Agenda item

The Panel considered an update report from the Police and Crime Commissioner on the Investigative Hub, with a presentation by Chief Inspector Jason Meecham (for copy see file of Minutes).

Chief Inspector J Meecham explained the history of the project, noting the need to move to an up-to-date custody suite, and also to incorporate the Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) facility.  He noted the budget had not changed, however explained there was a six-week delay in terms of the handover from the builder, with a date of 3 November for the handover.  He noted the capacity of the new facility, with 48 cells, office space, digital integrity and evidence management, and capacity for training.  He added there was social value associated with the development including in terms of apprenticeships and local spend.  The Panel were shown slides of the development so far, with a description of the four spoke layout, each of the spokes containing a suite of 12 cells for a total of 48.  Members noted a comparison of the new facilities with the current custody suite and office arrangements at the Peterlee Station.

The Chair thanked Chief Inspector J Meecham and asked the Panel for their comments and questions.

R Rodiss noted the capacity of new facility with 152 workstations and noted this would empty out the Police Stations within the county if all investigative Officers and staff were moved to the new hub.  Chief Inspector J Meecham noted it was not all staff, only Durham and Bishop Auckland Criminal Investigation Departments (CID) and Safeguarding staff.  R Rodiss noted he could not see the benefit of Detectives travelling back and forth from their stations, for example from Peterlee.  Chief Inspector J Meecham noted the benefits in terms of evidence quality and integrity, and improvements with the new digital equipment that would be made available.  R Rodiss noted his concerns, given the closure at Bishop Auckland.

Councillor C Varty left the meeting at 3.45pm

The PCC noted there were no plans to close the station at Bishop Auckland.  R Rodiss asked as regards the sale of Durham City station.  The PCC noted she would commit that the Durham City station would remain where it was, unless a better location was found.  She noted Neighbourhood Teams were being retained and reiterated that those stations were not subject to closure.

R Rodiss asked as regards numbers of staff at the new hub.  Chief Inspector J Meecham noted that Bishop Auckland CID did not have a custody suite, they use custody suites at Durham, Darlington and Peterlee, and on occasion Consett.  He added that the new hub would encompass Durham and Bishop Auckland CID, Safeguarding staff and financial staff, around 161 staff.  R Rodiss asked as regards any plans to move the Inspector from Consett, Chief Inspector J Meecham noted no plans to move Officers or staff other than those referred to.  R Rodiss noted that initially the plans had been for just a centralised custody suite, then plans had grown to the investigative hub, and he noted his concerns were that if local stations lost their custody suites and investigative Officers, then the ability to investigate locally would be lost.  Chief Inspector J Meecham noted there were demarcations in terms of which investigators would look at a crime, for example Bishop Auckland investigators would look at a Bishop Auckland crime, however, where there were busy periods, Officers would help out in other areas.  R Rodiss understood and noted while such centralised schemes appeared to work well in metropolitan areas, he did not feel it would be effective in a rural county such as Durham, and that ‘local element’ would be lost.  He reiterated he felt that once investigative Officers and staff move out of stations to the new hub, local stations could be lost.  Chief Inspector J Meecham noted that there was not the room at the new hub to incorporate all investigative Officers and staff.

Councillor L Hovvels noted the improvements cited in the move to the new hub, with better facilities for staff, and noted the financial pressures faced by all of the public sector.

Councillor R Potts noted he had not heard any member of the public comment that the move to the new investigative hub was a good idea.  He added he too felt that the centralisation would lead to the loss of Officers and other sites, and noted he had been informed that the Durham City station would close.  The PCC reiterated her previous comments and noted that was a decision for her to make.  Councillor R Potts noted he had concerns as regards the travel time to the new hub, and asked if the budget was £21million, or whether the project had overshot that budget.  Chief Inspector J Meecham noted the changes to include CSI facilities, noting that the Chief Finance Officer, Gary Ridley would have the relevant budget figures.  Councillor R Potts asked if budget figures, including full costings could be brought to the next meeting of the Panel.  The Chief of Staff, OPCC noted that some of the information could be commercially sensitive. 

The Head of Legal and Democratic Services, Helen Bradley noted that the Panel could consider commercially sensitive information having excluded the press and public, subject to the applicability of the relevant paragraph of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.  Councillor R Potts noted that the public had been told the cost was £21million, and he would ask that all information is open to the public.  The Head of Legal and Democratic Services explained that there may be good reason to treat information exempt and if so, it was her role as Monitoring Officer and Clerk to the Panel to consider whether relevant exemptions apply.  She noted that she would always look at what information could be considered in public and any information that could be shared would be.  She also noted that whilst information may be treated as exempt initially, it is likely that at least some of the information would be publicly available at some point through the reporting of Police finances. 

Councillor K Robson noted concerns in terms of the travel time back and forth to the new hub, and the impact that this would have of Officers’ time.  He added that the financial costs of a new development were always a concern.  Chief Inspector J Meecham noted that the travelling aspect has been looked at very carefully as had existing bottlenecks within the current custody arrangements, noting waiting times where the small station may have a queue for use of their custody suite.  He noted that there was already travel time within the system, when travelling from an incident to one of the existing custody suites.

The Chair noted the photographs provided of the new facility in construction, with the PCC noting that the Panel could visit the facility in future.  The PCC noted the work undertaken by Chief Inspector J Meecham and the Team, looking at wider issues, such as shift changes and queues and bottlenecks at other facilities, such as at hospitals.

Resolved:

That the report be noted.