Agenda item

The Panel considered a report of the Durham Police, Crime and Victims’ Commissioner’s Office which provided performance against the Police, Crime and Victims’ Plan 2018-2021 (for copy see file of minutes).

Councillor Boyes was concerned at the number of offenders reoffending and the high percentage of the public that did not have confidence in the force.  He asked whether this was repeat reoffenders that could not be rehabilitated and confirmed that he had attended an area in Easington where criminal activities were taking place openly and residents did not report crime.  The reasons given were that people were afraid of reprisals, but many were of the opinion that the Police would not act on reports.  Councillor Boyes asked whether the Checkpoint scheme had changed as he was under the impression that it was for low to medium levels of crime, yet it had been used in an incident where a police officer had been assaulted.

The Interim Chief Executive & Monitoring Officer confirmed that some of the comments would be referred to the force for a specific report and she would consult PACT and update the Panel with the response.  She confirmed that there was a number of reoffenders with a mindset that they could offend with impurity, but there was a high level of information and a lot of concerted effort in responding to those matters.  She was aware that the Easington locality received regular attention due to ongoing issues and that the force were actively working to get on top of them and it was a benefit for the community to bring those matters to attention of the office to ensure they were prioritised.

With regards to the Checkpoint scheme, the Interim Chief Executive & Monitoring Officer was unaware that assaulted police officers was an eligible offence but suspected it would be getting reviewed as there had been an increase in assaulted police officers and she would seek a formal response for the Panel.

The Acting PCVC advised that the crucial thing was that people report crime to the police, and was confident that the force was responsive in such a way that they responded appropriately when given the information.  With regards to offending and reoffending, one of the drivers behind Checkpoint was to deal with issues relatively quickly and to ensure there was no repeat offending and he assured the Panel that robust governance was in place to ensure offenders were not put through rehabilitation schemes if they were having no effect.  He reiterated the importance of reporting crime and asked the Panel to reiterate to any of their constituents.

The Interim Chief Executive & Monitoring Officer confirmed that last week concluded a visit from HM Inspectorate of Constabulary Fire and Rescue  Service which had investigated the effectiveness and efficiency of the Covid 19 response and she would ensure that the interim report was included on the next Agenda.

In response to a question from D Dodwell, the Interim Chief Executive & Monitoring Officer confirmed that there had been an increase in cyber-crime and scams on vulnerable people especially during the lockdown period when people were isolated and in poor mental health.  This was similar across all force areas and a key priority for the National Police Chiefs Council and had also been recognised by the College of Policing in the Future Operating Environment Model.

Councillor J Dulston suggested that the out of court initiatives and education had worked for a time but suggested that especially during recent times the wider community would prefer the force to take a tough approach on the minority of people who were putting businesses at risk.

Resolved

That the report be noted.