Merseyside’s Police Commissioner confirms new Deputy

Merseyside’s Police Commissioner confirms new Deputy

Merseyside’s Police Commissioner has confirmed the appointment of Cllr Emily Spurrell as her new Deputy.

The announcement follows a confirmation hearing by the Police and Crime Panel, at which members reviewed Jane Kennedy’s decision to select the Liverpool City Councillor as her preferred candidate.

Members of the Panel, which has responsibility for scrutinising and overseeing the Commissioner’s work, had the opportunity to question Cllr Spurrell and assess her suitability for the role. 

Today, the Panel have now formally notified the Commissioner that they support her decision to appoint Cllr Spurrell, who will take up the part-time role from Monday, 18^th September.

The Mossley Hill Councillor will deputise for the Commissioner when necessary, as well as taking responsibility for developing and managing the Victim Care Merseyside Service which provides care and support for victims of crime and focus her attention on community safety issues. 

Jane said: “I am pleased that the Panel agreed with me that Emily will make an excellent addition to my team and I look forward to working with her to serve the people of Merseyside.

“Throughout both the interview process and the confirmation hearing, Emily demonstrated her commitment, enthusiasm and knowledge for this important role. Emily has an exceptional track record in her work, both as a Councillor in Mossley Hill and more recently as Mayoral Lead for Community Safety and Cabinet Member for Community and Safer Neighbourhoods, and I have no doubt she will be a huge asset in my office.”

Cllr Spurrell said: “I am delighted that the Police and Crime Panel have agreed to endorse my appointment as Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside.

“Following their confirmation, I now can’t wait to start work, supporting the Commissioner and serving the people of Merseyside. I am passionate about listening to the views of residents, representing them to the best of my ability and working with partners to build stronger, safer communities. In this era of austerity, all the agencies that are working to cut crime and improve community safety are facing shrinking budgets, so it is more important than ever that we pull together to deliver the best possible services for the communities we serve.”

Cllr Spurrell was selected as the preferred candidate following a transparent recruitment process, praised by Panel members, which saw 20 people apply for the part-time position and seven people offered interviews. 

The interviews, which also required candidates to deliver a presentation on the roles and responsibilities of the PCC, were carried out by the Commissioner and her Chief Executive, Clive Howarth, and were independently-observed by a member of the Police and Crime Panel and a HR specialist from Merseyside Police. 

In the Panel’s letter of confirmation, Vice-Chair Cllr Simon Shaw wrote: “The Panel wished to place on record its satisfaction with the openness and transparency of the recruitment process carried out for this position.”

Cllr Spurrell is currently Chair of Liverpool City Council’s CitySafe board and the Violence against Women and Girls Group, as well as jointly chairing a Community Cohesion panel which brings partners from across the housing, voluntary and academic sectors together to tackle hate crime and improve community relations. 

She will join the Commissioner’s office three days a week as a political appointment.