Agenda item

The Panel considered a report of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) which outlined how he was fulfilling his duty by securing efficient and effective policing for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland and holding the Force to account in relation to contact demand and calls performance. A copy of the report, marked ‘Agenda Item 13’, is filed with these minutes.

Arising from discussion, the following points were raised:

(i).       With regards to abandonment rates, the PCC stated that it was often inherent difficult to accurately determine whether calls had been abandoned, as individuals might choose alternative contact methods. The PCC advised that a range of measures were being explored in order to manage demand, including preventative approaches to reduce the need for contact and additional investment to enhance call-handling capacity. He confirmed that this remained a priority area of ongoing discussion with the Temporary Chief Constable, with benchmarking against best practice elsewhere.

(ii).      A Member of the Panel queried significant year-on-year increases across all contact methods and asked whether this correlated with an increase in crime There had been rises of 36% in emergency calls, 50% in non-emergency calls, and 49% in online reporting. The PCC explained that the rise in contact demand did not directly equate to an increase in recorded crime. The Police were frequently the default point of contact for a wide range of non-crime-related issues, such as incidents linked to weather events. Whilst some of these incidents required police involvement, they did not constitute crimes. The Panel acknowledged that the scale of the increase was significant and was being treated as a priority, with detailed analysis underway and overseen by the Deputy Chief Constable.

(iii).    Concerns were raised regarding the impact of increased digital reporting on those who were digitally excluded given that proportion of the population lacked access or confidence in using online systems. The Member asked what steps were being taken to ensure that digital reporting did not create barriers to accessing police services. The PCC acknowledged the risk that an over-reliance on digital approaches could disadvantage a segment of the population. He confirmed that, whilst digital reporting was being encouraged, traditional contact methods, including telephone lines, remained available to ensure accessibility for all.

(iv).    The Chairman raised concern regarding online reporting, in particular that the national online reporting system was not user-friendly and may discourage completion. He suggested that understanding where in the process users abandoned reports would be valuable in identifying improvements. He also suggested that this issue be raised with central government. The PCC acknowledged the concerns raised regarding the usability of the system and assured the Chairman that efforts had been made to identify the appropriate national bodies responsible in order to raise these issues.

(v).     A Member of the Panel asked how the outcomes of online reports were monitored and whether submissions were actively reviewed or risked not being actioned. In response, the Chief Executive of the OPCC outlined that all online reports were triaged in the same way as reports received via the 101 service. Each submission was reviewed by staff and assessed for appropriate follow-up or investigation. Assurance was provided that all reports were actively managed within the system and did not go unaddressed.

(vi).    A Panel member raised concerns about whether the increased volume of contact could negatively impact service provision, particularly for individuals experiencing genuine emergencies. The PCC acknowledged that increased demand inherently carried some level of risk. However, he advised that the triage system in place was effective in prioritising incidents according to urgency, supported by well-trained staff within the contact centre. Emergency calls (999) continued to be answered promptly in the majority of cases, with performance closely monitored by both the Commissioner and the Temporary Chief Constable. It was noted that additional investment had been made into the contact centre in recent years to maintain service standards. Further assurance was provided that emergency calls were typically answered within national performance standards and that response performance remained strong. It was emphasised that members of the public experiencing an emergency should continue to dial 999 with confidence that their calls would be answered promptly.

(vii).   The PCC placed on record his appreciation for contact centre staff, acknowledging the challenging and demanding nature of their work and commending their professionalism in dealing with high-pressure situations.

(viii).  The Chairman highlighted the report’s indication that, due to financial pressures, the number of additional full-time equivalent posts in the contact centre had reduced and that further resources would be required to achieve improvements in performance.

RESOLVED:

That the report outlining how the Police and Crime Commissioner was fulfilling his duty by securing efficient and effective policing for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland and holding the Force to account in relation to contact demand and calls performance, be noted.