Issue - meetings

The Chairman invited the Senior Community Safety Officer to introduce the report.  The Board was informed that all the information and statistics provided within the report had been provided by West Mercia Police.  Members’ attention was drawn to the 25.5% decrease in the number of burglary offences in 2011/12 compared to 2010/11 together with the detection rate of these offences.  Attention was also drawn to the legal implications within the report and the Board noted that if it wished to take this matter further the most appropriate route would be through the Board’s West Mercia Police Authority representative, Councillor Brandon Clayton.

The Board discussed the following areas in detail:

• Distraction robbery and if these were included within the statistics provided.
• Clarity as to at what point in the process a crime/incident was included within the statistics.
• Vehicle crimes and theft from unlocked motor vehicles in particular.  (The Senior Community Safety Project Officer undertook to provide Members with details of the number of thefts from unlocked vehicles within each Ward.)
• The work of the Community Safety Team in supporting West Mercia Police in respect of the preventative work carried out.
• The link between known offenders being in custody or in the community which could lead to a decrease/increase in offences.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.