Issue details

This paper sets out elements of development and delivery by the BCP
Community Safety Partnership (CSP), ‘Safer BCP’ and its constituent
agencies. It provides Members with an update since the last report to
Overview and Scrutiny Panel in January 2024.
The Local Government Act 2000 includes crime and disorder scrutiny as
one of the functions the council must ensure its scrutiny arrangements
cover. Sections 19 and 20 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and related
regulations require the Council to have a committee with the functions of
reviewing and scrutinising decisions and actions in respect of the discharge
of crime and disorder functions by “responsible authorities”.
The specifics of the duty are set out in the Police and Justice Act 2006,
which also allows members to refer any “local crime and disorder matter”
raised with them by anyone living or working in their area, to the Crime and
Disorder Committee. The Board designated as the Crime and Disorder
Scrutiny Committee must meet at least once every 12-month period to
conduct the functions.
Guidance issued concerning how this role should be conducted include
that:
• the role should be one of a critical friend, providing constructive
challenge at a strategic level.
• the focus should be on the entire partnership and if issues arise that
relate specifically to a particular partner agency, it may be more
appropriate to refer such issues to the governing bodies of that
organisation.
• the scrutiny of partners should be “in so far as their activities relate to
the partnership itself.”
In the BCP area, the Overview and Scrutiny Board undertakes this function
each December.