Agenda item

Martin Wyatt, Wyre Neighbourhood Inspector, Neil Greenwood, Head of Environmental Health and Community Safety, and Councillor Roger Berry, Neighbourhood Services and Community Safety Portfolio Holder will attend the meeting to provide an update on the Wyre Community Safety Partnership.

The Head of Environmental Health and Community Safety, Neil Greenwood, submitted a report regarding the Wyre Community Safety Partnership (CSP).

Councillor Roger Berry, Neighbourhood Services and Community Safety Portfolio Holder addressed the committee and introduced the report.

Councillor Berry updated members that in early 2023 the Police and Crime Commissioner had launched several county wide campaigns to address serious violence, knife crime, violence against women and girls and anti-social behaviour. The Wyre Community Safety Partnership played a key role in the campaigns.

Members asked several questions and received responses regarding the following topic areas:

·         Possession of weapons

·         Drug offences

·         Alcohol related crime

·         Organised crime

Inspector Wyatt reassured members that possession of weapons and drug related crimes had risen in the last year owing to this being a key priority of the Community Safety Partnership, therefore resources had been specifically targeted to arrest in those areas.

In response to a question regarding vulnerable children involved in Child Criminal Exploitation, Neil Greenwood explained to members the work of the Community Alcohol Partnership (CAP) launched in Fleetwood in 2022. The Partnership aimed to highlight the risks of underage drinking and work alongside retailers to avoid making underage sales and reduce proxy sales where adults buy alcohol for under-18s. Councillor Berry added that the Partnership had engaged with several high schools in Fleetwood and explained the benefits of schools' involvement to address the issue of underage drinking. Inspector Wyatt and Neil Greenwood updated members on the work of the Multi Agency Support Panel (MASP) pilot set up in Fleetwood as part of a multi-agency contextual safeguarding response to the increasing incidents of Child Criminal Exploitation happening within Fleetwood. He explained that it had been identified that there was a gap in addressing parenting skills and this was something to work with partners to address in the future.

Members asked additional questions regarding:

·         Knife Surrender Bin in Fleetwood

·         Proactive policing

·         Numbers of new police officers

·         Crime trends

·         Police engagement with the community

·         Domestic abuse

·         Motoring offences and road safety

·         Increase of Drug and cannabis abuse, specifically in Catterall ward

·         Importance of reporting crime incidents

·         Suspension of licenses for premises found selling alcohol to underage children

·         Arrests for cannabis use

·         Crime report on possession of weapons

·         Cuckooing (gangs targeting the homes of vulnerable people)

·         Trained drug detector dog

·         Neighbourhood disputes

In regards to road safety, Councillor Kay advised members to contact their local Lancashire County councillors for assistance.

Inspector Wyatt reassured members that his rural task force was encouraged to target drug abuse in the rural areas of Wyre.

Members were updated on the Youth Referral Scheme (YRS). This was a graduated response to referral of identified young people. The first trigger was a letter sent home to parents, which explained that their child had been involved in anti-social behaviour. If necessary there would be further investigation into the home and school life through the Community Safety Partnership.

The Chairman give his thanks to Inspector Wyatt, the Head of Environmental Health and Community and the Neighbourhood Services and Community Safety Portfolio Holder for their participation in this item.