Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council

Big plans, bright future

Cleveland Police and Crime Panel Minutes

Date:
Thursday, 8th September, 2016
Time:
5.00 pm
Place:
Jim Cooke Conference Suite, Stockton Central Library, Stockton on Tees, TS18 1TU
 
Please note: all Minutes are subject to approval at the next Meeting

Attendance Details

Present:
Cllr Norma Stephenson O.B.E (Chairman),

Cllr Charles Rooney, Cllr David Coupe, Cllr Gillian Corr (sub for Cllr Ken Dixon), Cllr Linda Lewis, Cllr Billy Ayre, Cllr Alec Brown, Cllr Chris Jones, Gwen Duncan, Chu Chu Nwajiobi, Cllr David Wilburn
Officers:
Graham Birtle, David Bond, Michael Henderson (SBC)
In Attendance:
Barry Coppinger (PCC), Simon Nickless (Cleveland Police), Simon Dennis Michael Porter, Joanne Hodgkinson (PCC's Officer)
Apologies for absence:
Cllr Ken Dixon, Cllr Jim Lindridge, Cllr Dave Hunter, Matthew Vickers
Item Description Decision
Public
PCP
20/16		 EVACUATION PROCEDURE/MOBILE PHONES
Preamble
 
PCP
21/16		 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Preamble
 
PCP
22/16		 MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 21 JULY 2016
Preamble
 
PCP
23/16		 MEMBERS' QUESTIONS TO THE POLICE AND CRIME COMMISSIONER
Preamble
 
PCP
24/16		 COMMISSIONER'S POLICE AND CRIME PLAN
Preamble
RESOLVED that

1. Members provide any comments about the Plan directly to the Commissioner.

2. A final copy of the Plan be emailed to members.
PCP
25/16		 CITIZENS IN POLICING
Preamble
RESOLVED that the report and discussion be noted.
PCP
26/16		 SCRUTINY WORK PROGRAMME 2016/17
Preamble
RESOLVED that the Work Programme be agreed as detailed above.
PCP
27/16		 POLICE AND CRIME COMMISSIONER - PERFORMANCE QUARTER 1 2016/2017
Preamble
RESOLVED that:

1. the report be noted.

2. the Commissioner brings reports on the Criminal Justice Board and the Victim Care and Advice Service to a future meeting(s).

3. further updates on the 101 service be provided to the Panel at future meetings.
PCP
28/16		 PROGRAMME OF ENGAGEMENT FOR POLICE AND CRIME COMMISSIONER
Preamble
RESOLVED that the report be noted.
PCP
29/16		 DECISION OF THE POLICE AND CRIME COMMISSIONER
Preamble
RESOLVED that the report be noted.
PCP
30/16		 FORWARD PLAN
Preamble
RESOLVED that the Forward Plan be noted.
PCP
31/16		 PUBLIC QUESTIONS
Preamble
 
5pm/7pm

Preamble

ItemPreamble
PCP
20/16		The Chairman presented Evacuation procedures.
PCP
21/16		There were no declarations of interest.
PCP
22/16		The minutes of the meeting held on 21 July 2016 were confirmed and signed by the Chair as a correct record.
PCP
23/16		There were no questions.
PCP
24/16		Members were provided with the latest draft of the Commissioner's Police and Crime Plan.

It was explained that the Plan was still a work in progress but should be finalised in the next couple of weeks and would then be published. The Commissioner invited members to provide him with comments either during, or outside, the meeting.

When the Plan was finalised copies would be sent to Members.
PCP
25/16		Members received a report that provided an update regarding the progress of the Cleveland Police Volunteers Programme and the Special Constabulary following the previous report presented in September 2015.

Discussion on the report could be summarised as follows:

A query relating to highlighting vacancies was raised and it was explained that discussions were on going with voluntary sector organisations in this regard. It was suggested that vacancies could be promoted and shared on Cleveland Connect and it was noted that this would be considered by the Commissioner's office.
PCP
26/16		Member considered a report relating to the Panel's Scrutiny Work Programme 2016/17.

The Panel had previously agreed that the work programme would include Overall Budget Strategy and Shared Services. Members considered other possible topics and agreed that the programme would also include a review into the unlawful use of off-road motor cycles throughout the Force Area. Three Task and Finish Groups would be established to deal with each review topic.

It was also noted that the focus of the shared services review, perhaps, needed to be wider and it was agreed that discussion around the scope of that review and the off-road motorcycles review would take place with the Commissioner's Office and the Police Force, outside the meeting.

It was noted that the terms of office of the Panel's two Non Political Independent Members (NPIM) would come to an end in December, therefore, it was agreed that the allocation of NPIM representation on the Task and Finish Groups would be considered in this context, at a later date .

