Agenda item - Community Safety Team

Presentation on their work

48.1              Peter Wileman, Community Safety Manager, briefed the panel on the work of the Community Safety team. The Community Safety team lead four pieces of work that included domestic and sexual violence, the prevention of extremism concerning vulnerable people that were at risk of committing terrorism offences, ‘county lines’ that described a national issue of urban gangs supplying drugs and the coordination of anti-social behaviour and hate incidences. He stated that the two teams within Community Safety coordinated, commissioned and supported frontline work with officers in the council and private sector.

48.2              In response to residents, Peter Wileman stated that central areas tended to experience higher crime rates due to the inflated street population and the activity hotspots of the night time economy, however the general work of the Community Safety team was not area specific and high profile cases were spread over the city. He added that resources were spread in line with the threat, risk and vulnerability associated with specific reports.

48.3              The Chair asked for an explanation of anti-social behaviour, what resident’s concerns should be and the best way to report activity.

48.4              Peter Wileman stated that for housing areas anti-social behaviour would include nuisance and annoyance to residents. For non-housing areas behaviour would include harassment, harm and distress. The most serious cases include physically threatening incidents, verbally abusive, criminal damage or open drug use. He added that if problems arose from council tenants the best route of complaint would be via the Housing Customer Service team and if there were problems with drug litter residents should contact City Clean.

48.5              In response to residents raising concerns with reporting domestic violence, officers stated that victims would be offered priority transfer for alternative accommodation and special procedures were in place to ensure the victim’s needs were put first.

48.6              Officers stated that in terms of anti-social behaviour residents were able to report anonymously and officers could legally present on their behalf.

48.7              The Chair encouraged residents to report incidents in order for patterns in the city to be revealed which could aid future investigation.

48.8              Officers stated that if any residents needed to report or seek advice on community safety concerns then they should refer to  the following contact details:

·         BHCC tenants and leaseholders should report anti-social behaviour and hate incidents to 01273 293030 or Housing.CustomerServices@brighton-hove.gov.uk.

·         Non BHCC tenants and leaseholders should report to 01273 292735 or CommunitySafety.Casework@brighton-hove.gcsx.gov.uk.

·         All persons, irrespective of tenure can report online https://selfservice.brighton-hove.gov.uk/AchieveForms/?mode=fill&form_uri=sandbox-publish://AF-Process-3e1dc4c1-8ee4-46a5-9379-76383b64f084/AF-Stagee7f0a746-752b-4d1c-ab51-f17488fb8297/definition.json&process=1&process_uri=sandbox-processes://AF-Process-3e1dc4c1-8ee4-46a5-9379-76383b64f084&process_id=AF-Process-3e1dc4c1-8ee4-46a5-9379-76383b64f084.

·         Drug litter and graffiti should be reported to City Clean.