Agenda and minutes

In the absence of Rick Hylton, Chairman of the South Cambridgeshire Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership, Mick Harding, Vice-Chairman, took the Chair.

Following a reorganisation within the Probation Service, Mick Harding announced that this would be his final South Cambridgeshire CDRP meeting.  He introduced Hannah Waghorn, who would represent the Probation Service in future.

Those present introduced themselves.

 Rick Hylton, County Councillor David Jenkins, County Councillor John Reynolds, Chief Inspector Dave Sargent, Helen Turner and Darcy Weaver sent apologies for absence.

There were no declarations of interest.

The Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership accepted the minutes of the meeting held on 1 February 2010 as a correct record.  There were no matters arising.

MH said that, with immediate effect, the South Cambridgeshire Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership needed a new Vice-Chairman.  His nomination of Darcy Weaver (N.H.S. Cambridgeshire) was seconded and, there being no other nominations, it was agreed that Darcy Weaver be appointed Vice-Chairman until the CDRP meeting in October 2010.

BF presented the South Cambridgeshire CDRP Quarter 4 Performance Report, covering the period from January to March 2010, highlighting a number of noteworthy aspects. 

Priority 1 (Reducing Anti-Social Behaviour)

Responding to concerns expressed by LO, PA summarised the measures that had been put in place to ensure the continued provision of Anti-Social Behaviour Caseworker cover.  Councillor Oliver said that, in future, contingency plans should be in place to provide for extended absence.

IOM expressed concern at the disbandment of the Drugs and Alcohol Group, suggesting that an alternative course of action would be to merge it instead with the equivalent group in Cambridge City.  PA pointed out that the DAG’s core responsibilities did not constitute a priority for the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership but, should drugs and alcohol issues arise that needed appropriate attention, it had previously been agreed they could be referred direct to the South Cambridgeshire Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership Board

Priority 4 (Reducing Burglary)

In response to RM’s concern at the level of burglary dwelling in South Cambridgeshire, CS said that the Serious Acquisitive Crime Task Group was currently analysing the incidence of burglary ‘hotspots’ and themes.  He highlighted the effectiveness of forensic science.  

TJ undertook to make sure that, in future, the minutes of the County Serious Acquisitive Crime Task Group meetings were forwarded to the South Cambridgeshire CDRP Board for information.

The South Cambridgeshire Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership Board

1.                  Noted that an advert for maternity cover for the ASB Caseworker had been placed internally by partner agencies with a closing date of 4 May 2010 (Priority 1)

2.                  Noted that a vacancy had been filled in relation to the Catch and Convict PPO Strategy (Priority 2 – Reducing re-offending)

3.                  Agreed to the merger of the South Cambridgeshire and Cambridge City Domestic Violence Task Groups.

4.                  Noted that the results of a report from Cambridgeshire County Council were already being used to focus police activity in hotspot areas when burglaries are most likely to occur.

5.                  Agreed that the South Cambridgeshire Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership should support the Making Cambridgeshire Count and Safer/Stronger agendas to achieve excellent services by improving provision, reducing the prevalence of Domestic Abuse and reducing repeat incidents across the county (Priority 3 – Reducing Domestic Violence).

6.                  Agreed to establish a Countywide SAC Task Group in response to National Indicators 16 and 20.

The South Cambridgeshire Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership Board received and noted a report about funding in 2009-10.

 The South Cambridgeshire Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership Board considered a report about the state of CDRP funding as at April 2010.

The allocation of £1,560 to broadcast on the Tesco TV channel in Bar Hill would provide a 24-month package showing four messages a year, each message being repeated three times an hour.

Those present discussed whether the term ‘domestic abuse’ was more relevant than ‘domestic violence’.  It was argued that abuse encompassed more than just violence, and a Domestic Abuse Group could draw on evidence from the Drugs and Alcohol Action Team.  Those present agreed to follow the terminology used by the lead officer Simon Kerrs.

The CDRP Executive Group had proposed that the Pooled Fund be allocated to the following themes:

1.            Evaluation - £ 6,653.20

This money would be used to evaluate projects that had been funded by the CDRP in 2009-10 to ascertain whether they had represented value for money and to make sure they remained relevant to the priorities identified in the Rolling Plan.

