Agenda and minutes

The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting and introductions were made. He reiterated the fact that the main purpose of these meetings was to allow discussions and information sharing on the important issues regarding crime reduction in the district.

The minutes of the meeting held on 8 October 2015 were agreed as a correct record.

Mike Hill highlighted the work of the monthly Tasking and Co-ordination Group, which included tackling modern day slavery, anti-social behaviour and Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE).

Mike Hill presented the updated Action Plan for the Board for 2015/16.

James Sutherland supported the showing of the programme “Chelsea’s Choice” to all secondary schools in South Cambridgeshire. He assured the Board that the limited response so far to these screenings indicated that there was not a hidden problem with regard to Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) in the District.

It was noted that academy schools were under no obligation to purchase County Council goods and services, although it was stated that school governors did support internet safety at schools.

Mike Hill presented the CDRP Financial Report. He explained that there was likely to be a slight underspend of PCC funding of £1,000. It was noted that the funds were committed, but will not be spent until the next financial year. Mike Hill and Nicky Phillipson agreed to discuss the issue of funding the Healthy Relationships Programme outside the meeting.

Nikki Phillipson gave a verbal update on the work of the Office of the Policy and Crime Commissioner.

It was noted that the election for a new Police and Crime Commissioner would be held on Thursday 5 May. The pre-election purdah period would start on 31 March. Maurice Moore agreed to attend the PCC election event on 15 March 2016. It was noted that a cyber crime event and youth fund even were also planned.

In the absence of Ben Shelton, Nicky Phillipson provided this update. It was noted that additional funding from the Police and Crime Commissioner budget would be spent on improving road safety, to complement the work of the County Council and the Road Safety Partnership.

Leigh Roberts and Jamie Leeman gave a presentation, which assessed the strategic priorities of the for Board for 2015/16 and recommended new priorities for 2016/17.

Attendance of Board members

Maurice Moore stated that the Clinical Commissioning Group should be asked to send a delegate to this meeting as it was important for the Board to receive a perspective from the Health sector. Councillor David Jenkins offered to assist in this matter. Disappointment was also expressed at the absence of any councillors from either the District Council.

Demographic change

It was noted that there was change in the demographics of the District with increasing diversity and an increasingly ageing population. The increase in population was driven by the building of new communities, which had also led to an increase in diversity. It was suggested that the Board should consider raising the awareness of “hate crimes”, which were often under reported. It was suggested that the Board should react to an ageing population by prioritising the protection of the elderly and the vulnerable, including those who suffer from mental health issues, by focussing on dwelling burglary, scams and rogue trading.

Violence without injury

The increase in violence without injury suggested that this was due to an increase in recording. Local hospitals confirmed that there had been no increase in admissions due to violent behaviour.

Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) and exploitation of the vulnerable

There was a correlation between a night time economy and cases of Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE). This partly explained why there had been only 20 reports of CSE in the district, which was well below the national average. It was noted that exploitation of adults for financial gain has become a growing concern both nationally and in the district. It was agreed that the Board should continue to tackle exploitation, including CSE as a lack of numeric data did not rule out the possibility of it taking place.

Domestic burglary

The numbers of domestic burglary fluctuated. The “Bad Wolf test” encouraged residents to review the security of their properties. James Sutherland recommended focussing on apprehending domestic burglars, which he considered was more effective than encouraging residents to improve their home’s security in reducing domestic burglary.

It was suggested that it would be difficult to deal with cyber crime at a local level.

It was recommended that due to the supporting evidence, the Board should keep its current priorities of reducing domestic abuse, exploitation and protecting the elderly or vulnerable. The Partnership should also consider adding both dwelling burglary, as this was an increasing concern, and engaging with new communities as the district was one of the fastest growing areas of the country, which brought about its own challenges.

The Board AGREED to prioritise the following key areas for 2016/17:

·         Domestic abuse

·         Protecting the elderly or vulnerable (including those isolated without support and those with mental health issues)

·         CSE and exploitation

·         Dwelling burglary

·         Engaging with new and developing communities

The final wording would be agreed by the CDRP Tasking and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

It was agreed that the Board should meet in six months’ time and that the exact date should be confirmed nearer the time.