Agenda item

To consider the report on a review of Community Safety issues for Spelthorne Borough Council during the period 2017-2018.

The Committee will also be pleased to hear from Surrey Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) on community safety matters, and A2D on their work with the Spelthorne Safer Stronger Partnership.

The Group Head for Neighbourhood Services presented her report on a review of Community Safety for 2017-18 which covered the key issues facing the Spelthorne Safer Stronger Partnership in reducing crime and combatting anti-social behaviour. The report provided police data on specific crimes and highlighted the actions being taken to address the priorities of the Partnership covering: serious and organised crime, Closed Circuit Television, community engagement and water safety.

Temporary Borough Inspector Maxine Cilia gave an update on policing in Spelthorne since she took the post in February 2018 including: a dedicated police officer for Stanwell, resources allocated to safeguarding those at risk from high harm of ‘cuckooing’, working on the key priorities of dwelling burglary, high harm, domestic abuse, and making sure victims of crime are cared for properly. 

Dawn Whiteman, Director of Housing and Lilian Buttle, anti-social behaviour manager at A2Dominion spoke about their initiatives in Stanwell to address anti-social behaviour and improve community engagement. These included: problem individuals referred to meet support needs; improving victim reporting of ASB via face-to-face opportunities through door-knocking and drop-in centre. Ms Whiteman gave an overview of activities and events held at the Stanwell Rose Community Centre around youth development, health and well-being and community cohesion and provided a pack for members with detail about these activities (attached to these minutes).

Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner David Munro gave a presentation (attached to these minutes) outlining his role, the structure of the police force in Spelthorne and his main concerns which included:

·         Anti-social behaviour (Most residents do not come into contact with high impact crime)

·         Burglary – this has gone up in Surrey and nationally, partly due to changes in categorisation. A lot of offenders had been arrested, charged and were in prison due to ‘old fashioned’ police work.

·         Child Exploitation (CE)

·         Domestic Abuse – still under reported and not taken seriously enough.

·         Drugs/Alcohol offences - Running a campaign this autumn to remind people who is affected by users use of drugs

·         Fraud

·         Modern Slavery

·         Unauthorised Encampments – police will treat criminality wherever it occurs but need evidence to charge any individual. The police think there is a serious gap in Surrey as there are no transit camps. This would give somewhere for the Travellers to go and it would enable the police to move unauthorised encampments on to such a site.

Members of the Committee asked questions about the crime data, community engagement, the 101 service and problems caused by the use of nitrous oxide gas cartridges.

Inspector Cilia offered to clarify some of the crime data, following the meeting. She detailed the community engagement work being done through local police panels, social media panels, initiating a cadet scheme in Spelthorne, Partnership Action Days (PADs) with the JET (Joint Enforcement) team, Crime Stoppers bus and promotion of police information by their Volunteer section.

Mr Munro stated that the 101 service was now working well following a lot of effort in making improvements. The number of calls had increased and in order that the service was sustainable into the future he wanted people to go online to report wherever possible.

He promised to take up the matter of youths using nitrous oxide canisters and the fact that these have not been included in recent legislation on psychoactive substances, which meant the police had no powers to deal with the problems caused by its use other than anti-social behaviour.

The Leader, Councillor Ian Harvey, commented that Surrey Leaders and Chief Executives were meeting at the end of the month to address the issue of a transit site in Surrey with other stakeholders.

Resolved to:

1)    Note the report on a review of Community Safety, subject to receiving clarity on some of the police data

2)    Commend A2D on their targeted work in Stanwell and

3)      Thanked Inspector Cilia, David Munro, Dawn Whiteman and Lilian Buttle for attending the meeting.