Agenda item

Briefing Note of the Head of Environmental Services

(1) Presentation by Councillor Abdul Khan, Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities and Chair of the Coventry Police Crime and Community Safety Board providing an overview of the membership and remit of the Coventry Police Crime and Community Safety Board 

(2) Presentation by Chief Superintendent Danny Long, West Midlands Police on the end of year performance data concerning the crime statistics for the city

(3) The Scrutiny Co-ordinator will report on the current West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Consultation

Chief Inspector Helen Kirkman, West Midlands Police and Councillor P Akhtar, Deputy Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities have also been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item

The Committee considered a briefing note of the Executive Director of Place concerning the Coventry Police Crime and Community Safety Partnership Board including the remit and membership of the Board and its individual Sub-Groups; the scope of the planned review of the Board; the allocation of monies from the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC); and the end of year performance report to the Board. Reference was also made to the current PCC consultation on the new Police and Crime Plan. Chief Inspector Danny Long, West Midlands Police attended the meeting for the consideration of this item along with Councillor P Akhtar, Deputy Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities.

The briefing note indicated that the Board was created in 2013 and met on a quarterly basis. The main functions were to provide the governance for the work of the statutory Community Safety Partnership and to take responsibility for ensuring compliance with statutory duties and responsibilities. Appendices to the note set out terms of reference; the relationships with other local Boards in the city; and the membership which comprised senior representatives from the responsible authorities along with representatives from community/special interest groups, voluntary sector, social housing and business. There were four Sub Groups reporting to the Board as follows:

·  Victim Support and Harm Reduction Partnership

·  Coventry Offender Management Group

·  Prevent, Prepare and Protect

·  City Wide Tasking and Co-ordination Group.

The Committee were informed that at the next Board meeting on 21^st July, 2016 permission would be sought to carry out a review of the Coventry Community Safety Partnership’s activities. The review would be designed so that the Board and its membership would be representative of all strands of community safety within the city, with proper accountability for the Sub Groups. The scope for the review was detailed.

In the current financial year the Board received £409,728 from the Police and Crime Commissioner which represented a 25% reduction from the previous year. The PCC did allow the Board to carry over £82,750 from under from underspends in the previous year. Further information on the Board’s funding decisions allocated to local priorities was set out in an appendix. 

Chief Inspector Danny Long reported on the end of year performance report. Headline figures included a 1.5% increase in domestic violence and abuse including a significant increase in incidents where children were present; an increase in reports of sexual violence and abuse; hate crime reports remaining stable; and a downward trend in the recorded reports for anti-social behaviour. Members were informed of the importance of encouraging the reporting of crimes which could lead to upward trends in the performance data. 

Members were made aware of the current consultation by the PCC on his priorities for the new Police and Crime Plan for 2017/18.

Members questioned the officers and Chief Inspector Long on a number of issues and responses were provided, matters raised included:

• If training was available for Board members of the Coventry Police Crime and Community Safety Partnership Board
• The communication and sharing of information between the Board and its Sub-Groups and other Boards in the city
• The intention to continue to include representatives from the voluntary groups on the Board
• How the funding allocations to voluntary organisations were monitored to ensure targets were being met, especially in light of funding reductions
• How the funding was allocated according to evidence and identified need
• The opportunities for Scrutiny to be able to scrutinise the work of the Board and its Sub-Groups
• An assurance that with all the overlaps between the different Boards in the city, particularly from a health perspective, that these Boards were not operating in conflicting ways
• Further information about the joint work to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals with multi complex needs
• The availability of information about the work of the Board and minutes from meetings
• The definition of hate crime
• How the £82,750 underspend had been used
• An assurance that the necessary support was being provided by Council officers in relation to incidents of sexual violence and children and that the necessary information was being shared between providers to ensure that children were protected
• Clarification that all police officers were aware of the requirements for child safeguarding
• Further details about the work with schools to reduce incidents of hate crime
• A request for information on the performance relating to hidden crime and convictions
• The position relating to the potential to prosecute in respect of incidents of female genital mutilation.

RESOLVED that:

(1) The scope of the planned review of the Coventry Police Crime and Community Safety Partnership Board be acknowledged and supported and the Committee’s concerns relating to ensuring that there is clarity about the future role of members and a clear accountability of organisations receiving funding be taken into account during the review.

(2) The performance data detailed in Appendix 9 be noted and for future performance reports information be included on the impact of PCC spend and outcomes on priority areas.

(3) The Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities be recommended to receive a report on performance in relation to hidden crime and convictions at a future Cabinet Member meeting.

(4) A progress report on the measures to reduce Female Genital Mutilation be submitted to a future meeting of the Committee.

(5) Members be encouraged to respond to the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner’s questionnaire regarding his planned priorities.