The Gloucestershire Police and Crime Panel met on 11 July 2025 to elect a chair and vice-chair for the 2025/2026 civic year, and to review the work plan. The panel was also scheduled to discuss balancing demands on the constabulary, updates from the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), and a report from the OPCC chief executive.

Election of Chair and Vice-Chair

The panel was scheduled to elect a chair and vice-chair for the 2025/2026 civic year.

Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner - Chief Executive Report

The panel was scheduled to consider the Chief Executive Report. The report was intended to update the panel on the activities and decisions of the PCC, progress against the Police and Crime Prevention Plan, and highlight key issues in policing, community safety, and criminal justice.

The report outlined six priorities from the new Police and Crime Prevention Plan 2025-2029:

• Creating safer communities
• Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG)
• Strengthening the Constabulary
• Targeting the causes of crime
• Supporting victims and reducing reoffending
• Improving trust and confidence in policing

The report also referred to a golden thread of supporting children and young people.

Priority 1: Creating Safer Communities

The Safer Gloucestershire partnership had convened twice, with the first meeting serving as a strategic forum for Operation Shield, the local delivery of the government's Safer Streets Summer Initiative. The initiative was designed to address anti-social behaviour and improve safety in public spaces. The second meeting featured updates on Operation Endeavour, road safety, and current Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) and Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews (DARDRs).

The Safer Gloucestershire Partnership Problem Solving Fund was now live, enabling Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) to apply for funding to address specific neighbourhood concerns. Active OPCC support continued for all CSPs across the county.

Leadership of the Gloucestershire Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) had transitioned to Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner (DPCC) Nick Evans. Public Health had completed a Road Safety Needs Assessment, which would form the foundation for future work.

Since January, the OPCC had received 14 ASB Case Review applications, many involving complex neighbourhood disputes and mental health considerations.

Priority 2: Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG)

The Words Matter reporting guidelines were officially published and shared at both regional and national forums as a model of best practice. A thematic analysis of Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews (DARDRs), specifically those involving suicide, was underway. Work was underway to organise an online partner learning event focused on emerging themes from the county's Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) and DARDRs.

The County Domestic Abuse (DA) and Sexual Violence (SV) Strategic Coordinator had led several key initiatives, including finalising and publishing the Domestic Abuse Needs Assessment 2024, refreshing the Safe Accommodation Needs Assessment for 2025, and developing the Tackling Domestic Abuse Strategy 2025–2028.

The DASV Consultation Officer had continued to deliver targeted engagement with a range of stakeholders, including extensive consultation to inform the Domestic Abuse Needs Assessment. The DASV Programme Assistant had provided essential research and support across multiple workstreams.

Commissioning efforts continued to actively support District Councils and the Gloucestershire Strategic Housing Partnership Team in the recommissioning of the Target Hardening service. The Gloucestershire Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA) Service was currently delivered by Gloucestershire's Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (GRASAC), but following a competitive procurement process, First Light, in partnership with Barnardo's, were awarded the contract to deliver this essential provision from 01/08/25.

Priority 3: Strengthening your Constabulary

The OPCC Assistant Chief Executive: Policy, Performance and Accountability was working with colleagues from across the policing sector on the national police reform agenda. Emergency services in Gloucestershire continued to collaborate effectively.

Through national funding streams, the OPCC had been able to support the Constabulary by funding Rapid Video Response (RVR) licences, and had contributed to the funding of several key Constabulary roles. Furthermore, the OPCC was coordinating the provision of several training programmes for officers in the Constabulary over the coming year. Custody Healthcare Services provide medical support to individuals held in police custody.

Priority 4: Targeting the Causes of Crime

Operation Scorpion is the name given to a PCC led operation to tackle the harms caused by drugs in the South West region. Under Operation Scorpion, personal testimony was captured and shared featuring an individual with lived experience of drug addiction and dealing.

The Alcohol and Drug Arrest Referral Scheme (AARS and DARS) forms part of the wider Gloucestershire County Council Drug and Alcohol contract, to which the OPCC has contributed since 2012. The OPCC modern day slavery single point of contact (SPOC) participates in the Gloucestershire Anti-Slavery Partnership Strategic Group (GASP). The OPCC is a co-commissioner of the rough sleeper outreach service, under a newly awarded contract with Julian House, and co-commissions the City Protection Officers in Gloucester.

Priority 5: Supporting Victims and Reducing Reoffending

Serious Violence Duty grant funding had facilitated a diverse range of preventative programmes across the County in support of the five-year Serious Violence Prevention Strategy. The primary focus of work led by the OPCC Strategic Serious Violence Prevention Coordinator was the prevention of youth violence and exploitation.

The OPCC was currently providing interim administrative support to the County Hate Crime Strategic Group. As part of its responsibilities under the Victims' Code of Practice, the OPCC facilitates a quarterly Victims Scrutiny Panel. The Integrated Non-Custodial Service (INCS), launched on 01/04/25, provides a holistic pathway of care to ensure that individuals involved with the criminal justice system receive consistent and coordinated support.

