Kent Equality Cohesion Council CEO Gurvinder Sandher is also the County Chair of the I-PAG (Independent Police Advisory Group) which is made up of volunteers who have been chosen to represent communities and protected characteristics across Kent and which helps Kent Police shape its response to victims of crime and anti-social behaviour.

The IPAG had their first annual forum on the evening of 27th March 2014 where attendees also included community members, Police colleagues, Independent Critical Incident Advisors (ICIAs) and other key partners.

During the evening, County Chair of the IPAG, Mr Gurvinder Sandher gave an overview of the structure and the way forward. He said “I-PAGs have a crucial role to play not only acting as critical friends but also as a conduit to the diverse communities around Kent.”

The other speakers included Chief Constable Alan Pughsley, Police and Crime Commissioner Ann Barnes and Mr Everett Henry, Head of Equality, Diversity and Human Rights (EDHR) from the College of Policing.

There were clear messages provided around National and Kent Police priorities around Equality and Diversity. Examples were provided where the I-PAG had made a positive difference to policies, processes and practices which impact on service delivery and in turn uplift community trust and confidence in the police. The members of the County IPAG are also ICIAs and have such also provided tactical advice around significant incidents.

Chief Constable Alan Pughsley said “As a Force we recognise the importance of volunteers providing independent views to help shape Kent Police’s response to dealing with victims of hate crime, as well as supporting victims of crime and anti-social behaviour”