Agenda item

Report of the Corporate Director of Resources – presented by Tom Gorman, Corporate Scrutiny and Strategy Manager.

The Chair asked the Overview and Scrutiny Officer, Jonathan Slee to provide the Committee with an update in relation to the Quarter Two, 2020/21 Performance Management Report (for copy see file of minutes).

The Overview and Scrutiny Officer thanked the Chair and referred Members to the information as set out within the report pack.  He explained that it set out the five key questions in terms of the area of focus for the Committee and the performance data relating to those areas.  He explained that while overall levels of crime were down, those relating to violence against the person had increased slightly by four percent.  He noted that the report referred to anti-social behaviour including anti-social riding of motorbikes and incidents of fly-tipping.  Members noted statistics relating to the performance of the probation service, having received an update from probation earlier.  The Overview and Scrutiny Officer noted in respect of the Safer Streets Initiative, information had been included in the previous item and the Committee had received an update from the Council’s Head of Community Protection Services at its last meeting.  Councillors were referred to the information relating to the Drug and Alcohol Service, with an increase in alcohol related anti-social behaviour of 26.7 percent in comparison to the same period the previous year, with the issue being monitored by Durham Constabulary.

The Overview and Scrutiny Officer referred to statistics relating to domestic violence, referring to the detailed report received by the Committee at its September meeting.  He noted there had been a two percent increase in comparison with quarter one the previous year, however, August to September there had been a 21 percent reduction in reported incidents.  It was added that report highlighted new reporting and triage systems, including the work of the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH). 

In relation to road safety, the Overview and Scrutiny Officer noted an decrease in the number killed or seriously injured in comparison to the previous year, although there had been an increase in the number of children killed or seriously injured, from 11 the previous year to 16.

The Chair thanked the Overview and Scrutiny Officer and asked Members for their comments and questions.

Councillor R Crute asked as regards the incidents of domestic violence reducing by 21 percent.  He noted that a reduction was positive, however, within the current pandemic one might have expected an increase in incidents.  He added he was concerned as violence against the person had increased by four percent in the last year, seven percent in quarter two and those figures incorporated the domestic violence incidents.  He asked if it was possible to disaggregate those figures to try to get a true figure in terms of how and why the reported incidents of domestic violence had reduced. 

The Chair agreed additional information would be useful, looking the accuracy of the figures and whether there had been a change in how figures were reported, for example convicted cases being reported rather than reported incidents.  The Overview and Scrutiny Officer noted he would refer the query to the appropriate Officers.

The Chair noted the issue in terms of anti-social behaviour with young men on uninsured motorbikes, especially in the East of the County.  The Overview and Scrutiny Officer noted the report highlighted issues in the Wheatley Hill area, adding the previous performance report had referred to partnership work undertaken through Operation Endurance.  He noted there had been media articles at the time, demonstrating the impact of the work across County Durham and Darlington including information as regards vehicles that had been seized and crushed and he would report back to the Committee in that regard.

Resolved:  

That the content of the report and presentation be noted.