Minutes:
The Chair welcomed Antony Stansfeld, Police and Crime Commissioner and Francis Habgood, Chief Constable to the meeting. Temporary Superintendent Grahame, the local area commander for Slough, was also in attendance.
Thames Valley Police was the fourth largest police force in the country and covered 18 local authorities. Mr Stansfeld informed Members that recorded crime had increased by 8.7% within the Thames Valley area in the past year, compared to a national increase of 13%. There were increases reported in offences such as crime against the person (up 12.5%) and weapons offences (up 12.8%). Funding from central government had fallen significantly in recent years, and TVP received less funding per head than many other forces. The PCC had sought to protect services, however, it was indicated that there was a direct correlation between police funding and incidents of crime. The Council Tax precept for TVP had therefore been increased by 12% for a Band D property to partially offset some of the reductions from central government.
The Chief Constable outlined details of the current policing issues in Slough and across the Thames Valley more widely. It had been an exceptionally busy year with two Royal weddings and a visit from the President of the United States. Members noted that there had been an 11.1% increase in the number of 999 calls with an average pick up time of 10 seconds. There had been a reduction in call centre staff due to staff turnover which had contributed to an increase in the pick up time for 101 calls to an average of 6 minutes. The increased call volumes was a national issue and members of the public were being encouraged to report incidents online where appropriate.
The Chief Constable summarised some of the key local issues in the past year which included a significant increase in the number of reported violent crimes, partly due to changes to reporting methodology and the increased number of incidents that the police were being asked to become involved with such as bullying in schools. Residential burglaries had also risen which was a particular concern to the PCC and Chief Constable and was an area the force was actively monitoring. The Committee noted a range of problem solving initiatives including Op Conifer that prioritised young people at risk of exploitation; Browns project which was jointly commissioned by the Safer Slough Partnership and the police to divert people with complex needs away from harm; and joint work with the Council on a Public Spaces Protection Order to tackle anti-social behaviour in Chalvey.
Committee Members raised the following issues in the ensuing discussion:
· What action was being taken on recruitment and retention. There were recruitment challenges for many organisations in the South East due to the high cost of living but Slough was an attractive place to work. TVP worked with local schools to promote careers in policing and an apprenticeship scheme was due to be launched in 2019. Training programmes were in place to upskill new recruits in areas of skills shortages such as call handlers. It was suggested that TVP be involved in the Council’s emerging parking strategy for its new premises to help address any specific practical barriers facing police staff in this regard.
· Role of PCC and engagement with Slough. The PCC stated that the role had more public visibility, better engagement and was more democratic than the previous Police Authorities, and had the ability to make decisions more quickly. The overall costs of PCCs was also said to be lower. The PCC visited Slough to discuss local priorities with Members annually and received a lot of feedback and other engagement. Whilst recognising that Slough had some specific issues as highlighted by Members, the Thames Valley was a very large and diverse area with many local challenges that all needed to be considered in developing policing plans.
· The role of neighbourhood policing. TVP had committed to neighbourhood policing in Slough and had tried to involve local councillors in sector meetings. Neighbourhood teams mapped priorities for their area and engaged widely with communities.
· The work being done to address Child Sexual Exploitation. The Safer Slough Partnership was very effective in tackling such issues with a multi-agency approach and had a range of initiatives in place.
· The perceived slow police response to ‘low level’ crimes. The Chief Constable stated that the police had finite resources and therefore had to prioritise serious offences such crimes with risk of threats to individuals.
· What was being done to tackle ASB and drugs misuse. This was a high priority and TVP conducted specific operations and had initiatives in place such as the summer programme working with the Safer Slough Partnership.
Members raised a number of other specific issues including the definition of hate crime; the use of stop and search powers; cyber crime; and the call response rates to 999 and 101 numbers.
On behalf of the Committee, the Chair thanked Mr Stansfeld and Mr Habgood for their presentations and attending the meeting.
Resolved – That details of the presentation be noted.
(Councillor Rana left the meeting)