Agenda item

Further to Minute No. J28 of the meeting of the Police and Crime Panel held on 13th March, 2013, the Police and Crime Commissioner Shaun Wright presented the draft of his refreshed Police and Crime Plan, for the period 2013 to 2107, as required by the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011. The Act permitted the Police and Crime Commissioner to vary the Plan when required, allowing the Commissioner, in consultation with the Chief Constable and taking account of any recommendations from the Police and Crime Panel, to respond to issues and priorities which emerge during the life of the Police and Crime Plan.

 

After undertaking considerable public consultation during the past twelve months, the Commissioner has determined that his strategic policing and crime priorities, listed below, remain unchanged:-

 

- reducing crime and anti-social behaviour

- protecting vulnerable people (especially women and girls)

- improving visible policing

 

The Commissioner described the contents of the Police and Crime Plan, including the following salient issues:-

 

: Executive Summary and priorities;

 

: the Strategic Planning Process – taking account of national policing priorities and the requirements of the Government, via the Home Secretary and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary;

 

: the National Strategic Intelligence Assessment and the Force Strategic Intelligence Assessment;

 

: Operational Policing Priorities – child sexual exploitation; burglary; vehicle crime; violent crime; anti-social behaviour;

 

: Policing Requirements for South Yorkshire – neighbourhood policing and working in partnership with other statutory agencies; the delivery of protective services; the management of risk;

 

: the need to ensure value for money;

 

: improving victim satisfaction, when solving crime (from October 2014, the commissioning of services to help victims of crime and anti-social behaviour recover from their experiences);

 

: the proposed establishment of an Ethics Panel, during 2014/15, comprising independent members;

 

: the need to tackle serious and organised cyber-crime (and cyber-enabled crime), which makes use of Internet communications;

 

: the four policing and crime priorities identified as part of the scrutiny process: child sexual exploitation; violent crime / assaults; anti-social behaviour; domestic violence;

 

: the policing and crime priorities identified by the partner organisations in South Yorkshire : the local authorities, Community Safety Partnerships and the Local Criminal Justice Board;

 

: crime in South Yorkshire remains at its lowest level for 25 years; however, crime reduction throughout the country has begun to plateau, with some Police forces in England experiencing increases in recorded crime;

 

: the Police and Crime Plan contained a range of crime-related statistics;

 

: the Police and other agencies will have new responsibilities imposed by the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014;

 

: review of the South Yorkshire Police ‘101’ telephone service, enabling all agencies to have a consistent approach to tackling anti-social behaviour;

 

: collaboration with other Police forces and using such collaboration to effect financial savings, as required by Government;

 

: establishment of a Victims Commissioning Advisory Board;

 

: introduction of the Victims’ Code;

 

: ensuring the better management of offenders and effecting more restorative justice;

 

: improving performance management within the South Yorkshire Police;

 

: continuing to develop partnership working with other agencies and organisations;

 

: introduction of the Mental Health Concordat;

 

: encouraging more reporting of crime, especially by vulnerable people in the community;

 

: improving visible policing – more uniformed officers; use of better technology and mobile working; important role of PCSOs; attempts to increase the number of Special Constables and other volunteer roles; maintaining neighbourhood policing;

 

: the budget has £39 millions of reserves, a similar amount to many other Metropolitan Police forces; the proposed uses of the reserves are in three broad areas :

-reducing future projects’ revenue costs (‘invest to save’)

-funding reductions in Policing capacity (organisational downsizing)

-establish a fund for future innovative approaches to tackling crime;

 

: the Community Safety Fund grant, previously issued by the Home Office, has ceased and this funding is instead included in the main Police grant;

 

: details of the principles of commissioning and the new approach to commissioning of services;

 

: reference to the scrutiny of the Police and Crime Commissioner by this Police and Crime Panel.

 

 

After the Commissioner’s presentation of his Police and Crime Plan, Members of the Police and Crime Panel asked questions and raised the following issues:-

 

(a) The PCSO officers contribute a great deal to their patrol area and gain much intelligence about crime within the area. It is a source of anxiety for the public that the PCSOs often have to move to a different area, having spent valuable time engaging with the local community. There is the example of a PCSO successfully tackling and reducing drug nuisance in an area of Sheffield; however, this PCSO has since been transferred to a different area. What is the Commissioner’s explanation ?

Response – the Police force in the future will have to be a flexible organisation, which means that individuals may have to move positions and are not able to stay for a long time in the same geographical patrol area. The Chief Constable is currently preparing a tenure policy for the PCSOs and will report to the Commissioner later this year. The PCSOs are a valuable resource, the use of which must be maximised; (nb: there will not be a similar tenure policy for Police officers).

 

(b) Establishment of the South Yorkshire Police force and numbers of officials; within the force, which senior and ranked officers are in charge of specific areas and services ? Is this information available ?

Response – Members of the Police and Crime Panel will be provided with a structure diagram of the South Yorkshire Police force.

 

(c) Members of the Police and Crime Panel commended the Commissioner on the quality of his report and Plan.

 

(d) The proposed Ethics Panel – will this body comprise independent people ?

