Bromsgrove Community Safety Partnership - Presentation
Minutes:
The Chairman drew Members’ attention to the resolutions of the Board on 1st December 2009. These included that the Chairman of the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Board (JOSB) meet with a representative from the Bromsgrove Community Safety Partnership (BCSP), to discuss the approach for the scrutiny of crime and disorder in line with statutory requirements and that any proposed protocol be submitted to the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Board and the BCSP for formal approval.
He reported that he had met with the Chairman of the BCSP and officers to discuss the approach. It had been agreed that a presentation from the Head of Community Services on the role of the BCSP and its responsibilities would be a good introduction for Members of the Board. He reminded the Board that there was a need to indentify and consider the strategic level issues for the BCSP and crime and disorder in Bromsgrove.
Ms. A. Heighway, Head of Community Services, provided the Board with a presentation on the BCSP (also known as the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership) and its responsibilities. She provided the Board with the background of what community safety partnerships are and why they came into existence. She briefed Members on the requirements of Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, which first established the requirements for partnerships between the police, local authorities, probation service, health authorities, the voluntary sector, and local residents and businesses, to reduce crime and disorder. Section 17 placed a statutory duty on police and local authorities to develop and implement a strategy to tackle problems in their area. BCSP was established in August 1998.
Members were informed that Section 5 (1-3) of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 defined responsible authorities as: local and county level authorities, the police, the Metropolitan Police Authority, the Fire and Rescue Authority, and the Primary Care Trust.
The Head of Community Services explained that responsible authorities were also required to work with other ‘co-operating bodies’, including: the Probation Board, parish councils, NHS Trusts, NHS Foundation Trusts, governing bodies of schools, proprietors of independent schools, governing bodies within further education sector, social landlords and other partners invited to participate.
The BCSP also worked in partnership with a range of local private, voluntary and other public and community groups such as Neighbourhood Watch scheme representatives, the Environment Agency, bodies established to promote retail business, voluntary organisations (e.g. youth work) and drug and alcohol action teams.
It was noted that the members of the BCSP were:
· Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service,
· Herefordshire and Worcestershire Youth Offending Service,
· Bromsgrove District Council,
· Bromsgrove Neighbourhood Watch,
· West Mercia Police,
· West Mercia Police Authority,
· West Mercia Probation Trust,
· Worcestershire County Council,
· Worcestershire Drug and Alcohol Action Team,
· Worcestershire Primary Care Trust.
Examples of the relevant local authority departments involved, includedWorcestershire County Council Education, Social Services, Highways, Trading Standards, transport departments,and Planning, Housing, Environmental Services, ... view the full minutes text for item 24