Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner

What Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner does

The Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) is a directly elected public official responsible for ensuring efficient and effective policing across the county of Dorset, including the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council and Dorset Council local authority areas. The role was created by the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, with the first PCC elections held in 2012; David Sidwick currently holds the office. The PCC's core statutory functions include setting the annual policing budget and council tax policing precept, publishing the Police and Crime Plan (currently covering 2021-2029), holding the Chief Constable of Dorset Police to account, and commissioning services that contribute to community safety. A 28-person Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC), headquartered at Force Headquarters in Winfrith, provides administrative support to the PCC.

The OPCC delivers and commissions a portfolio of community safety and victim services including the statutory Independent Custody Visiting (ICV) scheme, Community Volunteers and Scrutiny Panel programmes, Victim Care Services, Restorative Justice (currently in procurement), the Safer Dorset Fund and related community funds (Fix the Future, Operation Relentless, Safer Streets), Youth Diversion Programmes (boxing and sailing/water sports initiatives), and the Dorset Alert community messaging system. It also publishes transparency artefacts including decision logs, annual reports, financial accounts, and HMICFRS inspection responses. The OPCC operates within a partnership ecosystem that includes the Dorset Safer Business Partnership, Dorset Criminal Justice Board, the Dorset and BCP Combating Drugs Partnership, Bournemouth Together, and the joint Independent Audit Committee with Devon and Cornwall; procurement is partly pooled through the South West Police Procurement Services (SWPPS) consortium.

The PCC is funded through the policing element of council tax (the policing precept) plus government grants, with no commercial revenue model. The PCC's salary is set by the Home Secretary (£76,379 as at 30 April 2026), and the office is accountable to the public via elections every four years and to the Dorset Police and Crime Panel. Distribution of services is delivered directly through the OPCC team and through commissioned partner organisations rather than via commercial channels, and the underlying technology is a public-sector governance and community engagement platform centred on the Dorset PCC website.

Name

Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner

Legal name

Office of the Dorset Police & Crime Commissioner (OPCC)

Website

https://dorset.pcc.police.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner is a directly elected public official in Dorset, supported by a 28-person Office that sets the policing budget, holds the Chief Constable to account, commissions victim services, and runs community safety programmes for Dorset residents and businesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Safety and Policing Governance

NAICS

Police Protection (922120), Police Protection (92212)

akta.pro primary industry

Police Services (Patrol, Response & Community Policing) (BPAIAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mayor/City Manager & General Administration (BPAIACAA)

Keywords

• Police accountability
• Victim support services
• Community safety grants
• Policing governance
• Public safety commissioning

Headquarters

HQ city

Winfrith

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Policing Precept: Annual policing budget funded through the policing element of council tax. The PCC sets the annual policing budget including the policing precept element of council tax for Dorset.
2. Commissioned Services Funding: Grant funding awarded to partner organisations delivering services that address crime and community safety issues for local communities through the Safer Dorset Fund and other commissioning schemes.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner is the elected statutory office holder responsible for holding the Chief Constable to account, setting the strategic direction and budget of Dorset Police, commissioning victim and community safety services, and engaging with the public on policing matters across the Dorset area. The OPCC also administers community grants such as the Safer Dorset Fund to support local safety initiatives.

Product overview

Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner operates a website-based service providing public information, transparency, and community engagement for policing in Dorset. The offering consists of a unified public information portal delivering the Police and Crime Plan, statutory Independent Custody Visiting oversight, Victim Care and Restorative Justice commissioned services, Safer Dorset Fund grants, Community Volunteers programmes, and Youth Diversion Programmes. The website also publishes financial accounts, decision logs, annual reports, and HMICFRS inspection responses for transparency purposes, alongside a Dorset Alert community messaging system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Police and Crime Plan Statutory four-year strategy document setting the policing and community safety priorities, objectives, and budget direction for Dorset Police, published by the elected PCC and consulted on with the public.
• Safer Dorset Fund Community grant scheme offering small awards to local groups, charities, and voluntary organisations in Dorset for projects that reduce crime, tackle antisocial behaviour, and improve community safety.
• Commissioned Victim Support Services Statutory victim support services commissioned by the OPCC from specialist third-sector providers, covering areas such as domestic abuse, sexual violence, restorative justice, and general victim support across Dorset.
• Public Consultation and Engagement Programme Programme of public consultations, surveys, community events, and scrutiny panel activities through which Dorset residents can input into policing priorities and hold the Commissioner to account.
• Police Scrutiny and Independent Custody Visiting Statutory scrutiny arrangements delivered through a Police Scrutiny Panel and Independent Custody Visitors who provide assurance that complaints and custody arrangements are handled properly.

