Office Scoops Award for Transparency

There are 41 Police and Crime Commissioner offices throughout England and Wales and the Gwent OPCC is among 9 which have recently been presented with a new National Quality Mark for Transparency.

The Quality Mark has been awarded by CopaCC, an independent national body which monitors police governance. CoPaCC recognises excellent performance by Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and their Offices (OPCCs) by making regular CoPaCC Awards.

During an event hosted in London by leading police auditors, Grant Thornton, the Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent, Paul Harris, and Sian Curley, the Head of Corporate Governance for the Gwent OPCC, were presented with the Transparency Quality Mark by CoPaCC Chief Executive, Bernard Rix.

Also speaking at the event, and presenting the Quality Marks alongside Bernard Rix, was Lord Bew, Chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life.
 
The CoPaCC award was presented for how the PCC and his office provide the public with key information in accessible format on their website including information about who they are and what they do, what they spend and how they spend it, what their priorities are, how they make their decisions and information around complaints, policies and procedures.
 
The Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent, Ian Johnston, said: "Transparency is essential as I am held to account at a local level by the public so I am delighted that we have been recognised for our efforts. It has been important to me from day one as Commissioner to be as open and transparent as possible."
 
Bernard Rix said: "These nine PCCs' offices have, in CoPaCC's 2015 national assessment, consistently demonstrated that they are transparent in what they do. They present key information in an accessible format on their websites. I congratulate them on their good work, and am very pleased to present each of them with the CoPaCC Transparency Quality Mark 2015."
 
For further information, please visit www.gwent.pcc.police.uk