Agenda item

Report of Director of Service Delivery.

Cabinet lead member:  Councillor Alan Shuttleworth.

(1) Community safety partnership’s achievements and future risks/opportunities to performance noted and updated 2014/17 community safety plan with continued delegated implementation authority to director of service delivery endorsed.

(2) Full council asked to approve the plan.

34.1 Bob Gough, Eastbourne crime reduction officer, and chief inspector Emma Brice, Eastbourne district commander, Sussex Police, were invited to address the Cabinet.  Bob Gough, as well as outlining current performance, made mention of the merger of local community safety partnerships proposed by the police and crime commissioner and a focus on on-line crime and scams which it was expected would become a major part of the partnership’s work in the future with the particular need to protect the elderly and vulnerable.  Emma Brice highlighted the close working relationship with local councils which was greatly appreciated.

34.2 Cabinet considered the report of the director of service delivery on the current performance of the Eastbourne Community Safety Partnership (ECSP) under the updated Eastbourne community safety plan and to outline issues that might potentially impact future crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB) performance. 

34.3 Cabinet had previously endorsed the successful crime reduction performance of the partnership.  Whilst overall crime had substantially reduced from 2005/06 to 2013/14, due to Sussex Police changing recording procedures in response to national guidelines, a substantial increase in overall crime had been experienced in 2014/15 performance year.  However, this increase had now levelled out and performance compared favourably when compared to similar towns.

34.4 The current plan (2014/17) had been developed in consultation with key partners including the police and other members of the ECSP.  A copy of the action plan was appended to the report to cabinet (appendix A),  Priorities for 2016/17 and measurement criteria were attached as appendix C.  Plan targets were reviewed at the end of each performance year and key performance targets had been incorporated into the relevant sections of the Council’s corporate plan.

34.5 Reference to the Home Office iQuanta data, which compared numerous categories of crime with other towns similar to Eastbourne (appendix B) indicated Eastbourne compared favourably.  June 2016 quarterly data showed:

·         3^rd lowest – overall crime

·         1^st lowest – burglary

·         5^th lowest – robbery

·         5^th lowest – shoplifting

·         1^st lowest – vehicle crime

·         Below median – violent crime

34.6 In late 2015 the police and crime commissioner for Sussex had recommended that merging options be investigated to reflect the new policing district boundaries and make efficiency savings.  Eastbourne, Lewes and Wealden CSPs had supported establishing a new strategy group encompassing all three whilst enhancing and maintaining the district joint action groups to deliver a local focus.  A soft merger would be run within performance year 2016/17 with a business case for full merger to be presented in 2017/18.

34.7 Cabinet praised the work of the CSP and the value of partnership working with the police.  They expressed concern at the prospect of reductions in the numbers of police community support officers (PCSOs).

*34.8 Resolved (budget and policy framework): (1) That cabinet notes the community safety partnership’s achievements and future risks/opportunities to performance and endorses the updated 2014/17 community safety plan with continued delegated implementation authority to director of service delivery.

(2) That full council be asked to approve the plan.