Agenda item

Crime reduction and community safety and drugs strategy - Update

Presentation to update the panel on the progress made relating to the 2014-17 Crime Reduction, Community Safety and drugs Strategy.

Minutes:

Karen Samuels, Head of Community Safety provided a presentation of progress against current crime reduction and community safety strategy.

 

The Head of Community Safety outlined the four strategic priorities for 2014-17.  She highlighted the following progress to date:

·         Proven reoffending of youths and adults has reduced.

·         Completion of sentences served in the community by adults has seen an increasing trend.

·         The number of first time entrants to the youth injustice system has reduced. 

 

The Head of Community Safety highlighted the progress against each strategic priority 2014-17:

·         Substance misuse

·         Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG)

·         Gangs and Violence/ Crime

 

The Drugs Intervention Programme (DIP) scheme is a successful component for delivering against a range of cross government targets and indicators concerned with re-offending and drug misuse. In Wolverhampton, we continue to engage DIP clients who are among the hardest-to-reach and most problematic drug misusers; significant work is underway locally to improve DIP outcomes with a performance improvement plan in place and support from all key agencies.

 

In Wolverhampton the Domestic Violence Forum (WDVF) has been instrumental in setting up a co-located multi-agency team that facilitates earlier intervention and risk reduction for adult and child victims. Wolverhampton Police, Housing and Independent Domestic Violence Advisers from WDVF and the Haven meet three times a week to assess and take action for the highest risk adult referrals, enhancing fortnightly full Multi-Agency Risk Assessment meetings (MARAC) into a business as usual model.

 

The Head of Safer Communities responded to questions from Panel relating to cultural domestic violence and advised that they are working with trusted individuals in communities to share what is acceptable and what is not. Cllr Anwen Muston asked how the MARAC aligns to hate crime.  The Head of Community Safety advised that the policy recognises all equality issues domestic violence issues including honour killings, LBGT and disabilities. Cllr Rupinderjit Kaur voiced concern that the Police are not giving support to victims of DV or forced marriages for people with disabilities and advised that for a female in these situations often it is forbidden for her to report the crime. She advised that in both cases in her ward she had had dealings with the police could not prosecute because the victim would not make a statement.

 

The Head of Community Services advised that she was unable to speak on behalf of the police, but advised that there has been an investment in training and police have started to wear lapel communication systems to record events. She further explained that there were a range of options to make things happen such as specialist services and specialist court but that the Crown Prosecution Service deal with the incident by the crime not by the protective characteristics.

 

The Head of Community Safety outlined the Current crime levels and trends and the challenges to address the challenges as follows:

·         To reduce levels of violent incidents, particularly against young people

·         To reduce weapon enabled crime

·         Address the threat and harm caused by Substance misuse, including NPS use

·         To increase reporting of ‘hidden’ crimes

·         To address and reduce vulnerability

·         Increase reporting of Hate crime

·         Continue to increase reporting and confidence of domestic violence particularly amongst new communities

·         Increase levels of collaborative working

·         Diversion from gangs

 

The panel heard that the top three priorities selected after applying the weighting criteria were:

·         Reducing re-offending

·         Violence Prevention

·         Reducing / Preventing Victimisation

 

The Head of Community Safety advised that a strategy document would be developed July – September 2016 alongside a performance framework developed with partners.

She advised that the draft strategy would be circulated for consultation Oct – Dec 2016, the draft strategy considered in January 2017 and that the final strategy would be before Safer Wolverhampton Partnership Board for approval 3 February 2017 and approved at Cabinet February/March 2017.

 

Resolved

 

That the update is received and progress relating to the priorities reported to a future meeting.