Response – Yes, all of the members will be independent people and the recruitment process intends to attract the most capable applicants suitable for the role. The purpose of the Ethics Panel will be to hold both the Commissioner and the Chief Constable to account. The Commissioner himself will not be a member of the Ethics Panel.

 

(e) How does the Commissioner intend to use social media in order to engage with communities ?

Response – the Commissioner recognises the importance of the various social media and intends to make effective use of this range of social media for public communication. Social media is especially important for younger people, who often prefer to communicate in this way. It is also acknowledged that many older people still prefer face-to-face communication.

 

(f) Providing opportunities for voluntary and community organisations to bid for funding to help reduce anti-social behaviour. How will this process work ?

Response – The proceeds of crime money will be used for the distribution of this type of grant. In addition, some money will be allocated from the budget reserves. The South Yorkshire Community Foundation will be involved in the distribution of small grants (maximum amount of £500) to voluntary and community organisations. The grants will be distributed throughout South Yorkshire. The use of the commissioning budget for victims’ support services will begin during the Autumn 2014. The victims’ support services are to be provided by voluntary and community organisations.

 

(g) The South Yorkshire Police recorded the fifth highest volumes of total crime per 1,000 population of the 43 Police forces (2013 figures). Does this statistic reveal a level of under-performance by the force ? Given the amount of the budget reserves, should money be taken from those reserves to try and bolster the force’s under-performing areas ?

Response – The level of budget reserves are not dissimilar to those of similar Police forces. The Police and Crime Plan includes details about the proposed use of the budget reserves. It is intended that the proposed fund for future innovative approaches to tackling crime will utilise £2 millions of the reserves. A further £10 millions will be spent on the renewal of custody suites (an issue inherited from the former South Yorkshire Police Authority). The amount of the legal costs resulting from the Hillsborough football ground inquiry is not yet known. There has to be some provision for this amount within budget reserves, although the Home Secretary is currently considering a request for the Government to underwrite these legal costs. The continuing reductions in public sector spending dictate that budget reserves have to be used wisely. The reserves will be needed each year until at least the 2018/2019 financial year and the planned use of reserves is the most prudent way forward.

 

(h) Hillsborough football ground inquiry – Members of the Police and Crime Panel asked that they be informed, in due course, about the funding of the legal costs of this inquiry and of the eventual decision of the Home Secretary.

 

(i) Partnerships with other organisations and commissioning services from voluntary and community organisations. How does the Commissioner ensure that small organisations are not over-looked and how does he ensure that there is engagement with the correct organisations ?

Response – There will be the application of the commissioning principles and the commissioning approach, as detailed in the Police and Crime Plan. Organisations will be required to complete and submit performance reports, at quarterly intervals, which will ensure the careful monitoring of the use of public money.

 

(j) Members of the Police and Crime Panel again commended the Commissioner for the amount of useful information contained in the Police and Crime Plan. Reference was also made to the Commissioner’s recent meeting with Cabinet Members of Rotherham MBC. Is it the case that the South Yorkshire Police force simply aims to achieve a better performance than other forces, but does not actually set any performance targets ? Would the Commissioner please provide an assurance ?

Response – Central Government has made certain changes to performance targets. However, as Police and Crime Commissioner, I believe in having performance targets and priorities firmly in place for the Police force, as well as regular monitoring of performance.

 

(k) Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary has referred to the under-recording of crime figures (as many as one in five crimes not being recorded). What is the opinion of the Commissioner about this issue ?

Response – Yes, there is under-recording of many different types of crime, both nationally as well as in South Yorkshire. This factor can undermine the way in which Police forces are able to respond to crimes. There is a possibility Central Government making changes to the way in which the data about crimes is recorded; this is perhaps a politically motivated action to try and show reductions in the level of crime and to justify reductions in budgets.

 

(l) The march and demonstration by the English Defence League which will take place in the Rotherham town centre on Saturday, 10th May, 2014. The South Yorkshire Police has explained its proposed method of policing this march/demonstration to Members of Rotherham MBC. However, Rotherham’s Councillors are unhappy about having to surrender the town centre on that day. In the future, is it possible for the South Yorkshire Police to assess the way in which their policing of these events may affect the whole community, rather than only making decisions about managing the march along a specific route ?

Response – The English Defence League imposes additional pressures, by damaging community cohesion, damaging business because people are reluctant to come and shop in the town and the EDL march disrupts everyday life. It is abhorrent that this type of group activity takes place. The Police force tries to minimise disruption and also has to balance the issue of freedom of speech and expression. The policing of the march on 10th May will be an expensive exercise and therefore I have asked the Home Secretary to offset some of costs. The Police resources will be finalised just before the march begins. It is preferable that the Police force has the statutory powers and is able to contain this sort of demonstration and assembly.

 

 

Resolved:- (1) That the report be received and its contents noted.

 

(2) That the Police and Crime Panel receives the Commissioner’s draft Police and Crime Plan, 2013 to 2017, as now submitted and shall provide its comments to the Commissioner by Wednesday 7th May, 2014.