Doncaster Council

Members Safety Protocol

Protocol – Personal safety for Elected Mayor and Members

The purpose of the policy is to seek to promote the safety of the Elected Mayor and Members in their contacts with the general public whether in face to face situations, correspondence or telephone calls.

Protocols

1. If the Elected Mayor/Member considers a situation to be such that urgent action is required, or takes place outside office hours and action is required more quickly than could be dealt with in this procedure, he/she should contact the Police in the usual manner and ask for the duty inspector for the area in which he/she lives. 

By doing so the Elected Mayor/Member will be contacting the Police as an individual, not in the capacity of councillor, even though events giving rise to the behaviour may be due to the individual’s role as Elected Mayor/Member.

2. If the Elected Mayor/Member has contacted the Police or, alternatively, considers a matter is not urgent, then, in either situation, he/she should notify the Executive & Member Support Deputy Manager of any harassment, threats against or abuse received by them.

3. The Executive & Member Support Deputy Manager, on notification, will complete a pro forma in the form attached to this document.  

4. If a matter has not previously been referred to the Police, then the Executive & Member Support Deputy Manager will, upon notification, contact Doncaster Council’s Police Liaison Officer (as at July 2007 – Mr. J. Jones, Tel 01302 736944, internal ext 36944) to seek to ascertain any appropriate action which may be taken. Such a contact may be in writing but may also be by way of telephone if considered appropriate.

5. All matters regarding threats of or abuse against Members or behaviour which may be considered to be harassment, will be actioned swiftly by the Executive & Member Support Deputy Manager within the Member Support Team.

6. The Elected Mayor and Members will inform the Executive & Member Support Deputy Manager of any harassment, threats against or abuse received by them. The Executive & Member Support Deputy Manager will complete a pro-forma in the form attached to this document on receipt of notification of any harassment, threat or abuse as set out above.

7. All notifications of harassment/threats/abuse will be referred to Doncaster Council's Police Liaison Officer in the first instance. Whilst this may not result in action being required, it will assist in profiles being built up and Police awareness of the situation.

8. Abuse includes physical and verbal abuse.

9. Threats can include threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour or the displaying or distribution of any writing, sign or other visible representation which is threatening, abusive or insulting to the Member.

10. Harassment is a course of conduct which the person undertaking it knows/ought to know amounts to harassment of the other. It can include alarming the person or causing the person distress. 

Procedure

1. Any harassment/threat/abuse received (whether in or outside office hours) to be notified to the Executive & Member Support Deputy Manager in the Member Support Team.  

2. The Executive & Member Support Deputy Manager, on receipt of the notification, will contact Doncaster MBC’s Police Liaison Officer to seek to ascertain any appropriate action which may be taken. Such a contact may be in writing but may be by way of telephone if considered appropriate.

3. The Executive & Member Support Deputy Manager to seek to ensure a response is received within 2 days of sending notification to the above referred Liaison Officer or as soon as necessary in the circumstances.

4. The Elected Mayor/Member to be kept informed as to any action and in particular the Police response to be notified to the Elected Mayor/relevant member by the Executive & Member Support Deputy Manager as soon as practicable upon its notification to the Executive & Member Support Deputy Manager.

5. The Police response to be notified to the Elected Mayor/relevant Member by the Executive & Member Support Deputy Manager.

6. Should the Elected Mayor/Member/Officer believe that there is a strong likelihood of a member of the public attending a meeting at which the Elected Mayor/Member is to be present and who may present a risk to the Elected Mayor/Member, then the Elected Mayor/Member/Officer should notify the Executive & Member Support Deputy Manager or, in that person’s absence, any other officer of the Member Support Team, who should inform security/Doncaster Council's Police Liaison Officer/South Yorkshire Police (in the absence of the Liaison Officer) as appropriate for the purpose of ensuring assistance is available if required.

7. If a member of the public causes a disturbance at a meeting at which the Elected Mayor/Member is present on behalf of the Council or threatens/abuses the Elected Mayor/Member at a meeting, security/South Yorkshire Police (and the Liaison Officer as appropriate) should be alerted by the Elected Mayor/Member/Officer.

8. In appropriate circumstances, the Authority will consider if legal action is possible to ban an individual from one or more of its buildings or from approaching or contacting the Elected Mayor/Member. Advice should be sought from Legal Department should this course of action be considered.