Agenda and minutes

In connection with minute no. 19:

·         Mr M Olszewski declared an interest in relation to questions that may be considered about Stafford Prison in his capacity working for the National Offenders Rehabilitation Service; and

·         Mr T Finn, Mrs C Mitchell, Mr M Davies and Mr R Marshall declared an interest  as members of the Staffordshire Fire Authority.

RESOLVED – That, subject to reference to “Lichfield” skate park being amended to “Burntwood” skate park at minute 12, the minutes of the 8 July 2016 Safe and Strong Communities Select Committee be confirmed and signed by the Chairman.

Key lines of inquiry around Community Safety have been  forwarded to Staffordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Mr Matthew Ellis.

This is the Select Committee’s opportunity to scrutinise the work of the Commissioner with regard to Community Safety.

Staffordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Mr Matthew Ellis, attended the meeting for Select Committee Members to scrutinise his work on community safety. The PCC informed Members that the key challenges faced when he first became Commissioner were predominantly financial challenges and around poor technology and multiple IT systems. Changes in the types of crime, including the rise of internet crime, also required changes in approach from the more traditional image of policing. The PCC explained the work he had undertaken to address the lack of investment and the use of improved mobile technology allowing more visible policing. A wider approach to policing was being developed as part of the National Transformation of Policing to ensure the service was fit for the future. The pace of change was growing with a move to preventative rather than reactive policing.

The Select Committee had a number of questions they then put to the PCC.

How are you ensuring visible policing?

Members felt there were less police officers, Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs), and police vehicles visible in communities. The PCC informed Members that visibility was a top priority. Replacing outdated technology systems allowed significantly less time spent in police stations filling out forms and enabled better and more visible use of police officers. Approximately one third of the new technology had been rolled out to date, with the final two thirds rolled out in November 2016 and January 2017. The Force had a new Assistant Chief Constable (ACC) for territorial policing who was looking at the impact of visibility on community policing and how this could be improved. It was anticipated that there could be a possible 200,000 extra hours of police time to be gained from using the new technology, as whilst the necessary administration would continue, this could be undertaken out in communities rather than the need to return to police stations.

The PCC expressed disappointment that Members felt police vehicle visibility had not improved. He informed Members that at least 80% of police vehicles were now marked. The PCC also informed them of the Central Motorways Policing Group (CMPG), made up of officers from the West Midland, West Mercia and Staffordshire Police Forces. This allowed more regional ways of working which was encouraged by HMIC. The OPCC Chief of Staff, Mr Glynn Dixon, was currently looking at whether the CMPG could absorb more substantial road network policing in Staffordshire. This would give the advantage of a less fragmented service.

The PCC agreed there was an urgent need to review the Staffordshire Road Safety Partnership, feeling this was too detached from day to day business. Following a review six months earlier there had been a move away from placing cameras in areas most likely to catch and fine drivers to those areas with genuine safety concerns.

Members welcomed these initiatives but felt there had been little effect on improved visibility. They remained concerned at difficulties in getting police officers and/or PCSOs to attend local residential meetings and felt there was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19.

The Scrutiny Manager informed Members that the Chairman and Vice Chairman had a Triangulation meeting arranged shortly where consideration would be given to timing of the current work programme items. The following items had been requested for the future meetings:

·         Customer feedback on complaints,

·         Update on modern day slavery, and

·         Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

RESOLVED – That the amendments to the work programme be noted.