Agenda item

Inspector Holgate to provide a presentation on Police, Crime and Community Safety to the Communities and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The Neighbourhood Policing Inspector, Inspector Holgate, and the temporary Community Safety Lead for Hyndburn, Sam McConnell, submitted a report to provide the Committee with an update on Police and Crime and the Community Safety report. 

Inspector Holgate referred to page 11 of the report which provided details of the key issues highlighted throughout the report including:

·        An increase in trend of ‘violence against the person’.

·        Volume wards for non-domestic violent crime.

·        Increase in recorded cases of harassment.

·        Increasing trend of reported domestic abuse crimes.

·        Substance misuse related to a third of all violent crime.

·        The primary crime category for victims under 18 years old being ‘violence against the person’.

·        Increase in sexual offences against young people.

·        Youth related anti-social behaviour.

·        Continuation of elevated levels of vehicle crime.

Inspector Holgate advised that the process for recording crimes had changed and indicated that this could have had an impact on the figures produced.  She referred to the different categories of reported crime and provided greater detail on some of these categories as follows:

Harassment  - many of the incidents were related to social media but an increase in figures could also be as a result of more people reporting incidents. 

Substance Misuse – reference was made to a number of known premises and the efforts of the Police to target these areas. 

Youth Anti-Social - work was ongoing to reduce the incentives for youths to congregate in certain areas, e.g. by switching off free wifi.

Vehicle Crime  -two-thirds of vehicle crime was caused by insecurity contributing factors.  Inspector Holgate referred to a spike in vehicle crime in Baxenden and reported that since two people had been arrested there had been no further incidents. 

Inspector Holgate reported that CanSafe had been successful but pointed out that there was a trend towards house parties and as such the Police would review their strategy as changes happened. 

Sam McConnell, Hyndburn Community Safety Partnership referred to the importance of preventing criminal offences and referred to the work and the initiatives that had been implemented by the Community Safety Partnership (CSP) to raise awareness and prevent crime. He also explained that Child Sexual Exploitation remained a priority and pointed out that they had taken a partnership approach to tackling the offence.  He reported on the type of actions taken by the Community Safety Partnership including work with schools, training for taxi drivers and letters with direct contact numbers sent to the families of young people.   

Members of the Committee expressed concern about road safety in a number of areas including the zebra crossings off the viaduct roundabout and on Blackburn Road, Oswaldtwistle.  Inspector Holgate indicated that she would investigate to see if there had been any incidents in these areas that may provide evidence to show that the locations of the crossings required review.  Councillor Allen reported that she had been in contact with Lancashire County Council who had acknowledged that there had been an analysis of the locations but had indicated that they would not be taking any further action.  Inspector Holgate asked Councillor Allen to forward on emails relating to concerns about Blackburn Road, Oswaldtwistle and reported that she would ask the Police Co-ordinator to investigate her concerns. 

Inspector Holgate and Sam McConnell reported on methods used by the Police and Community Safety Partnership to prevent crime such as

-        the promotion of activities to bring young people together in a positive way such as Friday night football. 

-        the training of taxi drivers to recognise signs of Child Sexual Exploitation and how to report this.

-        The safeguarding young people by providing direct line numbers to contact if required.

-        to raise awareness of the impact of prolific shoplifting on businesses and the community.

Members expressed concern about the recent gun crime incident and asked if this had been an isolated event.  They also suggested that there seemed to have been a rise in crime and asked if the budgetary cuts in Policing had contributed towards this.  Members also asked for more information on the new service provider for domestic violence services.

Inspector Holgate reported that a new Policing Model had been adopted to accommodate budgetary cuts to policing but informed the Committee that they had reverted back to traditional neighbourhood policing.  She pointed out that this Policing strategy may have to change again in the future. 

Sam McConnell reported that the changes in provider for domestic violence services were not yet known and that there would be a transitional period and more discussion to reach the service specification required.

Inspector Holgate reported that CanSafe had been successful but there was now more of a move towards house parties and consequently there was a need to review targets to ensure that the Police were in the right place at the right time. 

Resolved                            (1)  That, in light of the change of service provision for domestic violence in Hyndburn, it be recommended that Hyndburn Community Safety Partnership retained domestic violence as a community safety priority for 2017/18; and

                                            (2)  That the road traffic accident figures be added to the work programme for 2017/18.