Agenda and minutes

Vicky Crompton (DAAT) and Chris Savage (Cambridgeshire Police) sent apologies.   Darcy Weaver would be attending future meetings on behalf of the National Health Service but was not able to be present at this meeting.

Linda Oliver and John Reynolds declared personal interests as Cambridgeshire County Councillors and David McCraith declared a personal interest as a South Cambridgeshire District Councillor. 

The Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership accepted the minutes of the meeting held on 27 January 2009 as a correct record.   

With regard to Minute no. 30 (Rolling Plan 2009-12), the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership noted that

§                improvements to communication would now be considered at the CDRP meeting in July 2009 (paragraph 30.8)

§                the Rolling Plan had now been adopted (paragraph 30.10)

§                targets still needed to be set (paragraph 30.11)

§                the Rolling Plan would be publicised during May and June 2009 (paragraph 330.13)

Report to be circulated at the meeting

Mike Soper from Cambridgeshire County Council  reported verbally on CDRP performance over the previous three-month period.  In particular, it was apparent that, while there had been a reduction in the amount of vehicle crime and the incidence of deliberate damage was in line with targets previously agreed, there was a worrying upward trend in the number of burglaries.  Chief Inspector Vicky Skeels said that Cambridgeshire Police were exploring various ways of disrupting unlawful activities as one way of tackling crime across South Cambridgeshire.  Councillor Oliver considered the reduction in opportunity for criminal activity to be an important factor, and those present agreed that appropriate advice sheets could be useful.  Phil Aldis agreed to discuss with the District Council’s Corporate Manager (Health and Environmental Services) the possibility of such information being distributed as part of the normal refuse collection rounds.  Other methods of publicity included the South Cambs  Magazine, Parish Council newsletters and neighbourhood panels.

The economic downturn would appear to have had an adverse impact on recent improvements in the reduction of crime and disorder.

Quarterly Priority updates were noted. 

The Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership noted the report. 

Cathy Inman from Cambridgeshire Trading Standards made a PowerPoint presentation about the Home Shield scheme, launched in Cambridgeshire on 23 April 2009. 

The presentation highlighted the fact that Home Shield was a scheme that handled referrals to an ever-increasing number of partner organisations providing help for vulnerable people.  It focused on five key areas, namely

§                Health and well-being

§                Income

§                Fire safety

§                Daily living

§                Security

Those present noted that the National Health Service was likely to become a Home Shield partner in the near future.

The Chairman conveyed the CDRP's support for the Home Shield scheme, but noted that funding currently allowed only for one part-time member of staff for up to three years.  Financial issues would be a major consideration if Home Shield were to develop in Cambridgeshire in the longer term.

Those present discussed funding arrangements for 2009-10.   

Those present accepted, in principle, the desirability of changing the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership’s name so as to better reflect the overall objectives of the Partnership and reduce, in the minds of the public, the emphasis on crime and disorder.  The aim should be to adopt a meaningful name that successfully conveyed the positive messages being sent out from the various partner organisations.  

Philip Aldis invited those present to send suggestions to him so that he could prepare a formal report for the meeting in July 2009. 

The Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership agreed that, with immediate effect

1.         the Executive Group should cease to hold meetings, using e-mail instead to circulate documents for the group members to discuss and agree.

2.         a  Serious Acquisitive Crime Task Group should be created by merging the Burglary and Vehicle Crime Task Groups, thus reflecting the recently established countywide group.

3.         the  Anti-Social Behaviour Strategic Group be abolished, with ASB strategic issues being added, instead, to the current workload undertaken by the ASB Task Group at its monthly meetings and / or referred to the Executive Group, as appropriate.

4.         task Group meetings should be grouped together so that they all take place on one day in the month, the ASB Task Group on a monthly basis, the Serious Acquisitive Crime Group once every two months, and the Drugs and Alcohol Group every three months.  Therefore in some months, two to three task group meetings will run consecutively in the day, with different partners attending for each of the meetings.  A diary of meeting times would be circulated in due course.

5.         actions should be progressed quickly after the meeting with minutes and action points being  distributed to partners within two working days of each meeting.

6.            Inspector Chris Savage, Rick Hylton and Philip Aldis be instructed to review task group membership to make sure that each group includes the most appropriate representatives.

Chief Inspector Steve Lodge from Cambridgeshire Constabulary made a PowerPoint presentation on ‘Prevent’, a multi-agency, government-driven strategy and delivery plan aimed at stopping people becoming terrorists, or supporting terrorism and violent extremism.

The presentation focused on

§                the importance of the strategy

§                example profiles of terrorists and extremists

§                five key elements of

o        challenging the violent extremist ideology and support mainstream voices.

o        disrupting those who promote violent extremism and the institutions where they are active.

o        supporting individuals who are being targeted and recruited to the cause of violent extremism.

o        Increasing the resilience of communities to violent extremism.

o        addressing the grievances the ideologies are exploiting

§                the implications of NI 35 (APACS 63) - Building communities resilient to violent extremism.

§                actions the police and members of the public can take

§                examples of actions from elsewhere in the UK

The Strategy’s key messages were that terrorism is a real and serious threat to everyone, that terrorists are criminals, sometimes murderers, who attack the values shared by all decent and law-abiding people, and that everyone (not just the police and security services) needs to work together in order successfully to meet the challenges posed by terrorism.

Those present acknowledged that information sharing between districts and working with Muslim communities in universities should play an important part in developing the Strategy.

The Community Safety Officer (South Cambridgeshire) reported verbally that the conference had been scheduled to take place on Wednesday 29 September 2009.  The principle aim would be to inform County, District and Parish Councillors on the latest developments in the field of Anti-Social Behaviour.

The Chairman reminded those present of the responsibilities that CDRP partners had in mitigating the effects of the economic downturn for the residents of South Cambridgeshire. 

While the recession should not be overstated, it would be essential to address the impact it was already having  in increasing the incidence of homelessness and domestic and physical violence.

The Chairman referred to a meeting of the County Safer and Stronger Communities Board, due to take place that afternoon. 

The Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership deferred consideration of this item because the lead officer was not present.

The Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership noted the current position. 

The Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership received an update on growth areas in South Cambridgeshire.  The Chairman highlighted the fact that, since the last CDRP meeting in January 2009, planning permission had been granted for the construction of a police station in Cambourne.

The Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership noted the Forward Plan attached to the agenda, but requested that the Place Survey be added as an item for the next meeting. 

The next scheduled meetings will start at 10.00am on

·         27 July 2009

·         26 October 2009

in the Swansley Room (Ground Floor), South Cambs Hall, Cambourne Business Park, Cambourne, Cambridge, CB23 6EA

The Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership noted that its next scheduled meeting would start at 10.00am on Monday 27 July 2009.  The Chairman asked that all reports for that meeting be submitted to the Democratic Services Officer by no later than 10.00am on Monday 13 July 2009.

The meeting after that would be on Monday 26 October 2009.