Agenda item

To receive a presentation from Inspector Bob Darkens on Crime and Disorder.

Inspector Bob Darkens, Borough Commander for Surrey Heath, Surrey Police, gave a presentation in respect of the work of the Surrey Heath Safer Neighbourhood Team, local crime figures and the changes to service delivery that would be implemented from 4 April 2016.

The Committee was informed that the introduction of new Home Office regulations covering the reporting of crime meant that all police forces now had to record every incident reported to them as a crime before any investigation work could take place.  In addition, it was not possible to remove a crime from the recording system if subsequent investigations found that no crime had been committed.  Consequently the number of recorded crimes being reported had risen across the Country and it was not currently possible to provide accurate year on year comparisons.

It was reported that although the number of violent crimes with injury reported in Surrey Heath had increased by 53% to 128 offences compared to the number recorded during 2014/15, the number of cases achieving positive outcomes had increased by 14.7% to 41.8%.  It was stressed that the majority of these crimes related to incidents of domestic abuse.  There had been 119 domestic burglaries recorded during 2015/16, compared to 171 in 2014/15, a decrease of 30.4%.  There had been 26 serious sexual assaults recorded during 2015/16 an increase of 54% when compared to 2014/15; an increase that was attributed to reports of historic sexual offences being included in the recorded figures and people having greater confidence to report crimes of this nature.

The Surrey Heath Neighbourhood Team had conducted a number of operations during 2015/2016 including one that had resulted in the dismantling of a drug related organised crime group operating across west Surrey.  The Police force had also worked with a range of partners including VOSA, environmental officers, taxi licensing and the Council’s Safer Travel Team to promote and improve road safety in the area through a combination of sanctions and education.  One criminal behaviour order had been issued to someone with a history of shoplifting and ‘moving off without payment’ offences and his ongoing offending in Surrey Heath had now ceased.  Following the refusal of repeated offers of support, an Anti-social Behaviour Closure Order had been enacted against a resident in Old Dean.

The Committee was informed that in order to make best use of available resources and in recognition of the changing nature of the crimes being reported Surrey Police would be reorganising its approach to policing to focus on core policing work.  The reorganisation would result in the reorganisation of neighbourhood policing, with the introduction of Area Policing Teams, the refocusing of Safer Neighbourhood Teams and the setting up of an enhanced Public Protection Team with responsibility for safeguarding the County’s most vulnerable residents.

From 4 April 2016, Surrey Heath would be covered by an Area Policing Team based at Woking Police Station.  These large teams would cover a wider area than current neighbourhood teams with officers being assigned to specific geographical areas.  As a result of these changes Surrey Heath would from 4 April 2016 be covered by five rotas each made up of 10 police constables and one sergeant.  These teams would deal with all volume crime and officers would maintain ownership of a crime from the time it was first reported through to the end of the investigation process.  PCSOs would form part of the reconfigured Safer Neighbourhood Teams, of which there would be one team per Borough.  The Safer Neighbourhood Teams would no longer undertake general community engagement or reassurance activities unless they relate to locally agreed chronic issues or repeat problems that cause disproportionate harm, threat or risk to the community. 

Calls to the 999 emergency telephone number would in future be dealt with initially by the newly formed Demand Reduction Team who would triage all the Police’s 999 calls and prioritise them.  Callers making calls that were considered not to be a police matter would be signposted to alternative agencies. 

It was agreed that a briefing note setting out these changes in more detail would be circulated to the Committee.

Councillor Morley briefed the Committee on the remit of the Surrey Police and Crime Panel which included: scrutiny of the Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), reviewing the PCC’s precept on Council Tax, scrutinising the Police and Crime Plan, removal of the PCC if an offence was committed and scrutinising appointments to the position of Chief Constable.

It was stressed that Police and Crime Panels were only able to veto the Council Tax precept proposed by the PCC twice and their actions were limited by Government statute.

The Chairman thanked Inspector Darkens for his update.