Minutes:
1. The Chairman welcomed the Commissioner into his new role and said that he looked forward to a period of co-operation between the Panel and the Commissioner.
2. The Commissioner congratulated the Chairman and Vice Chairman on their re-election to those positions and said that he felt the Vice-Chairman, as a Police and Crime Commissioner candidate, had run a principled and positive election campaign and he looked forward to working with the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Panel Members in the future.
3. The Commissioner thanked his Office for the support he had received since his election in May and also thanked Mr Nolan, who he explained was leaving the Commissioner’s Office later in the year.
4. The Commissioner said he came from a policing family and so had an understanding of the culture and processes within the police. The Commissioner had experience in supporting victims of crime and had also been a school governor and served as a councillor. The Commissioner outlined his Six Point Plan stating that he wants to cut crime and reduce re-offending, is committed to visible policing, wants to ensure value for money, through collaboration and better use of technology, and try to do more to support victims of crime. The Commissioner also said that he wanted to tackle the misery caused by anti-social behaviour, domestic abuse and violence and will particularly focus on mental health, reducing police time spent dealing with cases involving mental health by helping vulnerable people access the right support, providing officers and staff with appropriate training, but also ensuring officers and staff have access to the support they might need.
5. In terms of support already given, the Commissioner confirmed that at least 50 more PCSOs would be recruited to increase numbers back up to over 300. Mobile policing would focus on mobile devices to support officers working remotely and keeping them on the street for longer; funding had been approved for Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs); and also £450,000 approved for specialist victims services. In addition, extra funding had been provided to the Force to tackle the backlog of firearms licences. The Commissioner had also taken a salary reduction and was giving the money to two local charities – the details of which, for transparency purposes, were available on the Commissioner’s website. The Commissioner said he was trying his best to get out and about, and on his first day he visited the Bluewater Safety Store which he considered an excellent resource and expressed his thanks to Bluewater for their support. The Commissioner is meeting local MPs and also with all Council Leaders. The Commissioner had visited the Domestic Abuse Victim Support Service (DAVSS), a charity supporting male victims of domestic abuse and also met with community groups such as 20’s Plenty for Us. The Commissioner said that he looked forward to working with all Panel Members and offered to meet with any Member to discuss issues within their district.
6. A Member referred to visible policing. He said that in his area the police station was open for a couple of hours a day, and if a member of the public was arrested after the station was closed the individual would have to be taken to an alternative police station in a neighbouring town therefore removing policing resources from the streets. The Member asked how visible policing would be promoted with such constraints. The Commissioner understood the concern, and explained that he would be focussing on reducing the burden on police officers such as the time spent dealing with cases involving mental health. A pilot scheme involving counsellors from MIND was currently underway to support vulnerable people and this, combined with continued work with charities, would hopefully reduce the burden on police officers. Increased use of mobile technology and tablets would also reduce the time spent by officers travelling back and forth to an office to complete paperwork which could be completed remotely. The Commissioner confirmed that he would look into the specific example, but there were a number of ways in which he aimed to free up officer time to make them more visible within communities.
7. Referring to firearms licences, and the gap between the cost and what was charged the Commissioner was asked for his view. The Commissioner explained that the cost of the licence was set nationally, full cost recovery was ideal but until that was possible it was necessary to effectively and efficiently manage the service. When more could do done online it was hoped that costs would reduce. The service did have to be properly resourced to ensure sufficient checks were undertaken and the processes robust. The Commissioner said that he hoped the overall cost could be addressed in the future.
8. Referring to CSPs, a Member asked for confirmation of their funding. The Commissioner explained that when he took up office he had a decision to make to approve the allocations made by his predecessor which were effectively a cash freeze on the previous year. In future he would ensure that CSPs had more sustainability in funding to support the development of two or three year plans.
9. The Chairman referred to the Commissioner’s comments on mental health, and said that any partnership working on the issue would be welcomed. The Chairman also said that he chairs Domestic Homicide Reviews which had increased and nearly all the tragedies involved background issues of mental health. The Commissioner was pleased to have been invited to a KCC event on the future plans for mental health commissioning and children’s emotional wellbeing.
10. The Vice-Chairman asked when the review of mental health and policing would begin and who would be involved. The Commissioner said that Terms of Reference were currently being drafted and it was hoped that KCC, charities and the NHS would be involved to look at the impact on policing and that he would welcome an input from any Member of the Panel.
11. Referring to the 20’s Plenty for Us campaign a Member explained that one of the difficulties with this excellent project was that it was a joint piece of work between the Highways Authority and the police. The Member asked whether the Commissioner was looking to work with KCC through their Joint Transportation Boards to take forward 20’s Plenty, how was this to be funded and would the police be enforcing 20 MPH speed limits. The Commissioner confirmed that he had met with 20’s Plenty for Us the previous evening, and had asked the Force a range of questions about how 20 MPH speed limits are enforced, but considered that they do provide benefits, particularly around schools. The Commissioner said that if there were areas where Members/residents did not see the speed limit being enforced, he and his staff would look into it. The Member asked that the Panel have sight of the responses to the Commissioner’s questions about 20’s Plenty at a future meeting.
12. A Member raised a question about the challenges associated with illegal migration, the Commissioner confirmed that he was aware of the problems faced by Kent as the gateway to Europe and had already held discussions with relevant agencies. There was a need to be conscious of the responsible authority and the role of Kent Police.
13. A Member asked about CCTV in the county. He said that the Home Office had encouraged districts to install CCTV and this was now very costly to maintain, was there any potential for the Commissioner to consider funding CCTV. The Commissioner said he was a strong supporter of CCTV; it could be used to deter and prevent crime and was an important tool for evidence gathering. In future the Commissioner said he would be reviewing all the funding that is available and he would be happy to receive any representations.
14. A Member asked how the Commissioner would hold the Chief Constable to account regarding reducing offending in prisons. The Commissioner explained that collaborative work would be undertaken with the prison service to ensure that the issues were being addressed. The Commissioner said that he has already met with the Prison Officers Association to discuss their concerns about drugs in prisons and attacks on staff, and he would be continuing to visit prisons in Kent and working closely with relevant agencies to ensure the issues are addressed. The Commissioner said he would take the issues up with the Chief Constable.
RESOLVED that the Police and Crime Panel note with thanks, the Commissioner’s verbal introduction.