Agenda item

1.      The Commissioner introduced the report, commenting that this was an important and complex item.  He explained that the update was based on data published by the Office of National Statistics on a quarterly basis, noting that this focused on the national crime survey of England & Wales which was deemed the most accurate measure as it also took into account crimes not recorded by Police.  The Commissioner commented that statistics was only one factor involved in how he holds Kent police to account.

2.      The Commissioner explained that he was reassured by the Police response around these figures in that the Chief Constable was moving resources to tackle problem issues and rising crime figures in certain crime types, such as the increase in the town beat officer numbers to tackle ASB and the work now focusing on violence reduction.

3.      In terms of crime outcomes, the Commissioner advised that there were some challenges and that the drop in the number of charges was a concern as the rate was now half the national average.  He commented that the number of people not supporting prosecutions had increased by three times the drop-in charges (9000 victims refused to support prosecutions).  The Commissioner highlighted that a charge was not always the most appropriate outcome and so in many cases, a different approach would be correct and reasonable, but he confirmed that he would be monitoring issue with a particular focus to ensure that appropriate outcomes were achieved for serious offences.  He also commented that the Crown Prosecution Service were the main agency involved in this stage of the criminal justice system and that there was need for greater support from them to improve charge rates and successful prosecutions.  The Commissioner gave the Panel an assurance that while the update was disappointing in some areas, he was confident that real action was being taken to address the issues.

Meeting adjourned until 15:00 due to disruption caused by members of the public

4.      Responding to questions from Members, the Commissioner clarified the following points:

·         There were 22 outcomes in the current criminal justice outcome framework, and these were publicly accessible. 

·         There were a range of ways in which he held the Chief Constable to account, notably via the quarterly Performance and Delivery Board meetings and weekly briefings.

·         Victim and Witness care teams provided support to vulnerable people and others needed particular support to continue through the criminal justice system towards prosecution.

·         The positive role of CrimeStoppers was highlighted for those unwilling to support prosecutions.

·         PCC role as Chair of the Kent Criminal Justice Board involved reviewing how the various agencies involved in prosecutions worked together.

·         Stop & Search was an important tool for policing, both as a deterrent and as a means to locate and identify offenders – noted that an independent advisory group monitored the appropriateness and proportionality of Kent Police’s use of Stop & Search.

·         Increase in Town Centre Officers came out of a review of crime statistics and local demand that had been raised by the Commissioner as a concern to the Chief Constable, representing a good example of holding to account leading to positive outcomes.

·         The increase in Domestic Abuse (DA) incidents being recorded should be looked at positively as it was understood that this crime type was significantly under-reported but that continued increases in reported figures suggested a rise in confidence from victims rather than increases in actual incidents.

·         Pilot programme taking place in Medway dealing with DA perpetrators to improve understanding of the impact of DA and to reduce re-offending.

·         Local crime trends were monitored by the District Community Safety Units (CSUs) and regularly shared and discussed with partner agencies.

RESOLVED that the Commissioner be thanked for the update and that the report be noted.