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

79.1           Members received an update from Councillor R E Garnham, the Council’s representative on the Gloucestershire Police and Crime Panel, on matters discussed at the last meeting of the Panel held on 5 February 2016.

79.2           Councillor Garnham advised that the majority of the meeting had been devoted to the Police budget and the setting of the Police precept for 2016/17.  The Chief Executive’s report had covered Freedom of Information requests; complaints; forthcoming Police and Crime Commissioner elections; an update on estates; potential collaboration; and the government consultation on giving greater powers to Police and Crime Panels.  It was noted that the office of the Police and Crime Commissioner would be hosting a familiarisation event on 11 April 2016 at the Police Headquarters in Waterwells.  There had been some discussion about the estates strategy and one Member had questioned why the original plan to move Coleford Police Station into shared accommodation with the Forest of Dean District Council had not been followed through. In response, the Police and Crime Commissioner had explained that he had made a manifesto commitment to keep the Coleford Police Station on the existing site.  It was noted that the Chief Constable of Wiltshire had spoken of his desire for a regional service for the whole of the south west but this was not a view shared by Gloucestershire’s Police and Crime Commissioner.  A joint response would be prepared to the ongoing government consultation regarding the powers of Police and Crime Panels; those proposed powers involved giving greater responsibility to the Police and Crime Panel to investigate complaints about the Police and Crime Commissioner.

79.3           It was noted that Safer Cyber was one of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s priorities and the Constabulary had set up the UK’s first Safer Cyber Forum which included membership from local businesses and academia.  A comprehensive report had been provided on the Police and Crime Plan priorities; of particular note were the examples of diverting youth away from crime and reference was made to two young people whose attendance at school had been less than 60% but was now up to 98% as a result of their involvement in the Aston Project.  A lengthy debate had taken place regarding the Commissioner’s proposed 1.2% precept.  The Chief Constable had asked for an increase of 1.99% and reference had been made by various members of the Panel to the government guidelines that the Police precept could be increased by 2% as, in future years, the grant settlement would be reduced by that amount.  It was noted that, due to tax bases and increases elsewhere, the Police and Crime Commissioner felt that an increase of 1.2% would reflect the government’s wishes.  All political parties had suggested a veto of the Commissioner’s budget proposals but, when being put to the vote, this had not been carried due to there not being a two-thirds majority of all Members of the Panel, not just two-thirds of those present.  The Panel therefore decided to support the precept and to make a recommendation that the Commissioner provide greater clarity on the use of ongoing reserves.  Members noted that the date of the next meeting of the Police and Crime Panel had been changed to 11 March 2016.

79.4           A Member noted that, when presenting at a recent Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting, Inspector Goga had informed the Overview and Scrutiny Committee that organised crime was reducing so it was worrying to see that it was now on the increase.  A Member indicated that there had been a lot of concern amongst the public regarding rural crime and he queried whether there was any movement in that area.  Councillor Garnham confirmed that this had been mentioned at the last meeting and reassurance was consistently provided that the challenges of policing a county which was both rural and urban were recognised and the Police still had their ‘eyes on the ball’.  A Member questioned whether any decision had been made in relation to the land which had been purchased in Bishop’s Cleeve to build a new Police Station and Councillor Garnham explained that there was likely to be some movement on that before the next meeting as the land was now surplus to requirements.

79.5           A Member raised concern at the lack of Members in attendance at the Police and Crime Panel meeting.  Given the importance of the meeting, he would have expected full attendance and he was disappointed to hear that veto of the budget proposals had not been able to go ahead.  In response, Councillor Garnham provided assurance that the meetings were normally well attended.

79.6           The Chairman 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 meeting of the Gloucestershire Police and Crime Panel be NOTED.