Agenda item

That the Committee recognises the strong regional and local alignment of priorities and is assured of the planning and achievement by the local Community Safety Partnership.

The Team Leader - Community Safety delivered a presentation on the activities and progress of the Flintshire Community Safety Partnership (CSP) during 2014/15.  The range of funding sources utilised to support the CSP included an element from the Police & Crime Commissioner’s budget however this amount was reducing year on year.  There had been a change in governance arrangements following the CSP merger with the Local Service Board, however the statutory requirements of the CSP continued to be discharged.  Information was shared on the various groups and sub-groups which supported the CSP, including the Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Tasking group which met monthly.

The Team Leader described Flintshire as a very safe county in general, with relatively low levels of crime and disorder.  A 2.7% increase in overall crime in 2014/15 was not viewed as significant, given the total number of offences, and was primarily attributed to an increase in the reporting of historical sexual offences.  The activities of the CSP had helped to contribute towards the continuing reduction in ASB levels.  Amongst the main achievements in 2014/15 was the ‘White Ribbon’ accreditation - the first Authority in North Wales to receive this - which demonstrated the commitment to tackling domestic abuse.  The presentation outlined the benefits of interacting with the North Wales Safer Communities Board (SCB) which provided a framework to operative more effectively and maximise resources, and where Flintshire was represented by the Chief Executive.  The regional priorities of the SCB were detailed in the Plan for 2014-17 and local priorities for 2015/16 were highlighted in the presentation having been identified through a strategic assessment process and informed by intelligence from the various partners, eg  Police, Probation, Health etc.

Councillor Paul Cunningham praised the ASB group for their role in helping to resolve a particular issue.  The Team Leader highlighted the progress made by that group and spoke about the proactive approach taken in relation to the trigger process.

The Chairman referred to the classification of crimes and asked if the reduction in ASB offences had meant an increase in other types of crime.  Chief Inspector McCairn spoke about the increase in reports of sexual offences, mainly received via Social Services, and changes to the recording process which placed North Wales in a strong position.  She went on to say that ASB was not recorded as crime, however there were aspects of crime which overlapped ASB and this ongoing trend would be covered by the ASB group.  When asked about crime in some larger cities across the border, the Team Leader replied that levels were much higher than in North Wales and frequently involved certain types of crime not seen in this area.

Councillor Robin Guest commented on the good work done by the CSP but questioned the overlap between regional and local priorities.  The Team Leader explained that the presentation slides contained an abridged version of the key areas and that the priorities set by the SCB would complement and inform priorities of the CSP with a focus on locality such as tackling crime, reducing ASB and supporting vulnerable victims of crime.  In response to comments on mismatched wording used in the template of the report, she agreed to ensure that this was corrected before the report was finalised.

Councillor Carolyn Thomas felt that more powers given to Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs), such as dealing with speeding offences, would enable them to be even more effective in the community.  Chief Inspector McCairn spoke about the challenges in granting extended powers and advised that although there were no plans to increase powers on PCSOs, they were able to team up with Police Officers to deal with speeding offences.

Councillor Peter Curtis welcomed the report, in particular the focus to tackle domestic abuse, but felt that racial hatred/abuse was also an emerging important issue.  He cited a recent example from within his own ward.  Chief Inspector McCairn said that this type of crime was a priority for the Police and was often under-reported.  She also referred to the likelihood of further budget cuts which had so far not impacted on front-line services.

In response to Councillor Guest’s comments, the Chief Executive said that the recent County Council presentation by the Police & Crime Commissioner had highlighted the fit between local and regional priorities.  He spoke about the follow-up work in local planning and said that the partnership remained strong despite the challenges and demands in dealing with some very complex issues.  He provided details on tackling child sexual exploitation, alongside the specialist Police unit, and the need to increase dedicated Social Worker support to possible victims and share learning on raising awareness to identify and intervene where necessary.

RESOLVED:

That the Committee recognises the strong regional and local alignment of priorities and is assured of the planning and achievement by the local Community Safety Partnership.