PRESENT: - Councillor Davison in the Chair.
Councillors
Clark (vice-chair), Ali, Armitage, C Sherwood, Smith and Wardle.
Councillors
Poole attended the meeting in accordance with Procedure Rule 37 (b).
The
Panel met at Pittwood House, Scunthorpe.
1
DECLARATIONS OF PERSONAL OR PERSONAL AND PREJUDICIAL INTERESTS AND DECLARATIONS
OF WHIPPING ARRANGEMENTS (IF ANY) – The following member declared a personal
interest -
Member |
Minute |
Nature
of Interest |
| Councillor
Ali |
3 |
Vice-Chair
of a Humberside Police Sub-Group |
No
whip was declared.
2
PUBLIC SPEAKING
– There were
no requests from members of the public to address the Scrutiny Panel.
3
COMMUNITY POLICING – The Service Director – Legal and Democratic informed
the meeting that since the Local Government Act 2000 introduced the executive/scrutiny
split, the council has had the power to investigate community concerns beyond
the council and its services. The Act says scrutiny arrangements should include
the power to report ‘on matters which affect the authority’s area or the inhabitants
of that area’. Many useful scrutiny reviews have been done on these wider issues.
However, when this Act was passed, it required only members of the council executive
and staff to respond to scrutiny activities. Scrutiny bodies could invite others
to attend or provide information, but not compel them.
The
Local Government White Paper, Strong and
Prosperous Communities, published in October 2006 proposed a further
extended role for council scrutiny in England.
Alongside
this, the Police and Justice Act 2006 brings new powers to scrutinise Crime
and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs).
New
statutory roles for scrutiny committees to look to see that crime
and disorder issues are being introduced. Behind these changes lies the desire
to increase the visibility and accountability of partnerships locally, as well
as ensure community redress if community safety issues had not been dealt with.
Consequently,
the Chair welcomed Inspector Hall and Sergeant Mckellar Main of Humberside Police
to the meeting to discuss community policing. The aim of the discussion was
to enable members to familiarise themselves with the work of Humberside Police
in the community.
Members
discussed the following aspects of community policing:
-
Relationship
with HANWaG
-
Neighbourhood
Policing
-
Preventative
measures
-
Community
engagement
-
Neighbourhood
Action Teams
-
Alcohol
education
-
Partnership
working
Resolved
– (a) That Inspector Hall and Sergeant Mckellar Main be thanked for their attendance
and contribution at the meeting, and (b) that the Panel investigate further
the implementation of Neighbourhood Action Teams.
4
(1) CRIME AND DISORDER REDUCTION PARTNERSHIP REFORM – OVERVIEW AND
SCRUTINY COMMITTEES AND COMMUNITY CALL FOR ACTION – The Service Director
– Legal and Democratic informed the meeting that the Crime and Disorder Reduction
Partnership reform programme
was intended to provide a framework to enable all partnerships to optimise their
performance. The national minimum standards and accompanying guidance for introduction
later this summer set out this framework and had been the subject of extensive
consultation with stakeholders and practitioners over the last year.
An
important part of this framework was effective delivery structures and improved
accountability of partnerships to their communities. The provisions for crime
and disorder Overview and Scrutiny Committees (OSC) and Community Calls for
Action (CCA) for crime and disorder matters in the Police and Justice Act 2006
were part of the means of achieving that accountability.
Local
accountability and local involvement in policing were also going to be reviewed
by Sir Ronnie Flanagan as part of his broader review of policing, announced
by the Home Secretary in April this year. While not explicitly reviewing
the role of partnerships or the potential role of OSC/CCA, the review had at
its core the same aims of improving accountability and local involvement. In
view of this, and the need to consider the response to any recommendations coming
from the review, Home Office ministers have decided to pause with policy development
on crime and disorder OSC and CCA. They remain committed to enhancing local
accountability arrangements for policing and crime, but believe that pausing
on the implementation enabled them to reflect the findings and recommendations
of the Sir Ronnie’s Review in policy on OSC and CCA.
Sir
Ronnie’s Review of policing is not due to report until the end of the year.
Resolved
– That the Service Director – Legal and Democratic update the Panel once Sir
Ronnie Flanagan has published his broader review of policing report.
5
(2) REVIEW OF SAFER NEIGHBOURHOODS – The Service Director – Legal
and Democratic informed members of the outcomes of the review of Safer Neighbourhoods.
On
21 March 2007 the Safer Neighbourhoods Board agreed on a review of Safer Neighbourhoods.
The purpose was to assess
the most effective arrangements for the range of strategic and operational functions
that support the safer neighbourhoods partnership.
On
24 April 2007 the Board received a report on new National Standards for Crime
and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs). Further Home Office guidance was
received on 18 June 2007. CDRPs must comply with these new standards by 1 April
2008.
Consequently,
an action plan had been prepared to enable the Safer Neighbourhoods Partnership
to achieve National Standards for the working of
CDRPs.
Members
then engaged in a discussion on the action plan to
achieve National Standards for the working of CDRPs.
Resolved
– That the action plan be re-visited by this Panel in six months time.
6
HUMBERSIDE POLICE DIVISIONAL PERFORMANCE CHALLENGE DAY – The Service
Director – Legal and Democratic requested feedback from the Panel on their attendance
at the Humberside Police Divisional Performance Challenge Day held on 24 September
2007.
Resolved
– (a) That the Service Director – Legal and Democratic write to Acting Divisional
Commander Hilditch thanking Humberside Police for their invitation to the Humberside
Police Divisional Performance Challenge Day, and (b) that the Service Director
– Legal and Democratic write to Chief Superintendent Donald to congratulate
him on his recent promotion.
7
HUMBERSIDE POLICE FAMILIARISATION VISITS – The Service Director – Legal
and Democratic informed members of the itinerary for the Humberside Police Familiarisation
Visits on 8 and 9 October 2007.
8
OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY AND THE SAFER NEIGHBOURHOODS PARTNERSHIP WORKSHOP -
The Service Director – Legal and Democratic informed members that the overview
and scrutiny and the Safer Neighbourhoods Partnership workshop originally planned
for this meeting would now be held on Monday 22 October 2007.
All
members of the Safer Neighbourhoods Partnership had been invited to attend to
discuss enhancing the relationship between the two organisations.
9
(3) LEADER OF THE COUNCIL’S FORWARD PLAN – OCTOBER 2007 TO JANUARY
2008 - The Service Director - Legal and Democratic circulated the Leader
of North Lincolnshire Council's Forward Plan for October 2007 to January 2008.
The
plan contained details of all matters and issues likely to be the subject of
key decisions for a period of the next four months, updated on a monthly basis.
The
Panel then engaged in a discussion on the content of the Leader of the Council's
Forward Plan for October 2007 to January 2008.
Resolved
– That the Leader of the Council's Forward Plan for October 2007 to January
2008 be noted.
10
ADDED ITEM – There was no added item for discussion at this meeting.