2.         Anti-Social Behaviour - £6,653.20

This would be contingency funding for ASB issues and distributed as appropriate by the ASB task group.

3.         Youth Intervention - £6,653.20

This money would support existing BCU projects or County youth work.  The projects would be approved by the ASB Task Group before funding is allocated.

4.            Innovation - £6,653.20

This money would be set aside for pilot projects that would meet the priorities identified in the Rolling Plan.

The South Cambridgeshire Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership Board received and noted a report about action taken by the Executive Group since 1 February 2010.

The South Cambridgeshire Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership Board received and noted a report about new statutory duties for CDRPs nationally.

Those present noted that the South Cambridgeshire Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership had already prepared for these changes by adopting a Rolling Plan in February 2010 and by including, for some time, the Probation Service as a full partner organisation.

JM would be reporting the statutory changes to the Executive Group.

There was a need to verify whether or not CDRPs should now be referred to as Community Safety Partnerships. BF undertook to investigate.

MH reported that the Policing and Crime Act 2009 effectively had shifted CDRP focus from offences to offenders.  Although the Probation Service had been a full partner in the South Cambridgeshire Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership for some time, the new focus nationally had been evidenced by the inclusion of Probation as the sixth responsible Authority on all CDRPs and by the new statutory duty to implement a strategy to reduce re-offending.

MH summarised the contribution made by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Probation Trust in protecting the general public, and helping offenders to reform their lives by tackling aspects of social exclusion across seven so-called pathways, namely

·                Accommodation

·                Skills and employment

·                Health inequalities

·                Drugs and alcohol

·                Children and families of offenders

·                Finance, benefit and debt

·                Attitudes, thinking and behaviour

Women who had been abused, and those involved in the sex industry, should be included in each of these seven pathways.

MH referred to a number of Performance Indicators that helped to inform CDRPs (or Community Safety Partnerships) and Local Criminal Justice Boards, as well as Probation Services when deciding how to direct resources most effectively.  He highlighted opportunities for enhanced joint working in reducing crime levels, and increasing public confidence in the criminal justice system.  Introduction of the Integrated Offender Management initiative throughout Cambridgeshire would provide the overarching framework for bringing various agencies together to prioritise measures for tackling crime in local areas.

RM introduced the Quarterly report, tabled at the meeting.  He expressed disappointment that the author was not present to assist partners with the detail.

Those present noted the report’s contents and, in particular, the reduction in casualty figures. 

IOM stressed the importance of continuing to invite Matt Deacon to attend the meetings of the South Cambridgeshire Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership Board, and to provide more background and explanation of data.  IOM undertook to contact Mat Deacon to request he attends South Cambridgeshire Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership Board meetings.

PH presented a report updating the South Cambridgeshire Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership Board about Neighbourhood Panel developments over the past year, and providing partners with a summary of issues arising at recent panel meetings.

LO cautioned against Panels becoming “windows for repetition”, and urged those responsible for them to make sure that local authority officer time was used as effectively as possible.  

It was recognised that Neighbourhood Panels presented an ideal opportunity for relevant health matters to be highlighted at a local level, and played an important role in reassuring people on a range of issues.

RM raised the possibility of joint Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership meetings as a way of minimising the demands currently made on some partners’ time.  It was noted however that, unlike the recent merger of the South Cambridgeshire and Cambridge City Local Strategic Partnerships, local CDRPs had to remain independent of each other.

The Executive Group would investigate the possibility and practicalities of joint CDRP meetings, and report to the South Cambridgeshire Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership Board meeting in July 2010.

Similar joint working arrangements could be set up for the Executive Groups and Officer Steering Groups.  TC would liaise with Helen Turner and report back to the Board.

 Monday 26 July 2010 10am-12noon in the Swansley Room, South Cambridgeshire District Council, Cambourne Business Park, Cambourne, Cambridge, CB23 6EA.

The South Cambridgeshire Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership noted that the next Board meeting would be held on Monday 26 July 2010, starting at 10.00am in the Swansley Room, South Cambridgeshire District Council, Cambourne Business Park, Cambourne, Cambridge, CB23 6EA.