Agenda item

To enable Cabinet to give consideration to recommendations made by the Community Leadership and Partnerships Committee in respect of the above.

That the Enforcement and Community Safety Portfolio Holder’s response be endorsed that:-

Cabinet notes and supports the comments of the Committee and agrees that a letter be sent to the Home Office as suggested and that all other Essex District and Borough Councils also be encouraged to provide their active support to address the current funding situation

Cabinet was informed that, at its meeting held on 14 November 2016, the Community Leadership and Partnerships Committee had welcomed the new Police and Crime Commissioner (Roger Hirst).

Mr Hirst had informed the Committee that he had been elected on 12 May 2016 and he explained what the three primary purposes of his role were, namely:

·         to hold the Chief Constable to account;

·         to be responsible for the setting of Police budgets and Council Tax; and

·         to set the police strategy for Essex.

Mr Hirst had explained that Essex Police were funded by two-thirds from Council Tax with the final third coming from Central Government. He believed this was not appropriate for Essex, which had below average funding which was due to a crime rate lower than average figure.

Mr Hirst had then given details on the seven priorities of his Police and Crime Plan which were:

• More local, visible and accessible policing;
• Crack down on anti-social behaviour;
• Be tough on domestic abuse;
• Reverse the trend in serious violence;
• Tackle gangs and organised crime;
• Protect vulnerable children and vulnerable people from harm; and
• Improve Safety on the County’s roads.

Questions and comments from Members of the Committee had included road safety in Jaywick, increased crime in Harwich, lack of resources for the Police, anti-social behaviour with cash points and bookies being raided, Police Community Support Officers (PCSO’s), domestic violence rates, children’s clubs being too costly to use, the telephone support service of 101 being slow to respond to calls and a lack of visible policing.

The Community Safety Manager (Leanne Thornton) had then delivered a presentation, which had provided Members with an overview of the work of the Community Safety Partnership (CSP) and how it engaged with its statutory partners, Essex Community Rehabilitation Company (Probation); Essex County Council; Essex Police; Tendring District Council; Essex County Fire and Rescue; Community Voluntary Services Tendring; North East Essex NHS and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Essex.

That presentation had also addressed the following Community Safety Priorities within the Community Safety Hub:

·                Tackling Anti-social behaviour;

·                Protecting Vulnerable People (Crime and Fear of Crime);

·                Reducing drug and alcohol misuse within communities; and

·                Reducing re-offending

Leanne Thornton had also provided information on a wide and varied number of projects which had been undertaken by the Hub during the past year including a Day of Action with a number of agencies working together, the Reducing the Strength of Alcohol campaign, Safer Seafronts, engaging with Safer Lives who worked with domestic abuse victims, Crucial Crew and the Stay Safe Programme for older people with learning disabilities.

Julia Finch (Local Police and Partnership Inspector) had reported on Anti-Social Behaviour which was for identifying and supporting repeat and vulnerable victims, improving perceptions and facilitating local problem solving to address various issues. Examples of where new anti social behaviour powers had been used were also provided.

Richard Eastwood (the Council’s Community Safety Support Worker) explained his work with vulnerable people, which was a multi-role working with partners in collaboration.

Further information had been given concerning the work by Les Nicoll (Essex County Fire & Rescue Service) and Kirsty Gibbons (Essex County Fire & Rescue Service) on the Fire Services’ Firebreak programme and work to reduce re-offending.

The Community Leadership and Partnerships Committee had also agreed to make recommendations to Cabinet as follows:

(a)  that the Leader writes to the Home Office to express dissatisfaction with the current government financial support for the Essex Police and to call for a fairer funding settlement for Essex Police; and

(b)  that Cabinet endorses the good and varied work being undertaken by the Community Safety Partnership and that Cabinet promotes and resources this as much as possible.

The Enforcement and Community Safety Portfolio Holder had considered the Community Leadership and Partnerships Committee’s recommendations and had responded as follows:-

“It is recommended that:-

Cabinet notes and supports the comments of the Committee and agrees that a letter be sent to the Home Office as suggested and that all other Essex District and Borough Councils also be encouraged to provide their active support to address the current funding situation.”

Having considered the recommendations of the Community Leadership and Partnerships Committee and the Portfolio Holder’s response thereto:-

It was moved by Councillor G V Guglielmi, seconded by Councillor Watling and:

RESOLVED that the Enforcement and Community Safety Portfolio Holder’s response be endorsed.