Minutes:
38.1 Councillor Frost asked the following questions:-
(a) “I would like you to look at sharing buildings with the fire and ambulance services on ‘out of town’ sites to enable valuable sites to be sold and reduce running costs.
(b) Tackling crime and anti-social behaviour is a key priority and remaining committed to Neighbourhood policing. Already warranted officers have been moved to LPTs and now PSCOs are being centralised so we will miss their local knowledge built up over time. Is this the end of neighbourhood policing?
Penistone members are concerned that at certain times they will be left with no cover as travelling to Penistone can be delayed by traffic or weather problems. How can this be overcome?
(c) We are already seeing difficulties getting officers to PACT meetings and Crime and Safety Sub-Groups. How can Elected Members report problems/concerns to the Police? How do we set PACT priorities?
There were good links between Neighbourhood teams and Berneslai Homes HMOs responsible for anti-social behaviour where information was shared and appear to be lost. How can these links be restored?
(d) Crime is rising and the teams getting intelligence and with links to the community are being lost.”
38.2 With regard to question (a), the Police and Crime Commissioner replied that the South Yorkshire Police and South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Services were already looking at ways to share buildings and reduce costs for both services. Maltby was a good example of a shared facility and it was envisaged this would happen more over the next few years. They would also be looking at working with the Ambulance Service though this was more complicated because they operated on a Yorkshire-wide basis.
38.3 With regard to question (b), the Police and Crime Commissioner replied that he was committed to the concept of neighbourhood policing though the size of the Force had had to be reduced in recent years due to funding cuts.
The new Local Policing Teams had a neighbourhood focus and officers were being equipped with hand held computers that allowed them to stay in communities to write up their reports. They did not have to keep going back and forth to police stations.
Police Community Support Officers were being retained as part of the new Local Policing Teams as a pledge had been given that the percentage of PCSOs would remain at about 6% (225 PCSOs) for the next four years to 2020.
They were a vital resource for enabling communities to feel safe and as a source of local intelligence for the Police.
The Commissioner had given reassurances to Penistone residents that, despite the cuts, their concerns would be addressed and the local Inspector understood very well that some of the smaller or more remote communities must also be kept safe and feel safe.
38.4 With regard to question (c), the Police and Crime Commissioner reported that since there were fewer officers their attendance at community meetings was being reviewed. He would ask all local groups – TARAs, PACTs, Community Forums etc. – to talk to their local Inspector about how the Force could engage with them in the future. Local arrangements would vary. Some meetings may arrange for officers or PCSOs to attend on a less frequent basis. All groups could arrange for information to be passed electronically.
38.5 With regard to question (d), the Police and Crime Commissioner reported that not all crime was rising. In fact some crimes which concerned community groups a great deal – such as burglaries – were falling. It was vital that community groups worked with South Yorkshire Police to understand the new Local Policing Teams and to agree ways of continuing to share information.
This was one reason why the Commissioner was determined that the number of PSCOs would remain at the present number for the next four years.
38.6 Mr. Carter asked the following question:-
“It relates to the decision taken by the Police and Crime Commissioner to move his office location from Regent Street in Barnsley to the Police Headquarters in Carbrook in Sheffield. I did have a little concern about what message that might give to the general public in terms of the independence of the PCC from the Police Force to be located conterminously with him. I suggested, although I appreciate it is a matter entirely for the Commissioner’s for his consideration and determination, that it might be helpful if the address given at least indicated a certain separation from the Chief Constable and his Command Team.”
38.7 The Police and Crime Commissioner stated that the OPCC had very much taken the latter point Mr. Carter was making. He explained that clearly there was an environment where the PCC was having to save every penny possible and a principal motive for moving was financial and the move was going to save something like £100,000 a year. Consideration was then given as to where the OPCC would move to and, because the Police estate was shrinking, there were a number of options in terms of police stations, either whole or partly, and all had been considered and finished up with Carbrook which had space in it. The OPCC had moved into part of the ground floor and had a separate entrance and was separately badged. Mr. Carter was right in terms of what the OPCC put on their e-mail address, address and notepaper and must make the distinction absolutely clear. Perception was important and the PCC and OPCC had thought long and hard about that and in the end became an inhabiting factor before made the final decision. All things being equal Carbrook was the obvious place to go. Staff had moved in and been there for over a week.
38.8 The other key thing was in terms of the savings in petrol and people going backwards and forwards by Meadowhall to Barnsley. The Senior Command Team were highly paid people spending a good proportion of their life every month on the motorway stuck in traffic. .
38.9 Mr. Carter asked if the Commissioner was now required to pay relocation expenses to members of your staff by virtue of change of their office?
38.10 The Police and Crime Commissioner stated that there had been some cost in altering the building and the other costs of the kind you mentioned because changing terms of conditions. There would be some initial costs but it was then envisaged saving a lot of money.