Agenda item

The Police and Crime Commissioner for Dorset has been invited to provide the Committee with a verbal update and presentation on priorities and activity within the BCP area as part of the Committee’s remit for Crime and Disorder Scrutiny.

Committee members are requested to submit questions in advance of the meeting by Wednesday 7 December 2022.

The Chairman welcomed Mr David Sidwick, Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), to the meeting and invited him to make his presentation, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'B' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

The PCC reported that Dorset was now the sixth safest place in the Country. He outlined the main responsibilities of his role, one of which was to consult with local people and produce a Police and Crime Plan which identified local priorities and how these would be met. The PCC talked about the themes within each of the six priorities and gave details of some of the initiatives involved, as follows:

• Cut crime and anti social behaviour: The PCC highlighted work with the Council and housing associations and confirmed that he would be renewing the Relentless Community Fund for projects in 2023.
• Make Policing more visible and connected: Increasing numbers of police in the community and enhancing neighbourhood teams, ensuring information was publicly available on websites. Transforming reporting mechanisms. The PCC encouraged the use of the 101@dorset.pnn.police.uk email address for non-urgent reporting.
• Fight violent crime and high harm: The PCC was the national portfolio lead for alcohol and substance misuse. The enforcement/treatment/education approach was getting results and he supported the Government’s ‘From Harm to Hope’ drugs strategy, while acknowledging that it did not tackle the issue of recreational drugs. He was also the lead for the new pan Dorset Combatting Drugs Partnership, set up to deliver the strategy on a local footing.
• Fight rural crime: Increasing staffing of rural policing team, increasing use of legislation to address unauthorised encampments. The PCC also spoke about the important role of volunteers in the ‘watch schemes’ and the difference these made.
• Put victims and communities first: a range of initiatives to tackle crime and support vulnerable people.
• Make every penny count: The PCC highlighted the demands placed on policing in Dorset at a time when it was the second worst funded force per head in the Country with no account taken of seasonal adjustment or rurality, something he was lobbying the Home Office about.

The PCC and colleagues responded to questions on the following issues:

• Graffiti had been removed and CCTV repaired in Christchurch underpass. The underpass was now included in regular security patrols to manage anti-social behaviour and escalate as required.
• Outcomes and actions from a recent meeting between the PCC, Ch Supt Callaghan and the Mayor of Christchurch had been communicated and it was noted that the town clerk would be included in neighbourhood policing communications. The PCC was discussing the use of auto number plate recognition cameras with the Ch Supt.
• The PCC was renewing his Fix the Future fund in 2023 to offer support for initiatives which provided opportunities for young people. He was also rolling out the police cadets scheme.
• The use of the 101 email should be promoted to residents as there was still a perception that reporting crime was difficult. The PCC reiterated the importance of reporting and not assuming that the Police were already aware.

The Chairman thanked the PCC for his attendance and contribution to the meeting.