Priority 6: Improving Trust and Confidence in Policing

The OPCC, in collaboration with Gloucestershire Constabulary's Research Officer and Digital Engagement Officer, had developed a new community focused Trust and Confidence Survey via the Neighbourhood Alerts App. The OPCC had committed to an annual survey of staff and officers within the Constabulary. The OPCC Volunteer and Engagement Officer role had been retitled to Volunteer and Scrutiny Officer. The post holder continues to provide strategic oversight and operational support across a wide range of initiatives including our Independent Custody Visitors (ICVs). The work with ICVs supports with the role the OPCC has to lead with the quarterly Constabulary Custody Scrutiny Panel. The OPCC is actively involved in other scrutiny panels including Out of Court Disposals, Use of Force and, as already mentioned, Victims Scrutiny Panel. The Volunteer and Scrutiny Officer also administers the Animal Welfare Scheme. The Councillor Advocacy Scheme also falls within the remit of the Volunteer and Scrutiny Officer.

Golden Thread: Supporting our Children and Young People

As part of the ongoing commitment to reducing serious violence, work continues on evaluating a new secondary prevention pathway for children and young people, funded through the Serious Violence Duty. Support had been provided by the OPCC to the Criminal Justice Superintendent and Business Improvement Officer in the development of Gloucestershire Constabulary's Child-Centred Policing Strategy and the supporting performance framework. The OPCC had been invited to join the Gloucestershire Safeguarding Children Partnership.

Overarching Activity

The PCC's annual report had now been produced. The OPCC had received confirmation of the following national grants for 2025/26: Serious Violence Duty, Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Fund, and Hotspot Action Fund. The OPCC National Funding Coordinator, in partnership with South West Procurement and Gloucestershire Constabulary, had been preparing a market engagement event and developing a specification for a tender process. The Hotspot Action Fund (known as Operation ASH locally) had enabled high-visibility patrols to be carried out across designated hotspot areas. The OPCC had subscribed to Spotlight, which is a Cabinet Office information tool that allows our Government Grants Administrator to run their due-diligence checks on organisations applying for grants to the OPCC. The end-of-year financial administration had now been completed by the Commissioning Team and Chief Finance Officer, alongside a comprehensive review of income and expenditure.

Financial Overview

The Constabulary and OPCC underspent the approved budget by £0.4m in 2024/25. The 2025/26 budget is particularly challenging for the force with £12.3m of in-year savings required. Subsequent to the budget being agreed for 2025/26, the T/CC and the Police and Crime Commissioner agreed £1.5m grant with the Home Office that will fund an additional 23 neighbourhood police officers. The Home Office received lower increases in funding than the rest of the public sector in the CSR¹.

Recent Performance and Performance Monitoring

The information below had been provided by the OPCC Senior Analysts to provide Panel members with a summary of recent performance data. In the last quarter, our Senior Analysts had been focused on moving our reporting from SAS into Power BI. We had successfully completed the integration of local data streams from Gloucestershire Constabulary with relevant national datasets into Power BI. We had made significant progress in developing datasets for the reporting and monitoring of each priority within the Police and Crime Prevention Plan with draft reports have been developed for two of the six priorities.

Public Contact and Feedback

Much of the OPCC community engagement activity had been mentioned previously in the report. Since the last panel meeting the OPCC had received a total of 17 FOI requests. The OPCC had recorded 58 complaints during this period. A total of four complaints had been submitted against the Chief Constable and/or the Temporary Chief Constable. Three complaints had been referred to the Police and Crime Panel for consideration regarding the PCC. There had been one complaint received against the OPCC. The OPCC had received seven requests for review of complaint outcomes since the last meeting.

Legislative and Policy Changes

In support of the OPCC's general awareness of developments with national policy, legislation and announcements, a tool had been developed to collate updates for dissemination by one of our Policy and Research Officers.

Suspension of Chief Constable Hansen

Members of the Police and Crime Panel would be aware that CC Hansen was suspended in October 2024 as a result of an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) into alleged breaches of Standards of Professional Behaviour. On 20/05/25 Police and Crime Panel members were contacted via Gloucestershire County Council Democratic Services following a phone call with the Chair of the Panel in the evening of 19/05/25 to notify members that the IOPC was investigating a further set of alleged breaches of Standards of Professional Behaviour. Having considered the seriousness of the allegations, the PCC took the decision to suspend CC Hansen from his redeployed role with the NPCC pending the outcome of this investigation.

Recent His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) Reports

So far this year, HMICFRS had published five inspection reports. In accordance with Section 55 of the Police Act 1996, a formal response is required from the PCC following the publication of inspection reports by HMICFRS.

Balancing the Demands in the Constabulary

The panel was scheduled to discuss a report on balancing the demands in the constabulary.

Introduction and Update from the Police and Crime Commissioner

The panel was scheduled to note a report and receive a verbal update from PCC Chris Nelson on current activity. The report provided a summary of PCC and DPCC activity between March and June 2025, including meetings, events, and visits.

Work Plan

The panel was scheduled to review the committee work plan and suggest items for consideration at future meetings. Future meetings were scheduled for 5 September 2025 and 21 November 2025.