By the Head of Community Protection & Enforcement, Craig Miller (RBWM).

The Team Leader - Environmental Protection, Chris Nash, informed the Panel that he was at the meeting representing himself, the Head of Community Protection & Enforcement, Craig Miller and Members of the Community Partnership.  Members were informed that the Community Safety Partnership Plan had been before the Panel under a different Chairmanship and that since then a lot of work had been undertaken to refine the document and incorporate feedback received from Members and stakeholders.  It was noted that the Head of Community Protection & Enforcement was seeking feedback to this document with the view to a final sign off late October time. 

The Team Leader - Environmental Protection explained that the Community Safety Partnership established its priorities in a number of ways. It was noted that Police data was used to identify crime trends, whilst the borough also conducted an annual survey which highlighted public concerns around community safety; national and regional emerging issues such as child sexual exploitation were taken into account along with issues identified by local neighbourhood action group surveys and police Have Your Say Meetings.  The Panel noted that account was taken of related issues and plans including those of the Adults and Children’s Safeguarding Boards. It was noted that the priorities often fell across two or more themes and were delivered within the theme framework.

Members were informed that the five main priority areas for 2015/16 were as follows:

·         Violent Crime.

·         Sexual Assault.

·         Safeguarding (Crime related).

·         Burglary.

·         Business As Usual.

It was noted that the priorities established in the Annual Strategic Assessment were agreed at the December 2015 Community Safety Partnership Meeting and were categorised under the following three themes:

·         Theme 1 – Prevention (Supporting our communities).

·         Theme 2 – Protection (Supporting victims of crime & anti-social behaviour).

·         Theme 3 – Inclusion (Assisting troubled families and rehabilitating offenders).

·         Theme 4 – Maintaining Public Confidence (Resident reassurance & confidence initiatives).

The Team Leader - Environmental Protection ran Members through the aims under each priority.

In the ensuing discussion the following points were noted:

Ø  The Action Plan that sat behind this document was noted to be on-going.  Councillor Story suggested that this document gave the appearance that the Council had achieved things it hadn’t by showing deadline dates that had since passed.  The Team Leader - Environmental Protection agreed to take this suggestion back to the Head of Community Protection & Enforcement.

Ø  That violent crime in general figures with regard to the Night-time Economy had been on the rise.  It was noted that assault without injury was in double figures although it was stressed that this included a variety of incidents including harassment.  It was requested by Councillor Story that specific figures be supplied at future Panel meetings to help give Members a feel for the numbers involved.

Ø  Superintendent Rai (Thames Valley Police) informed Members that the baseline numbers for repeat domestic abuse victims had been at 32% in April but had since reduced to 26%.  The Team Leader - Environmental Protection stated that the figures and targets set would be ironed out before the Community Safety Partnership Annual Plan was signed off.       

Ø  Councillor Sharpe requested that more narrative be added against each point so they could be better assessed as to whether target had been met. 

Ø  Members requested the age demographic with regard to people being safeguarded.  Superintendent Rai (Thames Valley Police) informed Members that age demographic information would take a level of analysis to draw out.  It was noted that it was difficult to draw out what was online fraud and what was fraud in general. 

Ø  Councillor Grey stated that he found it very difficult to scrutinise , make suggestions and participate in discussions when limited information was being provided without specific numbers involved which the Chairman echoed. 

Ø  The Chairman asked whether burglaries were still regarded as a high priority crime.  Superintendent Rai explained that burglaries were usually responded to within a four hour period and that this was not likely to change in the future. 

Ø  Superintendent Rai informed the Panel that the Tames Valley Police did not have an increase in resources so were not planning to make more police officers more visible in the Royal Borough.

Ø  Superintendent Rai informed the Panel that all burglaries were attended by a member of the Thames Valley Police, whether the offender was still present at the premises or not.

Ø  Superintendent Rai informed the Panel that the Thames Valley Police had a Cross Boarder Offender officer who shared intelligence with other police forces to help catch cross boarder offenders.  It was noted that cross boarder meetings took place on a monthly basis.  

Ø  Superintendent Rai informed the Panel that every time the Thames Valley Police made an arrest a message was put out by the media. 

The Team Leader - Environmental Protection asked the Panel if they agreed with the key aims for the Royal Borough. 

RESOLVED UNANIOMOUSLY: That the Panel agreed that the aims included within the Community Safety Partnership Annual Plan.  It was agreed that the Community Safety Partnership Annual Plan be brought back to a future meeting once the additional information was available, ideally to the meeting in November. 

The Chairman thanked the Team Leader - Environmental Protection for attending the meeting and addressing the Panel.