Agenda item

To note the written reports and receive any updates from the following:

      i.        Pam Gough from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) to update and take questions on the Annual Report and Police and Crime Plan 2015/17.

    ii.        Wiltshire Police

   iii.        Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

   iv.        Trowbridge Community Area Future (TCAF)

    v.        Town and Parish Councils

   vi.        Tom Ward (Public Protection Officer)

Updates from partners were received as follows:

      i.        Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC)

A presentation as attached to these minutes was provided by Pam Gough of the OPCC on behalf of Commissioner MacPherson, detailing his Annual Report for 2014/15 and Police and Crime Plan for 2015-17.

It was stated a government inspection had rated the service as Good, and Wiltshire remained one of the safest counties in the country, but that the Plan would seek to maintain and improve upon this in the face of continuing financial challenges. It was stated much of the previous Plan had been delivered, with new threats emerging, hence the need for a refresh of the Plan.

It was stated the Plan would make commitments to put neighbourhood teams at the centre of policing, shift resources toward the front line to protect policing, and that any increase in the police element of the council tax would be used to reduce the impact from funding reductions from central government.

The four priorities of the Plan would be to prevent crime and anti-social behaviour, protect the most vulnerable, put victims and witnesses at the heart of the service, and secure high quality, efficient and trusted service.

The Board discussed the update and sought details of custody suites that would be used by the Police and the overall Police estate. It was stated there would be one custody suite in Swindon and another in Wiltshire which would not be in Salisbury, and that Warminster was a location looked at in a feasibility study, with the Melksham site decommissioned. It was also stated the government was again consulting on the location of magistrate courts, in response to a question about possible reuse of the former court in Trowbridge.

In response to queries on the support of victims details were provided of the position of ‘named person’, wherein every victim and witness would be provided the name of an officer who would be contactable through the criminal justice process to offer advice and assistance. It was stated that all victims would be written to and told who to contact if they wished, while all vulnerable persons affected, and victims of serious crime, would be actively contacted more directly to keep them informed and assured.

The Board also expressed concern about the latest reorganisation of police support teams for the area, and requested this be raised with the relevant Inspector.

    ii.        Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

It was stated the transfer to the new Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Authority was proceeding well, with a number of events planned for further informal local neighbourhoods, with roadshows at the civic centre on 6 October.

   iii.        Trowbridge Community Area Future (TCAF)

The written update was noted. Lindsay Millen, TCAF Coordinator, reported that TCAF was currently attempting to focus on local neighbourhood specific issues not just town wide initiatives, and a report was presented, as attached to the minutes, on recent consultations. BA14 Culture was also holding a launch event for the Arts Festival in the Museum on 16 October.

There were some concerns raised about raising expectations of residents too high, but it was stated the report was principally to determine what people in each neighbourhood think and then to support specific projects to attempt to assist residents to achieve the things they suggest they wanted, rather than the report being a commitment to achieve everything people might like.

   iv.        Town and Parish Councils

The written update from Trowbridge Town Council was noted. It was further stated there was great concern and disappointment within the Town Council on the position of Wiltshire Council regarding the Community Governance Review which would amend the boundaries of Towns and Villages in the community area, and representatives of the Town Council urged everyone present to ask Wiltshire Council’s Community Governance Working Group to reconsider its current position.

An update was also provided by the Community Engagement Management on reports of problems with Seagulls, noting that a significant issue with them had been seen in Devizes recently, and required costly efforts to resolve. Further investigation would need to take place to determine the extent of the problem.