To receive any apologies from members of the Panel.

Apologies were received from Councillor Ian Davison and Councillor Clare Golby.

Councillor Julian Gutteridge (Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council) was present as a substitute for Councillor Golby.

Members are required to register their disclosable pecuniary interests within 28 days of their election of appointment to the Council. ?Any changes to matters registered or new matters that require to be registered must be notified to the Monitoring Officer as soon as practicable after they arise.

A member attending a meeting where a matter arises in which they have a disclosable pecuniary interest must (unless ?they have a dispensation):

•        Declare the interest if ?they have not already registered it

•        Not participate in any discussion or vote

•        Leave the meeting room until the matter has been dealt with

•        Give written notice of any unregistered interest to the Monitoring Officer within 28 days of the meeting

Non-pecuniary interests relevant to the agenda should be declared at the commencement of the meeting.

The public reports referred to are available on the Warwickshire Web https://democracy.warwickshire.gov.uk/uuCoverPage.aspx?bcr=1

There was none.

To consider the minutes of the meeting held on 17 November 2022.

Resolved:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 17 November 2022 be confirmed as an accurate record and signed by the Chair.

There were no matters arising.

There was none.

To consider the Police and Crime Commissioner’s proposed precept for 2023/24 and make a report to the Commissioner on the proposals by 8 February 2023.

The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) presented his proposed Budget for Warwickshire Police including a proposed increase of £14.00 (5.3%) in the local policing precept for an average Band D property (and equivalent percentage increase for other bands) for the 2023/24 financial year.

The Commissioner emphasised that the responsibility to formulate an annual budget for Warwickshire Police was treated with seriousness and considerable research had been undertaken prior to finalising the Budget. He stated that the Budget was a financial blueprint not just for policing, but for many initiatives that made a significant contribution to community safety, crime reduction, and support for victims of crime across Warwickshire.

The Commissioner reported that considerable engagement with the public, including the ‘Your Police, Your Views’ consultation, had been undertaken prior to setting the Budget. The survey found that there was majority support for an increase in the precept, provided it would lead to tangible benefits to policing. Engagement with the public had shown that continued improvements in the accessibility, visibility, and quality of policing were priorities for residents. He accepted that many households faced financial pressures and that any increase in the precept presented difficulties. However, policing had also been impacted by current economic circumstances, including rising costs for fuel, energy, and goods and services as well as the need to ensure fair wage increases for those working for Warwickshire Police to contend with the cost of living.

The Commissioner stated that, whilst there had been a welcomed increase in central government funding for 2023/24, this alone would not provide the level of funding required to protect services. For this reason, efficiency savings of approximately £1m would be brought forward. These savings could be achieved by optimising recent investment in ICT systems without putting jobs at risk. He advised that unavoidable cost pressures meant that, even to stand still, an increased budget was required. This left little alternative other than to increase the precept. However, he emphasised that in doing so, it would be necessary to demonstrate that every penny provided by residents delivered a tangible improvement to police services.

The Commissioner stated that his Budget sought to deliver against public priorities for policing, providing the Chief Constable with the resources to:

·       Further expand policing – supported by the introduction of 10 additional police officers deployed within local policing to improve police visibility.

·       Increase capacity within the Control Room by the addition of 15 extra call handlers – this would improve the public’s experience of contacting Warwickshire Police and help to reduce call waiting times.

·       Provide an improved service to the public by establishing customer resolution centres at the main police stations of Leamington, Nuneaton, Rugby, and Stratford (with extended opening hours, seven days a week).

·       Strengthen Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNTs) by proactive recruitment to vacancies of Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) leading to improved stability within teams.

·       Recruit more Special Constables – increasing the level of support provided to officers.

·       Implement a new geographically-based policing model with command centres in the north,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.

To consider any issues flagged by Community Safety Partnerships, providing a means for community concerns that have high-level, strategic implications to be raised at Panel meetings.

No issues were raised by the CSPs.

To consider and review the Panel’s Work Programme.

The Panel noted the Work Programme.

It was resolved that the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) item would be delegated to the Planning and Performance Working Group for future consideration.

To note the arrangements for future meetings. All Police and Crime Panel meetings start at 2pm, unless specified otherwise. The following meetings are scheduled to be held at Shire Hall, Warwick:

·       6 April 2023

·       22 June 2023

·       21 September 2023

·       16 November 2023

·       5 February 2024

·       4 April 2024

The Panel noted the dates of the future meetings.

At the discretion of the Chair, items may be raised which are considered urgent (please notify Democratic Services in advance of the meeting).

There was none.

To consider passing the following resolution:

‘That members of the public be excluded from the meeting for the items mentioned below on the grounds that their presence would involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 7 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.’

Resolved:

That members of the public be excluded from the meeting for the items mentioned below on the grounds that their presence would involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 7 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

To consider any complaints received and considered regarding the conduct of the Police and Crime Commissioner.

It was confirmed that no complaints had been received since the last meeting.