to police officer conduct. Complaints of this nature are directed to Warwickshire Police’s Professional Standards Department to be investigated.

Whilst a key aspect of the role of the PCC includes funding Warwickshire Police and holding the Chief Constable to account, legislation protects the operational independence of the force by making it clear that the Chief Constable retains direction and control of its officers and staff. Consequently, at all times the PCC must refrain from interfering with that independence to ensure that the operations of the police will not be politicised and decisions about responding to incidents, making arrests and carrying out investigations, do not become political ones. For this reason, the OPCC has not been involved with the removal of the CPN.

Written exchanges between the PCC/CC- No information held.

Number of complaints/contacts OPCC has received relating to the removal of the CPN: 12.

Direction to OPCC staff regarding the hunt: Information not held.

A2:  For clarity, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) and Warwickshire Police are two separate and independent organisations. The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) is a directly elected representative of the communities of Warwickshire, whereas legislation protects the independence of Warwickshire Police, which is under the direction and control of its Chief Constable.

Whilst a key aspect of the role of the PCC includes funding Warwickshire Police and holding the Chief Constable to account, legislation protects the operational independence of the force by making it clear that the Chief Constable retains direction and control of its officers and staff. Consequently, at all times the PCC must refrain from interfering with that independence to ensure that the operations of the police will not be politicised and decisions about responding to incidents, making arrests and carrying out investigations, do not become political ones.

For this reason, the OPCC have had no involvement with the removal of the CPN. For future policing of road safety or other concerns about the conduct of the Hunt, these are of course operational matters where the PCC is not permitted to interfere with the operational independent of the Chief Constable. The PCC has had no part in either the serving of the CPN, or it’s removal, and no part in any negotiations or drawing up of the Protocol.

If there is a question of police officer conduct/transparency this is for Warwickshire Police’ Professional Standards Department to investigate, not the OPCC.