Agenda for Community Safety Forum on Monday, 18th June, 2012, 4.00pm
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Agenda and minutes
PDF 211 KBVenue: Council Chamber, Hove Town Hall. View directions
Contact: Penny Jennings, Senior Democratic Services Officer
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Procedural Business
(b) Declarations of Interest by all Members present of any personal interests in matters on the agenda, the nature of any interest and whether the Members regard the interest as prejudicial under the terms of the Code of Conduct.
(c) Exclusion of Press and Public - To consider whether, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, or the nature of the proceedings, the press and public should be excluded from the meeting when any of the following items are under consideration.
NOTE: Any item appearing in Part 2 of the Agenda states in its heading either that it is confidential or the category under which the information disclosed in the report is exempt from disclosure and therefore not available to the public.
A list and description of the categories of exempt information is available for public inspection at Brighton and Hove Town Halls. Minutes: 1a Declaration of Substitutes
1.1 Councillor Hawtree was present in substitution for Cllr. Shanks.
1b Declarations of Interest
1.2 Councillor Carden declared a personal but non-prejudicial interest in Item 10, Minutes of the East Sussex Fire Authority Meeting held on 2 February by virtue of his Membership of the Fire Authority.
1.3 Councillor Duncan declared a personal but none prejudicial interest in Item 9, Minutes of the Sussex Police Authority held on 16 February 2012 by virtue of his Membership of the Police Authority.
1c Exclusion of the Press and Public
1.4 In accordance with section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 (‘the Act’), the Community Safety Forum considered whether the press and public should be excluded from the meeting during an item of business on the grounds that it was likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the press or public were present during that item, there would be disclosure to them of confidential information (as defined in section 100A(3) of the Act) or exempt information (as defined in section 100I of the Act).
1.5 RESOLVED - That the press and public not be excluded from the meeting. |
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Minutes of the Previous Meeting Minutes of the meeting held on 12 March 2012. Minutes: 2.1 Councillor Barnett stated her view that the minutes did not reflect her understanding of events in relation to point 39.5, Chair’s Communications: Forum Meeting Held on 10 October 2011, it was her view that the Chair had not responded to her and Cllr. Janio on both matters of concerned.
2.2 Councillor Simson noted that the minutes stated a report would be bought to this meeting on the Youth Justice Plans and it was explained that this item been deferred to the next meeting.
2.3 RESOLVED – That the minutes of the Community Safety Forum meeting held on 12 March 2012 be agreed and signed as a correct record. |
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Chair's Communications Minutes: 3.1 The Chair noted it had been several months since the last LATS Chairs meeting, and it was hoped the next one could be held after the school summer holiday period. |
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Public Involvement To consider the following matters raised by members of the public:
(a) Petitions: to receive any petitions presented by members of the public to the full Council or at the meeting itself.
(b) Written Questions: to receive any questions submitted by the due date of 12 noon on the [11 June 2012].
(c) Deputations: to receive any deputations submitted by the due date of 12 noon on the [11 June 2012]. Minutes: 4.1 There were no petitions, written questions or deputations. |
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Issues Raised by Councillors To consider the following matters raised by councillors:
(a) Petitions: to receive any petitions submitted to the full Council or at the meeting itself;
(b) Written Questions : to consider any written questions;
(c) Letters: to consider any letters;
(d) Notices of Motion: to consider any notices of motion. Minutes: 5.1 The Chair stated he had received a late notice of motion from Derek Peacock, asking that the forum consider co-opting the chair or another member of the LGBT Community Safety Forum to work alongside the Community Safety Forum. Mr Peacock spoke to his motion and noted that the LGBT Community Safety Forum had recently reformed, and he felt their input would be useful; the Chair also agreed that this was a positive course of action.
5.2 There were no other petitions, written questions, letters or notices of motion.
5.3 RESOLVED – That the necessary arrangement be made to allow a member of the LGBT Community Safety Forum to be formally co-opted onto the Community Safety forum. |
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Community Safety Issues Raised by Members and Community Representatives This standing item will provide an opportunity for relevant issues to be raised or updated on. Minutes: 6.1 Councillor Warren Morgan raised the issue of dangerous and uncontrolled dogs in the city’ stating his concern that they could easily attack children and adults alike. It was agreed a report would be bought to the next meeting of the Forum.
6.2 Derek Peacock also raised the issue of dangerous seagulls; and Officers explained they would look into this issue outside of the meeting to consider if it fell within the remit of the Forum. |
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National Community Safety Initiatives which Impact Locally: Standing Item (a) Putting Victims First: More effective responses to Anti-Social Behaviour- Presentation by Commissioner of Community Safety.
Minutes: 7.1 Sergeant Castleton gave a presentation in relation to the recent Government proposals on More Effective responses to Anti-Social Behaviour. The four main strands of the proposals were highlighted: putting victims first; empowering communities; swift effective action and long-term solutions. In relation to putting victims first it was explained that officers would now have to go through a process to consider what harm was caused to ensure the right support was offered to victims. Residents would now be able to activate a trigger through ‘community trigger’ where they felt they were not getting the appropriate response; this could currently be done through the Council website, and would shortly be available on the Police website. Civil injunctions were due to replace ASBOs, although this work was still in the early stage, it was hoped this would lead to a swifter response process for the Police. Sergeant Castleton also highlighted amendments to closure orders and Section 27 notices, and a recognition that the five big issues for anti-social behaviour related to drink, drugs, troubled families, mental health and dog ownership.
