PCC launches UK’s first citizens’ assemblies to help shape local policing

Currently being piloted in Crewe, they will be held across Cheshire and will inform the police and crime commissioner’s (PCC) police and crime priorities at a local policing level.

Cheshire’s PCC Dan Price is the first to trial these citizens’ assemblies as part of his promise to deliver community-led policing.

Residents in Crewe and Nantwich will be the first to take part in a series of three face-to-face workshops, facilitated by the independent research agency, Thinks Insight.

The in-person workshops will be supported by two online community sessions.

Representatives from Cheshire Constabulary and local bodies such as Cheshire East council, together with MP Connor Naismith, will also provide oversight as part of an advisory panel.

Each of the police and crime citizens’ assemblies consist of people who live in the area to give their views on “everyday issues” affecting local crime and policing matters.

Mr Price said the people who take part are randomly selected to reflect the local population in terms of demographics, such as age, gender, ethnicity and social class.

The assemblies will be rolled out across Cheshire and will be focused on the nine local policing areas in the county.

Mr Price, said: “As the voice of the public in policing matters, I want to ensure that the plans I put in place and the topics I focus on are relevant to those living and breathing the everyday issues at a local level.

“I want to make sure that my policies and priorities are created together with people representing all parts of society. Typically, consultations are paper based and are quite often skewed. The great thing about this is that I can already see the difference that doing community-led policing plans through citizens’ assemblies is having in terms of conversations that are taking place and inputs I have been receiving to inform my police and crime plan.”

Assembly members will hear from expert speakers from Cheshire Constabulary, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, and victim support services commissioned by the PCC; ask questions and deliberate with one another, before reaching recommendations on what they think should be done.

The PCC said citizens’ assemblies put the trade-offs faced by decision-makers in front of members of the public and ask them to arrive at workable recommendations.

Governments and parliaments around the world are increasingly using citizens’ assemblies in their work. The UK Parliament commissioned its first citizens’ assembly, the Citizens’ Assembly on Social Care, in 2018.

Mr Price will shortly be consulting the public on his draft police and crime plan before publishing it in March 2025.