Agenda item
Impact of budget changes on policing and crime prevention in Brent
A report briefly explains the development of community safety focusing on how the work is financed. Genny Renard (Interim Head of Community Safety, Strategy, Partnerships and Improvement) and Superintendent Stuart Smith (Brent Metropolitan Police Service) will be presenting further information at the meeting.
Minutes:
Genny Renard (Head of Integrated Community Safety – Strategy, Partnerships and Improvement) introduced a report to the Committee outlining the development of the Community Safety Unit and detailing the impact of the reduction in funding on the Crime Prevention Strategy Group (CPSG) and the partnership work delivered in Brent. Through the CPSG, the Brent Community Safety Partnership Unit (BCSPU) worked with council departments, the police and other key partners and agencies to tackle crime and disorder in Brent. This was a statutory requirement set out in the Crime and Disorder Act of 1998.
Genny Renard advised that the work of the BCSPU had been adversely affected during the financial year 2010/11, with the withdrawal by central government of just over £135k of funding. The mid-year cuts to funding had principally affected the unit’s work around domestic violence. For the forthcoming financial year it was expected that demand on community safety services would rise. Funding for 2011/12 would be greatly reduced due to the abolition of ring-fenced grants and all of the agencies with which BCSPU and CPSG worked would also experience pressures resulting from reduced funding. The need to meet changing demands with fewer resources had prompted research into how best to deliver community safety functions within the current climate. Strengthened and improved partnership working had resulted from such efforts, allowing available funding to be used effectively. However, inevitably, some areas of work would no longer be delivered. It was highlighted that there would be a renewed focus on risk to ensure that work was centred on vulnerable individuals and groups within the community and there would be greater emphasis on preventative work.
Genny Renard confirmed that local authority funding for additional police officers had been reduced, although internal negotiations were currently being held to seek alternative funding options. It was noted that the Mayor of London was currently operating a ‘buy one get one free’ scheme by which the cost of police constables and community support officers was significantly subsidised; however it was unclear as to whether the council would be able to take advantage of the offer.
Alisdair Ferguson (Superintendent – Partnerships, Metropolitan police) advised that the police Commissioner and Borough Commander had committed to maintaining front line services. Substantial savings had been made through the centralisation of support services and recruitment was currently frozen. The latter of these actions would eventually result in a loss of PCSOs via promotion and outside recruitment. The Committee was informed that currently the Brent policing area had five fewer PCSOs and ten to fifteen fewer PCs than intended. As a result of this there was currently an embargo on transfers out of the borough, although Area Commanders would liaise to ensure that there was an appropriate balance of officers across London. The Borough command unit fund of £300k had been withdrawn and this had financed local partnership posts and operations. Genny Renard further advised that the local authority had in previous years allocated contingency funding to be used for police operations in response to sudden increases in crime and that such responses in the future would be far slower due to the need to reallocate funds dedicated elsewhere. Alisdair Ferguson further confirmed a preventative approach would become increasingly important and in response to a query, noted that changes in officer behaviours to reflect this new focus, would be encouraged via effective leadership and the setting and maintaining of clear standards. Members were advised that public complaints relating to civility had reduced by circa fifteen to twenty percent. The possibility of delivering joint training sessions between the council and police was currently being explored.
During members discussion further details were sought regarding the progress made in relation to the new staffing structure for the Community Safety unit. The Committee was advised that a staff consultation had been conducted and a final decision would be reached by 4 March 2011. No negative feedback regarding the proposed structure had been received thus far. Under the new structure, generic job descriptions would be utilised to encourage the development of a flexible work force.
Several queries were raised in relation to the table set out in the report detailing the funding of specific projects or positions, both pre and post the cuts to the Area Based Grant (ABG). Genny Renard explained that due to the mid-year ABG cuts, the unit had been required to find £135k of savings from monies committed to works already commissioned. Therefore, the contractual arrangements for these works and the desire to avoid redundancies had been a key consideration in making the necessary savings. With regard to the Kickz project, members were advised that funding would be a particular issue and that work would be carried out with voluntary sector partners to help source alternative funding. Alisdair Ferguson highlighted that this was a very successful project which helped to keep young people engaged in positive activities. A member queried how ward-level information on crime could be accessed by Councillors and was advised that this information was available via the internet. It was agreed that a link to the relevant website and accompanying instructions would be circulated.
Further information was sought as to how the changes which had been described to the Committee would be communicated to the public. Genny Renard advised that two borough wide consultations were held per year and that information would also be disseminated via links with Ward Safer Panels and Neighbourhood Panels.
The Chair made reference to the recommendation set out at paragraph 2.3 of the report, that a small set of key performance indicators (PI) be selected for monitoring by the Committee and invited the Head of Integrated Community Safety – Strategy, Partnerships and Improvement to make any suggestions or further comments as necessary. Genny Renard provided a number of examples of possible PIs including community satisfaction and anti-social behaviour and noted that data for the former was already gathered by the police. Having considered this, it was agreed that the possible PI options be drafted and submitted to the Committee at a future meeting for further examination.
The Committee requested an update on the consultation on the Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNTs). The meeting heard that the review had now closed and a decision was expected in April. Key outcomes of the review included that communities wanted consistency in their SNTs across borders. It was felt that flexibility of resources was central to the working of SNTs to enable action to take place as necessary. In terms of uniformed presence per ward, the numbers were yet to be confirmed.
With reference to the table at paragraph 3.29 outlining the funding situation for the forthcoming financial year, the Chair sought further information on the Borough Command Unit Fund. Alisdair advised that the £72k indicated for 2011/12 had now been directed to the Mayor of London to contribute towards security for the Olympics and also the ‘buy one get one free’ scheme for PCs and PCSOs. The borough had previously funded seventeen additional PCSOs but would not for 2011/12. Genny Renard further advised that there were many changes still in process with regard to the funding situation for 2011/12. The Committee heard that some areas of work would no longer require funding as detailed for 2010/11. For instance the post of coordinator for guns, gangs and knife crime had now been deleted as its functions would now be covered via the youth offending team. Other related projects funded previously had been part of discrete pieces of work, such as the ‘Not Another Drop’ project which had been supported through a transition to an independent company.
A concern was raised that it had been reported that Domestic Violence was expected to rise and yet much of the BCSUs related work had been adversely affected. Genny Renard explained that the BCSU was working with community and voluntary groups to advance work around Domestic Violence and Victim Support. The Council had contributed to several bids for funding for these organisations, the outcomes of which were as yet unknown. A guidance document around anti-social behaviour, setting out the statutory obligations for landlords was also in development and this included reference to Domestic Violence.
RESOLVED: -
(i) that the report and updates provided by the Head of Integrated Community Safety – Strategy, Partnerships and Improvement and Superintendent – Partnerships, Metropolitan police be noted
(ii) that updates regarding the satisfaction survey conducted for the police be submitted to Committee regularly; and
(iii) that a small set of key performance indicators be selected for crime and Anti Social Behaviour for monitoring by the committee.
Supporting documents: