The Gloucestershire Police and Crime Panel met to discuss the Independent Custody Visitors' Annual Report, how the Police and Crime Commissioner uses data from the Office of National Statistics, and to receive updates from the Police and Crime Commissioner and the Chief Executive. The panel also reviewed their work plan, scheduling items for future meetings.

Independent Custody Visitors' Annual Report

The panel considered the Independent Custody Visitors' Annual Report, which highlights the work of the Independent Custody Visitors (ICVs) in Gloucestershire. ICVs are volunteers who conduct random, unannounced visits to the Compass House custody suite in Waterwells to check on the welfare of detainees and ensure they are being treated appropriately.

The report included:

• A foreword from Chris Nelson, Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), thanking the ICVs for their dedication and highlighting the importance of their role in ensuring police accountability.
• Background information on the ICV scheme, which was established following the Scarman Report in 1981 and became a statutory provision under the Police and Crime Act 2002[^1]. [^1]: The Police and Crime Act 2002 made Independent Custody Visiting a statutory provision.
• Details of how the scheme works, including how ICVs conduct visits, review custody records, and raise issues with the police.
• An overview of volunteer and OPCC activity, including recruitment efforts and the involvement of ICVs in various events.
• Statistics on the gender, ethnicity, and age ranges of the ICV volunteers.
• Data on custody visits, including the frequency of visits, the number of detainees spoken to, and the issues raised by ICVs.
• Information on record reviews, including the number of records reviewed and the issues identified.
• Statistics on detainees in custody, including their gender, ethnicity, and age ranges.
• Information on Terrorism Act (TACT) and National Security Act detainees.
• Details of external bodies that support ICV schemes, such as the Independent Custody Visiting Association (ICVA) and the National Preventative Mechanism (NPM).
• Plans for 2025/26, including training, recruitment, engagement, and visits.
• Appendices containing graphs, comments from ICVs and detainees, and the ICV code of practice and memorandum of understanding.

The report noted that in the year from April 2024 to March 2025, Compass House saw 9,279 detainees, 577 of whom were young people aged 17 and under. ICVs conducted visits on average once every 11 days, with Sunday being the most popular day for visits. The total number of people spoken to during the visits was 159.

Some of the issues raised by ICVs during their visits included:

• Detainees being unaware of the pixilation of the toilet in their cell.
• A malfunctioning door to custody that kept opening and closing.
• Rubbish outside the doors of custody.
• A detainee being unaware of whether medication was available for the next day.
• One wing being noticeably colder than other wings.

The report also included positive feedback from ICVs, such as:

• Praise for individual members of staff who provided assistance in a cheerful manner.
• Statements from detainees who said they had been treated well by custody staff.
• Observations of good practice from custody officers.

How Police and Crime Commissioners Use Office of National Statistics Data

The panel received information from Police and Crime Commissioner Chris Nelson and Rob Gleed about how Police and Crime Commissioners use data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS). The presentation covered:

• What a Police and Crime Commissioner does.
• Monitoring police performance in Gloucestershire.
• How ONS and police data are used.

The presentation explained that PCCs are supported by their offices, which include data analysts. In Gloucestershire, analysts review over 100 metrics monthly, considering both local and national perspectives to identify trends and potential problems. This analysis is further enhanced to understand the issues better and implement measures to address them.

To monitor performance from a local perspective, a level or limit is established for what is expected in Gloucestershire. Signals such as consecutive monthly falls, months near limits, or deviations from the average are monitored to quickly identify problems.

From a national perspective, an average is established for forces similar to Gloucestershire, and levels that would be considered 'normal' for that group are calculated. Gloucestershire's performance outside these levels is considered an 'outlier' and prompts further analysis.

The presentation included a case study on shoplifting, using police data and ONS data to show that while police data for October 2024 showed abnormally high levels of shoplifting in Gloucestershire, ONS data indicated that the previous quarter was just below average and levels across the year were within the expected range. Further analysis of local data suggested a link to cost-of-living increases.

The presentation concluded by noting that using ONS data helps to create reports that understand crime levels across the country and that there are intentions to produce reports for other PCCs to monitor performance consistently.

Updates from the Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Executive

The panel received updates from Chris Nelson, Police and Crime Commissioner, and Ruth Greenwood, Chief Executive of the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.

