Agenda and minutes

In the absence of the Chair, Councillor R Brown, the Deputy Chair, Councillor L Kelly, chaired the meeting.

There were no declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests.

The Committee noted Councillor L Kelly’s involvement in matters relating to Minute 33 and 34 below in her former role as the Assistant Police and Crime Commissioner.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 6 November, 2019 were agreed and signed as a true record.

There were no matters arising.

Briefing Note and presentation of Chief Superintendent Mike O’Hara, West Midlands Police, who has been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item

Councillors A S Khan and P Akhtar, Cabinet Member and Deputy Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities have also been invited to attend

The Committee considered a Briefing Note, together with a comprehensive presentation at the meeting by Chief Superintendent Mike O’Hara, which provided an update on Local Policing.

The presentation covered the following areas:-

·  West Midlands Police – Force Update – Big technological advances; embedding of operating model and important developments including increase in levels of violence faced by officers; Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship and the large officer recruitment drive ongoing.

·  Coventry Neighbourhood Policing Unit – Including progress made during the last 12 months, the Policing model, incidents and developments and the three following priorities for 2019/2020:-

Youth Violence

Serious Acquisitive Crime

Gangs

·  Performance - Data in relation to crime rates, headline measures and performance assessment

·  Risks, challenges and mitigation, including areas of strengths

The Committee asked questions and sought assurances on aspects of the presentation, including:-

·  Use of mobile devices and the impact the increased use of technology has on reducing paperwork

·  How police numbers are calculated in each city/region

·  Work undertaken by police officers in relation to social issues (eg mental health) and partnership working to drive the intervention agenda

·  Community policing and ensuring continuity in relation to staffing

·   Resourcing issues and bids submitted to West Midlands Police for additional resourcing

·  Challenges faced by the Police over the last 12 months, including the two fatal stabbing in the City

·  The work of the Offender Management Unit

·  Definition of positive outcome rates and detection rates

On behalf of the Committee, Councillor L Kelly thanked Chief Superintendent O’Hara for his attendance and presentation.

RESOLVED that update on Local Policing be noted.

Joint briefing note and presentation

Councillors A S Khan and P Akhtar, Cabinet Member and Deputy Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities have been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item

Chief Superintendent Mike O’Hara and Chief Inspector Suraya Latif, West Midlands Police have also been invited to attend along with the following representatives from the Sub-Groups which support the Coventry Police and Crime Board: Joy Adams / Caroline Ryder / Elaine Yates,  Manjeet Pangli, Kirsty Baker and Craig Hickin

The Committee considered a Briefing Note and presentation at the meeting which provided details of the Coventry Community Safety Plan, which was approved by the Coventry Police and Crime Board and which explained how the partnership will address the priorities highlighted in the annual strategic assessment.

Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) are the statutory body that bring together local partners to solve shared issues around Crime and Disorder, Anti-Social Behaviour, Drug and Alcohol misuse and Reoffending. The CSP in Coventry meets as the Police and Crime Board (PCB). Each year, CSPs are required to undertake strategic assessments, created by West Midlands Police analysts on behalf of the CSP, to help to inform their priorities. The document consists and is informed by both local data, contributions from the local CSP members and from a survey, where members of the public are asked for their views on community safety in the City. A copy of the survey was appended to the Briefing Note. The strategic assessment is used by the Police and Crime Board to set priorities and actions for the partnership.

A further appendix to the report detailed the strategic priorities. The responsibility for delivering the priorities lies with the PCB, although these are allocated and managed by the sub-groups, which support the Board. The chairperson for each sub-group is a PCB member and is answerable to the Board for the priorities that fall within their specific areas. Some of the priorities are “cross-cutting” and collective ownership is taken for these areas.

The Briefing Note detailed the following sub-groups that support the PCB:-

·  City Tasking – This group covers public place-based issues, safety and reassurance

·  Harm and Abuse Reduction Partnership – This group responds to and seeks to reduce a range of vulnerabilities/issues which range from domestic abuse, sexual violence, hate, crime, modern day slavery etc

·  Reducing Re-Offending Group – This group looks at reducing reoffending and the resulting harm, integrated offender, management and tackling serious and organised crime

·  Prevent - This group responds to the ideological challenge of terrorism and the threat we face from those who promote it; prevent people from being drawn into terrorism and ensure that they are given appropriate advice and support; and work with sectors and institutions where there are risks of radicalisation that we need to address

The PCB meet on a quarterly basis and the document that details performance against the qualitative and quantitative is circulated to PCB members. Specific reporting is limited to “exceptions” ie under, or over performance, although PCB members are able to ask specific questions relating to any part of the Coventry Community Safety Plan. There is further scrutiny of the plan by the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, who has a representative on the Coventry PCB.

The Committee questioned the officer and sought assurances on aspects of the Briefing Note and presentation, including:-

·  Road safety in Coventry

·  How the PCB engage with the public and the make up of the PCB, including elected member representation

·  Work undertaken in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 34.

Report of the Scrutiny Co-ordinator

The Committee considered and noted their Work Programme for 2019/20.

Any other items of public business which the Chair decides to take as a matter of urgency because of the special circumstances involved.

There were no other items of urgent public business.