Minutes:
The Chief Constable provided a presentation to the Panel which gave an overview on the HMIC Inspection Regime and provided details of the 2015 PEEL Assessment for Durham Constabulary.
Durham was rated as ‘Outstanding’ in areas of efficiency and effectiveness and as ‘Good’ in the area of legitimacy. Durham Constabulary was the only Force in the country to have been assessed as outstanding in two of the three PEEL assessment pillars.
Mr Dodwell referred to the proposed budget cuts announced last autumn on which the PCC had made representations to the Home Office and what the impact of these cuts would have been. The Chief Constable replied that the proposed budget cuts as announced would have had a severe effect on policing within the force area to the point of being disastrous. He estimated that officer numbers would have needed to be reduced to around 800 from current levels of 1,150. He considered it was now incumbent on him to invest in the area of IT, particularly the area of internet safety to ensure business and public bodies were protected and cyber-crime tackled.
Councillor Armstrong referred to cyber-crime and asked what the age profile was of the force. The Chief Constable replied that the age profile of the force was an improving picture, having undergone a recruitment exercise. Additionally, staff training programmes and staff aptitude both ensured that the issue of cyber-crime could be addressed.
Councillor May congratulated the force on its performance. He referred to terrorism and issues of radicalisation through the internet and asked how this could be addressed within the boundaries of the law. The Chief Constable replied that the UK was one of five countries considered to be at the ‘cutting edge’ of intelligence gathering and information gathered by GCHQ and other national agencies should give reassurance. Best protection was provided by having an active model of neighbourhood policing whereby neighbourhood officers and PCSOs had both an active role to play within communities and get feedback from those communities.
Councillor Boyes referred to the restorative justice approach within the Integrated Offender Management Unit and asked at what stage an offender would be considered too hard core to be redeemed. The Chief Constable replied that he considered everyone was redeemable other than a very small minority of offenders and believed the earlier offenders were caught, the sooner they could be redeemed.
Councillor May referred to officers working alone and asked whether the force knew the location of any officer at any given time. The Chief Constable replied that the location of each officer was known at all times. Each police radio had an emergency button and it was hoped that within the next year or so live streaming from body cams would be introduced.
Councillor Armstrong referred to serious and organised crime. The Durham force had been excellent at addressing this through a problem solving approach which was being looked at by other forces.
The Chief Constable replied that there were still too many affected by serious and organised crime within the force area and there would be a continued concerted effort until this was neutralised.
The Panel thanked the Chief Constable for his presentation and for providing feedback on questions raised.