Police inclusion group fails to meet since 2022

Scrutiny body was supposed to re-launch in March last year

The Isle of Man Constabulary's Inclusion Scrutiny Group is still yet to re-launch over a year after it was intended to.

The community-based group is said to represent a 'variety of sections of our increasingly diverse community' and 'inputs into, as well as feeds back on, the constabulary’s work'. 

The ISG is organised into representative 'Inclusion Strands' and includes individuals and representatives from third sector organisations supporting people with different disabilities, organisations supporting those with a particular need (housing, food etc) or in a vulnerable situation, different faiths, ethnicities and nationalities and representatives of the LGBT+ communities.

A Freedom of Information request, from Manx Radio, asked how often the group meets annually.

The response reveals the group has not met since 2022.

It was supposed to be relaunched in March 2023, but it 'was then agreed that it would be launched under the new chief constable in 2024' instead.

Russ Foster took over from Gary Roberts in March 2023, when the latter retired after 40 years of service.

Police say that 'dates are yet to be set for future meetings; however, these will be quarterly', which is the aim of the group.

That's despite meetings being held twice monthly in the past.

In 2022, meetings took place on:

• 08/04/2022
• 25/04/2022
• 09/05/2022
• 23/05/2022
• 20/06/2022
• 06/07/2022
• 15/07/2022
• 18/08/2022

However, there is no recommended number of sittings for the group.

The former chair, Douglas South MHK Sarah Maltby, resigned from the group earlier this month.

The move came after she was appointed to two new government departments.

She said upon reflecting on her commitments 'sadly something had to give'.