The Panel will use a select committee style approach to scrutinise the Police and Crime Commissioner’s and Chief Constable’s joint proposals for rationalising Station Enquiry provision across the Force Area including opening times and closures of some station enquiry offices.

The panel undertook a post-decision scrutiny review of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s joint announcement with the Chief Constable to rationalise station enquiry offices.  In preparation for the scrutiny, the Host Authority, on behalf of the panel and in liaison with the Chair and Vice-Chair, prepared and presented a report which included details of a wide range of community and stakeholder engagement and other evidence which aimed to assist the panel in establishing for itself the level of knowledge, understanding and any concerns that existed about the proposals, and particularly in the areas directly affected. 

Many responses were received and an analysis of the feedback was summarised in the report.  Given that much of the feedback came from a number of Town and Parish Councils in Cornwall and, of those that responded, many said that they were unaware of the proposals and did not recall being consulted, the following witnesses were invited to the panel to give evidence -

·         Councillor Pete Tisdale, Stithians Parish Council, Camborne

·         Councillor Robert G Drew, Carn Brea Parish Council

·         Mr Jeremy Joslin,  President, Hayle Chamber of Commerce

Their feedback combined and summarised below included concerns about –

·         Reliability of the footfall data that determined the proposals

·         Lack of Policing particularly at peak times in ‘holiday destinations’ during the summer

·         That some older people may be less likely or less able to contact the Police via modern IT access as opposed to face to face contact

·         The lack of Police presence at community meetings and reducing or no ‘monthly reports’ provided

·         The varying degree or lack of telephone signals in some parts of Cornwall and therefore lack of mobile phone and internet connectivity

·         Effectiveness and reach, and lack of the consultation particularly with Town and Parish Councils about these proposals

·         Lack of the resilience of the alternative means to contact the Police that are timed to coincide with the proposed closures

·         Little or no knowledge of, and unable to find/access the ‘Contact Strategy’ or ‘local engagement plans’ and if they exist, why haven’t they been created ‘with’ communities?

·         Suspicion of the research methodology and decisions made on the basis of ‘professional judgement’

·         Communities haven’t been asked ‘what they want’ and ‘how they can help’

·         The efficiency and effectiveness of the 101 service and that due to these issues, incidents were failing to be reported as there was no faith in the service

·         Processing issues linked to safeguarding

·         Concern that Falmouth’s offer for its One Stop Shop to be used as a community hub was ‘turned down’

·         The public’s perception that their safety could be jeopardised by the closures and that the closures would distance the Police from the public, potentially fostering a “them and us” culture.

Their feedback also included some suggestions, namely:

·         Consider a ‘Blue Light Information Centre’ model, possibly hosted by the Chamber of Commerces and using volunteers.

·         Consider using more honest terminology when communicating – say ‘closures’ rather than use the term ‘rationalisation’.

·         Consider communities for ‘self-help’ solutions and involving communities in co-designing solutions in the future.

·         If Police are no longer attending Town and Parish Council meetings, it would be helpful if the Police communicate this and explain why and what alternatives there might be.

After considering the evidence and hearing from witnesses, the panel posed a number of questions to the Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable which were responded to as follows -

·         Consultation was largely based on letters, footfall and the evidence base and engagement from 2010.  These stations hadn’t been closed in 2010/11 because it was anticipated that the Country would be out of recession by 2014, however, as a result of further pressures brought about by the Comprehensive Spending Review it had been necessary to revisit the situation.

·         A lesson has been learned about being more inclusive of Town and Parish Councils in Cornwall in future consultations.

·         The conundrum is if cuts are not made here, then where?

·         The Contact/Engagement Strategy takes us to 2018 – this not a retreat from public engagement.  But there are 400 less Police Officers.

·         Front Office provision is not an ‘engagement function’.

·         Two footfall surveys were undertaken in November and August 2010/11 and March 2014.

·         999 did fall below 90% during summer.  It was a busy period, and Control Room staff had been taking longer to complete new formuleic ‘vulnerability assessments’ along with the implementation of the new Unify system all of which have had an impact. 

·         The Chief Constable is confident that 101 will not be impacted by front desk closures.

