Agenda item

The report is attached.

The Police and Crime Commissioner introduced the report. He observed that, when the Panel met in March 2020, the wider implications of the COVID-19 crisis were not yet apparent. He confirmed that as an outcome of the postponed Police and Crime Commissioner elections, his term in office had been extended to May 2021. He advised that a COVID-19 Supplement to his Police and Crime Plan had been produced to address the change in circumstances brought about by the pandemic.

The Police and Crime Commissioner reported that the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) had adapted well to the constraints imposed by the outbreak of coronavirus with personnel working from home and holding meetings remotely. He reported that an increase in correspondence from members of the public had been observed but that the OPCC had reacted efficiently to the additional pressures. He advised that his weekly meetings with the Chief Constable had continued during the period of lockdown and the process of challenging and holding the Force to account was undiminished.

The Police and Crime Commissioner advised that he had provided funding to the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust to support research initiatives examining race relations and inclusivity in policing. He denounced the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and acknowledged the global impact of this event, including six demonstrations in support of the Black Lives Matter movement within Warwickshire. He advised that Warwickshire Police had liaised effectively with the organisers of the demonstrations, and with the wider community, to ensure that the right to peaceful protest could be exercised safely. He stated that, throughout his tenure as Commissioner, he had promoted equality and sought to address racism in every aspect of policing.

The Police and Crime Commissioner advised that of the approximate 1027 police officers within Warwickshire Police, 5% were of black, Asian or minority ethnic (BAME) heritage. He added that amongst staff the figures showed that 8% of the 833 employees were of BAME heritage; of the 92 Police Community Support Officers in the County, 10% were of BAME heritage; and amongst Special Constables (89), 8% came from a BAME background. He commented that these statistics showed that Warwickshire Police was performing well as an organisation that represented the population demographics of the area. However, he emphasised that BAME police officers were still underrepresented within the Force. To address this, a ‘positive action’ programme had been developed to engage with BAME communities and encourage individuals to consider a career in policing. He reported that this approach had already attracted candidates who had expressed an interest in joining the organisation.

The Police and Crime Commissioner stated that there was evidence to suggest that stop and search practices impacted disproportionately upon BAME individuals in the County. However, he highlighted that 40% of individuals of BAME heritage who were subject to stop and search interventions in the past year were not resident in the County.

The Police and Crime Commissioner advised that a research project had been instigated to address the issues raised by the Black Lives Matter movement and examine the level of service provision for BAME communities. He advised that the findings of the review would feedback into the Force and partner agencies to react appropriately.

The Police and Crime Commissioner stated that a Strategic Alliance termination agreement had been reached that included provision of a settlement of £10.77million from West Mercia Police to Warwickshire Police. He reported that half of this sum had been received and it was anticipated that the remaining amount would be paid by West Mercia Police over a period of 12 months.

He advised that four services (IT, Forensics, Transactional Services and File Storage) were subject to a Section 22 Agreement with West Mercia Police to enable continued joint service provision for an interim period up to April 2021 (with an option to extend, if necessary). He added that, after this date, it was anticipated that Warwickshire Police would enter into a partnership agreement with West Midlands Police for the provision of IT Services, Forensics and Transactional Services. He reported that Warwickshire Police had committed to investing in a continued service hosted by West Mercia Police for file storage facilities, however, he emphasised that this would not a permanent arrangement as the retention periods for the items stored were finite.

The Police and Crime Commissioner stressed that Warwickshire Police had responded effectively to the challenges posed by the termination of the Alliance; it held reasonable funding reserves and a robust budget.

The Police and Crime Commissioner reported that the additional council tax revenue secured by increases in the precept had been utilised to strengthen Patrol Services including bases at Bedworth, Coleshill, Stratford upon Avon and Alcester; he emphasised that this would improve emergency response times.

The Police and Crime Commissioner reported that two Vehicle Crime Teams had been established with bases at Bedworth and Greys Mallory (near Warwick). He added that these teams would focus on the causes of vehicle crime and that conditions following lockdown had improved detection rates in this area.

The Police and Crime Commissioner reported that proposals to reinforce the Rural Crime Team were due to take effect shortly with separate teams operating in the north and south of the County. He added that Warwickshire Police had consolidated policing numbers to over 1000 officers which represented delivery of a key priority of his Police and Crime Plan; recent figures showed that Warwickshire Police had recruited more new police officers as a percentage of its overall strength than any other police force in England and Wales.

The Police and Crime Commissioner reported that disruption resulting from the outbreak of coronavirus had negatively impacted upon the criminal justice system and prevented cases from being brought to the courts in a timely manner. To address the backlog of cases, the Commissioner advised that he had taken steps towards the introduction of ‘Nightingale Courts’ which would see public buildings such as leisure centres or town halls adapted for use by the courts. He emphasised that this would not only benefit the delivery of justice but also provide reassurance to the victims of crime.

