Neighbourhood Policing - The PACT Process

Here are some common questions about PACT:

What is PACT?
PACT stands for Partnerships and Communities Together.

PACT is the name given to partnership and community engagement, held at neighbourhood level to enable members of local communities to highlight their concerns and identify priorities for their Neighbourhood Policing Teams and to other partner members to address.

How does it work?
PACT is an engagement process, whereby the community identify priorities for the Police and partners to deal with. The community select the priorities by a voting system, each person has one “vote” about the issue that matters most to them. The votes are then counted and the top three issues are then identified as Priorities for the Police and Partners to deal with.

Are there different PACT methods?
There are different methods of engagement throughout the Force, which include public meetings, PACT Panels, surgeries and surveys. Engagement will take place in every ward area at regular intervals, this could be every three months, for a PACT Meeting, or there could be weekly surgeries, or street briefings. The frequency could depend upon the make up of the ward area and what the needs are of the local community.

Can anyone attend a PACT Meeting?
PACT meetings are open to everyone from the local community.

How many priorities can be selected?
On average, three priorities are selected during each process, in some areas, depending upon the size and demographics, more than three could be identified. However, there has to be a limit on the number of priorities, as the intention is to concentrate on a small number of issues, that affect a large number of residents and in doing so, reduce the impact that these issues are having on the local community. The Police and Partners have limited resources, so by identifying three priorities, they are able to concentrate their time and effort on these areas. If the priorities increase, the time dedicated to each one will decrease and therefore, the outcome may not be as successful, or it may take longer to deal with.

What happens if my priority isn’t selected?
The main aim of PACT is to identify issues that have a negative impact on the quality of life for the majority of residents. Individual issues are taken into consideration, but the aim of the meeting is to identify issues, or areas of concern that the Neighbourhood Team and partners can work together, with the community, to resolve. If an individual’s priority is not selected on the first occasion, the local officers will be aware of the issue and residents should be given an opportunity to discuss this with their officer, either after the meeting, or at a later date. Personal issues should not be discussed during an open public meeting, as these matters should be addressed in private either after the meeting. It is possible that if personal issues affect a number of other residents in the area, then it could be selected on the next occasion. The purpose of the process is for the community to select the priorities, so the local Officers will always work towards what the majority of residents have voted for.

What happens if the residents in my community do not want to attend public meetings?
If there is little or no support for public meetings, PACT Panels could be formed consisting of “KINs” (Key Individual Networks), who are local representatives (Councillors, Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinators, Residents Association representatives, faith group leaders etc). These individuals are representatives of the area and the communities and should be able to speak on behalf of the residents. In addition to panels, surveys and surgeries could be arranged, along with street briefings and issues raised during this type of consultation could be used to identify the three priorities.

Can anyone attend a PACT Panel?
The purpose of a panel is for the key people in an area to meet and discuss the issues that effect the people in their area, as this is not an open meeting, it is not possible to open the meeting to the community. If further information is required, on the type of consultation in an area, or further details are required about PACT, please contact the local Neighbourhood Team.

What are the benefits of PACT?
PACT gives a structure that provides members of the community with the opportunity to identify priorities for the Police and Partners to deal with issues that matter most to that community.

PACT is about delivering community engagement.

PACT is about problem-improvement, in relation to low-level localised policing and partnership issues.

PACT enables the Neighbourhood Team to gather information and intelligence about the local community.

PACT enables everyone to have the chance to see members of their Neighbourhood Team in person, at regular intervals.

PACT is about communicating with local people and telling them what their Neighbourhood Team is doing for them.