Commissioners Update - July 2022 - Recognising our Volunteers

On behalf of the residents of our area, my role is to have an oversight of Humberside Police and ensure it meets the needs of our communities. To do this, my office scrutinises certain aspects of police work through members of the public and representatives from specialist agencies. These activities include monitoring police powers including use of force and stop and search, how hate crime is responded to, Independent Custody visitors who check on the welfare of detainees, an audit committee to check on our finances and procedures, and Independent members for Police appeals tribunals. A significant part of our scrutiny consists of members of the public helping me check that Humberside Police is working well and ethically. Volunteers are vital as they provide real life experiences, generate new ideas and ways of doing things and challenge assumptions about existing ways of working. Volunteering is a great way to meet new people and become involved in helping to improve your police service and your community.

Let’s hear from our volunteers

Independent Custody Visitor: “This is my second stint as a volunteer role, it’s the first one I've done with the OPCC but it's something I find really rewarding and I would definitely encourage anybody to get involved with that.”

Independent Scrutiny Group: “It gives me something to do and it gives me an opportunity to put something back into policing and supporting the police on behalf of the communities of Humberside.”

Joint Independent Audit Committee: “I think volunteering is very much win-win. I think people can add value to their community.”

Hate Crime Scrutiny Panel: “By bringing in members of the community to independently look at things it keeps it fresh, it keeps it clear and transparent. You get so much out of it in terms of volunteering, you're giving something to the community, it helps you feel you're part of the community and also you get back because you get involved with some really interesting work, and I would recommend anyone to apply for it.”

For more information on the volunteering roles we have available, click here