Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Director of Service Delivery (copy enclosed).

The Committee received the report of the Head of Paid Service, presented by Mr Spencer Clarke, the Community Safety Manager at Maldon District Council.  The report provided Members with an update on the progress of activities undertaken by the Maldon Community Safety Partnership (CSP) since the previous meeting of this committee (13 March 2019) and to inform on the strategic priorities for 2019/20.

The report provided a detailed update on the following matters:

·       Statutory Duties – the CSP was required to produce the Strategic Assessment of Crime, a draft was currently being reviewed with publication expected for December 2019-January 2020.  It was noted that as part of the Crime Risk Matrix, which looks at over 30 different types of crime within Maldon district the majority of cases, as a result of public perception, related to road use, i.e. speeding, dangerous and irresponsible driving.

·       Priorities for the partnership were reported as tackling violent crime; driving down anti-social behaviour; identifying and supporting vulnerable people; rural crime and promoting road safety and challenging irresponsible driving.

Members’ attention was drawn to the Essex Police force crime performance data for Maldon and the Essex comparison which was attached at appendix 1 and 2 of the report.  It was noted that the number of offences per 1,000 population was one of the lowest out of the Essex districts.

·       Eastern Region Counter Terrorism Local Profile – Main issue for Essex was a trend in the radicalisation of youths through social media and the internet. The CSP continue to work with Community Partners with representation from Jewish Community, Black African Communities and universities to monitor all types of hate crime.

·       Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) Update – The PFCC encouraged concerns to be forwarded to determine concerns and priorities in the local area.  It was noted that the increase in the Council Tax Precept for 2018/19 had funded the employment of an additional twelve officers for the region, of which six were deployed to Maldon.  The next increase will be contributing towards the town centre, with the anticipated acquisition of four more officers, to focus specifically on rural crime.

Additional funding was received from the Home Office which totals £2.2 million and goes towards youth crime prevention and a Violence Reduction Unit.

·       Community Safety Partnership Hub – Maldon staff are now co-located at the Chelmsford hub, as of 26 March 2019.  The co-location had seen an improvement in tackling crime, safeguarding and effective policing.

·       Operation Overwatch – Operation Overwatch has been deployed five times and identified hot spots within the region.  Within Maldon, one of these was Promenade Park where effective policing had identified and neutralised various offences and low-level nuisances.  The Parish Clerk Forum had provided good intelligence on where these issues had occurred around the area and received positive feedback on the work carried out.

·       Work with the Crucial Crew is currently being reviewed and restructured as it was considered more effective that they approach primary schools in the Spring prior to students moving on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7