Quantifiable outcome

• 89% complainant satisfaction rate indicated by low review request numbers

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dorset Safer Business PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to address business crime, fraud, and safety issues affecting Dorset businesses through collaborative crime prevention initiatives.
• Dorset Criminal Justice BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCross-agency board working to improve the criminal justice system outcomes in Dorset through coordinated partnership working.
• Dorset and BCP Combating Drugs PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership addressing drug-related crime and harm in Dorset and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole areas.
• Victim Care ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned services providing support to victims of crime, including referrals and ongoing care coordination.
• Restorative Justice ProvidersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProcurement process in place for Restorative Justice providers offering victim-offender mediation and restorative approaches to justice.
• Arena Boxing GymminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-contact boxing programme for young adults aged 18-25 in Bournemouth providing 12-week structured trauma-informed sessions including mentoring, goal setting and group discussions.
• Dorset Combined Youth Justice ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in sailing and water sports programme for 18 young people including sailing, paddle sports, powerboating, navigation and first aid training.
• Sail Training Trust in PortlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides sailing and water sports training opportunities for young people through the programme partnership.
• Andrew Simpson FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaritime charity partner supporting sailing and water sports programme for at-risk youth.
• Bournemouth Together - The Clear Hold Build StrategyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership initiative for the Bournemouth area focusing on community safety and crime reduction strategy.
• ICVA (Independent Custody Visiting Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organisation providing training and resources for Independent Custody Visitors, particularly regarding children and young people in custody.
• Independent Audit CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint committee with Devon and Cornwall and Dorset advising on internal control environment, governance matters, and providing oversight of PCC policies and strategies.
• South West Police Procurement Services (SWPPS)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStrategic sourcing consortium for Avon & Somerset, Devon & Cornwall Police, Dorset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Police Forces for contracts over £50,000.
• Immediate JusticeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgramme for swift justice responses including reparation activities for offenders.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC): London's equivalent policing oversight body, exercising PCC-equivalent powers under the Greater London Authority. Operates the same statutory functions at much larger scale and with additional mayoral governance overlay.
• Home Office: UK government department that sets PCC salary, provides policing grants, and underpins the statutory framework for the PCC role, making it the principal upstream policy and funding counterparty.
• National Police Chiefs' Council: UK-wide coordinating body for chief constables; not a direct peer but the principal national-level counterparty the PCC engages with on force accountability and national priorities for policing.

Direct peers

• Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner: Direct UK peer operating the same statutory PCC role in the adjacent South West force area. Dorset and Devon & Cornwall already share a joint Independent Audit Committee, demonstrating close operational equivalence.
• Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner: Another SWPPS consortium member and PCC peer operating the same statutory role over a similarly sized force in the South West region.
• Kent Police and Crime Commissioner: Direct PCC peer running a similar size of force area in south-east England with the same legislation, precept model, and commissioning remit.
• Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner: Another PCC with comparable coastal/rural-urban geography in southern England, executing the same statutory responsibilities for policing oversight, victim services commissioning, and community safety.
• Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Crime Commissioner: Closely comparable PCC office covering a similar mix of urban and rural populations in southern England, with the same statutory duties and council tax precept funding model.
• Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner: Joint SWPPS procurement partner and fellow South West PCC with directly comparable commissioning, precept, and accountability functions.
• Gloucestershire Police and Crime Commissioner: SWPPS procurement partner PCC with the same statutory remit, providing direct comparability on budget scale, commissioned services, and governance model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DorsetPCC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dorset-police-and-crime-commissioner

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner