Agenda item

The Panel considered a report of the Police and Crime Commissioner introducing the Police and Crime Plan to be published by 31 March 2013.  A copy of the report, marked B, is filed with the minutes.  The Panel also considered the Equality Impact Assessment (together with the associated Action Plan)  that had been carried out on the Police and Crime Plan, and comments, including suggested minor amendments to the text of the Plan, that had been drafted to assist the Panel in its consideration.  Copies of these are also filed with the minutes.

The Chairman welcomed the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) and the Chief Constable to the meeting.

The PCC introduced the Police and Crime Plan and highlighted that it had changed significantly from the draft received by the Panel at its meeting on 30 January, as a result of the Panel’s comments and feedback from wider public consultation: in particular, the section on partnership working had been extensively amended.  The PCC drew attention to the Equality Impact Assessment which had been produced by independent experts on behalf of his office. 

The PCC assured the Panel that there would minor changes made to some of the policing targets, to reflect the recent Home Office announcement regarding sanctioned detection rates, before the Plan was published.

The PCC reminded the Panel that a further version of the Plan would be produced in September, taking account of the commissioning decisions he would be making in June and the work being done on closing the gap between future spend and future funding of the police force.  There would, therefore, be further consultation and opportunities for the Panel to influence the Plan as it developed.  He finished by assuring the Panel that he welcomed the supportive challenge offered by it.

The following points rose from discussion:

·         The Panel was pleased to hear that the PCC was receptive to its input and accepted its role as ‘critical friend’.  In the light of the Francis Report arising from the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Enquiry, it was noted that it was crucial the Panel retained its independence of the PCC and ability to hold him to account when necessary.

·         The Panel welcomed the changes made to the Plan since the version received at its meeting in January and congratulated the PCC on having listened and responded positively to its comments and to the wider responses to his consultation.

·         The amendments to the section on partnership working were particularly welcomed but the Panel emphasised the complexity of the arrangements across the area and across organisations and warned the PCC that there was still a lot of work he would need to do in this area.

·         There were a number of voluntary sector structure organisations across the Force area that the Office of the PCC could approach to provide representation of the wider community and voluntary sector on the Volunteer Forum.

·         The PCC was urged to do more to include targets and outcomes around vulnerability in future versions of the Plan.

·         The Panel would need to agree a timetable and work programme for future meetings that was synchronised with the Office of the PCC’s timetable for reporting to allow it to monitor the PCC’s performance, including against the targets in the Plan.

·         The PCC emphasised the importance of early intervention work and its potential to provide significant savings for the future: he was committed to working with the Supporting Leicestershire Families to contribute to this agenda.

·         Members of the Panel suggested that a focus on prevention of crime would be more reassuring to the public than raising sanctioned detection rates.  The PCC reported that a common concern raised with him during the election had been around whether or not criminals were being dealt with fairly and appropriately by the judicial system.

·         Concerns were expressed that the Plan, as currently presented, was not a document that members could take back into their communities.  The Office of the PCC would be producing other formats, including an Easy Read version, for wider dissemination.

·         It was noted that the information in the Equality Impact Assessment on satisfaction rates among victims of crime was taken from national data collected by surveying a random selection of victims.  Local monitoring, at Community Safety Partnership level, was also undertaken.

·         In relation to the Equality Impact Assessment, it was noted that human rights issues were becoming more significant and that international and gloval events could have an impact on issues of race relations.

·         There were three times as many domestic burglaries as commercial burglaries.  However, commercial burglaries could have a knock on effect on several lives if it impacted business or health and safety.  It was noted that a large proportion of commercial burglary incidents were theft of property from individuals while on a commercial property and could be addressed by educating people not to leave items unattended.

·         The PCC and Chief Constable were monitoring the progress of the draft Anti-Social Behaviour Bill through Parliament and the Plan would be amended in due course in the light of any legislative changes.

·         The importance of getting tone right in certain circumstances was highlighted; for example, the bid by Leicester to be a City of Culture was a positive move that could bring benefits to the city and surrounding area and it was hoped it would not be described as a possible ‘threat’ to public order by the police, as was the case with sporting events.

It was moved by Cllr Greenwood and seconded by Cllr Golding and carried unanimously that:

“the Panel accepts and supports in full the Police and Crime Plan as amended in the light of the comments submitted”.

RESOLVED:

That the Panel accepts and supports in full the Police and Crime Plan, as amended in the light of the comments submitted (in the attached document).