Agenda item

To receive a report from the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development presenting the refreshed West Yorkshire Police and Crime Plan and inviting the Board to consider the draft Safer Leeds Strategy 2014-2015.

The report of the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development presented the refreshed West Yorkshire Police and Crime Plan 2013-2018, published in May 2014, and a draft of the Safer Leeds Strategy 2014/15 for the Board’s consideration.

The following were in attendance for this item:

-  Mark Burns-Williamson, West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner

-  Kelly Laycock, Partnership Manager, Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for West Yorkshire

-  Neil Evans, Director of Environment and Housing and Chair of Safer Leeds

-  Chief Superintendent Sam Millar, Chief Officer Community Safety

-  Councillor Mark Dobson, Executive Member for Cleaner, Stronger and Safer Communities

The Chair invited Mr Burns-Williamson to provide an overview of the key priorities set out in the refreshed Police and Crime Plan.  In doing so, particular references were made to the introduction of two new priorities – understanding ‘cyber’ crime and improving road safety.  In acknowledging the Scrutiny Board’s particular interests in the role of Police Community Support Officers, tackling prostitution, human trafficking and legal highs, the Commissioner reinforced his commitment and highlighted planned actions linked to such areas of work.

In response to Members comments and questions, the following key issues were raised:

·  Road Safety – Members welcomed the introduction of road safety as a key priority area in the Police and Crime Plan.  In acknowledging links with the anti-social behaviour agenda, the Commissioner highlighted his intention to work closely with Community Safety Partnerships to explore local solutions to improving road safety and reinforced the importance of partnership working in this regard.

·  Human Trafficking – the Commissioner referred to a new multi-agency approach, working with an organisation called ‘Hope for Justice’ aimed at addressing human trafficking and welcomed further suggestions of which partners need to be engaged in this agenda.  The Commissioner also highlighted the intention to work collaboratively with other Police and Crime Commissioners to consider wider actions to help tackle human trafficking nationally.

·  Detection rates – Members noted that performance information set out in the Police and Crime Plan focused more on conviction rates.  The Commissioner assured the Board that robust accountability processes are in place that also include detection rates and trends as well as comparisons with other Force areas. The Commissioner agreed to provide additional performance information to the Scrutiny Board as appropriate.

·  Performance data – Members also requested details of actual performance figures linked to the indicators set out in the Police and Crime Plan and suggested that future Plans should include actual figures alongside the percentage rates.

·  Frontline policing – the Commissioner reinforced his commitment towards frontline policing but also highlighted that as it stands, West Yorkshire Police will lose £157m from its budget by 2016/17, which is a 31% budget reduction over six years.

·  Hate Crime – Members requested further information linked to the ongoing work surrounding the development of a measure for satisfaction of victims of hate crime.

·  Domestic Violence – further to the inquiry recently undertaken by Scrutiny, Members reinforced the need for better integration of services in tackling domestic violence and abuse.  This was echoed by the Commissioner who also reinforced his commitment to commission services that provide appropriate support to victims to make them feel safe and help them recover.

·  Proceeds of Crime – the Commissioner highlighted that a proportion (50%) of the funding received through the Proceeds of Crime is being allocated to the Safer Communities Fund for community projects to bid for funding linked to the priorities set out in the Police and Crime Plan. The other 50% received back will be used for operational policing.

·  Ensuring integrity and creating confidence – Members reiterated the importance of gaining public trust and confidence in policing and the wider criminal justice system and welcomed the Commissioner’s commitment in this regard as set out in the Police and Crime Plan.

·  Draft Safer Leeds Strategy – Members welcomed the draft Strategy, recognising that the local community safety priorities and shared outcomes reflected many of the priorities within the wider Police and Crime Plan.  Whilst acknowledging that the draft Strategy does not include Road Safety as a priority area at this stage, Members were informed that further work would be undertaken by the Safer Leeds Partnership, in liaison with the Commissioner, to establish how best to take forward this particular agenda.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the report and the refreshed West Yorkshire Police and Crime Plan be noted

(b)  That the Scrutiny Board’s observations on the Draft Safer Leeds Strategy are fed back to the Safer Leeds Executive at its meeting on 30 July 2014

(c)  That the requests for additional information as set out above are progressed via the Board’s Principal Scrutiny Adviser.

(Councillor A Blackburn arrived at 10.40 am during consideration of this item)