Dccs Panel CIC

Our mission is to strengthen trust and confidence between the police and the communities they serve through accountability, transparency, and training. To date, we have reviewed 421 cases. Our membership has grown from a modest beginning to over 100 members, of whom 74 are active participants regularly attending monthly meetings. Membership is open to anyone over the age of 16 who has not worked in policing within the last three years. Our panel reflects a diverse cross-section of the community, with 19% Black, 4% Asian, 74% White, and 3% undisclosed members, and a gender balance of 70% female and 30% male, spanning ages 16 to 70+. This diversity continues to enrich our perspectives and strengthen our work. We have also attracted strong leadership, including a newly appointed lead responsible for data scrutiny, a critical part of our role. In addition, we have engaged with colleges and universities, enabling students to contribute to our work actively. The impact of our scrutiny has been significant: • Cultural shift: Officers are more aware and less defensive, recognising the value of independent community review. • Increased openness: Senior leaders respond promptly to feedback and demonstrate a genuine willingness to learn from lived experiences. • Reflective learning: Newer officers engage constructively, gaining insight through non-defensive reflection. • Community leadership: Our members continue to develop as “critical friends,” maintaining professionalism while deepening their understanding of policing. Our work depends on accurate and complete data. We have observed a notable improvement in the quality of information provided for scrutiny, for which we commend Devon & Cornwall Police. The accuracy of stop-and-search records has improved, allowing for more effective review of both data and video evidence. We are now working collaboratively with the police to enhance the quality of use-of-force records. Importantly, while we have mechanisms to escalate concerns, no cases have required escalation to the IOPC, as issues have been addressed through reflective practice—an achievement we regard as highly positive. All officers previously rated “red” have been reviewed, and recent encounters have consistently been rated “green.”