Chris Nelson's update highlighted his national work on the Prisoners Building Homes initiative and the reform of performance data, as well as his involvement in the Association of PCCs (APCC). He also mentioned the work being done over the summer using the ASB Hotspot funding to reduce crimes such as ASB, shoplifting, drug use, and intimidating behaviour, and the ongoing efforts to deliver the £12.3 million savings that had to be made for the current financial year.

Ruth Greenwood's report provided updates on governance and accountability, strategic priorities, financial overview, recent performance and performance monitoring, communications and public contact, legislative and policy changes, relevant national research, and recent HMICFRS reports.

Key points from the Chief Executive's report included:

• Key decisions are made by the PCC and the PCC Governance Board, with discussion points from 1-2-1 Accountability meetings published on the OPCC website.
• The Police and Crime Prevention Plan serves as the blueprint for policing in Gloucestershire, with six priorities and a golden thread of supporting children and young people.
• The OPCC is coordinating activity related to Operation Shield, the local delivery of the government's Safer Streets Summer Initiative, and has developed a survey style response for Community Safety Partnerships via a QR code to facilitate data returns.
• The Strategic Road Safety Board, chaired by the Deputy PCC, is providing support to road safety activity in the county, with partners reviewing the findings of a road safety needs assessment.
• The Hotspot Action Fund (Operation Ash locally) has continued to facilitate high-visibility patrols in designated hotspot areas, with the OPCC providing analytical and funding coordination support.
• The VAWG team has undergone job title changes to reflect the portfolio of work, and a thematic analysis of Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews has been completed.
• The OPCC is coordinating the provision of several training programmes for officers, including voice of the child training and domestic abuse and suicide training.
• Work is ongoing to embed a Public Health Approach to prevention, with a new secondary prevention programme planned to commence in November 2025.
• The new county-wide trust and confidence survey will be launched in September, and the OPCC is supporting the delivery of a child-centred policing workshop to develop core components of the strategy.
• The OPCC is coordinating a three-year programme to enhance operational collaboration between blue-light services in the county, and introduced Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service to the Constabulary's conflict resolution trainer.
• The Constabulary and OPCC savings target of £12.3m has been 95% achieved after three months of the financial year, with a forecast overspend of £1.4m due to anticipated overspends on ill-health retirement costs, legal fees, and a shortfall of income.
• The police officer pay-award from 01/09/25 is 4.2%, with the Home Office agreeing to fund the additional cost in 2025/26 through the allocation of another £120m of grant across all forces.
• The current Medium Term Financial Plan assumes that there will be an increasing budget gap over the period, requiring cumulative savings of £9.1m by 2028/29.
• The OPCC Senior Analysts have provided a summary of recent performance data, with commentary on residential burglary, robbery personal property, all crime, public order offences, and racially/religiously aggravated offences.
• The OPCC has developed a tool to collate updates on national policy, legislation, research, and announcements, and is sharing this information with the team on a monthly basis.
• The OPCC has received 12 requests for review of complaint outcomes since the last meeting, with all having been concluded following determinations by the Independent Review Officer.
• The OPCC has received 11 Freedom of Information Act requests in quarter one 2025/26, with the majority requiring referral to the Constabulary.
• The OPCC Communications and Engagement team has been active in sharing PCC/OPCC activity with the public, including the PCC's commitment to supporting victims of sexual violence and the Safer Streets Summer Initiative.

Work Plan

The panel reviewed the work plan and scheduled the following items for future meetings:

• Technical transformation overview (November 2025)
• Anti-Social Behaviour Case Reviews (November 2025)
• Annual Staff Survey item (November 2025)
• Audit Committee (to include information on the Audit Risk Register) (November 2025, postponed from September)
• Proposed Gloucestershire Police Precept 2026/2027 (February 2026)
• Annual Reports: PCC Annual Report, Independent Custody Visitors, Police & Crime Prevention Plan, Joint Independent Audit Committee (July 2026)

The panel also discussed potential future items, including the Police and Crime Plan Performance Framework, the Commissioner's role in scrutinising the Constabulary's role in parking in Gloucestershire, crime prevention, road safety, Anti-Social Behaviour Community Triggers, neighbourhood policing, Crime Command/ Public Protection (CID/ Detectives), the OPCC's Words Matters Policy, and Volunteer Special Officers.