Agenda item

According to Article 10 of the Constitution, the Overview and Scrutiny Committee has been delegated the statutory requirement to scrutinise the Crime and Disorder Partnership, otherwise known as the Wyre Community Safety Partnership annually.

The attached report provides the committee with an overview of priorities and activities undertaken by the CSP during January – December 2023.

Neil Greenwood, Head of Environmental Health and Community Safety, and Councillor Roger Berry, Neighbourhood Services and Community Safety Portfolio Holder, have been invited to the meeting to present the report and answer questions from the committee.

Councillor Roger Berry, the Neighbourhood Services and Community Safety Portfolio Holder, and Neil Greenwood, Head of Environmental Health and Community Safety, attended the meeting to report on the activities of the Wyre Community Safety Partnership, as part of the committee’s statutory requirements.

Councillor Berry introduced the report to members. He explained that the report set out the context of what had been undertaken to address the five priorities of the council: antisocial behaviour (ASB); violence against the person; domestic abuse; substance abuse; and road safety. He said he was pleased that there had been an overall improvement in the figures, which reflected the considerable amount of work and effort put in over the last 12 months, particularly with two major initiatives launched by the police – Operation Centurion and Clear, Hold, Build. The report also gave details of other activities and events undertaken with partners, including events on e-scooters at Asda, Fleetwood and “The Crucial Crew”, an event with 400 Year 6 pupils across the borough discussing ASB, road safety and water safety.

There were still areas of concern, including violence against the person, causing increasing injury figures. This was mostly connected to alcohol consumption, and some drug-related incidents, which also gave emphasis to the importance of tackling the issue of drugs. Another concern was the continuing high levels of domestic abuse, with over 1,300 referrals and an increase in reporting of over 20%. Staff at GP surgeries were being encouraged to refer patients should they have concerns, and partners were working with schools on appropriate behaviour. The Portfolio Holder noted that it was sad to see this still increasing, but there was a need to understand the pressures that residents were facing that impacted these figures.

Members raised the following questions:

·         The role of the council in tackling ASB and drug-related incidents

·         The difference between theft and burglary, and how these figures are reported by the police

·         The relationship between the council, police and other partners

·         Concerns around the lack of action from police on certain matters

·         Vehicle offences and the rise in reported figures

·         Working proactively and identifying trends, particularly during specific times of the year

·         Offences relating to cybercrime

The Portfolio Holder and Head of Environmental Health and Community Safety responded to questions raised by members. Councillor Berry explained that the council did have a responsibility to address incidents of ASB, however advise would be to report this to both the council and the police. In terms of drug related incidents, this was best addressed to the police. It was acknowledged that confidence in the police had been impacted due to complaints on the reporting process, and the wait time for action to be taken. This had been identified and the police were taking steps to address this.

In response to a question on theft from supermarkets, Neil explained to members that the police took steps to target theft from supermarkets and had officers working closely with them. Ultimately however, it was the responsibility of the business to take steps to address this. An initiative called Shopwatch had been set up, which would take place initially in Fleetwood before being rolled out.

In response to a question on responsibility, Neil explained that the council helped to coordinate youth and adult ASB multiagency groups, which were also location based. The police led on these, but the council could take action on issues such as inter-neighbour disputes. It was best to have a place where all partner agencies could come together and work together to address these issues.

Councillor Blair informed members of the ability to report incidents anonymously to Crimestoppers; the more incidents were reported, the more attention a specific area would receive. This could be of help to residents who may be fearful of reporting incidents, specifically drug related incidents.

In response to queries around vehicle offences, Councillor Berry and Neil explained that the numbers may reflect a variety of offences which came under the umbrella term ‘vehicle offences’. The rise in theft of catalytic converters over a period of a few months in 2023 may have contributed to this rise. It was explained that the police are targeting more specific areas when trends are identified.

Members were informed of a priorities meeting, led by the police,that the Head of Environmental Health and Community Safety was invited to. The meeting looked at identifying trends on a monthly basis and any trends identified would then become a priority for the police.

The council did also act proactively and in response to trends. Neil informed members of an initiative held in 2023; the council organised a marshal service for the taxi trade in Poulton with the aim of reducing alcohol related incidents in the taxi rank queue, after identifying this area as a concern.