Cumbria’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (Commissioner), David Allen, is asking residents to send in their questions regarding Policing and Fire ahead of his Public Accountability Conferences (PAC) on Thursday 12 February 2026.
The Commissioner holds the Chief Constable and Chief Fire Officer to account on a quarterly basis in a public forum – each meeting focussing on delivery against objectives within his Police, Fire and Crime Plan for Cumbria.
The Police PAC will cover the topics:
- Performance of service - a breakdown of all main crime types including anti-social behaviour, victim satisfaction, the impact of activity over the Christmas period and workforce wellbeing
- Organised Crime Groups – how Cumbria Constabulary are tackling organised crime groups targeting the county.
Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service’s (CFRS) PAC will focus on:
- Performance of service - a breakdown of performance including fires attended, non-fire emergencies attended and home fire safety visits. This update will also cover the work of the Service over the Christmas period.
- CFRS’s Fire Cadets programme – the Service is expanding its Fire Cadets programme in 2026. This topic will cover the objectives of the programme, current delivery and expansion plans, including recruitment and safeguarding.
Anyone interested in asking a question related to these topics should send their questions to commissioner@cumbria-pcc.gov.uk or write into the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, 1-2 Carleton Hall, Penrith, CA10 2AU by 12pm on Monday 26 January. Those submitting a question should also include their name and address in the email. Any questions submitted not related to the topics above will still be dealt with as a Quality-of-Service Issue (QSI) and will receive a response from the Commissioner.
Both PACs will include the approval of the 2026/27 budgets for both services. The council tax consultations for Cumbria Police and Cumbria Fire and Rescue are still open, closing on Friday 23 January at 5pm, if any member of the public would still like to have their say on the council tax element of the budget.
The Public Accountability Conferences will be held on Thursday 12 February 2026. Police PAC will start at 10am at Police HQ, Carleton Hall, Penrith, CA10 2AU. CFRS PAC will begin at 1pm in the Community Room at CFRS HQ, Penrith, CA10 2FA. Anyone interested in attending these meetings in person should contact commissioner@cumbria-pcc.gov.uk to ensure that the necessary arrangements can be made. Please note that questions from those attending should still be submitted before the deadline above.
The report papers for both meetings will be available on the Cumbria Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner website ahead of the meeting.
Commissioner David Allen said: “These are my first Public Accountability Conferences of 2026, and I will continue to hold both Chiefs to account as I did in 2024 and 2025.
“My role is to be the voice of the public within Policing and Fire so this is what I intend to do in my Public Accountability Conference meetings.
“I would encourage the public to submit any questions they may have on these topics that I can then raise with the Chief Constable and Chief Fire Officer on their behalf.
“We will let you know if your question has been selected to go forward to the PAC meeting and will respond via email with the answer provided. My PACs are also public meetings so anyone interested can attend.
“The deadline for questions is Monday 26 January Please submit your questions – I want to make sure your voice is heard, loud and clear.
“The PACs are all about being honest and transparent around what I am doing to hold the Constabulary and Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service to account and ensuring that your voices are heard within these services.
“As your Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner, my role is to be the voice of residents within Cumbria, in respect of the Police and Fire services – I am your voice. If any member of the public has a concern about ASB or crime in their area, or around the Constabulary or Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, please raise it with me at commissioner@cumbria-pcc.gov.uk or call 01768 217734.”