Agenda item

The Panel considered a report of the Chief of Staff which contained the Durham Police and Crime Commissioner’s Annual Report 2014-15 (for copy see file of Minutes).

Mr R Hogg, Police and Crime Commissioner, in presenting his Annual Report highlighted the following areas of the Report to the Panel:

·       Performance overview and key performance headlines

·       Delivering the Police and Crime Plan 2014-15, which focussed on the seven key priority areas of:

·       To reduce the impact of domestic abuse, particularly violence against women and girls

·       To reduce the impact of hate crime

·       To improve engagement with the local communities across the constabulary area

·       To tackle anti-social behaviour

·       To tackle the harm caused to individuals and communities by alcohol and drugs

·       To improve road safety

·       To make policing services visible at all times.

·       Finance and resources

·       Looking ahead to 2015-16

Councillor Armstrong informed the Panel that the Annual Report was a comprehensive and impressive document.  Durham was the only Force to be rated as ‘Outstanding’ for detecting crime on 2014/15 and had also been rated as Outstanding for tackling anti-social behaviour, which was a good reflection of partnership working.  The Commissioner’s use of social media was to be commended and this was becoming an increasingly popular resource.

Councillor Boyes also praised the Force in being rated as Outstanding in crime detection and tackling anti-social behaviour, as well as increasing the number of PCSO’s.  However, Councillor Boyes expressed disappointment in the performance overview figures in the report which he expected would be better with the resources that had been put in to Neighbourhood Policing.

The PCC replied that satisfaction rates and confidence rates were high where people had experienced a first-hand contact with the police.  He added that confidence was a key area of focus because other Forces did better in this regard.

Councillor Scott informed the Panel that she considered this to be a good Annual Report.  She referred to the priority of tackling the harm caused to individuals and communities by alcohol and reported that Local Authorities and Public Health England were pushing for changes to licensing laws which she hoped the PCC would support.  Councillor Scott also asked where the new PCSOs in Darlington were located.  The PCC replied that he would report back to Councillor Scott after the meeting on the location of the PCSOs in Darlington.  Referring to drugs and alcohol, the PCC informed the Panel that he would like to see changes to both licensing legislation and also legislation to reduce the harm caused by both legal and illegal drugs.  One such change could be to give Local Authorities greater licensing powers greater powers when an area had reached a ‘saturation point’ in terms of alcohol licences.  He added that he would be happy to work with Local Authorities to bring about changes to licensing legislation.

Councillor Brookes congratulated the Force on its crime detection and agreed that this was an excellent Annual Report.  He expressed concern around the issue of alcohol in terms of both licensing and how alcohol targets and objectives could be strengthened.  There was a need to find new ways of measuring alcohol-related crime.

G Ridley, PCC Chief Finance Officer replied that if alcohol did not exist, the work of the police would be reduced by at least 50%, especially in the night-time economy.  Markers were attached to incident that the police attended and details of these could be reported back to the Panel.  The police worked closely with licensing staff.

Mr Dodwell reported that PACT meetings were a good means of both reporting incidents to the police and also for the police to provide positive feedback to communities.

Councillor Forster agreed that this was an excellent Annual Report but expressed concern at the availability of alcohol being delivered by taxis and also the availability of legal ‘highs’.

The PCC replied that he had spoken against legal ‘highs’, which had already been banned in Ireland.  The Government had now introduced legislation into Parliament to outlaw such substances.

Councillor Forster reminded the PCC that some people did not use social media as a means of communication and there was therefore still a need to produce leaflets and handouts as well as attend meetings in person.

Councillor Harker referred to the launch of Clare’s Law under which 83 disclosures had been given during 2014/15 and asked whether or not this had worked well.  The PCC replied that he supported disclosure where this served a purpose but added that sometimes disclosure was sought to create stories where these did not exist.

Councillor May agreed that this was an excellent Annual Report.  He expressed concern that the police received no support from the alcohol industry which prompted cheap alcohol and special offers which had resulted in alcohol becoming cheaper.  Although the government had mooted the idea of minimum pricing for alcohol, this had never been introduced.

The PCC replied that the alcohol industry was large and had many defences in current Licensing Act.  He had worked with Balance North East in their quest for Minimum Unit Pricing and also had suggested reducing alcohol strength.

Mr Cooke referred to the Freshers Weekend in Durham during which students consumed vast amounts of alcohol and the problems this brought.  The PCC replied that he had been in discussion with the University about this issue and added that he considered that offending students should be subject to serious sanctions by the University.  In Durham on a Wednesday night there was a culture of drinking ‘shots and this needed to be addressed.

Councillor Stoker informed the Panel that the University neither encouraged nor condoned excessive drinking by students.  He referred to the culture of drinking shots and the availability of quads where four shots were served as one drink and this showed a lack of support from partners to address the problem.

Councillor Allen referred to the increased reporting of incidents of domestic violence, which she considered to be positive because it showed that victims had confidence in the police to deal with such crimes.  Councillor Allen asked whether re-offending in this category had reduced.  The PCC replied that re-offending had reduced and Councillor Allen suggested that this should be mentioned in the Annual Report.

Councillor May referred to the consumption of wine in pubs which was rarely offered in the quantity of 125 ml but tended to be offered in larger measures.  The PCC replied that he would raise this with the Alcohol Harm Reduction Unit.

Resolved:

That the comments of the Panel be fed back to the Police and Crime Commissioner.