Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner, Matthew Barber, alongside Chief Constable, John Campbell, and Superintendent Andrew Cranidge, to deliver a presentation on the work of Thames Valley Police over the last year.
Minutes:
Police and Crime Commissioner, Matthew Barber, attended the meeting along with the Chief Constable, John Campbell, and Superintendent Andrew Cranidge of Thames Valley Police. They gave a presentation to Council about the work Thames Valley Police had done over the previous year and their plans for the future.
Police and Crime Commissioner – Matthew Barber
The PCC began by explaining that he would be focussing on a number of areas over the upcoming year.
The first of these being ‘contact with the public’. The PCC explained that he would be looking at 101 specifically due to the fact that it is the main contact for the public with the police for non-emergency issues. The PCC said that he would be looking to improve the service, not only by providing call centres with additional resources, but also looking at technological and system changes that can be made. Over the coming year, Thames Valley Police looked set to knock several minutes off of the average time a member of the public waits to talk to an operator when using the 101 number.
The PCC announced that other methods of contacting the police were being explored. Online access to investigation updates for victims of crime was being looked into. Other messaging platforms were also being explored as ways for the public to contact the police. The PCC hoped that these projects would be able to be launched publicly in the financial year to follow.
The next area the PCC discussed was ‘delivering effective community policing on the ground’. He spoke of the need to have a good visible presence within communities. The PCC explained that Thames Valley Police were in a strong position regarding policing numbers with over 4,800 officers in the force. There was a hope that by the end of 2023 there would be more police officers per head of the population than there had ever been before. That would go beyond the Home Office target for recruitment.
In the budget that was to be set over the coming weeks, the PCC was looking to secure not just the additional officers part of the TVP’s full-establishment, but also to set provision to continue to grow the number of officers in future years so that TVP can at least keep pace with population growth.
The PCC explained that the increase in police numbers would allow Superintendent Cranidge and his team to become more proactive in preventing crime before it occurs and, thereby, alleviate some of the emergency demand.
Chief Constable – John Campbell
The Chief Constable gave a presentation on the work Thames Valley Police had been doing since they last attended Council in September 2021. The presentation also looked at some figures on TVP recruitment, arrests and prosecutions.
The Chief Constable advised that TVP were undertaking a review of some of their structures within policing and confirmed that letters had been sent to LA’s relating to this. The review was commissioned not only because it is the right thing for an organisation of TVP’s size to do every ten years or so, but also because of the savings TVP was required to make as a public organisation.
The Chief Constable explained that, going forward, there were some very important basics in terms of how TVP were going to deliver policing. These were a commitment to community policing and enhancing the relationship with local authorities.
The Chief Constable spoke of some of the highlights of the past year. TVP had been awarded ‘White Ribbon’ accreditation – this reflects and organisation that is committed to stamping out misogyny, sexism and the harassment of women. TVP had also been given a ‘Menopause Friendly’ award as an employer that reflects and understands the impact of menopause on women in our workplace. TVP had been one of the first forces in the country to be awarded a ‘Race Trailblazer’ award for being committed to recognising issues of diversity within the organisation. TVP had recently been graded ‘outstanding’.
Along with Scotland and London, the local area had been the focus internationally as members of the public gathered to pay their respects to the late Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle. Local Superintendent, Andrew Cranidge, had been taken away from his regular duties to assist with the London Bridge Operation. The Chief Constable explained that while this was a local loss, the force sometimes faced challenges that would necessitate drawing officers from around the force to assist. Around 2,000 officers were on duty at Windsor Castle on the day of the final internment of the late Her Majesty. The Chief Constable described the operation as a proud day for the force.
The Chief Constable announced that he was leaving TVP at the end of March 2023 and his replacement was to be his Deputy Chief Constable, Jason Hogg.
Superintendent Andrew Cranidge
Local Superintendent, Andrew Cranidge, continued the presentation. He explained that there were three key areas that he directed his staff to work to across the police. These were violence against women and girls, violence and knife crime and, finally, victim care.
The Superintendent ran through a number of slides containing the ‘outcome rates’ for Crime, Domestic Abuse, Residential Burglery, Violence with Injury, Knife Crime and Sexual Offences. The Superintendent briefed Members on a number of operation meetings, such as, Op Kinetic, which was the domestic abuse meeting that reviewed all domestic abuse offences - there were two separate meetings: one for perpetrators and one for victims.
4 examples of the good work TVP had been doing in Bracknell were presented by Superintendent Cranidge.
