As an Authority member, you must represent the views of people who live in, work in, or visit the West Midlands. You would need to build partnerships between the police force and local communities through community engagement/public consultation fora. You would be asking a wide and diverse range of people for their opinions about policing in your area.

You should bring your own judgement to bear on police authority business and, over time, build up the skills and knowledge necessary to contribute to the work of the Authority. You would be expected to attend meetings of the Authority and participate effectively as a member of any committee, panel or other forum which you are asked to join. In addition, you might develop links in the force or become a lead member within the Authority on a specific issue, such as personnel, community relations or IT matters.

You might also be asked to represent the Authority on other bodies, such as the local crime and disorder reduction partnership. You would be expected to attend regular meetings and other events to consult local people about policing. You would need to be prepared to read papers, reports and background information in advance of meetings and other events. You would also need to keep up-to-date with national and local policing issues and maintain a good working knowledge of force policies and practices.