Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed Councillor Jim Sinnott to the Panel as the new representative of Warwick District Council.

The Chair reported that he had recently attended the National Conference for Police (Fire) and Crime Panels where there had been discussion between panels of approaches to address key issues of national importance, including vetting. There was an opportunity to gather panels’ findings into a central resource. This could be supported by the National Association of Police (Fire) and Crime Panels (NAPFCP).

To receive any apologies from members of the Panel.

Apologies were received from Councillor Dave Humphreys and Councillor Ray Jarvis.

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 confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 21 September 2023.

It was resolved that the minutes of the meeting held on 21 September 2023 be confirmed as an accurate record and signed by the Chair.

Dr Denise Taylor and Ms Martina Irwin were welcomed to the meeting and invited to put their questions to the Panel and Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).

Dr Taylor highlighted the importance of effective policing of the Warwickshire Hunt, which since August 2023 had been active several times a week. She stated that Warwickshire Police had issued a Community Protection Notice (CPN) on the Warwickshire Hunt on the grounds of anti-social behaviour and disregard of road safety. In August 2023, the Force had withdrawn the CPN in favour of a privately agreed protocol. Requests for details to be disclosed had been refused on the grounds that the protocol had been classified as exempt from publication under Section 32 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Dr Taylor stated that, since mid-August 2023, evidence had been submitted by hunt monitors, wildlife groups, and others showing that Warwickshire Hunt continued to act unlawfully by disrupting traffic and trespassing on gardens and private land. She stated that trackers had been unlawfully placed on hunt monitors’ vehicles with one female monitor being actively and illegally stalked.

Dr Taylor stated that the agreement between the Force and Warwickshire Hunt specified that the Hunt ensure that hounds be kept under control and that road safety training be provided to members of the Hunt. Filmed evidence submitted to Warwickshire Police showed that these conditions were not being followed. Several official complaints had been submitted to the Chief Constable and PCC. She stated that these complaints had not been adequately addressed with standard letters being issued using the instrument of Section 32 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Dr Taylor stated that Warwickshire Hunt continued to act with impunity. This suggested that the private arrangement between the Force and Warwickshire Hunt was ineffective. She requested that the Panel seek assurance from the PCC that measures were in place to ensure the effective policing of Warwickshire Hunt in relation to community protection and road safety. She asked that the Panel request that the PCC clarify what action would be taken to address official complaints submitted to the Force in relation to Warwickshire Hunt’s activities.

Ms Irwin stated that her question was on behalf of concerned members of the public, including West Midlands Hunt Saboteurs and their followers. She emphasised that the actions of Warwickshire Hunt had attracted widespread public interest. She stated that hunt monitors had recently been told by police officers to leave a public highway and threatened with breaching the peace. She requested that the Panel seek the Commissioner’s view of what action should be taken to ensure that police officers demonstrate no prejudice or bias towards hunt monitors and other law-abiding members of the public.

The Chair moved that the questions be referred to the PCC. This was seconded by Councillor Poole and agreed unanimously by the Panel.

In response to the question presented by Dr Taylor, the Commissioner emphasised that his role did not encompass operational control of the police force. He advised that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1(4)

The Report is attached for consideration and comment by the Panel.

The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) presented his report which provided an update on key activities since the meeting of the Panel in September 2023. He reported that Home Office funding of approximately £1m had been secured to support the objectives of the Serious Violence Prevention Strategy. He advised that a Partnership Delivery Group had been established to address Serious and Organised Crime (SOC). Discussions were also ongoing with neighbouring police forces and the Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) to combat SOC.

In respect of police officer numbers, the Commissioner advised that the latest figures showed that the Force now had 1,127 officers. This would lead to better visibility of policing. He advised that recruitment for the Police Constable Entry Programme (PCEP) would begin in June 2024. This two-year course provided an additional entry route into policing and had attracted a good level of interest.

The Commissioner provided an update on the ‘Right Care, Right Person’ (RCRP) initiative, stating that it would provide a means to work more closely with mental health professionals to ensure that mental health calls for service could be treated by appropriately qualified individuals. There would be a phased introduction with the intention of RCRP being fully in place by the end of 2024. The progress of the initiative would be monitored closely.

The Commissioner advised that funding of £1m had been secured from Round 5 of the Safer Streets Fund. This money had been allocated to borough and district councils to support community safety initiatives across Warwickshire.

The Commissioner advised that work was underway in partnership with the Probation Service to progress the Community Payback scheme. This initiative provided an option to allocate community work to offenders as part of an out of court settlement. Attention would be given to identifying locations which had been subject to repeated anti-social behaviour which would benefit from being cleaned up. He requested that councillors contact him if they had suggestions for areas in need of attention.

In response to Andrew Davies, the Commissioner advised that the Local Criminal Justice Board, which he chaired, provided a forum for the relevant agencies to review criminal justice outcomes and performance. A focus on criminal justice matters was supported by a specialist policy officer within the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) as well as data supplied by the Force’s Criminal Justice Department. He stated that the most significant concern was the ongoing backlog in the Crown Courts. Recently, two additional Crown Courts had been opened in Warwickshire which would help to reduce the backlog. However, there was a national shortage of judges as well as a declining number of criminal barristers. The Government had acknowledged these difficulties, and criminal justice agencies were working in partnership to seek an improvement. He recognised the impact that delays had on victims of crime. The introduction of a national reporting mechanism (which required all police forces to record criminal justice statistics) would make it possible to compare performance across force areas.

