To consider the report.

David Scott, Head of Communities, told the Panel that the Community Safety Partnership involved a number of multi-agency arrangements and a lot of work had been taking place over the past year to strengthen the links between all of the different agencies. There had been a focus of combatting violence and exploitation as the two main priority areas, and following discussions at Board level within the Community Safety Partnership four more areas of focus had been identified. The first of these related to the work of the Channel Panel, which worked to prevent people from being radicalised and going on to pose a potential terrorist threat. David Scott explained that the Channel Panel had been in place for a long time but it had been agreed to formally recognise the work of the Panel and the Prevent Delivery Board, as the strategic oversight, as a priority area within the wider work of the Community Safety Partnership.

The second new focus area looked at multi agency safety issues, a recent good example being the joint work on improving water safety. Members were reminded there had been two deaths in the River Thames during the hot weather over the summer, one at Cookham and one at Boulters Lock, although the circumstances of these deaths were very different. A new multi-agency approach had been taken to identify and mitigate risks relating to the river.

The next focus area related to combatting Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). The Panel was reminded the issue had come to the forefront following a number of high-profile incidents nationally in recent months. The Community Safety Partnership aimed to make sure the fear of violence was reduced, as well as reducing actual levels of violence, through proper education and ensuring the appropriate measures were in place. David Scott told the Panel that Thames Valley Police was one of 18 police forces to implement a Violence Reduction Unit, and this had been in place for the last two years. Thames Valley Police and the Council had been given support from the Home Office to develop initiatives to combat violent crime. Further legislation granting local authorities greater responsibilities to create multi- agency arrangements to reduce violence was currently going through the second reading stage in Parliament and was likely to be introduced in early 2022. The Panel was told that a grant of £40,000 had been received and this was to be put towards supporting a new co-ordinator, who had been assigned to the team of Andy Aldridge, Community Safety Manager. David Scott said their main area of focus would be to identify people at risk of violence and intervene as early as possible. Although violence reduction had been a priority for some time, the Community Safety Partnership Board had agreed to recognise VAWG as a separate new priority area for the work of the Community Safety Partnership.

The final area of focus related to local neighbourhood and community led priorities, which provided for a number of areas of crime that affected the Royal Borough to be prioritised at a local level. David Scott gave the examples of these local neighbourhood and community led issues as opportunistic rural crime, bike thefts, antisocial behaviour hotspots and unauthorised encampments, and the intensive local engagement work in four key areas led by TVP, as all focusing on issues that affected the Royal Borough on a local basis.

The Panel was told there would now be a refresh of the community safety plan, and it had been agreed this should be a three-year strategy rather than for just one year. This had been agreed in line with the Police and Crime Commissioner’s plan, who had recently published his new Policing and Justice Plan for the Thames Valley Force area. Members were reminded this had been highlighted at the last Panel meeting. Members were told that this would enable the partners involved in the multi-agency partnership to generate new initiatives and workstreams, and identify possible gaps in their work. David Scott explained this plan would be unique to the Royal Borough, rather than being based on a plan covering the whole of the Thames Valley.

David Scott told the Panel that the Domestic Homicide Review had been completed and submitted to the Home Office for consideration earlier this year. Members were informed that a death that occurred in December 2017 had been reviewed and identified as meeting the criteria for a Domestic Homicide Review. This review was submitted to the Home Office and the review report of the case was considered in July this year. This had acknowledged the community safety action plan and use of multi-agency partnership to review the learning form this homicide. The new priorities  for the partnership had been noted and would be formally incorporated into the revised terms of reference following agreement at a recent Board meeting. It was noted that the action plans could be discussed at a future Panel meeting.

Andy Aldridge told the Panel the refresh put the Community Safety Partnership into a stronger position and stated his belief that the three year action plan would prove to be much more beneficial.

Following a question from Councillor Bowden, it was confirmed that British Transport Police were included as part of the multi- agency partnership planning group for the Borough’s work on ceremonial events for Windsor, in addition to officers from Thames Valley Police and the Metropolitan Police. Members were reminded that the Met officers were responsible for security at Windsor Castle, but the involvement of British Transport Police would be reviewed for the wider Community Safety Partnership work, given the large number of railway stations and lines in the Borough.

Councillor del Campo said she had not seen much communication regarding river safety work that had been undertaken since the tragic death earlier this year at Cookham and asked if this could be addressed. She also raised the issue of lack of streetlighting in some areas and said this could be a contributory factor to some sexual assaults that had been reported recently. Councillor del Campo also asked what was being done regarding the recent trend of women being injected with drugs while on a night out. David Scott said there were ongoing police operations tackling sexual predation and misuse of drugs, following early successes in the operation when it was introduced in Oxford, and one of the areas where this was being implemented locally was Windsor. The Panel was advised that an arrest had been made after an individual was identified by the CCTV Control Room. Regarding streetlighting, David Scott recognised there were a number of key areas where lighting could be increased, and asked for problem areas that ward members were alerted to be reported either to the Community Wardens or the Head of Service.

Responding to a question from Councillor Price, David Scott advised that residents could raise community safety concerns confidentially via the community wardens, through their generic email address of Wardens@RBWM.gov.uk, and these would be acted upon.

Councillor Jones asked if consideration had been given to including the Environment Agency as part of the Community Safety Partnership to help with issues relating to river safety. David Scott said that they had been closely involved in the recent water safety work, and that their ongoing involvement with the Community Safety Partnership could be investigated. Regarding other crime and antisocial behaviour issues, David Scott advised that he had weekly meetings with the local police commander and key issues were discussed there and updates on initiatives given.

It was agreed that the Community Safety Partnership progress on their new action plan could be reviewed by the Panel as an agenda item in the 2022/23 municipal year.

Members thanked officers for the comprehensive nature of the update provided and the work that had taken place to strengthen the Community Safety Partnership.