Agenda item

O&S.68/17     

Consideration was given to a report that provided Members with the opportunity to scrutinise the work of the Community Safety Partnership (CSP), as defined by Sections 19 and 20 of the Police and Justice Act 2006 and the Crime and Disorder (Overview and Scrutiny) Regulations 2009.

The Vice-Chairman introduced and welcomed the Partnership representatives to the meeting and invited them introduce their published report.  In so doing, the representatives reminded those present that it was a statutory responsibility for local authorities to scrutinise their local CSPs on an annual basis and they proceeded to highlight a number of the key achievements that had been referred to in the agenda report.

In the ensuing discussion, reference was made to:

(a)    support for the work of the CSP.  A number of Members were of the view that the CSP provided excellent value for money.  Whilst thanking the Members for these comments, the representatives highlighted that future funding for the CSP was uncertain.  A Member also requested that he receive a cost breakdown of the CSP (including officer support costs).

In adding his support to the value of the CSP, Inspector Tapley was of the view that the Police would be particularly vulnerable without the support it received from this Partnership;

(b)    the recent letter from the CSP to the Police and Crime Commissioner.  Some Members commended the contents of the letter on the Neighbourhood Policing Review (dated 9 October 2017) and it was suggested that the Council should add its support by way of a notice of motion being submitted to the next Council meeting on 14 December 2017.  Furthermore, it was also felt that Members should encourage their local town and parish councils to add their support to this letter;

(c)    local concerns in Dartmouth relating to a perceived increase in incidents of Anti-Social Behaviour.  A local Ward Member raised some very specific concerns to Dartmouth and it was agreed that he would follow these up with Inspector Tapley outside of this meeting;

(d)    the value of Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs).  A number of Members lamented the reduction in numbers of PCSOs in the area and highlighted the value of the role, particularly in rural areas;

(e)    the amount of work undertaken by the CSP.  At the suggestion of the Council’s appointed representative, it was agreed that a future Informal Council session on the CSP should be arranged.  The Panel felt that the main purpose of this session would be to increase all Member knowledge and understanding of the CSP, the statutory functions that it upheld and the relevant responsibilities of the District Council;

(f)     youth gangs.  The increase in youth gang culture in the South Hams was recognised as a real challenge to the CSP.  The Panel noted that the CSP was keen to work with all local youth groups in the South Hams in an attempt to reverse this trend;

(g)    the contact details of the representatives.  In reply to a request, it was agreed that the contact details of each of the representatives in attendance would be circulated to all Members.

In concluding the agenda item, the Vice-Chairman thanked the representatives for their attendance.

It was then:

RESOLVED

That the contents of the report be supported and the comments expressed in the recorded minutes (above) be taken forward.