Agenda item

To receive an update from the Council’s representative on matters considered at the last two meetings. 

45.1           Members received an update from Councillor Rob Garnham, the Council’s representative on the Gloucestershire Police and Crime Panel, on matters discussed at the last two meetings of the Panel held on 9 and 20 September 2016.

45.2           Councillor Garnham firstly wished to respond to a question about the replacement of the military police officer which had been raised at the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting in July.  He advised that the response had been received from Inspector Lee Solly who was covering the Tewkesbury area following Inspector Dave Goga’s move to the position of Staff Officer to the Chief Constable.  Members were informed that PC David Jones managed the area under the command of PS Ian Morrison and they had secured an agreement with the base commander to access the Ministry of Defence police building.  It was intended to provide a more regular presence to the personnel, families and local residents of the Innsworth area, however, PC Jones had been temporarily seconded to the response team to provide cover for injured Officers.  It was anticipated that PC Jones would return to the neighbourhood team in January; it was still intended to have a Police Community Support Officer presence which was being worked towards.

45.3           Councillor Garnham went on to advise that the meeting on 6 September had been an additional meeting to confirm the Police and Crime Commissioner’s appointment of a Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner and a Chief Finance Officer; the latter had been a straightforward confirmation with Dave Skelton, who had many years’ experience as a Finance Officer, being appointed to the role but there had been more discussion relating to the appointment of the Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner.  It had been explained that, over the previous four years, the Police and Crime Commissioner had thought that a deputy might be required but had not appointed one.  Since his re-election earlier in the year, he had considered the pros and cons of such an appointment and approached Mr Chris Brierley to see if he would be interested in the post.  Mr Brierley had subsequently been offered the post and had attended the meeting to address the Panel.  The outcome of the meeting was that Mr Brierley had been confirmed by the Panel but reservations had been highlighted regarding the nature in which Police and Crime Commissioners in general were allowed to make such appointments without recourse to job adverts, selection processes etc.  Notwithstanding this, it was clear that the Police and Crime Commissioner had followed the procedure as set down by the Police and Social Responsibility Act 2011 and it was noted that the Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner was only in post whilst the Police and Crime Commissioner was in office so there was no security of tenure or employment rights in that regard.

45.4           In respect of the meeting on 20 September, Members were informed that the Police and Crime Commissioner had presented his annual report and an update on the draft Police and Crime Plan which was due to be adopted later in the year.  It was the fourth annual report and covered aspects of the work the Commissioner had undertaken in the past year including the changing landscape; estates; work on bringing offenders and victims together; cybercrime; hate crime; and the Police and Crime Plan priorities.  The Police and Crime Commissioner also spoke of the 1.2% Council Tax policing precept increase and advised that 40 more officers and 200 special constables were to be recruited over the next four years.  The number of police officers for March 2017 was expected to be around 1,060.  The Panel had been advised that a review of community safety in Gloucestershire, and the work of the six Community Safety Partnerships for each District, had been carried out by John Bensted who was formerly the Chief Officer at the Gloucestershire Probation Board.  It was noted that each of the six Community Safety Partnerships worked differently, and not always as well as they should, and there was now an opportunity to bring their work together along with that of the Health and Wellbeing Board, the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office and the Safeguarding Boards.  Leadership Gloucestershire would now look at three options for new ways of working: minor changes to the existing system; having one overarching Community Safety Partnership; or the rationalisation of partnerships at Countywide and District level.  The latter was the preferred option and would work both under the current democratic arrangements and under a combined authority if further devolution were to take place.  The aim would be for a Countywide Community Safety Partnership but with locally placed multi-agency forums covering community safety, health and wellbeing and social inclusion.  Consultation on the proposals had ended on 3 October 2016 and Leadership Gloucestershire would make its decision in due course.

45.5           Members were informed that it was a statutory duty of the Police and Crime Panel to receive the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Crime Plan and make comment or recommendation.  A further draft of the 2017-21 Plan was presented and the Commissioner explained that his priorities remained unchanged from his first term of office: accessibility and accountability; older but not overlooked; young people becoming good adults; safer days and nights; safe and social driving; and safer cyber.  The draft plan would be considered again at the November Police and Crime Panel meeting. 

45.6           Councillor Garnham advised that the Chief Executive’s report continued to be much improved and included statistics which enabled comparisons with other similar force areas; for the year ending March 2016, the crime rate in Tewkesbury was lower than the average crime rate across similar force areas.  There were significant areas where procurement costs in the Constabulary were lower than other areas e.g. in Gloucestershire, computer monitors cost an average of £91.48 per monitor compared to the England and Wales average of £165.21.  It was noted that a Police and Crime Panel Task Group had been established to look at further “blue light collaboration” between the Fire Service and the Police; this was particularly relevant given the Home Office agenda for greater working between the services.  Councillor Garnham indicated that he would report back on the work of the group in early 2017.  It was noted that the next meeting of the Police and Crime Panel was due to be held on 7 November 2016.

45.7           A Member questioned how the Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner role would be paid for and was advised that it would be taken from the Police and Crime Commissioner’s budget.  In response to a query regarding the special constables, Councillor Garnham explained that they differed from the Police Community Support Officers as they had powers of arrest.

45.8           The Chair thanked the Council’s representative for his presentation and indicated that the update would be circulated to Members via email following the meeting.  It was

RESOLVED          That the feedback from the last two meetings of the Gloucestershire Police and Crime Panel be NOTED.