Agenda item

To review the Police and Crime Commissioner’s draft Annual Report 2022.

Members received a draft copy of the Commissioners Annual report for 2021-22. The Chairman invited the Commissioner to introduce the report, after which Members were invited to raise comments and recommendations in accordance with Section 28(4) of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act.

The Commissioner noted that the annual report provided an insight in activities undertaken during the year by the Commissioner and her office to successfully deliver the Police and Crime Plan. Members heard the report highlighted the significant savings made during the Commissioner’s first year in office, which were being re-invested in operational policing delivery.

In response to Members questions it was heard that:

·         The format and colour used throughout the report met with corporate branding. To reduce printing costs it was anticipated that very few printed copies would be produced, with an accessible version of the report published online. The report would be shared with local authorities, MPs and town and parish councils. Members suggested the use of QR codes in key visible locations, such as police stations, to enable ease of access and raise awareness with residents.

·         Recruitment of over 600 additional police officers for Hampshire Constabulary, as pledged within the Police and Crime Plan, was on track to be completed by Spring 2023. The Commissioner confirmed that, through both uplift funding and precept contributions from residents, the necessary funds were secured within the policing budget to meet ongoing costs for the new officers.

·         Whilst it was positive to hear of the efforts taken to enhance the diversity profile of new recruits, the Panel observed that more needed to be done to enable the force to be fully representative of the communities they serve, and welcomed the Commissioner’s call for more black officers in British policing.

·         The pay award of £1,900 for police officers equated to roughly a 5% pay rise. 3.5% had been budgeted for in January by the Commissioner and central government had provided sufficient additional funding to cover 2% of the increase, so overall the costs would be met from the existing budget, with any savings to be contributed to delivering the 600 additional police officers. The Commissioner met with the Police Federation monthly, and had maintained an ongoing dialogue with them in the lead up to the pay award being set. Agreement had not yet been reached on the pay award for policing staff, and the Commissioner and her team were in dialogue through with Unison through regular meetings.

·         With the new officers recruited as part of the uplift programme, Response and Patrol Teams now had sufficient capacity to meet the commitment to attend all home dwelling burglaries. Each Police Investigation Centre (PIC) held an Operation Hawk team who investigated burglaries. It was noted that whilst the IOW did not have a dedicated Operation Hawk team, their Criminal Investigations Department (CID) were able to call upon the Operation Hawk team based at Southampton PIC for support as needed.

·         A number of thematic inspections had been undertaken of Hampshire Constabulary, as part for His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) inspection programme. One of these reviews had recommended improvements to the Violence Reduction Unit, which the Commissioner subsequently reviewed and remodelled in response. The Commissioner had appointed dedicated staff within her office to capture any recommendations made by HMICFRS and monitor how they were being addressed by the Constabulary.

·         The Commissioner and her team used a variety of methods to survey residents to measure the perception of police visibility, both online and in person as well, as via the Victim Care Service (VCS). It was further noted that all Neighbourhood Policing Teams had increased their social media presence to enhance online visibility and raise public awareness of policing visibility.

·         Outcome 22 was a recently introduced out of court disposal for first or second time lower level youth offenders, which would see the young person agreeing to a contract of activity to prevent re-offending. The Commissioner agreed to bring an update on the use of the measure to a future meeting, once it had been in use for long enough for the outcomes to be assessed.

·         The Commissioner’s team used targeted recruitment to attract young people from a broad range of ages and backgrounds to join the Youth Commission. The team had met challenge in recruiting representation from some ethnic, religious and neurodiverse groups, but continued to seek interest.

·         A gold group had been set up for the 101 service, as it was recognised that improvements had not met the level required, as a result of both IT delays and insufficient staffing levels. Following a return to the pre-pandemic employment conditions, many staff who had joined the call centre had returned to roles in the leisure and travel industry, which was a significant employer in the Southampton area. Members heard the Commissioner had lent support to the Constabulary’s recruitment programme and that 100 new applications had been received. The Commissioner was also driving enhancements to reporting systems, to enable enhanced feedback to those reporting crimes, and looking to set up a new victim care hub, both with anticipated to reducing calls into the 101 service. The Panel asked the Commissioner to provide ongoing updates on the impact of these approaches to levels of public confidence in the 101 service.

·         In response to Members questions, the Commissioner would provide the Panel with details of the number of occasions Hampshire Constabulary had utilised new powers to disperse unauthorised encampments.

·         The Commissioner met with Wessex Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) on a bi-monthly basis and noted that that there had been significant improvement in charge rates for rape and serious sexual offences, with the Wessex area now only marginally behind the national average. The Commissioner offered to share more detailed figures of conviction rates with the Panel for information.

·         The Panel welcomed the Commissioner’s commitment to open dialogue in response to concerns raised by Members regarding delays in sentencing for first time youth offenders.

·         Speed prevention cameras had not in yet been installed on the A32 and A272, as ongoing responsibility for the running costs were to be agreed with Hampshire County Council. In reply to concerns that the installation of cameras may move the problem to other parts of the county, it was heard that much of the issue was caused by drivers coming from outside the county to utilise the favourable conditions on the road to speed, although the Commissioner was conscious this could see problem behaviour move to other bordering force areas.

·         Members of the Panel commented upon improved engagement by the Commissioner’s team with Community Safety Partnerships when reviewing bids for commissioned funding. The Commissioner explained that funding was allocated under four commissioning streams, with each having a lead manager responsible for managing and monitoring performance of grant funded projects.

·         Members observed that the 2021/22 financial performance figures within the report did not differentiate the costs for the running of the Commissioner’s office, from those required to maintain and develop the policing estate. The Panel suggested these figures be noted separately in the report, for transparency and fairer representation of the costs of the office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and that page numbers be added to allow for ease of reference.

The Chairman thanked the Commissioner for sharing the draft report with the Panel for comment, the format of which was commended by the Panel for providing an informative, accessible and comprehensive update on activity over the previous 18 months.

RESOLVED:

·         That the Panel received the draft Annual Report of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire.

·         That delegated authority be given to the Democratic Services Officer to the Panel, in consultation with the Chairman of the Panel, to submit a report to the Commissioner setting out the Panel’s review of and recommendations on the draft annual report, in line with Section 28(4) of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act.