Agenda item - Scrutiny of Crime and Disorder Partnerships - Update North Worcestershire Community Safety Partnership

Agenda item

Scrutiny of Crime and Disorder Partnerships - Update North Worcestershire Community Safety Partnership

Minutes:

The Chairman explained that there was a legal requirement for the Overview and Scrutiny Board to scrutinise the work of the local Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) at least once a year.  Under the terms of the legislation the focus of the Board had to be on the work of the partnership as a whole rather than on the work of individual partner organisations.

 

The Community Safety Manager proceeded to present a report concerning the work of the local CDRP, the North Worcestershire Community Safety Partnership (NWCSP), during the year.  Whilst delivering this presentation the following matters were highlighted for Members’ consideration:

 

·         The NWCSP was the first merged community safety partnership to be approved by the West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).

·         The Safer Bromsgrove Group, a sub group of the NWCSP, had a particular focus on crime and disorder matters relevant to Bromsgrove and had delivered a range of projects in the district.

·         The NWCSP and the South Worcestershire Community Safety Partnership were due to be reviewed in 2015 to assess the extent to which both partnerships were fit for purpose.

·         There was a statutory requirement for a 3 year rolling plan to be produced in a Strategic Assessment report for the partnership. 

·         The CWCSP had 5 key priorities; anti-social behaviour, burglary and home security, business and rural crime, reducing reoffending and violence and abuse.

·         The CWCSP applied for funding from the PCC and in 2014/15 had received funding based on the previous year’s allocation.

·         In future years the PCC had indicated that he would be making 2 year funding settlements.

·         Funding had been received to support the delivery of the West Mercia Police Business and Rural Crime strategies.

 

Following the presentation of the report Members discussed a number of additional points in further detail:

 

·         The involvement of HMP Hewell in the work of the CWCSP.  Officers confirmed that the prison had been involved in some local partnership activities, though it was not a statutory partner.

·         The process for monitoring the impact of projects that received funding from the PCC.

·         The potential for the outcomes of the review of the NWCSP to be shared with Members of the Overview and Scrutiny Board.

·         The value of data provided on a ward basis and the potential for confusion to arise if this data was not analysed in context.

·         The role of the West Mercia Police Force’s Independent Advisory Groups (IAGs) which provide advice on particular subjects.  Members were advised there were three IAGs; race and religion, disability and lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender (LGBT).

·         The role of the North Worcestershire Hate Incident Partnership and the need for the IAGs to be organised so as not to duplicate the work of the partnership.

·         Requirements for securing funding from the PCC.  Officers explained that projects needed to meet community needs and to be based on sound intelligence.

·         The potential to spend funding on staffing costs.  Members were advised that PCC funding had to be spent on community safety projects and could not be reallocated to fund Police Officer posts.

·         The £15,000 allocated to tackling unlawful incursions on business and rural land.  For this project Officers would work with private landlords to help them protect their land.

·         The need to ensure that those bidding for funding from the Community Safety team had properly audited accounts and were in need of financial support.

·         The loan shark awareness event and the need for future events to be promoted in a sensitive manner and to take place at an appropriate location.

·         The Worcestershire Safe Places Scheme - this scheme would be implemented in Bromsgrove in spring/summer 2015 and local businesses would be invited to become safe places.

·         The impact of various budget cuts agreed by Worcestershire County Council on support for victims of domestic abuse in the county and the continuing focus of partners on early intervention.

·         The investment of additional funding in upgrading the CCTV system in the district.

·         Local safeguarding roles for both Council Officers and Councillors.  Members were advised that a briefing note on the subject of child sexual exploitation had recently been circulated among partners and the partnership had links at a strategic level to the Safeguarding Children Board.

·         The role of the Worcestershire Safer Communities Board in a 2 tier authority area, comprising senior representatives of the responsible authorities.

 

RESOLVED that the update report be noted.

Supporting documents: