Agenda item

To consider a report from the Director of Environment and Neighbourhoods  providing the Area Committee with details regarding Community Safety activity during the last 12 months and looking at crime trends between April 2004 and March 2009.

RESOLVED-

a)  That the contents of the report and appendices be noted.

b)  That Members of the Committee be requested to convey their initial comments to the Acting West North West Manager by the 20^th January 2010 in relation to the Home Office objectives referred to in the report and that the Chair be requested to write to the Chief Constable, West Yorkshire Police, conveying the collective comments made.

The Director of Environment and Neighbourhoods submitted a report providing the Area Committee with details regarding Community Safety activity during the last 12 months and looking at crime trends between April 2004 and March 2009.

Zahid Butt, Area Community Safety Co-ordinator, West North West Area Management, presented the report and responded to Members’ queries and comments.

Also at the invitation of the Chair, Inspector Simon Jessop, West Yorkshire Police was in attendance and provided the meeting with relevant background information on the crime trends and key actions.

In summary, specific reference was made to the following issues:-

·  clarification of the current arrangements in relation to separate Police and Community Together meetings (PACT) and the need to combine these meetings with those of other service providers to reduce the overall number of meetings for residents to attend

(Inspector Simon Jessop responded and acknowledged the concerns expressed by Members in this area, but confirmed that this was corporate policy. In conclusion, the Chair requested Members to convey their initial comments on this issue to the Acting West North West Area Manager by 20^th January 2010 and he also agreed to write to the Chief Constable, West Yorkshire Police conveying the collective comments made)

·   reference to low public participation in respect of the Crime 

  Opportunity Profiling of Streets (COPs) Project and the steps that can 

  be taken to resolve such problems

(The Area Community Safety Co-ordinator responded and outlined the challenges facing the department with specific reference to personal contact through door knocking; looking at participation through established groups; neighbourhood watches and mailing lists; addressing barriers to participation such as transport for elderly people)

·   the success of Action Days in Hyde Park and Woodhouse and the need 

  for Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinators to become more involved

(Inspector Simon Jessop responded and confirmed that he would like to see an increase in the number of Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinators employed within North West Inner)

·   the concerns expressed about the issues faced in areas such as 

  Burley which seemed to get very little attention

(The Area Community Safety Co-ordinator responded and stated that the last ‘Operation Champion’ held in Inner North West was in Burley and was held in that area for the purpose of targeting such issues)

·    the need for the Committee to convey the message that, generally, the

statistics over the past five years have been positive and to ascertain where we are now in relation to reducing crime

(Inspector Simon Jessop responded and commented on the base line figures and targets, with specific reference to ‘Capture Car’ and ‘Capture House’ initiatives which had been well received)

RESOLVED-

a)  That the contents of the report and appendices be noted.

b)  That Members of the Committee be requested to convey their  comments regarding the frequency and partnership arrangements of PACT meetings to the Acting West North West Manager by the 20^th January 2010 as a result of Home Office objectives referred to in the report and that the Chair be requested to write to the Chief Constable, West Yorkshire Police, conveying the collective comments made, together with this issue being co-ordinated through the Community Safety Sub Group.