COMMUNITY SAFETY AND LEISURE SCRUTINY PANEL – ACTION PLAN FROM SCRUTINY REPORT RECEIVED ON

9 MARCH 2007

FINAL REPORT - NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICING

SCRUTINY RECOMMENDATION / PROPOSED ACTION / BY WHOM / BUDGET COST / TIMESCALE
a)  A full review be undertaken in one years time to ascertain the achievements resulting from the Introduction of NP and this be presented to the CS&L Scrutiny Panel and Executive / NP is to be introduced fully in April 2007. National performance measures are to be introduced imminently. These should be used alongside any public consultation arrangements where satisfaction with NP could be gauged. / Community Protection Service and Police / N/A / Review April 2008. Report June 2008
b) To undertake an audit of estates involving consulting the community and other agencies to assist in identifying areas for designing out crime (e.g. Remove hedges bushes, Improve lighting, reduce fear of crime etc.) It is recommended that this be undertaken within six months of the Executive decision / Council security liaison officer to work with neighbourhood managers and others as part of the ward profile requirement of NP. 4 Problem solving groups also to identify sites for investigation.
Proposal for dealing with problem buildings and derelict sites to be considered by Exec. / Council security liaison officer and neighbourhood managers. / Whilst the survey will have no additional cost, any works identified will be taken through the normal capital/
grant processes / To commence May 2007. Report to Exec November 2007
c) To agree with the Police and local community a range of specific performance indicators targeted to individual neighbourhood areas, which measure the reduction in crime and antisocial behaviour. These targets to be established within six months of the Executive decision. / The NP process involves agreeing with residents within a neighbourhood the policing priorities. The measure of success is in terms of dealing with these issues which are refreshed continually. Performance measures in terms of activity are in place already and may be refined when national measures are published. Performance indicators on crime and anti social behaviour exist already and are wider that the NP teams. / In place already; steering group will monitor. / N/A / All priority plans will be developed fully by June 2007
d) Consideration is given for the allocation of enforcement officers specifically targeted to the town centre for the issue of penalty notices (re graffiti dog fouling, litter etc). Also for the provision of enforcement officers to be directed to hot spot areas outside of the town centre when needs arise. All actions to be set against targeted PI’’s and for the results of enforcement to be publicised. / The council is expanding the team that provides such enforcement activity. It operates in partnership with NP teams and others. Weekend working is in place. Teams are arranged in line with ‘area care’, with a team dedicated to the town centre. Particular emphasis will be placed on dealing with smoker’s debris once the prohibition is in place. Specific hotspot activity is arranged on an ad hoc basis and in conjunction with AIM. Performance indicators are in place and include bv199.
Publicity is facilitated by the Exec member report to council and the monthly community protection service bulletin. Both have widespread distribution. / Community Protection / Funding currently in place through NRF until 31/03/08 / In place
e) Consideration is given for Ward Councillors to be integrated with Neighbourhood Policing procedures, thereby giving greater opportunity for Councillors to engage with their local community. This to be operational within three months of NP being introduced. / Ward councillors chair the neighbourhood management steering groups which form the primary route via which priorities are set for NP, and neighbourhood profiles are developed. Reporting back to the community will be via community councils which ward councillors attend / Neighbourhood management / In place / In place
f)  That Council officers engage immediately with the Police to assist in establishing an appropriate partnership/steering group for NP. This partnership to include political representation from the Council and to invite and involve the Community. / A steering group operated since Sept 2006, following a model established for the whole force, including member and officers of the Council. It is likely that the steering group will meet less frequently once the programme is operating successfully town wide. The neighbourhood management steering boards will assume the role as described above and do include community representation alongside ward councillors. / Community Protection/ neighbourhood management / In place / In place
g)  To ensure that issues of diversity are accounted for with particular emphasis on ensuring the resources applied to areas with high ethnic occupancy are multi lingual. / NP officers will operate under the arrangements in place across the force area. A liaison officer is in place. / police / N/A / N/A
h)  That the Executive address the issues of fragmentation within Public Protection Service to ensure the services dealing with community safety are operating efficiently. / The Community Protection Service takes the lead within the council on issues of crime and disorder, particularly the ‘Respect’ agenda, and in so doing must work with other services within the council, such as youth offending, and external agencies, such as probation. Partnership arrangements are designed to facilitate efficient joint working at operational level (eg via AIM) and strategic level, via the Safer Middlesbrough Partnership. These arrangements are subject to frequent review with results of the reviews informing Exec and other decision making bodies. Indeed the latest review of the SMP was implemented in March 2007 / Community Protection / N/A / Reviews to be reported when complete
i)  Future funding of Neighbourhood Policing may fall on the Council. Consequently, the Panel recommends that attention is given at an early stage to ensure present Council services such, as Wardens are not eroded. / There are no plans to vire funding from the wardens or any other service – support for NP will be via the existing joint working arrangements. NP is a core police function and Middlesbrough will be staffed within parameters set nationally, and overseen by the Police Authority / N/A / N/A / N/A

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