a)     

The Force hosted an outstanding Policing and security operation at the G7 Summit in Cornwall;

b)     

Had operated during the busiest point in the summer due an increase in the number of staycation holidays;

c)     

Provided immediate response and support following the tragic events in Keyham in August 2021;

d)     

The Police force had dealt with 956,306 requests for help and 20,023 victims of crime that required extra support. 18,668 detainees within the Police force’s care;

e)     

There had been an increased recruitment drive within the service;

f)      

The Commissioners priorities included drugs, anti-social behaviour, serious violence and road safety;

g)     

Vision zero has been implemented in the region with the aim of reducing road deaths on the roads of Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to zero within twenty years. £2.5 million had been ring-fenced to spend on safety initiatives;

h)     

Since the Police and Crime Commissioner, Alison Hernandez started her role in 2016, this would be the first time in which the Police received a three year settlement, enabling the office of the Police and Crime Commissioner to plan more effectively and allow for a more strategic and sustainable approach in managing the overall budget;

i)      

The commissioner advised the Panel, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner would be seeking the maximum precept due to the increased volatility and economic hardship. This increased volatility would see greater levels of domestic violence and acquisitive crime. The Commissioner requested the Panel to accept the full precept of 4.23% which would equate to £1 per month on a Band D property when paid over 10 months.  This would strengthen, stabilise and sustain the Force for the future;

j)      

The Commissioner expressed her desire to keep Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly as one of the lowest crime rate areas in the country, whilst ensuring that Police officers are visible and accessible to communities in the region; 

k)     

The Precept would bring the total number of officers from 1.8 officers per 1,000 population in 2016 to 2.2 per 1,000 population in 2022. The Force would have 3,610 officers which was recognised to be more than pre-austerity numbers and more than at any point in the Force’s history; 

l)      

Less than half of respondents to the budget had confidence in policing, however 85% expressed a desire for an increase in the number of police stations open to the public. Women felt under served by policing due to the low conviction rate of rape and sexual offences.

a)     

Should the full £10 increase be taken in 2023/24 this would represent an increase of 4.06% on the Council Tax with a 3.9% increase on Council Tax for 2024/25 which would be subject to agreement at future Police and Crime Panels;

b)     

Following 2022/23  ...  view the full minutes text for item 76.

a)     

Community Speedwatch schemes which had shown a drop in numbers over a short period of time. It was clarified that the number of active schemes had decreased and not the number of schemes in existence, this could’ve been due to the winter hours and that not all volunteers wanting to be active during cold and adverse weather conditions. Data would be refined for future scorecards to enable accurate scrutiny. 

b)     

The Police and Crime Joint Executive met routinely to analyse key performance indicators which directed police resources as an internal process. For the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, the Peninsular Strategic assessment which had been produced by all community safety partnerships as a collective needs assessment would direct resources. The Scorecard was being used to check nothing had gone amiss and to ensure that enough was being done.

c)     

For future meetings where reporting of the Scorecard is used, statistics for where the region ranks in safety would be reported;

d)     

The number of recorded hate crimes had increased. Councillor Mrs Pengelly advised that she had been really impressed by Devon and Cornwall police’s response to her own report of a hate crime which had encouraged others to report. Alison Hernandez, advised that there had been a stronger conviction rate should people report this. Hate crimes had increased in line with significant national events;

e)     

There had been a number of changes to the 101 service which had impacted performance such as the introduction of new IT systems. HMIC inspections had impacted performance for the service which had been due to HMIC conducting interviews with staff from the service. The service had seen a 25% increase in the number of 999 calls, however the number of Police responses to incidents had not increased. Staff turnover continued to be a challenge for the service due to the nature of calls. It was acknowledged that the average waiting time figure had not been an accurate or good way to measure the service.

a)     

The Serous Violence programme had commissioned a homicide prevention officer/lessons learned post within the Police which would deliver Homicide Perpetrator Reviews to learn lessons about the life history of a perpetrator. The Commissioner commented that this would be a first nationally and would look at the perpetrator rather than the victim which had been the norm.

b)     

The Police and Crime Commissioner, Alison Hernandez, attended the memorial plaque unveiling to PC Dennis Smith QPM.

a)     

Community impact assessment would be revisited 6 months on from Keyham and would be looking at how the community had dealt with the impact of the tragic events and what the current challenges were.

a)     

Although Torbay had not received funding from the Safer Streets fund, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner would be allocating £200,000 from its reserves to fund a programme of support using the same principles of Safer Streets. The Police and Crime Commissioner thanked the people of Stonehouse who had led and supported the process and also to Plymouth City Council who had delivered the programme on time, on budget and at pace in order to get the infrastructure in place. The Commissioner also thanked Exeter City Council in helping to implement successfully Safer Streets for Exeter.

b)     

Safer Streets 3 focussed on violence against women and girls and secured funding which would be used in Plymouth and Falmouth. 

·          

Public Contact; 101 and reopening of front desks

·          

Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill update with the inclusion of legislation for the Traveller community

·          

Firearms licensing