Agenda item

As part of its Crime and Disorder Panel responsibilities under the Crime and Disorder (Overview and Scrutiny) Regulations 2009 the Committee invites Matthew Barber, Police and Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley, to present.

The Committee is recommended, having considered the report and responses to questions, to AGREE any recommendations arising therefrom.

The Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Matthew Barber, attended to speak to the progress report.  He began by apologising to the Committee for his inability to join the previous meeting owing to technical difficulties but highlighted that a benefit was that, since then, he had submitted his annual report to the Police and Crime Panel which was also shared with the Committee.

There had been road safety summits around the Thames Valley which had been well attended and there was a document being drafted around road crime.  This would go out to public consultation.

Community Speedwatch was to move into the Citizens in Policing team.  In Dorset, a police officer participated in Community Speedwatch and that seemed to contribute to their success there.  The PCC noted that he was interested in that approach.

Number plate fraud was becoming more sophisticated but there was a new ANPR network which was more powerful and would reduce the success of such fraud.

Thames Valley Police (TVP) could make it easier to submit third party reporting.  The PCC made no further commitment but was considering how this could best be submitted. 

In discussion with the PCC, the Committee noted the following:

·       Safe Drive Stay Alive was a course organised by TVP which worked with schools across the Thames Valley to emphasise the risks of dangerous driving.

·       The majority of those involved in collisions on the A420 between Swindon and Oxford were not a result of excess speed.

·       There was a review in place of stationary speed cameras because analogue cameras cannot be calibrated to recognise 20mph limits.

·       Speed awareness courses were now expected to be attended in person.

·       Whilst it was not the case in some other police forces, the policy at TVP had always been to attend all burglaries.  Publicity that had championed forces now committing to this had given an impression that no forces were doing so previously.

·       Neighbourhood policing had become regarded as unfashionable overtime but it remained a core part of policing.

·       TVP was not immune from conduct issues and, in any large organisation, there was likely to be some misconduct.  Misconduct, including lower-level, should be identified and disciplined.  An audit was to be undertaken regarding vetting.

·       The PCC recognised that officers referred to unauthorised encampments rather than as being illegal but would continue to do so.  Given that they were against the law, he considered illegal encampments a justified expression.  The PCC recognised that there were particular difficulties in Oxfordshire given the lack of transit sites despite the obligation to have them.  Reference was made to crime in the Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller community specifically because it was in the context of crime from those encampments.

·       The Police and Crime Panel did a very good job but, given the Crime & Disorder powers of Local Authorities to scrutinise, there was a lack of clarity regarding their purpose and the interrelationship with Local Authority scrutiny.  The Thames Valley region was made up of three counties and 14 councils; there was considerable overlap.

·       CCTV was no one authority’s statutory obligation with a great variety of funding models across the Thames Valley  TVP was seeking to move towards a model whereby TVP would own, operate, and maintain CCTV cameras with local authorities being asked to contribute.  This would aid efficiency and reliability.

·       Data sharing with Oxfordshire County Council is very strong.  That is not the case in all places.  Mobile telephone data would be useful to build evidence regarding danger spots on roads.

·       Whilst two streams in the progress report related to digitisation, with benefits such as instantaneous translation for typed submissions to the crime room and also digital updates provided.  It was intended to reduce call volumes which would enable more people to be able to speak to a human rather than to deter them.  20% of calls to 101 were from victims requesting updates.  Were they available digitally, that would free up capacity.

·       Stop and Search panels provided a valuable service reviewing Stop and Search incidents.  The PCC considered Stop and Search an extremely valuable tool which saved lives. 

Members noted that the fire service communicated directly with local members when there were accidents.  That was not the case with TVP with road fatalities and members would be grateful for such communication.

1.    That there was a discrepancy with regard to language between the Police and Crime Commissioner and both the Council and TVP;

2.    That greater consideration could be given to the interplay between the Police and Crime Panel and local Councils;

3.    That liaison between the Council and TVP would be welcomed to ensure that local members are informed of fatalities and serious accidents within their divisions;

4.    That the Committee would be grateful to receive data relating to road traffic incidents particularly involving young people.