Appendix 1 - Progress Report – Neighbourhood Policing, Neighbourhood Watch, and CCTV
Number / Recommendation / Responsibility / Anticipated Completion Date/ Completion Date / Evidence of progress / Assessment of progress (Categories 1-4) /1 / That the Head of Community Protection be authorised to work in conjunction with Cleveland Police to investigate the potential for joint work to take place in order to ensure that when non-emergency calls are received by either Cleveland Police (eg. 302930/326326) or the Council’s Community Protection services (eg. Neighbourhood Enforcement Service 528439), if necessary, the calls, or the details of the issue, are transferred to the correct service for action, thereby improving customer service; / Head of Community Protection / Jul-09 / This approach has already been put in place for calls handled by Neighbourhood Enforcement Service. Further discussions are to take place with police colleagues about reciprocal measures.
Cleveland Police control room have advised that when receiving a call for a different agency they assist the caller by directing them to the correct agency and providing the tel. no. They also advise it is not possible to take the details of the issue and forward that on to the relevant agency due to call demand. It is felt that to try to operate in this manner would negatively affect the ability to answer calls in the first instance.
However, discussions are continuing with Police colleagues in the context of their outsourcing project, ‘Progressing in Partnership’, for their Control Room, with a view to improving the quality of outcomes for customers. / 1 in respect of SBC
3 – in respect of Police
2 / That the Committee support the plans of Cleveland Police to undertake further promotional work regarding neighbourhood policing teams, and request that this includes promotion of the 302930 neighbourhood police team number. / District Commander / Jul-09 / 302930 will be included in all promotional work, including police website, ‘Cuppa with a Copper’, beat surgeries and police piece in Stockton News.
Additionally this number and details of the local officers are put on leaflets in “Whatever it takes” and “Not in my neighbourhood week” as examples of the continued push to provide the public with local contact details / 1
3 / That Democratic Services amend the Member induction programme/packs so that it includes:
3a / information on the Borough’s Neighbourhood Watch schemes; / Democratic Services / Jun-09 / Information included in the new Members Handbook which was updated and posted on the intranet in October 2009. Members advised by significant new content of the handbook, which included this particular information regarding Neighbourhood Policing via email. / 1
3b / details of the relevant Ward’s Neighbourhood Policing Team; / Democratic Services / Jun-09
3c / and that this information is kept up to date; / Democratic Services/Cleveland Police / June 2009 and ongoing
3d / and that this information is also provided to all current Members as soon as available. / Democratic Services / Jun-09
4 / That the Committee recognises the work undertaken by Neighbourhood Watch, and in order to further improve this work, Stockton Council and Cleveland Police should work with, and encourage Neighbourhood Watch in Stockton Borough to:
4a / amend the Ringmaster System so that it sends out crime prevention advice and also ‘positive’ information in relation to local crime trends, and thereby contribute to reducing the fear of crime; / District Commander / Oct-10 / This proposal has been discussed with the Chair of the Central Committee for Neighbourhood Watch for Stockton-on-Tees and she has agreed to the proposal.
The use of the ringmaster system has been reviewed to circulate more relevant and ‘interesting’ information including the use of photographs and ASBO information.
Ch. Insp Allen and Insp Fox are regularly forwarding suggestions and good news stories to NW for circulation to members. This is to raise public confidence and keep the information interesting. Regular dip samples of material sent is conducted and where it falls below the agreed standards it is addressed.
Measurement of fear of crime - Results of the residents’ survey may be available in autumn 2010, subject to agreement of the survey’s format. / 1
4b / amend the membership forms for the Ringmaster system, so that extra detail can be included, and it is clear as to which scheme the applicant wishes to be a member of; / District Commander / Sep-09 / The forms have been amended as requested. Presently the member is put on whichever scheme is felt most appropriate.
This is to be monitored and feedback from some residents has assisted in identifying errors. / 1
4c / explore and promote better usage of technology to deliver Ringmaster messages (eg. text messaging/email), and in relation to the use of email messages, lower case text is used in order to ensure ease of reading; / District Commander / Sep-09 / Messages are now being dip sampled to ensure a good standard. All messages will be in lower case to ensure ease of reading. Feedback from members will be taken on board. Monitoring continues and feedback from public is used. Neighbourhood Watch has recently purchased a Bluetooth device to assist with providing positive crime prevention messages to the public. / 1
4d / work with the Council and Cleveland Police to undertake a promotional campaign highlighting the benefits of setting up Watch schemes; / District Commander / Jun-09 / The Police Neighbourhood Safety team promoted NHW at a multi-agency stall which they held in the Town Centre to promote free cycle locks. The team also met with SBC representatives to discuss the signage for No Cold Calling Zones. All signs now will display the NHW logo.
All police vehicles now display the NHW logo in their windscreens.
Articles by Ron Baker promoting NHW regularly appear in Stockton News.
Every Wednesday, Ron takes the Crime Prevention vehicle out into a TCG hotspot area and invites residents to join NHW. / 1
4e / support the production of local scheme newsletters by centrally producing templates and sample articles (including crime figures), and investigate the use of volunteers to undertake this work; / District Commander / June 2009 and ongoing / The Police Neighbourhood Safety team has recently received a new volunteer whose job it will be to produce the newsletter on a bi-monthly basis. As well as articles produced by the police they are encouraging NHW members to write their own articles and submit them for the newsletter. / 1
4f / seek additional sponsors in order to support its work. / Head of Community Protection / May-09 / Neighbourhood Watch in Stockton-on-Tees is currently sponsored by Transmore Vehicle Hire Limited and Tristar Homes Limited. The issue has been discussed with the Chair of the Central Committee, who confirms that Neighbourhood Watch are actively seeking additional sponsorship. / 1
5 / That Stockton Council should ensure that the policy of not allowing footage captured by its CCTV network to be sold to media companies is clearly stated in the public domain. / Head of Community Protection / May-09 / Complete – see SBC website (e.g. select ‘C’ in alphabetical listing, follow to ‘CCTV’, select ‘CCTV – release of evidence’) / 1
6 / That a comprehensive plan be developed for financial support to the Council’s CCTV network, in conjunction with relevant partners, as part of a wider appraisal of the financial sustainability of the Security Centre; / Head of Community Protection / (a) June 2009
(b) April 2010 / Costs of upgrading CCTV infrastructure identified as £200k approx. £100k identified and committed to date, proposals to raise the remaining £100k in hand. / 2
7 / That planning applications for new developments will be assessed for their suitability to contribute towards the funding of additional crime prevention infrastructure (including CCTV), the levels of provision and/or contributions sought being dependent on the size and type of proposed development, in line with the adopted Supplementary Planning Document 6: Planning Obligations. / Head of Planning / Both items ongoing / The SPD on planning obligations has been adopted and planning officers assess planning applications against this criteria on a regular on going basis. / 1
8 / That in order to contribute to reducing the fear of crime amongst residents:
8a / the Council and Cleveland Police should continue to publicise positive news in relation to the reduction of crime in the Borough, but that this should not preclude the provision of common sense crime prevention advice; / Head of Community Protection / District Commander / Autumn 2010 / Programme of articles in Stockton News in place, along with improved systems for reporting of Court results, and other news releases as appropriate. “Safest Place in Tees Valley” message being emphasised at every opportunity.
Measurement of fear of crime - Results of the residents’ survey may be available in autumn 2010, subject to agreement of the survey’s format. / 1
8b / the Council explore the scope for further inter-generational working between young people and older residents of the Borough. / Head of Children & Young People’s Strategy / Head of Adult Strategy / Mar-10