To sign and confirm as a correct record the minutes of the EGM held on 22 November 2024 and the minutes of the meeting held on 22 November 2024.

The minutes from the meeting held 22 November 2024 were agreed as a true and accurate record.

Members will be asked to make any declaration of interest in respect of items on this agenda.

There were no declarations of interest.

To receive questions from (and provide answers to) members of the public that are relevant to the panel’s functions.

Questions should be no longer than 100 words and sent to Democratic Support, Plymouth City Council, Floor 3, Ballard House, West Hoe Road, Plymouth, PL1 3BJ or democratic.support@plymouth.gov.uk

Questions must be received at least 5 complete working days before the meeting.

There were no questions from members of the public.

Alison Hernandez (Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Police and Crime Commissioner) introduced the item and highlighted the following points:

a)    Theft had been added into the Police and Crime Plan, which included burglary and shoplifting;

b)    The Police and Crime Plan was launched in late January 2025;

c)    The budget survey noted an increased public approval rate of the value for money provided by the policing precept, as well as a rise in confidence in the services delivered by Devon and Cornwall Police and was higher than the national picture;

d)    Alcohol had been added in to the Police and Crime Plan due to being a key driver for crime;

e)    Violence was a big challenge and the Commissioner outlined that she wanted to tackle crimes such as domestic abuse, rape and Child and Sexual Abuse in her term of office;

f)     Radical ideas and partnership working with local authorities were needed to intervene in violent crime;

g)    It was highlighted that the Police has maintained record police officer numbers in Devon and Cornwall, with 3,610 in total;

h)    There were 9,128 extra patrol hours carried out in the busy summer period, which led to 127 arrests, The Commissioner outlined that she would like to continue with this through the budget proposals as the funding for hotspot policing did not continue into 2025/26;

i)     The opening of Ivybridge Police Inquiry Office and Tavistock Police Inquiry Office would take place in February 2025 with Liskeard and Exeter opening in late 2025;

j)     Improvements were made in Public contact;

k)    It was noted that in an emergency, Police would pick up the phone within 10 seconds 94% of the time, and in a non-emergency, the Police would answer 83% within 10 minutes;

l)     Thanks were expressed to the police for their swift prosecution of offenders and for bringing an end to the disorder associated with the Plymouth riots in August 2024;

m)  Devon and Cornwall Police seized assets worth £2.8 million pounds from Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan with £1.2 million pounds of the money claimed, being earmarked for policing, in Devon and Cornwall and would be spent on Violence Against Women and Girls efforts;

n)    Resources would be reallocated against priorities to ensure value for money;

o)    Savings of £16.5 million pounds would be required in the budget, to meet a sustainable plan for the following four years;

p)    £6.5 million pounds of those savings, were included in the proposed budget for 2025/2026;

q)    The Commissioner announced that the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) had confirmed an allocation of £1.3 million for the award-winning prisoners building homes program and there were plans to build over 180 homes in the South West;

r)    30,251 victims of crime were supported in 2023-2024;

s)     Honourable thanks were given to the Vision Zero Road Safety collaboration across the peninsula;

t)     A formal introduction was given for Interim Chief Constable James Vaughan who started his post in December 2024.

u)  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

In response to questions raised it was reported that:

The Panel ­agreed to note the report.

The Panel agreed to write a letter to HMICFRS and the Home Secretary that the delay in coming to a conclusion around the issues of suspension for Chief Constables from the Devon Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Police force was costing the region in lost leadership time as well as lost financial costs incurred.

Frances Hughes (Chief Executive) advised the Panel that there were no new complaints about the Commissioner.

The Panel agreed to note the report.

The Panel agreed to note its tracking decision log.

The Panel agreed to add the following to the work programme:

·         Custody suite developments

·         Estates Strategy 

·         Hate Crime (including the Commissioners Hate Crime Deep dive)

·         Rural and urban anti-social behaviour