7.2 The Forum discussion the Community Trigger scheme, and the Chair highlighted Brighton & Hove would be one of the pilots for the national scheme. Councillor Morgan noted his concern that the name of the scheme could be better phrased, and went on to note that he could see little difference between community trigger and community call for action. The Commissioner for Community Safety, Linda Beanlands, said that feedback could be provided about the name of the scheme, and she wished to stress the scheme would sit alongside existing arrangements, and not replace them.
7.3 Councillor Morgan expressed his concern in relation to civil injunctions replacing ASBOs as the proceedings would be through the civil court, rather than the criminal court, and consequently the order would no longer be backed up by prison sentences. The Senior Lawyer, Simon Court, confirmed that there would no longer be custodial sentences for under 18s, and there was ongoing work to help the court sbridge this gap. |
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Local Issues: Standing Item This item will provide the opportunity for relevant issues to be updated upon:
(a) Crime Trends and Performance Figures – report of the Commissioner, Community Safety (copy attached);
(b) Sussex Police Plan 2012/13 – oral report by Chief Superintendent of Police.
(c) Update on Police and Crime Commissioner – oral report by Commissioner, Community Safety.
(d) Results of the Big Alcohol Debate – presentation. Minutes: 8 a) Crime Trends and Performance Figures
8.1 The forum considered a report of the Commissioner for Community Safety describing recent activities and progress relating to priority areas in the Brighton & Hove Community Safety, Crime Reduction and Drugs Strategy 2011-14; statistical updates relating to 2011/12 April 2011 to March 2012 were also highlighted. Graphs showing monthly crime data from April 2008 to April 2012 were provided which set recent data in the context of both longer term trends and seasonal crime cycles.
8.2 Councillor Mac Cafferty congratulated partners on active steps taken to combat crime in the city; he went on to ask specific question in relation to alcohol misuse funding and the length of the pilot scheme for Community Trigger. In response it was explained that the funding could not be confirmed, and the length of the pilot scheme would be 12 months.
8.3 Councillor Simson queried some of the data in relation in the fall in recorded criminal damage; she went on to ask about theft from person at large organised events. It was explained that the fall was accurate as Brighton & Hove had started from a higher point, and secondly there was a great deal of work already being undertaken to tackle and raise awareness of theft from person through social media.
8.4 RESOLVED – That the forum notes the information contained in the report.
8 b) Sussex Police Plan 2012/13
8.5 Sergeant Castleton gave a presentation in relation to the Sussex Police Plan 2012/13 and highlighted that there was not a divisional policing plan; but the countywide plan reflected the needs of the city, and the full plan could be accessed online. The Chair also noted that currently the plan was adopted by the Sussex Police Authority, but this process would change next year with the emergence of the directly elected Police Commissioner.
8.6 Councillor Morgan noted that the plan did not provide targets to measure against; and highlighted his view that it missed out the impact of the fear of crime against vulnerable groups. The Chair echoed these comments and felt that issues relating to the fear of crime could be fed back to the Police Commissioner after they had been elected later in the year.
8.7 The Forum also raised and discussed the following themes which were noted by the Chair and Sergeant Castleton: safety of foreign students studying in the city; the implications of the proposed 20 mph speed limit in the city; priorities in relation to domestic violence and sexual abuse and vulnerable older people.
8.8 RESOLVED – That the content of the presentation be noted.
8 c) Update on Police and Crime Commissioner
8.9 The Commissioner for Community Safety gave a presentation updating the Forum on the arrangements for the Police and Crime Commissioners, and highlighted that there were still areas of concerns in relation to budget setting, but no definitive information had been released yet. The formal regulations for the Joint Police and crime Panel had been published very recently, and the role of the Panel would be to hold the Commissioner to account. The Panel for Sussex was currently being lead by West Sussex County Council and would consist of 15 members representing each of the local authorities. The Chair went on to add that there was some concern about the disproportionate representation on the panel in relation to population size, and concern this would detrimentally impact Brighton & Hove.
8.10 Councillor Morgan reiterated that it was the view of his group that the Commissioner model was not the right way forward; and preferred the alternative proposals put forward by the LGA. He noted further concerns in relation to procedures and scrutiny. Officers highlighted that an EIA had been undertaken and the shadow panel had accepted the findings; there was still further work to be done to ensure that issues affecting the city would be firmly placed on the agenda for the Commissioner.
8.11 RESOLVED – That the content of the presentation be noted.
8 d) Results of the Big Alcohol Debate
8.12 The Forum viewed a video on the findings of the Big Alcohol Debate, and raised the following points in general discussion: a process of billing drunk individuals who used emergency services could be investigated; the video should be shown at the Shadow Health & Wellbeing Board for their consideration and further work needed to be undertaken to provide alternative options to drinking for young people.
8.13 RESOLVED – That the content of the video be noted. |
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Sussex Police Authority: Minutes of the Meeting Held on 16 February 2012 (copy attached) Minutes: 9.1 RESOLVED – That the contents of the minutes be noted. |
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East Sussex Fire Authority: Minutes of the Meeting Held on 2 February 2012 (copy attached)(minutes for June meeting to follow) Minutes: 10.1 RESOLVED – That the contents of the minutes be noted. |