The Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel is scheduled to meet on Thursday 30 April 2026 to discuss several key areas concerning policing and fire services in the county. The agenda includes updates on domestic abuse and domestic violence, as well as the recruitment and retention of staff within both Northamptonshire Police and Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service. The Panel will also review its work programme and receive an update on complaints and conduct matters.

Responses to Domestic Abuse and Domestic Violence

The Panel is set to consider a report outlining the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner's (OPFCC) strategy for tackling domestic abuse and domestic violence in Northamptonshire. The report highlights that domestic abuse remains a significant issue, accounting for approximately 20% of all policing demand in the county. It details the OPFCC's approach, which is structured around four key themes: intervening early to prevent violence, holding perpetrators to account, supporting victims and survivors, and building trust and confidence in services. The report notes progress in developing a partnership insights profile on domestic abuse and a public awareness campaign focused on coercive and controlling behaviour. It also details initiatives such as Project PIPA, a behaviour change programme for individuals issued with a conditional caution for lower-level domestic abuse, and the implementation of DRIVE, an offender management scheme targeting high-risk offenders. Support for victims and survivors is also a focus, with investment in specialist services and the expansion of Independent Domestic Violence Advisers (IDVAs) to operate seven days a week. The report indicates that while some progress has been made in improving investigative standards for domestic abuse within Northamptonshire Police, the Commissioner is not yet assured that the Force's ambitions have been fully realised, with ongoing concerns about a clear and shared understanding of consistently strong practice.

Supporting and Holding to Account Recruitment and Retention

A report will be presented to the Panel regarding how the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) is supporting and holding to account the Chief Constable and Chief Fire Officer for recruitment and retention within Northamptonshire Police and Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service. The report indicates that a joint Enabling Services team has revised its recruitment campaign, leading to increased interest, and has been supported by the recruitment of a dedicated Recruitment Manager. For Northamptonshire Police, the first cohort of the revised Police Now scheme has joined, with a focus on Neighbourhood Policing. The Force has also seen increased participation in its Post-Retirement, Re-Joiner scheme and an improved attrition rate. Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) has brought recruitment activities in-house, allowing for closer monitoring of the application lifecycle and identifying areas where applicants are lost. There are early signs of improved diversity in NFRS applicants, particularly in gender, and attrition for wholetime firefighters is at its lowest recorded level. However, the service is experiencing an increased number of On Call leavers, which is noted as a national concern. The report also details Northamptonshire Police's positive action strategy, which aims to support applicants from underrepresented groups, showing positive attraction to certain ethnic minority groups and those identifying as Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual, though further work is needed to attract more female recruits, particularly in the Fire and Rescue Service.

Police, Fire and Crime Panel Work Programme

The Panel is scheduled to review its work programme for 2025/26. The report outlines the framework for the Panel's activities, which includes statutory and discretionary scrutiny work, as well as matters relating to the operation of the Panel itself. The current work programme includes topics such as the impact of serious drug-related crime, including knife crime, and the actions being taken to address it in Northamptonshire, as well as the outcomes of an independent review arising from a Court of Appeal judgement against Northamptonshire Police. The Panel will also consider proposed meeting dates for 2026/27, with a suggestion to change the start time for meetings to 2.00 pm.

Complaints and Conduct Matters Update

An update on complaints and conduct matters relating to the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Northamptonshire and the Deputy Commissioner will be provided. The report indicates that during the period September 2025 to February 2026, three non-criminal complaints relating to the conduct of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner were considered by the Panel's Complaints Sub Committee. The records of the outcomes of these cases are included within the report. There are no other outstanding complaints or conduct matters at the time of the report's writing.

The meeting will also include a verbal update on Police Governance Reform and the confirmation of the minutes from the Panel meeting held on 4 February 2026.