(Report to follow)
Minutes:
The Chairman noted that it had been proposed at the previous meeting of the Board that CCTV should be the subject of further scrutiny. A draft topic proposal form had been produced which was tabled for Members’ consideration (Appendix 1).
CCTV had formed the subject of a review by a cross-party working group. This investigation had been launched following a Notice of Motion to Council in 2015 and had been undertaken as an independent exercise rather than as part of the Council’s scrutiny process. There had been 3 Councillors appointed to this review; Councillors M. Glass, P. McDonald and L. Turner. The review had originally been scheduled for the consideration of the Cabinet in 2016 and had been selected by the Board for pre-scrutiny. Whilst the subject had subsequently been withdrawn from the Cabinet Leader’s Work Programme the Overview and Scrutiny Board had asked to receive an update in December 2016.
Members agreed that it would be useful to address the following in a review of CCTV:
· The process for introducing new CCTV cameras and whether this was timely, value for money and fit for purpose.
· The decision making process for introducing new cameras. Members were advised that wherever additional funding was required this would need to be referred to Members for consideration.
· Any blockages that held up decision making about the installation of new CCTV cameras.
· The financial implications for the Council of introducing any new CCTV cameras.
· The approach adopted to monitoring the performance of existing CCTV cameras.
· Any alternative measures to CCTV cameras that could help to address concerns about anti-social behaviour and crime within the community
There was general consensus that a review of this subject should not repeat the work of the previous cross-party working group and that the exercise should be conducted as a short, sharp review.
The following objectives were added to the topic proposal:
· To understand and validate the process and monitoring of CCTV cameras and its ongoing review.
· To understand the barriers to putting new CCTV cameras in place.
· To gain a better understanding and, if necessary, make recommendations to Council regarding the placement, process and development of the service.
The membership of the short sharp review was briefly discussed. Members agreed that Councillor S. R. Colella should be appointed Chairman, with Councillors B. T. Cooper and M. Thompson also volunteering to take part. The Board concurred that other non-Executive Members not on the Board should also be invited to take part in the review if they were interested in doing so.
RESOLVED that
1) Subject to the inclusion of the proposed key objectives, as detailed in the preamble above, the terms of reference for the Strategic Review of the CCTV Operation be approved for a short sharp review;
2) Councillor S. R. Colella be appointed Chairman of this review and Councillors B. T. Cooper and M. Thompson also be appointed; and
3) Non-Executive Members not serving on the Overview and Scrutiny Board be invited to express an interest in participating in the review.