Agenda item

CONSIDERATION OF THE DRAFT REFRESH OF THE POLICE AND CRIME PLAN - 2014-2017

The Panel will review the draft refresh of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Police and Crime Plan.

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed the Police and Crime Commissioner and his team who were in attendance to present the draft refresh of the Police and Crime Plan 2014-2017.   Mr Hogg commented that he welcomed scrutiny of his plan, performance and budget today and, in these challenging times, he hoped to be able to present proposals which he believed were affordable, sustainable and able to meet the challenges ahead for policing.

 

The Panel considered the information regarding the Police and Crime Plan contained within the written report, submitted as part of the agenda pack, and within the presentation slides.  Members heard that the Plan –

 

·         remained under development;

·         reflected the PCC’s experience of his first year in office;

·         had been adjusted to reflect new and emerging risks;

·         would clearly set out the PCC’s expectations of the OPCC, Chief Constable and partners;

·         contained the PCC’s vision for Devon and Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly;

·         identified the following six areas of priority –

o   to make our area safer

o   a focus on cutting alcohol-related harm

o   a renewed drive for efficiency and reducing cost

o   a more effective criminal justice system

o   establishing victim support services

o   to enable citizens to play their part in community safety

·         set out the PCC’s budget for 2014-2018, including the precept proposal for 2014-15 of a 1.99 per cent increase

 

Following a lengthy debate on this item, it was clear that there were a number of areas of concern which members shared around the content of the Plan.  These were that the PCC should consider –

 

(a)

 

including within his Plan more prominently as a priority, the issues of rape, domestic violence and abuse, and sexual offences/violence;

 

(b)

 

including within his Plan how he was assessing the social value, impact and cost of crime;

 

(c)

 

including in his ‘vision’ the different and diverse communities that made up the population of Devon and Cornwall;

 

(d)

 

reinstating within his Plan “hate/mate” crime as a priority;

 

(e)

 

how he could strengthen relationships with the Crown Prosecution Service;

 

(f)

 

giving more prominence in his Plan to substance misuse (drugs and new psychoactive substances);

 

(g)

 

under the priority ‘to reduce the crime and harm caused by the misuse of alcohol’ to move the statement under ‘I expect the Chief Constable to’ which stated “Effectively deploy the range of legal measures that were available to them to address alcohol-related crime and disorder problems, such as Fixed Penalty Notices and Dispersal Notices” to sit under ‘I will work with Partners’;

 

(h)

 

developing a framework for demonstrating performance against the Police and Crime Plan for regular scrutiny by the Police and Crime Panel;

 

(i)

 

giving more prominence within his Plan reference to PCSOs;

 

(j)

 

how he could personally engage more widely with scrutiny arrangements, e.g. Licensing Committees, and councillors in order to express his vision and views and become involved in wider issues, e.g. gambling;

 

(k)

 

under ‘making every penny count’, reviewing and broadening this in light of the ‘bigger picture’ in relation to estate rationalisation and collaboration;

 

(l)

 

improving/refining definitions in respect of alcohol harm and the connection with violence (including domestic violence and abuse) and sexual violence;

(m)

 

providing the Panel with a copy of the Chief Constable’s Delivery Plan when finalised;

 

(n)

 

providing his ‘Communications Strategy’ when drafted, including how he would improve the levels of Police staff who were aware of and understood the PCC’s priorities.

 

Agreed that the Police and Crime Panel will review the Draft Refresh of the Police and Crime Plan 2014-2017, taking account of the comments and observations made today, as noted in the minutes and on the webcast, and will submit a formal response on this item to the Police and Crime Commissioner after the meeting.

 

(This item was taken in conjunction with minutes 35 and 36).

 

(Councillor Excell declared a personal interest in respect of the above item).

Supporting documents: