Agenda item

The Panel considered a report of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) which presented the draft of the refreshed Police and Crime Plan in advance of its launch for consultation (for copy see file of Minutes).

The PCC informed the Panel that consultation on the draft Plan would commence on 15 December and sought the comments of the Panel on the draft Plan by 10 December, in advance of the consultation.

Councillor Armstrong referred to the establishment of a Rape Scrutiny Panel as mentioned on page 27 of the Plan and sought further details of the membership of the Panel.  Sweety Sahani, Staff Officer to the PCC replied that the Panel consisted of 10 independent members who had all shown knowledge of or had experience in dealing with this area of crime.  The Panel had first met on 10 November which was as a training session around cases where no further action was recorded, and the next meeting would focus on an individual case to enhance the Panel’s understanding of issues.  The PCC informed the Panel that an update on the work of the Rape Scrutiny Panel would be brought in six months’ time.

Councillor Armstrong then referred to the PCC’s views on the decriminalisation of drug addiction as set out on page 19 of the draft Plan and asked whether the PCC had received responses from MPs or other police forces on this.  The PCC replied that MPs had been invited to attend a recent drugs symposium he had hosted on 27 November 2014 but none had attended.  Support had been received from a couple of PCC’s and a further report on this would be brought back to the Panel.

Councillor Boyes referred to the ‘Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy’ which was mentioned under the ‘And Everything Else’ section of the Plan and considered the inclusion of the Strategy under this section may provide an inappropriate perception.  The PCC agreed that reference to the Strategy should be included elsewhere in the Plan and not under this section.

Councillor Boyes referred to Accountability and Performance Management and asked whether a direction of travel of performance of the force since the election of the PCC could be included in the Plan.  Alan Reiss, Chief of Staff for the PCC replied that while this information could be included, the PCC’s Annual Report already included past performance data.

Councillor Hovvels informed the PCC that discussions were ongoing around drugs strategy within both the Darlington and the Durham Safety Partnership Boards and the Health and Wellbeing Board and there was a need for these organisations to be part of the PCC’s drugs debate.

Resolved:

That the draft Police and Crime Plan be noted.