Agenda item

To receive presentations from Acting Inspector Jon Castell  of the Surrey Police Surrey Heath Neighbourhood Team and Rob Mills, the Regional Housing Director of Accent South.

The Committee received an update on community safety/crime and disorder in the Borough, based on data compiled by the Force Analysis Unit.

Further to the challenges previously reported, Acting Inspector Jon Castell explained that the Neighbourhood Team had experienced significant cuts and that the priorities across the Force had to be to target crime rather than community events. The Neighbourhood Team’s priorities had to be keeping people safe, being there when people needed them and the relentless pursuit of criminality.

Inspector Castell reported that total notifiable crime was down by 6.6%, with vehicle crime down by 18.1%, domestic burglaries down by 20% and non-domestic burglaries down by 29.2%. The main increase was in non-domestic violence with injury, but this was the result of a different definition of the crime by the Home Office. Following numerous high profile cases, it was expected that reporting of child exploitation crimes would increase.

Crime related to the Town Centre Night-time Economy was under control but there were other areas of the Borough where related crime occurred.

In response to Members questions, Inspector Castell highlighted the following:

(i)               Community Events – In previous years, the Neighbourhood Team had provided significant resources on road closures and the policing of events such as the Chobham and Frimley Green Carnivals. However, with a reduction from 50 to 30 officers, the Team had 4 officers on the beat at any given time.

            Any road closure proposals for major events had to be considered by the Surrey Heath Safety Advisory Group. Given that there were now a number of organisations which specialised in events, road closures and traffic/crowd management, the Team and Force priority had to be the relentless pursuit of criminality, particularly in relation to child abuse, domestic abuse, violent crime and terrorist activities;

(ii)             Travellers Incursion in Chobham –The Police and Borough Council worked closely, dealing with anti-social behaviour and moving travellers on from illegal sites. There were challenges from close proximity to other areas where travellers were also being moved on. In this instance, 5 to 6 vehicles were on the Recreation Ground. the Council was landowner and would take appropriate action;

(iii)            Heatherside Recreation Ground – In respect of reports on anti-social behaviour of youths gathering in the Play Area, Inspector Castell confirmed that there was a Police presence at the recreation grounds on Friday and Saturday evenings. Information on vehicle numbers provided by residents had been used and new mobile CCTV cameras have been acquired recently and would be deployed as necessary. Dispersal powers were available for up to 48 hours, but would only be used where maximum impact could be achieved;

(iv)            Drugs – There continued to be issues in the Old Dean and other parts of the Borough. Whilst there was a dedicated Youth Intervention Officer post, which worked to divert young people from crime, this post had been vacant for 2 weeks. There were instances of dealers travelling from London and operating out of addresses in the Borough, but Surrey Police and other Forces had very good shared intelligence and the neighbourhood Team targeted those crimes which had the most impact on the community. The Team had a range of measures available to it, including street cautions, arrests and prosecutions.

The Chairman noted that the Police and Crime Commissioner would make a presentation to the Council in the near future and Members would have an opportunity to raise the issues of resources and community events with him at that meeting.

RESOLVED, that the presentation and resource issues be noted and that the Neighbourhood Inspector be invited to make further presentations to future meetings.