The Police and Crime Commissioner reported that, to date in the 2020/21 period, a total of £2.25million had been awarded in grant funding to service providers in support of the objectives of his Police and Crime Plan. He stated that measures had been enacted to award funding ahead of schedule to some organisations that had experienced challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He advised that a new fund had been established to provide additional support to service providers which had been most affected by the virus. He emphasised that the increased demand for services to address domestic abuse during the lockdown period had been treated as a priority. Of the commissioned grant services, he advised that these had continued to operate a robust ongoing service without personnel being furloughed.

In response to Andy Davis, the Police and Crime Commissioner acknowledged that there was a disappointing lack of representation from BAME communities amongst senior level Warwickshire Police personnel. He advised that he had challenged the Force on this issue and would continue to do so, however, in order to improve representation a vacancy would need to arise. He added that prospect of creating a new Chief Superintendent post to redress the racial imbalance had been ruled out due to budgetary constraints. The Commissioner advised that levels of BAME representation amongst sergeant and inspector ranks was good within the County.

Within the OPCC, the Police and Crime Commissioner advised that levels of representation were very good with two members of staff from a total of 12 being of BAME heritage, with a third BAME colleague due to join the organisation in September 2020.

Zeynab Gamieldien (Development and Policy Lead, Criminal Justice and Equality, OPCC) stated that the recruitment, retention and progression of BAME personnel within the Force had been identified as priorities. She advised that the ‘positive action’ initiative had placed an emphasis on issues of trust and confidence in policing to encourage applications from underrepresented communities. She added that the Force and the OPCC had enacted measures to develop coaching and mentoring strategies, and to examine the barriers to the progression of BAME officers to higher ranks. She emphasised that this was a long-term project but that its progress would be closely monitored. The Chair recommended that attention be given to the scope of BAME officers to escalate their concerns to the Force leadership during the adoption of this process.

In response to Councillor Davison, the Police and Crime Commissioner stated that he had introduced measures to examine the disproportionate impact of ‘stop and search’ practices on BAME individuals. He reported that body worn video technology had been deployed to provide an accurate record of interventions which provided an assurance to both the individual being searched and the officer. He commented that he had been satisfied with the Chief Constable’s response to his challenge on this issue to date, but that the disproportionality of ‘stop and search’ interventions was symptomatic of a broader societal problem which required wider consideration.

Councillor O’Rourke commented that, in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests, the demand for transparency in public sector recruitment exercises was more urgent than ever. She asked the Police and Crime Commissioner if it would be appropriate to follow the example of Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands Combined Authority, in mandating the presence of at least one BAME individual on recruitment panels. She asked if scope to do so had been factored into the partnership agreement with West Midlands Police.

The Police and Crime Commissioner responded to say that work in partnership with West Midlands Police would ensure that recruitment procedures were fair to BAME candidates and in-line with the principles of the ‘positive action’ scheme. Zeynab Gamieldien added that a recommendation emerging from the ‘positive action’ initiative would enable a community representative to be present on interviewing panels when appropriate.

In response to Councillor Fradgley, Zeynab Gamieldien acknowledged that the rate of BAME individuals leaving the Force was disproportionately high. She commented that this was a national trend and that it had been proved that BAME officers were more likely to be the subject of complaints from the public. She advised that the ‘positive action’ team would examine the causes of individual cases of BAME employees leaving the Force and that the Professional Standards Department would enact measures to ensure that unconscious bias training was available throughout the organisation. The Police and Crime Commissioner highlighted the importance of a robust complaints and grievances procedure for these incidences.

In response to Councillor Fradgley, the Chair advocated that this matter be examined in more detail as an agenda item at the November meeting of the Panel.

Action:

Democratic Services to liaise with the Chair to coordinate a request from the Panel to the OPCC for a response to the issue of the disproportionately high rate of BAME personnel leaving Warwickshire Police Force.

In response to Councillor Whalley-Hoggins, the Police and Crime Commissioner advised that the urgency of responding to bids for funding of services most affected by the outbreak of coronavirus (such as support for the victims of domestic violence) had been acknowledged. He stated that proper procedures needed to be observed but that the OPCC had demonstrated deftness in expediting the process for those organisations most in need.

In response to Councillor Whalley-Hoggins, Sara Ansell (Chief Finance Officer, OPCC) advised that the settlement money received from West Mercia Police would be added to reserves; the Reserve Strategy would show how this money would be reapportioned. In respect of payments to pension funds, Sara Ansell advised that the projected increased contribution to the LGPS scheme would be factored into budgetary plans; and that funding from reserves would be drawn upon to support the Police Pensions Scheme in anticipation of balanced income and expenditure for this scheme in the period beyond 2022.