WHAT WE DO

Welcome to the official website of the Lincolnshire police authority. The site contains information about the authority and what we do. We also offer online access to the public documents we publish throughout the year.

Our Role

The police service in the UK is governed nationally through a tripartite structure, consisting of the Home Secretary, police authorities and chief constables. Under the Police Act 1996 the primary responsibility of the police authority is to maintain an efficient and effective police force. To achieve this we are required to:

• produce, in consultation with local people and the chief constable, an annual policing plan and a three year strategy. Three year strategy plans are a requirement of the Police Reform Act 2002 and provide the capacity to focus on the medium to longer-term direction of the force.
  
  
• publish an annual Best Value Performance Plan, detailing those areas of police work which will be reviewed as part of a continual review programme;
  
  
• report back to local communities at the end of the year on the extent to which the policing/best value performance plan has been met;
  
  
• appoint and dismiss the Chief Constable, subject to the approval of the Secretary of State;
  
  
• appoint and dismiss Deputy and Assistant Chief Constables;
  
  
• hold the Police Fund and maintain accounts;
  
  
• agree the police budget and set the precept;
  
  
• nominate one or more members of the authority to answer questions on the discharge of the Authority's functions at a meeting of a relevant council when given reasonable notice of this by the council;
  
  
• collaborate with other police authorities to jointly provide equipment, premises, or other material or facilities, where appropriate;
  
  
• decide the charges for the provision of special police services;
  
  
• provide advice and assistance to an international organisation, institution or a police body outside the UK, subject to the consent of the Home Secretary. The authority can charge for such advice/assistance;
  
  
• comply with any direction given by the Secretary of State on performance targets for Ministerial priorities;
  
  
• comply with any Codes of Practice issued by the Secretary of State relating to the discharge of police authority functions;
  
  
• comply with any direction made by the Secretary of State following an adverse report by Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary (HMIC);
  
  
• comply with any direction made by the Secretary of State as to the budget requirement;
  
  
• comment on any HMIC report on the force and any comments made by the Chief Officer about the report and to publish those comments;
  
  
• investigate complaints about the conduct of Chief Officers or where appropriate refer complaints to the Police Complaints Authority;
  
  
• keep itself informed of the workings of the complaints and discipline procedures;
  
  
• have regard to any guidance issued by the Home Secretary on complaints or disciplinary matters;
  
  
• pay out of the Police Fund any damages or costs awarded against the police in respect of torts or in relation to the settlement of a claim;
  
  
• receive grants for any local council which falls wholly or partly within the Authority area either unconditionally or, subject to conditions agreed with the Chief Constable;
  
  
• accept gifts of money or gifts and loans of other property, including commercial sponsorship of any activity of the Authority or Force on such terms as appear to it to be appropriate;
  
  
• conduct Best Value reviews of its functions in accordance with any order made by the Secretary of State;
  
  
• publish any audit report on its Best Value Performance Plan;
  
  
• co-operate with the 'responsible authorities' in formulating and implementing crime and disorder audits and strategies for each district/unitary in its area;
  
  
• exercise its functions with due regard to the likely effect of the exercise of those functions on, and the need to do all that it reasonably can to prevent, crime and disorder in its area;
  
  
• comply with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000;
  
  
• maintain an effective Independent Custody Visiting scheme.
  
  

Have due regard to the need to:

• eliminate unlawful racial discrimination and
  
  
• promote equality of opportunity and good relations between persons of different racial groups.
  
  

Related Pages

Membership page

Staff page