Chief Constable John Campbell
The Chief Contestable concluded the presentation by updating Members on some comments that had been made during TVP’s Police Effectiveness, Efficiency and Legitimacy (PEEL) Report.
At the conclusion of the presentation, the Mayor congratulated the outgoing Chief Constable, John Campbell, on the sterling service that he provided to Thames Valley Police over the years.
In advance of the meeting, members had submitted some questions for the representatives of Thames Valley Police. These were answered in turn:
Councillor Chris Turrell
Question: Given the increased concern from residents over speeding and noisy driving, what actions are being taken or being considered by Thames Valley Police, using technology, such as cameras or dashcam evidence?
Answer: There had been developments in technology that may have been able to detect noisy vehicles. There were, however, some challenges around how much money it would cost to implement versus the number of noisy vehicles on the road.
Operation Chrome was ongoing. TVP had been working with the Road Policing Team to try and capture and record offences. Work had also started with the CSP and local councils around ‘target hardening’.
The PCC hoped that in the next budget he would be able to provide some funding for piloting new technology. A preference was expressed that the new technology be mobile to get maximum coverage of roads in Bracknell.
Councillor Temperton
Question: How can Community Policing become more visible and more effective so residents report crime again, knowing action will be taken and they will be kept informed?
Answer: The Chief Constable explained that the increase in police officers would start to bear fruit – there had been 600 extra members of staff employed compared to three years prior. Because of their training programme, some neighbourhood officers had had to be used to do response policing. The Chief Constable advised that it was possible that this would be the case for a few months. He emphasised that this did not reflect any loss in TVP’s commitment to neighbourhood policing.
TVP encouraged members of the public to report drug crime. There was recognition that the use of 101 as a reporting mechanism could be difficult – there was an average two-minute waiting time. There was also recognition that TVP must improve on the loop from members of the public reporting crime and TVP, where possible, keeping them informed on matters relating to the crime they reported.
Councillor Brunel-Walker *The question was not answered at the meeting and, as such, the response below was provided in writing at a later date*
Question: I am sure you will agree that the sustained and ambitious investment in the regeneration of Bracknell town centre over recent years has achieved a stunning retail and leisure destination for our residents and visitors. As the Lexicon celebrates its fifth anniversary, the Council, Bracknell Regeneration Partnership, Thames Valley Police and our retailers continue to work very closely to make our town welcoming, safe and accessible.
One of The Lexicon’s strengths is our shared commitment to the safety of customers and workers which involves collaborating to tackle crime in its various forms. Through the extensive security resource provided by the Lexicon, the engagement of neighbourhood policing and retail security in some premises, we have on the surface achieved our aim but, in reality, the picture is changing for the worse.
The rise in thefts from premises, incidences of anti-social behaviour, e-scooters and cycling in the pedestrianised areas are damaging the perception of the town centre.
Can you reassure the Council, our residents and businesses that Thames Valley Police recognise as a priority the need to make the Town Centre safe, welcoming and resilient to criminal activity through a level of Police resource reflecting the importance of our town centre now and in the coming years? Will the Chief Constable and Police & Crime Commissioner confirm the level of Police resourcing dedicated to the town centre and the actions being taken to materially reduce theft from retail businesses and incidences of anti-social behaviour?
Answer: NHP & Dep Commander have been working closely with centre manager and CSP manager to address issues. Part of the approach is that five Security staff are CSAS accredited (Community Safety Accreditation Scheme (CSAS) under Police Reform Act 2002) from October 2022. Provides the powers below:
1. Power to require giving of name and address
2. Power to require name and address for anti-social behaviour
3. Power to require persons aged under 18 to surrender alcohol
4. Power to stop cycles
5. Power to photograph persons away from a police station
6. Power to deal with begging
7. Power to issue fixed penalty notices for cycling on a footpath
8. Power to issue fixed penalty notices for graffiti and fly-posting
9. Power to issue fixed penalty notice on behalf of Bracknell Forest Council for breaches of the Alcohol Public Space Protection Order (PSPO).
There is a specific tasking for all LPA officers to patrol the Lexicon and this is now providing evince from civil order such as CBOs to manage the behaviour of persistent offenders. Further meetings are in the diary to review.
Councillor Mrs Birch
Question 1: Due to the 3 fatalities on Mill Lane and Ringmead would the police consider putting in average speed cameras from Nine Mile Ride, along the A3095 and down Mill Lane to Twin Bridges with the speed being 40 mph along this corridor? This would help speeding, ensure traffic flow but deter the anti-social speed racers but, more importantly, also make it safer for our residents.