·         The PCC has undertaken a detailed review of 101.  The fieldwork is complete and a definitive report is being written on performance of the 101 service.  This will be published and provided to the PCP at its next meeting.  Desired standards will be worked through.

·         There is an appointment system in place which needs ‘tweaking’ and needs making more visible to the public and quicker to make those appointments.

·         The Chief Constable is looking at how Blue Phones can jump the queue to the top of 101.

·         An Equality Impact Assessment was carried out for the last and this review including direct liaison with members of the Strategic Independent Advisory Group. Also a community impact assessment was carried out.

·         The PCC has officers in his team looking at Safe Places Scheme.

·         The Chief Constable advised there weren’t that many alternative options but is happy to share them.  Using volunteers in Police Stations was considered, but in law people cannot be made redundant and then replaced with volunteers. 

·         It was acknowledged that the Police has failed to get the message across in Cornwall about the closures – but had done better at getting the message across in Devon.

·         All but £6m of our Police reserves are held against specific plans.  There are plans for the forward and effective use of our reserves.  Reserves are never a means of sustaining ongoing operational requirements.

·         £750,000 is in effect being reinvested into e.g. 101 and to improve technology but sustainability over the next four years is important.  The reality is it will not be reinvested, but will contribute to a £14.8m budget gap. The Police are re-engineering and changing services in a way that is responding to communities and which may include more people in call centres.

·         Much of the construction of the next four years relates to the Police reserves in the fourth year, and what the Police are trying to do over the next four years.  There is a smoothing fund to try and smooth the vagaries of Policing and year on year, with e.g. council tax changes  which are audited by the PCP, that money will contribute to the ‘in and out’ of smoothing funds and reserves over a four year period which will be looked at as part of the budget for next year.  Debate re the necessity, as the pressure comes on, to redefine the reserves position and looking at taking ‘risk on risk’ on reserves, there are risks to consider including job evaluation and A19 which are all built into the reserves.

·         The Police are closing front offices, but are not closing police stations.  They are looking at joint agency, One Stop Shops including using Falmouth Station differently.  They could provide a report on all the joint work on buildings.

·         In the previous round of closures Okehampton was kept open even though the business case did not stack up for Okehampton, along with keeping Launceston open.  However, the Chief Constable could not justify keeping Okehampton open in this round.  However, Launceston remains a particular concern to the Chief Constable and to the PCC.  The custody suite is the factor at Launceston and why that has been kept open.  A large amount of footfall at Launceston is in relation to visits to the detainees in custody centre itself.

·         The Estates Programme is an important and complex one.  The PCC can now take a more business approach to sites to boost revenue through entrepreneurial means.

·         Acknowledged that there is a huge gap in how remaining front enquiry desks are distributed in Cornwall.  Whilst a concern, it is about encouraging other means to contacting Police.  Launceston is a particular concern.

·         The Chief Constable is happy to share the engagement plans.  The view is that people are not visiting police stations, it is about the Police getting out into communities.

·         There are 400 less Police Officers, but PCSO numbers have not been reduced where other forces have cut them.  There are 10% less Police Officers than 4 years ago and may continue to reduce.  This is about the public playing a greater part and making communities more resilient.

·         This is about legitimacy of policing, the public interpret this as ‘presence’.  However, there are other challenges where officers are pulled into other less visible areas, e.g. domestic abuse, internet/cyber-crime, but are still keeping people safe. 

·         Acknowledged by the PCC and Chief Constable that they need the support of the Panel to help get messages out there.

·         The Engagement Plans are work in progress.  They are there, and in development.  People can use Crime Online and the appointment system. 

·         The PCC advised that the decision about these closures has been made but the PCC offered to provide information as to how the consultation is working.

·         Consultation on any review of custody centre provision including in Launceston is just starting.  A plan/proposals have yet to be put to the PCC by the Chief Constable. 

On behalf of the panel, the Chair thanked the witnesses, Commissioner and the Chief Constable for their time and attendance and advised that the panel would present its findings following a brief adjournment for lunch.

(The meeting adjourned at 12.45 pm and reconvened at 1.25 pm)