Inappropriate communications with a member of the public – Cambridgeshire Police and Crime Panel, November 2019

In November 2019 a member of the public made a complaint to Cambridgeshire Constabulary relating to a series of messages that the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Cambridgeshire had sent to them through social media. The PCC subsequently resigned.

Any indication a criminal offence may have been committed by a PCC must be referred to the IOPC to decide whether the matter should be criminally investigated. The Cambridgeshire Police and Crime Panel referred the complaint to us, and we began an independent investigation.

We considered a significant volume of electronic evidence and reviewed relevant data. This included social media messages. We interviewed the former PCC and obtained statements from the complainant as well as other witnesses.

We concluded our investigation in February 2020 and in March 2020 submitted a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) which decided to take no further action.

The complainant exercised their right to a Victim’s Right of Review (VRR). Following a fresh review of the case, in July 2020 the CPS upheld their original decision to take no further action.

The IOPC oversight of PCCs is outlined in the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, which states that we can only investigate the conduct of a PCC if there is an indication that a criminal offence may have been committed.