The Deputy  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.

A report examining the work undertaken by Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs).

The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) introduced the report which provided an overview of arrangements for Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs). A meeting had been scheduled with CSP chairs on 1 December 2023 to examine future arrangements in detail.

Councillor Poole highlighted the funding amounts awarded by the PCC between 2017/18 and 2023/24 to each of the CSPs (on page 48 of the agenda pack). There were disparities between the amounts provided to each CSP – for example, Rugby CSP had received £160,618 whereas Nuneaton and Bedworth CSP had received £499,793. He queried why this had been the case.

Polly Reed (Chief Executive, OPCC) advised that funding allocations to CSPs had been determined in various ways. More recently, a bidding process had been adopted whereby CSPs were encouraged to bid for funding for specific projects. A revised arrangement was under consideration which would allocate funding more equitably. She highlighted that PCC grant funding to CSPs was supplemented by national funding (such as from the Safer Streets Fund).

The Commissioner highlighted the complexities of determining funding allocations which required consideration of multiple factors to arrive at a balanced evaluation. It was regularly reviewed.

In response to Councillor Brown, the Commissioner advised that applications for grant funding were assessed against the priorities of the Police and Crime Plan. Detailed evaluation was required to ensure that money was allocated fairly and to areas where the need was most urgent.

The Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner (DPCC) stated that policy officers within the OPCC were willing to provide support and guidance to council officers when preparing applications for funding.

Councillor Golby stated that the Communities Team at Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council (NBBC) was proactive and able to identify areas where funding was most needed. Additional funding had been received in recognition of the need for investment within the Borough as well as because of proactive work by the Communities Team.

Councillor Brown stated that it had been helpful to review how funding allocations were determined. She suggested that guidance from the OPCC and sharing of best practice between CSPs would help to ensure parity across applications for funding from each borough and district, improving the likelihood of funding being awarded more evenly.

Polly Reed advised that a focus on these areas was proposed at the upcoming meeting of CSP chairs. The meeting would also examine the types and level of crime data provided by Warwickshire Police to CSPs.

To consider any issues flagged by Community Safety Partnerships, providing a means for community concerns that have high-level, strategic implications to be discussed by the Panel and Commissioner.

Councillor Poole reported that two reviews had recently been undertaken by Rugby CSP leading to updated Terms of Reference being produced. These would be agreed at the next CSP meeting with input from the Commissioner or his representative.

An update of the Group’s meeting on 17 November 2023.

The Chair of the Working Group, Councillor Barbara Brown, provided an update to the Panel of the Group’s recent meeting on 17 November 2023.

Councillor Brown reported that:

·       Consideration had been given to the Performance Scrutiny Report prepared for the Governance and Performance Board (GPB) meeting due to be held between the Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable on 5 December 2023.

·       The Group learned that performance data was now more readily available following ICT upgrades by the Force. This would provide a valuable tool for scrutiny.

·       The Group also received a report examining Environmental Sustainability including details of the Commissioner and Chief Constable’s areas of focus to reduce emissions, establish an organisational awareness of sustainability goals, reduce waste, and ensure that procurement decisions take account of environmental objectives. She emphasised the complexity of work in these areas. For example, attention had been given to the suitability of electric vehicles for policing where difficulties could be experienced due to EV range and performance.

·       The Group was encouraged to hear that the OPCC was seeking to appoint a Strategic Estate and Asset Manager to develop an Estates Strategy that would be aligned with environmental objectives.

·       The Group expressed its view that a developed plan was required which tracked and measured performance. It would be important to measure carbon savings and to ensure that decision making was guided by an informed understanding of which interventions would have the greatest impact. It was recognised by the Group that this was a long-term undertaking.

·       The Group would focus on Cyber Crime at its next meeting in March 2024.

In response to Councillor Fradgley, Polly Reed (Chief Executive, OPCC) advised that environmental sustainability work was ongoing across the organisation prior to development of a formal plan. The role of the Strategic Estate and Asset Manager, once recruited, would encompass drawing these activities together into a unified plan.

The Commissioner agreed that a strategic plan was required. He highlighted that good progress had been made to install solar panels, EV charging facilities, new boilers, and double glazing across the police estate.

Andrew Davies highlighted that long-term investment would be required to address climate change. There was a need for business cases to reflect this and for any monitoring of the budget to take account of the timescales for investment.

It was resolved that the Environmental Sustainability Strategic Plan be added to the Panel’s Work Programme for an update to be provided once development of the Plan was underway. This would allow a focus on how long-term progress could be measured to reduce carbon impacts.

To consider and review the Panel’s Work Programme.

The Environmental Sustainability Strategy would be added to the Work Programme. The OPCC would be consulted to determine an appropriate meeting date to review the Strategic Plan in 2024.

To note the arrangements for future meetings.

Meetings will start at 2pm, unless specified otherwise. The following meetings are scheduled to be held at Shire Hall, Warwick:

·       5 February 2024

·       7 March 2024

·       20 June 2024

·       26 September 2024

·       21 November 2024

·       3 February 2025

·       13 March 2025

The Panel noted the dates of 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 3 of Schedule 12A of Part 1 of the Local Government Act 1972’.

As there were no complaints to consider, there was no requirement to enter confidential session.

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

There was none.