Agenda item

The Panel received an update on the activity undertaken by the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) in support of his Safer West Mercia Plan and also an update on police performance.

The PCC introduced the report and in doing so highlighted that:

·       The two Combating Drugs Partnership (CDP) had now been set up in West Mercia and were based on the Integrated Care Board footprint. There was one CDP for Herefordshire and Worcestershire and one for Shropshire and Telford. The PCC was the Senior Responsible Officer for both CDP’s.

·       Included in the 2022/23 budget was a further uplift of 125 Police Officers for West Mercia. The Chief Constable had reassured the PCC that this target was on track and by the end of the financial year there would be an over recruitment of 20 Police Officers.

During the discussion, the following main points were made:

·       Paragraph 66 of the Agenda Report described that between September and October 2022, the PCC’s office had received 232 pieces of correspondence. A Member questioned how many pieces of correspondence had been replied to and whether there were any trends that could be identified from the correspondence.  The PCC explained that there was a system of reviewing and identifying trends and that he reviewed most of the correspondence himself.  The recent restructure of the PCC’s Governance Team would also make it easier to respond to concerns.

·       In response to a question about Operation Lincoln (the investigation into maternity services at the Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust) the PCC advised that he had engaged with local, regional and national partners to understand the demand for support services for victims. As a result of these discussions, the PCC had submitted a bid to the Home Office for further funding of £100,000 to provide support to these victims. The PCC confirmed that the outcome of this bid was still awaited.

·       For 2022/23, the PCC had provided £339,782 to West Mercia Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre, to support therapeutic counselling for survivors of sexual violence. This funding had allowed the service to recruit permanent counsellors, who were previously on zero hours contracts to provide sustainable support for survivors, and to reduce waiting lists.

·       The PCC had submitted a funding bid to the Ministry of Justice, for £276,500 up to 31 March 2025, to provide an out of court diversionary service, for females at risk of entering the criminal justice system. This was linked to the Commissioner’s commitment to deliver effective, early intervention for vulnerable people, with the outcome of reducing the likelihood of reoffending.

·       A Member questioned whether the cashless society was driving, controlling behaviour in situations of domestic violence, the PCC was unsure whether this was the case.

·       It was noted that for the period April – September 2022, out of the 17,630 referrals for support from victims of crime, only 16,145 victims had been provided with support, a Member questioned why this was the case.  The PCC explained that the right people were getting help but there was a drive to increase the number and quality of assessments.

·       The PCC clarified the difference between victim services and support for victims.  Victim Services was the direct support commissioned by the PCC accessed by direct referrals and the support for victims was provided the West Mercia Police Victim Care Unit mainly for victims going through the criminal justice system and requiring  long term support, although there were some areas of overlap.

·       It was agreed that in order for the Panel to understand the progress being made by the 2 CDP’s, an update on the performance metrics would be provided twice per year.

·       In response to a concern expressed about the capacity of the Police to investigate drugs related crime, the PCC explained that there was a commitment in his Police and Crime Plan to tackle drugs related crime and also the intention to continuously improve performance in this area.  The PCC reminded Members of the Panel that in the first instance it was important to contact the Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNT) with local concerns and if there were any concerns about how the SNT’s were working, to provide the PCC with feedback.

·       The PCC advised that the first cohort of West Mercia’s Professional Policing Degree (PPD) Programme had gone through the System.

·       A Member highlighted that speeding in communities was a very big concern and welcomed the PCC’s 2022/23 budget commitment.  The value of this investment for 2022/23 was £515,800, with a further £400,000 ringfenced pending a business case. The PCC highlighted the need for a mixed approach to tackling speeding which included education, environment and enforcement. The PCC was also developing a specification for a refresh of the road safety needs assessment, which would be used to inform future commissioning in this priority area – it was agreed that the Panel would be updated on the specification when available.

·       A Member highlighted some successful work in Derbyshire tackling car cruising.

·       Members expressed concern about the 60,000 cases in the criminal justice backlog across England and Wales.  In West Mercia, the number of cases in the backlog had risen by more than 70% since before the pandemic.  In Shrewsbury, there had been a rise of more than 120% in backlog cases and more than 40% in Worcester since before the pandemic. Members expressed concern about the impact of this on the victim and the accused whose lives were on hold.

·       The PCC expressed concern about the criminal justice system and in particular the impact on effectiveness of the Police as a result of the ongoing closure of Hereford Crown Court.  Members of the Panel were very concerned to hear this and it was agreed that a letter would be sent to the Leader of Herefordshire Council to express the Panel’s concerns

·       It was noted that the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act included a new Serious Violence Duty that required specified authorities (i.e. police, local authorities, fire and rescue, health bodies, probation services and youth offending teams) to collaborate regarding serious violence making the responsibility for working together a joint responsibility.

·       The PCC continued to monitor and support the Force’s delivery of the local and national uplift of police officers through holding to account mechanisms and the fortnightly uplift meetings with the force and National Uplift leads. Efforts had been made via the uplift programme to improve diversity and representation within West Mercia and progress had been made in respect of increasing the recruitment of female officers and those from ethnic minorities. It was, however recognised that further progress was still required.

·       Significant work was underway across the West Mercia Estate as part of measures to drive energy efficiency. This work was intended to both reduce West Mercia’s carbon footprint, and also offset increased pressures that the Force faces around energy costs. Projections for 2023/24 showed that West Mercia Police’s energy costs would increase by 90% compared to 2022/23.

·       The PCC was actively engaged in the current public consultation around the South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP) Review, specifically around the status of Police Headquarters at Hindlip. The review proposed to remove Major Developed Site status for Hindlip Park. If confirmed, this would threaten the long-term viability of the site as an operational headquarters for both the police force and Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service.

·       In response to a Member question, the PCC suggested that 2023/24 Budget would be different; inflation pressures and increased energy costs would mean that the gap was likely to be bigger.

·       A Member questioned how much the ‘Tommy’ Statues in Shropshire had cost – the PCC agreed to check and report back.

·       The report from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) for England and Wales - An inspection of vetting, misconduct, and misogyny in the police service was referred to and the PCC was asked whether he was content that the vetting process in West Mercia Police was effective. In response, the PCC explained that although it could never be certain, he was reassured by the Force’s response when a situation occurred in West Mercia.

·       With regard to the Perception Survey, 21% said they see an officer or PCSO at least once per week – a reduction from 24% in the previous quarter – A Member questioned why this was.  The PCC advised that the Chief Constable was confused by this result, although it wasn’t a bad result it needed to be maintained.  The PCC suggested it wasn’t always about seeing a Police Officer directly but the ease of getting hold of them when needed.

·       The increasing number of rough sleepers in the communities was referred to and the associated crime problems.  The PCC explained that supporting rough sleepers was a partnership issue with local Councils being responsible for supporting rough sleepers and the Police being responsible for the crime related elements.

·       The PCC explained that policing for large events eg football matches was co-ordinated by the Operations Planning Department.

·       It was noted that both 999 and 101 call handling had seen improvements when compared to the previous month, however 101 was still significantly below target.