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WEST MERCIA PCC: DISCLOSURE LOG

RESPONSE TO REQUEST
Reference: 2023 – 358 / WE08868
Date of response: 16th November 2023

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 – INFORMATION REQUEST

Request

West Mercia Police & West Mercia PCC office should be a non bias organisation when it comes to religion or belief.

  1. Please could you provide data relating to the level of funding ‘Street pastors’, a Christian Charity, received in 2022/23 and in the current year 2023/24 by the PCC across the West Mercia area.
  2. Please could you provide data relating to the funding of Muslim, Sikh or Hindu charities, as a comparison, in 2022/23 and in the current year 2023/24 by the PCC across the West Mercia area.
  3. Please could you list the number of public owned vehicles permitted to be used by the Street pastors and funded by the PCC in the West Mercia area.
  4. Please provide a copy of any memorandum of understanding in place, which covers the Street Pastors commitment to respect equality and diversity, respect for people from other religions, non believers and LGBT people whilst they carry out work funded by the PCC’s office and/or driving public owned vehicles branded as funded by the PCC.
  5. Taking into consideration the Street pastors provide support to young people who are often drunk and vulnerable. What vetting has taken place by the PCC’s office to protect the public?

To be clear, the Street Pastors are an independent charity. This request relates only to the use of public money by the charity and the safeguarding put in place by the PC’s office prior to awarding funding and during their use of a police vehicle.

Response

Please see the below response to your request.

PCC funding for the Street Pastors does not come directly from this office, but comes via the Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs). The PCC allocates annual funding to each of the five CSPs to utilise for local initiatives at their own discretion.

  1. In 2022/2023 South Worcestershire CSP funded £5,200 for the Worcester Street Pastors and the Telford & Wrekin CSP funded £7,190 for the Telford Street Pastors. In 2023/24 South Worcestershire CSP funded £5,200 and the Telford & Wrekin CSP funded £7,100. There was no other funding from any of the other three CSPs.
  2. No funding by this office was provided to these organisations.
  3. There are two vehicles funded by the PCC; one for Telford Street Pastors and the other for Shrewsbury Street Pastors.
  4. As the agreements are set up between the relevant CSP and the Street Pastors, this office does not have a Memorandum of Understanding. In order to get this information, you will need to approach the CSPs directly.
  5. Any due diligence or vetting is the responsibility of the relevant CSP, in order to get this information, you will need to approach the CSPs directly.

Yours sincerely,

FOI Officer

West Mercia OPCC

Response Reviews.
If you think that the Police and Crime Commissioner has failed to supply information in accordance with the publication scheme, then you should write in the first instance, to the:

Chief Executive, OPCC – West Mercia, Hindlip Hall, Worcester. WR3 8SP

The PCC will aim to deal with your complaint within 10 working days. If you are dissatisfied with the response you can ask for the matter to be internally reviewed. Internal reviews will be completed promptly and a response given to you within 20 working days of your further
request.

If, after the internal review, you remain dissatisfied, then you can complain to the Information Commissioner (Office of the Information Commissioner), Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF).

Should you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please write to the Information Compliance Unit; Information Compliance Unit, PO Box 55, Worcester, WR3 8SP. Email: [email protected]