(a)

the PCC was investigating the possibility of opening a number of police stations, manned by volunteers;

(b)

the style of crime was changing, and the traditional approaches to policing also needed to change;

(c)

it was acknowledged that whilst PCSOs were at the forefront of dealing with crime (prevention, community intelligence etc), assets were needed to conduct the complex investigations which followed;

(d)

a ‘postcode lottery’ existed in rural areas in terms of ‘keeping people safe’ in high risk matters.  In 2010 approximately 80% of 999 calls were responded to within the target time of 20 minutes.  In 2017 this figure was approximately 80% in Plymouth and Exeter, however this figure was 45% in rural areas;

(e)

policing was a Crown Service, and it was the responsibility of the Chief Constable to configure the workforce to the best of his ability;

(f)

the Chief Constable was fully aware of the importance of protecting communities within the peninsula, and acknowledged that he had lost, and would continue to lose, police and police staff if the current level of PCSOs remained the same;

(g)

the Police and Crime Bill (due to receive Royal Assent in the near future) could enable the delegation of powers to Community Wardens;

(h)

an improvement in the budget could result in the mitigation of the impact of this Plan on PCSOs;

(i)

the Chief Constable acknowledged that he was faced with making difficult decisions surrounding the future of PCSOs, recognised the dangers involved, and would not implement any changes without the full consultation of local communities;

(j)

a wide range of people were keeping the residents of the peninsula safe, and it was acknowledged that in some areas a PCSO was the only face of policing;

(k)

the PCC reiterated that the intention of the Plan was to keep people safe, and  not to abolish PCSOs;

(l)

the PCC expressed her concern at a possible over-reaction from members of the public to the content of this Plan;

(m)

the new Community Wardens would not replace PCSOs, however it was not yet clear what powers they would be given or what training and equipment they would require, however it was possible that their powers would equal those given to a PCSO;

(n)

various indices would be used to highlight areas which justified extra assets, and those areas not to remove assets from.  If a spike of crime occurred resources would be moved across the peninsula accordingly;

(o)

the number of police officers in the force had reduced by 656 since 2010;

(p)

it was acknowledged that cities had a higher incidence of crime per head of population, and a part of the allocation of the new police officers would be given to the Plymouth area which was part of a national strategic assessment around firearms and terrorist related areas.  However it was pointed out that the intention was to improve response times and increase the presence of police officers in rural areas;

(q)

various pilot schemes were being investigated involving the use of Specials as an Auxiliary force;

(r)

it was the aim of the Chief Constable to put every available officer back on patrol in order to increase the visibility of the police;

(s)

the introduction of bi/tri-service PCSOs was being investigated, and discussions had been held with Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service and the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust;

(t)

350 police officers would be lost due to retirement and 450 new officers needed to be recruited (a number of whom would be existing PCSOs) and these extra officers would be deployed in local policing;

(u)

the PCC was very supportive of the Citizens in Policing strategy and money had been allocated to the project in order to re-energise it;

(v)

there were no plans to close Barnstaple Custody Centre, however the existing shift patterns at that location were currently under review;

(w)

the PCC was planning to commission a survey across the peninsula by a professional organisation, and would be looking to engage Local Authorities in similar consultations;

(x)

the PCC recognised the importance of Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) and would allocate more money to the initiative if possible;

(y)

the PCC acknowledged the help that Street Pastors provided to ensure a safe and successful night-time economy, and was keen to ensure that the scheme continued to be successful.

(1)

to note the Police and Crime Plan;

(2)

to direct the lead officer, in consultation with the Chair and Panel members, to consider how the plan will inform the work programme for the coming year.