Decision details

Cabinet considered the recommendation from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on measures to deal with anti-social behaviour in Staines Town Centre. It also considered a report from the Group Head of Neighbourhood Services which outlined the background to the formation of the Joint Enforcement Team (JET) and explained its role.

The JET was formed to deal with the anti-social issues that most affected residents i.e. fly tipping, dog fouling, littering, community protection issues and public open space incursions. It was not the role of the JET to deal with criminal offences.

The report explained that although JET officers were based at the Council’s depot and had never been co-located with the Police at the Council offices in Knowle Green, they had always integrated and worked well with the Police.

Cabinet noted that if it supported the recommendation of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and agreed to the expansion of the JET, this would create additional and on-going staffing and operational costs for the Council at a time when it needs to find savings across services due to cuts to funding, rising costs and increasing demand for key services.

Cabinet was grateful to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for drawing this matter to its attention and acknowledged that this was an issue that needed addressing. Cabinet therefore agreed to ask the Chief Executive to write to the Chief Constable, copying the Police and Crime Commissioner, about the Council’s concerns and request the necessary level of visible police presence in Staines-upon-Thames town centre on a Sunday afternoon to deter incidents of anti-social behaviour.

Resolved:

1.    to ask the Chief Executive to write to the Chief Constable, copying the Police and Crime Commissioner, about the Council’s concerns and request the necessary level of visible police presence in Staines-upon-Thames town centre on a Sunday afternoon to deter incidents of anti-social behaviour; and

2.    not to accept the recommendation of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for the following reasons:

·         it was not the role of JET to deal with criminal offences;

·         the recent change in the policing model and police officers moving out of Knowle Green did not have a detrimental effect on the ability of the JET to integrate with the Police; and

·         theexpansion of the JET would create additional and on-going staffing and operational costs for the Council at a time when it needs to find savings across services.