The representative
for the Police and Crime Commissioner, accompanied remotely by a
local inspector, provided a strategic update to the
Board.
The key points
included:
- Policing
remained predominantly people based; pay pressures continued to
exceed central grant increases.
- West
Mercia Police had grown in officer numbers significantly but rising
pay scales created budget strains.
- Civilian
workforce reductions had been actioned, but frontline focus was
being protected.
- Overall
crime continued to fall across the District but outcomes of successful investigations
remained a key area for improvement.
- Focus
centred on prompt investigations, file quality and improving
justice outcomes for victims.
- The PCC
emphasised the importance of cooperation with District Councils on
community safety and early prevention.
- A renewed
emphasis was placed on Councils to raise localised concerns
directly.
Following the
presentation, Members raised the following concerns within the
District:
- Increased
criminal cross border activity in the West Midlands. - The PCC
responded that regular cross-border meetings were underway with the
West Midlands Police, including data sharing and planned joint
operations. It was suggested that crime
within the West Midlands would be greater than in local
areas. Vehicle crime and domestic
burglaries was being tackled long term.
- Various
reports of vigilante-style individuals wearing high-vis jackets,
patrolling in school areas. What
strategies were in place? - In response
Members were advised that specific “vigilante” reports
were being investigated in partnership with affected
schools.
- Persistent
speeding with some fatalities in the Lickey Hills area. – In
response it was advised that speed surveys could be commissioned in
hotspot areas. It was also advised that
the West Mercia Police could get access to additional funds to
provide practical solutions i.e. additional signage.
- There was
limited availability of TruCam
enforcement with only one tool among several enforcement methods.
– It was advised that in addition to TruCam there were under resourced Safer
Neighbourhood Teams (SNTs) and laser devices. West Mercia Police would continue expanding road
policing methods, including motorcycles and specialist teams to
assist.
- A
perceived rise in shoplifting on Bromsgrove High
Street. Members requested that a joint
visit with the West Mercia Police and shop owners would be helpful
to discuss the issues further. - In
response the Board noted that shoplifting had risen slightly year
on year but remained relatively stable.
The town centre sergeant was leading robust enforcement
activity. The Inspector and Sergeant
offered to attend site visits with Members.
- Members
requested access to location specific data. - In response there were current recording systems
which made location extraction difficult; however, work was
underway to mirror the West Midlands Police’s public
reporting model for this financial year.
- Members
had received increased reports of cannabis use. –Reported
drug offences had increased slightly but West Mercia Police were
trying to combat the problem with carrying out more proactive
stop-searches.
- Reports of
neighbourhood harassment cases. – Members were advised that
in these cases the West Mercia Police could use harassment
legislation such as Community Protection Notices (CPNs) and Public
Order powers.
- Racially
aggravated incidents had also been reported to Members. - In
response the Board were informed that these cases should receive
prompt contact and that individual cases raised would be
reviewed.
- Reports of
Cross City Line crimes. - It was agreed that knife crime was a
problem in these areas. The British
Transport Police and West Mercia Police were working
collaboratively to combat the issues and
active operations were in place to tackle the issues.
- Members
received little or no updates from the Council’s
representative on the West Mercia Police and Crime Panel and
requested regular localised policing updates to the
Board.
- Rural
crime concerns were raised by Members in the Dodford and Grafton surrounding parishes which
included vehicle thefts and burglaries.
Members requested a reassurance of more police presence in the
areas as confidence had been lost. – The rural security
concerns were acknowledged; however, it was advised that patrolling
was unlikely to deter the issues.
- Some
Members expressed a poor perception of the 101 Service. – In
response it was advised that operatives worked extremely hard,
often dealing with lifesaving critical incidents and an average of
10,000 calls were received a week.
Members noted that training had been introduced for control room
staff on rural crime indicators and further training was being
explored from National Farmers Union (NFU) backed up with
specialist teams for areas such as wildlife. However, it was agreed that there was room for
some improvement. Further resources
were required, however, with funding being minimal it was difficult
to deliver the level of service required.
- Members
had received regular complaints of burglaries in the Barnt Green
area and advised that Ward Members were ill informed of what steps
were being taken to tackle the reported issues. To tackle the problem, residents were setting up
their own Neighbourhood Watch Groups and employing security to
patrol the areas. – In response
Members were advised to sign up to “Neighbourhood
Matters”, a website dedicated to the local Safter
Neighbourhood Team (SNT) for the public to report critical
neighbourhood matters. However, some
Members had signed up to this webpage but found the information was
inadequate for the issues which had been raised.
- A Member
took the opportunity to thank the local sergeant for the area of
Alvechurch. Issues of harassment had
been reported and dealt with effectively, speaking to each party
involved to solve the matter.
- The Leader
of the Council thanked the PCC and West Mercia Police for their
attendance to the meeting. She also
reported regular issues in the District
with road traffic accidents caused by diversion routes. – It
was advised to report the relevant incidents to the local Police
Community Support Officers (PCSOs) in the areas concerned.
- The Leader
also wished to thank the West Mercia Police for the work carried
out to tackle the closure of illegal vape shops in the High
Street. – Members were advised
that Op Machinize was a major, ongoing
UK-wide initiative led by the National Crime Agency (NCA), in
partnership with the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC), Trading
Standards and other agencies, targeting the criminal exploitation
of high street businesses which were helping to tackle the
issues.
- The
Chairman concluded discussions by requesting that regular updates
were provided to the Board by the Council’s representative on
the Police and Crime Panel, which was agreed by the
Board.
A motion was moved
and seconded requesting that the Council’s representative on
the Police and Crime Panel provided a report to the Board following
each Panel meeting.
RESOLVED that
1)
The Police and Crime Commissioner update
be noted; and
2)
The Council’s representative on the
Police and Crime Panel provide regular updates to the
Board.