Agenda and minutes

Members are reminded that, in accordance with governance procedure rule 2.7, Panel Members, or their constituent authority, may nominate substitute members of the Panel in the event that the appointed representative(s) is/are unable to attend the meeting.  Advance notice of substitution should be given to the host authority wherever possible.  Members are encouraged wherever possible to secure the attendance of a substitute if they are unable to be present.

Apologies were received from Councillors Andrew Dawson, Norman Plumpton-Walsh, Steven Edgar and Mr Evan Morris MBE.

Members are reminded of their responsibility to declare any disclosable pecuniary or non-pecuniary interest which they have in any item of business on the agenda no later than when the item is reached.

There were no declarations of interest.

To receive questions from members of the public in accordance with governance procedure rule 14.  A total period of 15 minutes will be allocated for members of the public to speak at Panel meetings.  Each member of the public shall be limited to a period of up to 5 minutes speaking.

Members of the public may speak on any matter relating to the work of the Panel. During public speaking time, members of the public may ask questions of the Panel and the Chairman, in responding to the question, may answer the question, may decline to do so, may agree to reply at a later date or may refer the question to an appropriate person or body.

Questions will be asked and answered without discussion.  In order for officers to undertake any background research, members of the public who wish to ask a question at a Panel meeting should submit the question at least a day before the meeting.

Members of the public are able to put questions direct to Cheshire’s Police and Crime Panel via social media platform Twitter.

The Cheshire Police and Crime Panels’ Twitter account @CheshirePCP

No members of the public who wished to speak were in attendance.

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 15 November 2018.

The minutes of the meeting held on 15^th November 2018 were approved as a correct record.

To receive a briefing note from Mr  Bob Fousert and Mrs Sally Hardwick.

Mrs Sally Hardwick and Mr Bob Fousert briefed the Panel on their recent visit to the Constabulary’s Occupational Health Unit. They indicated that they had been impressed with the work that the Unit undertook, but recognised that there was a challenge in reducing levels of sickness, and that  the Unit was working under difficult circumstances. Councillor Riley noted that there was an opportunity to better understand the factors that led to sickness and absence, enabling the Constabulary to use this information to change organisational culture.

Councillor Warren noted that as the retirement age for Police Officers had been raised it was likely that sickness levels would increase. Both Mrs Hardwick and Councillor Davidson noted that mental health issues now impacted one in four of the adult population and that this increasing trend was likely to be reflected in Police Officer and civilian staff sickness levels.

The Chairman welcomed the Commissioner to the meeting. He indicated that once the Commissioner had made a statement about the outcome of the former Chief Constable’s Gross Misconduct Hearing, the Panel would not ask questions on the issue. The meeting on 8^th February would be extended to review this issue in detail. 

The Commissioner indicted that he would have been prepared to discuss the issue in detail at the meeting. He stressed that at all times he had been open and transparent and wished to assist the Panel with its work.

Mr Bob Fousert requested that the Commissioner provide more up to date information on scrutiny, noting that the latest papers on his website were some four months old. The Commissioner indicated that the Minutes of the November Scrutiny meeting would not be approved until the next meeting, but that he welcomed a discussion on whether Minutes could be released in draft form. Councillor Findlow indicated that in his view there was nothing to prevent Minutes being released in draft before that were formally approved.

Councillor Mick Warren asked the Commissioner for clarification over what records existed for speed enforcement activity, noting that in response to a Freedom of Information request he had been informed by the Constabulary that information on activity in Macclesfield was not recorded. The Commissioner indicated that he would hold the Constabulary to account for the answer that they had provided to Councillor Warren, but noted that published data indicated that in a six-month period, 256 “TrueCam” sessions had been undertaken in the Macclesfield area.

Mr Bob Fousert noted that at the last Scrutiny meeting information had been provided on the outcome of a short-term project relating the safety of commercial vehicles, where 7 out of 53 vehicles stopped had either not been roadworthy or were being driven by a driver who was over their permitted hours. If these figures were extrapolated nationally it could indicate that almost 60,000 vehicles a day were being driven whilst un-roadworthy or by drivers who had exceed their hours. He asked the Commissioner what he would do to address this issue. The Commissioner indicated that work was ongoing, but was limited by the resources available. 

Mrs Sally Hardwick asked for further information on the Mini Policing scheme that had featured on the Commissioner’s 2018 Christmas card. The Commissioner indicated that there were currently no plans to extend the scheme. In Runcorn the initiative had been developed by a very proactive and hard working PCSO. It was one of a number of schemes to help children and young people engage in a proactive way with the Constabulary. Costs for the scheme had been minimal. The Commissioner committed to working with the Acting Chief Constable on a range of initiatives that would engage with children and young people. 

Councillor Lynn Riley noted the success of the Junior Safety Programme in Cheshire West and Chester, asking how this could fit in with the Mini Policing scheme. She paid tribute to the PCSO who operated within her Ward (Frodsham) who played a key role in a number of community initiatives. She asked for the Commissioner’s support for the introduction of CCTV in Frodsham.

The Commissioner commented that the Mini Policing scheme could complement the Junior Safety Programme, but repeated that there were currently no plans to expand it. He noted that CCTV had a role to play, but was by no means a universal solution. Where appropriate, relevant and supported by other agencies, such as Town Councils, he was happy  ...  view the full minutes text for item 41.

To consider the Work Programme.

The Panel’s work programme was reviewed. The informal meeting with the Commissioner in January would discuss DBS Clearance and the process of Police Recruitment.

Friday 8 February 2019, at 10am – The Council Chamber, Wyvern House, Winsford.

The date of the next meeting was confirmed as being on 8^th February 2019.