Agenda item

The Commissioner to present his Annual Report for 2017/18.

The Chairman welcomed the Commissioner to the meetings.

The Commissioner introduced a draft of his Annual Report, highlighting a number of areas including a reduced level of expenditure on his expenses and savings in running costs for his office, allowing more money to be spent on front line policing. He commented on the fact that crime was on the increase and was also becoming ever more complex. He also made reference to reduced levels of budget available to him at a time of austerity.

The Commissioner highlighted success in the rollout of his approach to community policing, including the provision of a PCSOs to each community. He also noted the success in the rollout of handheld technology to Officers. He thanked the Panel for the support he had received from them, making particular reference to issue of crime data integrity, which had been discussed with Panel members on a number of occasions over the previous year.

Councillor Andrew Dawson sought clarification from the Commissioner over how he should view the document; asking if it was a political document. The Commissioner responded by saying that it was a factual document, but one that was underpinned by his values. Councillor Dawson highlighted a section of the report which focused on savings in office expenditure, contrasting this to the fact that no reference was made in the Annual Report to the cost of the suspension of the Chief Constable and the associated costs related to the subsequent disciplinary hearing.

The Commissioner responding that indicating that overall expenditure on his Office had decreased by approximately £300,000 a year; this had included savings resulting from the removal of the provision of lease cars. He indicated that he would be publishing the full cost of the Chief Constable’s disciplinary  hearing, noting that due process had been followed at all times.

Turning to a separate issue, Councillor Dawson sought clarification over the issue of Police numbers. The Commissioner highlighted the work that had been undertaken in relation to the allocation of PCSOs and the changes that he had introduced. He noted the decrease in resources available nationally in the period since 2010.

Mr Evan Morris sought clarification over the status of the report; asking if the document being considered was a draft. He suggested that the report should make reference to the work of the Police and Crime Panel. The Commissioner indicated that the document was a draft and that he thought that it would be a good idea for reference to the made in the Annual Report to the work of the Panel.

Mr Bob Fousert asked the Commissioner if he thought that some of the work he and his Office were involved strayed a little outside of the remit of policing. The Commissioner indicated that one of the impacts of austerity over the last eight years had been changes in the resources available to many partner organisations. This had impacted on policing. He was of the view that modest investment from his Office in a wide range of organisations could have a significant impact on reducing levels of crime and anti social behaviour.

Councillor Paul Findlow made reference to the increase in reported Crime, asking how much of this was due to changes in the reporting mechanism. The Commissioner noted this this issue had been discussed at length at both Scrutiny meetings and at informal meetings of the Panel. He reaffirmed that some of the increase in reported crime had been due to changes in the method of reporting and that some of the increase could be attributed to the impact of austerity. The Chairman noted that detailed statistical information had been circulated to Panel members following an informal meeting that had been attended by both the Commissioner and the Acting Chief Constable. 

Councillor Andrew Bissett making reference to the points made earlier in the Meeting by Councillor Dawson, noted that the report referred to the period April 2017 to March 2018, so it was not surprising that it made no reference to the cost of the Chief Constable’s Disciplinary hearing which had been referred to by Councillor Dawson. He commended the Annual Report to the public and encouraged them to read it when published. Councillor Andrew Dawson objected to the approach adopted by Councillor Bissett and asked that this be recorded in the Minutes.

Mr Evan Morris noted that nationally there was a trend for the Police to commission services that could lead to the reduction / prevention of crime.