The Suffolk Police Authority has a statutory duty to secure the maintenance of an efficient and effective police force for the area and holding the chief officer to account for how well they deliver local policing services.

It is an independent body made up of local people, including nine County Councillors, selected according to the number of seats held by each political group on the County Council and eight Independent Members (one of which must be a magistrate), chosen from the local community with vacancies advertised in the local media.

The Police Authority sets the strategic direction for policing in Suffolk and has a number of statutory responsibilities, including the following (please note, all the links to documents are pdfs and they all open in a new window):

• consulting with local communities about the policing of their area;
• publishing a Annual Report 2009-2010  - 907kb (pdf)  
  which sets out local priorities and targets for achievement. (The Monitoring and Audit Committee monitors performance against those priorities and targets);
• publishing an annual report which sets out the Police Authority’s aims and objectives and reports on our performance;
• setting the Budget  for the Constabulary;
• publishing a Suffolk Police Authority Three-Year Plan 2010-13 881kb (pdf). - which outlines the vision for policing in Suffolk;
• preparing and publishing a Race Equality Scheme;
• monitoring the Authority’s employment procedures and practices;
• monitoring police handling of complaints from the public;
• considering complaints in respect of senior officers;
• appointing the senior officers of the Constabulary;
• publishing a Publication Scheme - 227kb - (pdf) 

The Suffolk Police Arrangement for the Discharge of Functions - 196kb - (pdf)   provides further detail regarding duties, responsibilities and functions of the Suffolk Police Authority and sets out the arrangements for the discharge of the Police Authority’s functions by the Police Authority, the Chief Constable, the Clerk and the Treasurer.

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