To receive an update about efforts to tackle antisocial behaviour.
Minutes:
Representatives from Wiltshire Police, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC), Wiltshire Council and Swindon Borough Council gave a presentation about the multi-agency work that was being undertaken to combat antisocial behaviour (ASB).
Jen Liabach, Strategic Lead for Community Safety and Youth at the OPCC, gave an overview of the responsibilities of different agencies in dealing with varying types of ASB. Points included:
· ASB was categorised in three different ways, as personal, nuisance and environmental.
· Personal ASB, around 30 percent of all ASB reported to the police, was purposefully directed towards individuals.
· Nuisance ASB, around 62 percent of ASB reported to the police, was not intentional, but a result of a lack of consideration to others. Common examples included noise pollution and inconsiderate driving.
· Environmental ASB tended to be acts which had an impact on the appearance and wellbeing of a community, such as fly tipping, graffiti and littering.
· Although the agencies worked together closely, Wiltshire Police was normally the lead agency in dealing with Personal ASB, whereas efforts to tackle Nuisance and Environmental ASB were usually led by the two local authorities, or by housing providers.
Sam Knight, Strategic Community Safety Manager at Swindon Borough Council, then gave examples of how ASB could be reported and listed the powers available to different agencies under the Antisocial Behaviour Act 2014, such as civil injunctions, dispersal and closure powers.
Information about Public Space Protection Orders, one of the powers allowed by the Antisocial Behaviour Act 2014, was given by Sam Townley, Community Safety Officer at Wiltshire Council. The Community Safety Officer explained that a Public Space Protection Order had been implemented in areas of Salisbury to tackle street drinking and to outlaw the possession of a catapult, slingshot or similar item. There was also a Public Space Protection Order in Downton and Redlynch, with further orders planned for Wiltshire Council’s authority area. A recent consultation about implementing a Public Space Protection Order in Devizes had received 824 responses, with 90 percent in favour. In addition, conversations were being held about consulting on similar schemes in Chippenham and Trowbridge.
The Strategic Lead for Community Safety and Youth at the OPCC, provided detail about the governance structures in place to ensure best practice. She emphasised the importance of ensuring that local policies aligned with regional and national objectives, as well as the need to avoid overlap, or duplication, between agencies. She reported that a Community Safety Partnership review had been undertaken and a Community Safety and ASB Transformation Lead had been appointed to ensure that practice was aligned between different agencies.
Examples of multiagency work were then provided by the Community Safety Officer at Wiltshire Council, who chaired two ASB Risk Assessment Conferences (ASBRACs). These groups contained representatives from partner agencies to review the progress towards resolving underlying issues and consider the victim’s best interests. It was also possible for victims to request case reviews so that agencies worked together to develop an action plan. There was a focus on problem solving and developing Problem Orientated Policing (POP) Plans. Working together also allowed agencies to agree the best enforcement actions and share best practice. Social workers were also heavily involved, so could make referrals and ensure that appropriate safeguarding was in place.
Problem Solving and Prevention Supervisor, Emma Reid, from Wiltshire Police’s Neighbourhood Harm Reduction Unit, provided further details about the governance arrangements. She explained that a Strategic and Operational ASB Meeting, with representatives of multiple partner agencies, maintained oversight of efforts to tackle ASB, including by monitoring the number if referrals into the ASBRACs. It was a useful forum in which to discuss issues impacting both local authority areas, such as car meets. In addition, ASB officers attended fortnightly police taking meetings held by Neighbourhood Police Teams so they could input into their priorities and receive local feedback.
The Strategic Lead for Community Safety and Youth at the OPCC then took the opportunity to give examples of programmes funded by the Home Office to tackle ASB, such as the Safer Street Programme and ASB Hotspot Funding. She noted that the Hotspot Funding had provided over 4,000 hours of police overtime in specific locations, in addition to extra warden patrols. The Strategic Community Safety Manager at Swindon Borough Council, explained that the four wardens in the town had been really beneficial in reassuring the public, gathering intelligence and engaging with Neighbourhood Police Teams.
During the discussion, the following points were made:
· The Panel thanked the officers for their very detailed presentation.
· Public Space Protection Orders could last for up to three years.
· ASB workshops were run by an external training agency for Neighbourhood Police Teams.
· The Problem Solving and Prevention Supervisor was working with Neighbourhood Police Teams to refine POP plans and make best use of technology, such as CCTV.
· The government would clarify in the budget, on 30 October, whether funding would continue for the current initiatives to tackle ASB.
· When asked about the work that agencies did in schools and specialist educational settings, it was confirmed that the police worked closely with schools and detached youth work providers.
· It was noted that, if Neighbourhood Police Teams had continuity in staffing, then they could more easily develop links with young people as they grew up. A good example of this was Police Community Support Officer Mark Cook, who had done lots of valuable work to support young people in Calne.
· The Chief Executive noted that the OPCC were working with Wiltshire Police to ensure that improved transition plans were in place when officers had to move away from Neighbourhood Police Teams. He reported that the National College of Policing had stated that nationally there were not enough opportunities for career progression within Neighbourhood Police Teams and that officers often had to move into different specialisms to move through the ranks.
· It was requested that the presentation slides were sent to the Panel and that the Strategic Lead for Community Safety and Youth at the OPCC attend Chippenham and Villages Area Board to speak about ASB.
· The Panel stated that they would welcome further information about what influence the police could have on landowners who held car meets on their land.
· When asked whether it would be possible to speed up the application process for Public Space Protection Orders, the Community Safety Officer at Wiltshire Council explained that they required legal input, and a six-week statutory consultation, so there were limits on how quickly they could be processed. He noted that the process in Devizes had been quicker than in Salisbury.
Cllr Stanka Adamcova left the meeting at 3:37pm. Co-Opted Member Denisa Ahmeti left at 3:39pm.