Agenda item

1.    The Commissioner presented his Annual Report for 2021/22. He began by giving thanks to his Office and Kent Police for their support and work progressing his Police and Crime priorities over the previous year. He recognised that 2021/22 had been a particularly challenging period for the police and public. He highlighted three key operational areas where significant progress had been made: prevention, which included the impact of the countywide PCSO problem solving task force; neighbourhood policing, which included the work of the rural task force and town centre teams reducing crime and anti-social behaviour; and combating county lines, through the work of the drugs and organised crime teams which had halved the number of active county lines in Kent over the period. It was noted that there had been a reduction in crime by over 19,000 offenses, when compared to pre-pandemic levels. He addressed future risks, which included a less experienced police force, with a higher proportion of officer with under 5 years’ service as well as 999 and 101 line underperformance. He confirmed that he had received reassurance from the Temporary Chief Constable that a plan would be put in place to strengthen performance. In relation to victim satisfaction, he explained that there had been an overall improvement and that, as part of the retendering of victims’ services, an all-encompassing survey would be commissioned. The success of the Dads Unlimited male victim domestic abuse support service which he had commissioned was highlighted, along with its Save Dave (Domestic Abuse Victim Empowerment) service which could be accessed through 01233 680160 or www.SaveDAVE.org.uk. The Commissioner invited the Panel’s views on drugs enforcement, the force control room performance and public engagement, including the measurement of victim satisfaction.

2.    Following a question from the Chair on how rising costs had impacted Kent Police’s finances, the Commissioner replied that Chief Financial Officers had produced a report on the anticipated cost increases and pressures. He noted that construction costs, in particular, had increased rapidly which directly impact the capital programme. He recognised that the government’s three-year settlement had set expectations straight and allowed for more accurate medium term financial planning.

3.    Members raised concerns regarding the poor performance of the 101 non-emergency enquiry line and requested a report from the Commissioner explaining what he had done to ensure that measures are put in place to improve call response times. Specific concerns highlighted by Members regarding the poor performance included: that poor response times would transfer crime reporting onto other authorities, including district community safety teams; that poor performance would lead to congestion of the 999 line with non-emergency enquiries, impacting the reporting of emergencies; and that as the main point of contact with the public, poor response times would negatively impact the public perception of Kent Police and reduce the feeling of community safety. In response to the concerns raised by the Panel, the Commissioner committed to improve 101 response times, noting that current performance was unsatisfactory. He explained that protection of 999 which had experienced an increase in call volume of over 300 calls per day, as well as a considerable number of vacancies had been the main causes of the poor 101 response times. He agreed to report back to the Panel on the progress made to improve performance.

4.    Following a question from a Member on when it was appropriate to use 999 or 101, the Commissioner clarified that 999 should be used for emergencies, when lives were in danger or crime was in progress, whereas 101 should be used to report non-emergencies or incidents that had already taken place.

5.    The Vice Chair commended the cadet scheme’s positive impact on young people and asked what had been done to enlarge the scheme. The Commissioner stated that current access to the scheme was broad, with units across the county, and that a pathway to leadership programme connected to the scheme had yielded positive results. He paid tribute to the volunteers and officers involved in the cadets and mini-cadets schemes. The Panel were assured that ways of increasing capacity were being investigated.

6.    A Member asked whether the reduction in the rate of burglary had been solely a result of the pandemic. Whilst the Commissioner acknowledged that burglary had reduced during the pandemic, he noted that the rate had continued to decline following the lifting of social restrictions, which was coupled with an increase in the charge rate, with more than 2,500 charges issued. 

7.    The Commissioner was asked what was in place to ensure that victims of stalking had continuity of service and a single point of contact with Kent Police. He confirmed that there were dedicated liaison officers for victims of domestic abuse and recognised that continuity of service could be improved in other areas.

8.    In response to a question from a Member on how intelligence submitted by the public informed operations, the Commissioner explained that Kent Police remained one of the most extensive users of CrimeStoppers, which allowed members of the public to anonymously report crime, with the organisation triaging out what they believe to be actionable by Kent Police. He noted that this system had yielded arrests. Hot spotting tools were also mentioned, with the impact on crime and anti-social behaviour reduction recognised. He added that he would be meeting with senior officers to discuss the neighbourhood policing review the following week. Community Trigger, which gave victims of persistent anti-social behaviour reported to any of the main responsible agencies the right to request a multi-agency review of their case where a local threshold is met, was also highlighted by the Commissioner.

9.    The Commissioner explained following a question from a Member that there had been a degree of fluctuation in the in-year budget with increased goods costs and the planned removal of the National Insurance increase. The Panel were told that the budget setting process for the 2023/24 budget would begin shortly. Regarding efficiencies, he highlighted BlueLight Commercial and 7 Force Commercial Services as examples of how cross-authority services had yielded procurement and commercial savings. He reassured the Panel that future savings would be made sensitively.

10.A Member asked how Kent’s rate of Section 136 detentions compared nationally. The Commissioner explained that whilst Kent had previously been an outlier with particularly high Section 136 detention rates, that they were on track to half the number of Section 136 detention, when compared to the peak of 2,100. He noted that the progress had achieved through improved partnership working and use of the 836 officer support line. He emphasised that the priority in this area was getting people the right care.

11.The Commissioner was asked what had been done to ensure that there was a greater police presence in communities. He explained that the main uplift in officers had been in the vulnerabilities investigation team, which constituted over 900 officers, handled 1 in 5 crimes reported to Kent Police and included responding to high priority domestic abuse cases within its remit. He reminded Members that there were community policing teams in every district, which conducted proactive community policing and traffic monitoring, with additional monitoring from the road safety team.

12.A Member suggested that local intelligence be further incorporated into efforts to combat drug dealing, especially when offenses were in progress. The Commissioner agreed that local intelligence was vital for combatting drug dealing in communities, though he mentioned that there had been a decrease in public reporting in this area in the year to date and noted that he would respond to the Home Office’s consultation on ‘Swift, Certain, Tough: New Consequences for Drug Possession’ which closed on 10 October.

RESOLVED to review and comment on the Annual Report.