Hartlepool Borough Council membership of the Groups would be established outside the Panel's meeting.

Notwithstanding the position relating to NPIM representation, Members agreed the membership of the Task and Finish Groups as follows:

Overall Budget Strategy - Councillors Rooney, Wilburn, Brown and a Hartlepool member.

Shared Services - Councillors Coupe, Jones, Vickers and a Hartlepool member.

Off Road Motor cycles - Councillors Lewis, Stephenson, Ayre, and a Hartlepool member.
PCP
27/16		Members considered a summary of performance against the Police and Crime Plan.

The Commissioner requested that Members consider if there were any areas of activity that he needed to be focusing on in his scrutiny role of the Force and any current areas where more work needed to be done.

Discussion on the report could be summarised as follows:-

- the Commissioner would bring a report relating to the Criminal Justice Board, to a future meeting.

- Commissioned services - The Victim Care and Advice Service was up and running and it was suggested that the Commissioner should bring a report on this to a future meeting of the Panel, when the service had developed further.

- It was also suggested that the message about the cuts and how they were affecting how services were being delivered needed to be better, more fully, articulated to the public.

- Members reported that residents felt that getting through to an operator on 101 was taking too long and there was a perception that this added to the cost of calls. Residents often terminated calls before getting through to operators.


- Members raised a number of concerns that related to the new Neighbourhood Policing arrangements and the restructure of Teams at the Force. These concerns included:-

- Police attendance at Community Council
meetings.

- some confusion relating to the new ways of
working, particularly in terms of the how
the Red/Amber/Green scheme and shift
system worked. Also, were the shift patterns
family friendly?

- the escalation of incidents e.g. PCSOs to
Police Officers.

- a lack of continuity of officers operating
in wards/communities e.g. regular staff
changes and a lower profile were a barrier
to building relationships and knowledge of
an area.

The Commissioner and Police's response to the Neighbourhood Policing issues raised could be summarised as follows:

- calls to Cleveland Police had increased from approx. 800 per day in 2012, to 1200 currently (300 calls were 999 and 900 were 101 call). During the same period the Police budget had reduced by a quarter with staff reductions of around 430 police officers, 50 PCSOs and 50 staff. Given this context the Commissioner explained that it was important that he and the Chief Constable made the resources available work as efficiently as possible, having regard to risk and vulnerability.

- the Force had considered it important to bring the Vulnerability teams together at an early stage. This process, coupled with staff leave, over the holiday period, would have resulted in some gaps. The implementation of all the changes was still in progress, but the Vulnerability Teams were in place.

- the Force's presence at, and engagement with, Community Councils was being considered with a view to finding an accepted and consistent approach across the area.

- the Sector Teams should ensure that responses to public contact were more timely.

- whilst there may be Sector wide priorities, there would also be specific priorities for certain parts of each sector, e.g particular streets or even one street.

- there were processes in place for the escalation of incidents and TDCC Nickless indicated that he would look at the particular issue raised by a member at the meeting, where escalation seemed not to have happened.

- new shift patterns had been developed by staff and would continue to be remodelled. The shift patterns ensured that more staff were at work during periods of peak demand.

The Red/Amber/Green system relied on deprivation data and information from other agencies, as well as crime information. Some areas had longer term trends and it would take longer to resolve issues in these areas.

In response to issues raised about the 101 service Members noted that:-

- the cost of a 101 call was 15p regardless of the length of time of the call.

- the Force was now undertaking a more robust risk assessment of calls it received. Assessments were now taking 5 minutes instead of 2 minutes but this was the most appropriate approach and was in line with national guidelines. This had created significant capacity implications for the 101 service. The Force was considering how this capacity issue could be met and had been looking at a number of opportunities to streamline processes. The Force would have to consider using additional staff if the process changes did not address the capacity issue.

- it was indicated that further information relating to the on going work on the 101 service could be brought to the Panel. The Force agreed to look into the possibility of the cost of 101 calls being detailed on the recorded message at the beginning of calls.

Further discussion on the performance report related to sickness levels and members were reminded of the considerable amount of work that had been done in this area and the consequent improvement in the figures.

The Commissioner assured the Panel that he would continue to monitor all of the issues raised by the Panel, through his scrutiny processes.
PCP
28/16		Members considered a report that provided an update in relation to meetings attended by the Commissioner from July 2016 to September 2016.

The Commissioner reiterated his willingness to attend community events.

Reference was made to a cultural awareness event which was part of the Everyone Matters programme.
PCP
29/16		Members considered a report that provided an update on decisions made by the Police and Crime Commissioner for the period July to August 2016.
PCP
30/16		Members considered the Forward Plan.
PCP
31/16		There were no public questions.

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