Answer: There were no average speed cameras in the local area that were controlled by TVP. The introduction of average speed cameras would have required a joint partnership arrangement between TVP and the local authority. Fixed and mobile speed cameras were in place.
The PCC said that average speed cameras were to be considered when looking at the additional funding for the next financial year.
The local Superintendent was going to discuss average speed cameras with the Roads Policing Chief.
Question 2: Can you please give an update on recruiting PCSO’s as the lack of a neighbourhood police presence is causing concern. When can we expect Bracknell to have a fully staffed neighbourhood police team in place?
Answer: Recruitment of PCSO’s had been covered in the presentation.
The Chief Constable added that courses were planned throughout 2023. It was hoped that PCSO recruitment would improve once Officer recruitment had slowed down.
It was acknowledged that slow PCSO recruitment was causing a communication breakdown between residents reporting crime and the local police. It was hoped that an increase in PCSO recruitment in the months following would solve this issue.
Question 3: I have had an increasing number of residents contact me about finding evidence of drug misuse and an increase in the smell of marijuana, can you please give an assurance about the measures you are taking to stop this?
Answer: The Tasking Team was tackling CDLs where there was exploitation of vulnerable and young. This included the use of closure orders and at the time there was a number of closure orders across Bracknell. There were 7 CDLs operating in Bracknell but that number was reduced to 2 due to disruption from the police. Intel over last few years had indicated that CDLs did not want to come to Bracknell due to risk of police intervention.
Councillor Gbadebo
Question: Is there a mobile app (not a website) that residents could download to report crime and follow-up/monitor progress something similar to an IT helpdesk ticketing system? If there is no app, why not? An app would have easy access to the various sensors on mobile devices eg GPS, camera, mic, etc to aid and simplify crime reporting. A single app could be shared by all UK police force.
Answer: There was not an app available at the time, however, there was a considerable amount of work being done in this area. The police had a national internet presence in the UK so that all police forces looked and felt the same.
There was a national piece of work ongoing looking at how the relationship with the public could be mobilized using what the public use day in day out in terms of apps.
The PCC was of the view that there should not be a bespoke ‘app’, but rather the police should look into how messaging apps that people use in their every day lives could be used to contact the police.
Councillor Gaw
Question: What is the money accrued from speeding tickets spent on and how is it or could it be used to promote and prevent speeding in target areas?
Answer: The money accrued from speeding tickets was being invested back into a Road Safety Fund. The fund was then being used to finance road safety initiatives and other capital projects such as new equipment.
Councillor McKenzie-Boyle
Question: The Home Office announced the funding settlement for police forces across the country for the next financial year. In Thames Valley, this means an additional £5.1m in Government grant, an increase of 1.8%. Alongside this funding from the Home Office, the Government has also allowed Police & Crime Commissioners to increase council tax by up to £15 (for a Band D property) in order to make additional investments in policing.
I’m sure residents would only be too pleased that £15 would ensure a police patrol on their streets. Knowing your commitment to our communities Mr Barber I’m sure this will high on your priority list and next meeting could you let us know the results of what a £15 per household has actually bought us.
So I’m asking for reassurance that the possibility of extra burden on the precept will give us extra police resources that are visible; those police resources are distributed fairly across the borough, and officers who have pledged to attend Neighbourhood action groups giving them opportunity to hear first-hand from residents their concerns which is one of their KPIs, actually do.
Answer: The PCC reiterated his desire for TVP to deliver for communities.
The PCC explained that the 1.8% increase in home office funding did not account for the inflationary costs that TVP was experiencing. The PCC explained that if he were to go ahead with the increase in council tax, the funds raised were to be used to put additional officers on the streets. He also explained that a substantial savings plan was in place over the upcoming years in an effort to balance the books.
Councillor Leake
Question: If it is so that individuals who receive a speeding fine have to also pay to attend a speeding awareness course, that course effectively becomes cost neutral. In this event, what would the funds accrued from fines be spent on?
Answer: The Chief Constable explained that the primary use of the money was on the staff implementing structures around speed enforcement. He offered to go away and prepare a more comprehensive response to the question.
The PCC expanded on the answer given by the Chief Constable by explaining that some of the funds would be used on the pilot tech schemes that he had mentioned earlier in the meeting. He reiterated the fact that some of the money would be used on managing the process. Excess funds would be used on projects relating to road safety and education, which was being done in conjunction with the Borough and Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service.
The Mayor again thanked the PCC and the representatives from TVP for attending.