Agenda item

To receive a quarterly update from the Police and Crime Commissioner detailing delivery against his Police and Crime Plan.

Members received an update on delivery against the Police and Crime Plan 2020-2022. The Panel heard:

·         The Commissioner had made funding available, through two small grants rounds, to provide support to communities affected by the Covid-19 outbreak. Local organisations and community groups were able to make applications for funding of up to £500 to deliver immediate support and relief. A third round of this fund had recently been opened and in response to Members questions it was heard that learnings from each round had enabled later rounds to be more targeted towards local crime prevention, with those ineligible for funding signposted to other services.

·         Some contracts for domestic abuse and sexual crime services had been extended as part of development work to create a single access point and single referral point for victims of sexual and domestic crime.

·         A bid for a safer streets grant of £550,000 had been successful and would be invested in improving safety for residents in the Bargate area of Southampton. In response to Members questions it was heard that the Safer Streets fund was a significant investment opportunity available, and the office had been working in partnership with local authorities and community safety partnerships.

·         Bitterne Police Station was to be reopened to provide additional policing capacity in Southampton, in light of the number of new officers joining the force this year. Attention was now to be focussed on the accommodation and deployment of officers within Portsmouth. It was noted that through his role the Commissioner was able to make effective and timely decisions, to support the Constabulary in enhancing the police estate to meet the needs of the force.

·         A joint working group looking at support for and working alongside Gypsy, Roma and Travelling communities had recently been established, with several Panel Members appointed to the working group by their local authorities.

·         Despite the impact of Covid-19, officers of the OPCC had been working remotely successfully and had an impactful quarter.

·         The Panel’s newly appointed Equality and Diversity working group was welcomed and the OPCC looked forward to working alongside the Panel in its development. The Chief Executive thanked the Plan Working Group for their support in monitoring delivery of the plan and noted that he would be working with the Finance Working Group during the next quarter in the preparation for the budget and precept setting.

The Chief Executive finished by acknowledging the positive impact of all of the Panel’s working groups, highlighting the benefit added from looking in greater detail at the work being delivered the Commissioner and his office, than the main meeting would allow. The value of the expertise and experience shared by Panel Members at these meetings was also recognised by the Chief Executive.

Cllr Lee Hunt joined the meeting at this point.

The Chairman of the Plan Working Group, Cllr Simon Bound, provided an overview of the most recent meeting of the working group. Members heard that discussions at the meeting had included looking at the uplift of police officer numbers and how those additional officers will make an impact on local communities, as well as looking in detail at the delivery plans of the OPCC for the year ahead.

RESOLVED:

That the update on the delivery of the Police and Crime Plan was noted.