Agenda for Crime Scrutiny Panel on Thursday, 11th January, 2018, 7.30 pm

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Room 1, Community House, 311 Fore Street, Edmonton, N9 0PZ

Contact: Stacey Gilmour - email:  stacey.gilmour@enfield.gov.uk 

Items
No. Item

417.

WELCOME & APOLOGIES

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed all attendees to the meeting. Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Chris Bond. Apologies for lateness were also received from Councillor Lee David Sanders.

 

The Chair, Councillor Smith apologised for the slightly late start to the meeting. This was due to problems with parking at the venue.

418.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Members of the Council are invited to identify any disclosable pecuniary, other pecuniary or non-pecuniary interests relevant to items on the agenda.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

419.

SSCB PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT- MONITORING UPDATE pdf icon PDF 394 KB

To receive a report from Andrea Clemons, Head of Community Safety.

Minutes:

Andrea Clemons Head of Community Safety presented this report and highlighted the following:

 

i)                 The report analyses the five priorities identified in the borough of Enfield and discusses the performance compared to other London boroughs, over a two year period dated between 01/12/2015 to 30/11/2017.

ii)               The measures reflect the priorities in our own Partnership Plan which are:

·       Reducing burglary and keeping people safe at home;

·       Tackling violent crime – in all its forms

·       Keeping young people safe and reducing their risks from crime;

·       Promoting cohesion and tackling hate crime;

·       Dealing with anti-social behaviour.

iii)              The report demonstrates progress in crime figures against the five bulleted priorities above.

iv)             Andrea then went through the priorities in detail and provided figures, data and the proposed measures for each one.

v)               In-depth discussions then took place around each priority and further clarification was sought regarding the proposed measures and how it was envisaged that these would work.

 

The following questions and comments were raised:

 

Q.      The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has recently announced that there will be a significant increase in targeted Stop and Searches by Police in London as part of efforts to combat rising crime violent crime. What are Enfield Council and Polices’ views on this?

 

A.       Stop and Searches are much more transparent now since the introduction of Body Cameras. This has certainly paid off as it is now accepted across the Police that Stop and Search has much more transparency and is now more effective. Council Teams have a very high percentage of Stop and Searches and a very high conversion rate

 

Q.      Do all Police Officers wear Body Cams?

 

A.       In short yes, although some detectives don’t and pro-active Officers often don’t wear it either as they are in plain clothes therefore wearing a Body Cam would be too obvious. Officers who do wear Body Cams have to advise the individual that they are using them.

 

Q.      Are a lot of crimes carried out by repeat offenders and if so what are the statistics for this?

 

A.       I do not have these figures to hand but the Police do target habitual offenders.

 

Q.      The report does not contain figures on arrests and conviction rates. Would it be possible at a future date to include more specific figures in the report?

 

A.       This week the Council analyst will have access to Police data therefore more police figures/statistics will be included in future reports.

          Action: Andrea Clemons

 

 

Q.      How do the Police and the Local Authority support the families of murder victims?

 

A.       Following a murder incident in the borough a ‘Gold Group’ meeting is convened the very next day. This group is made up of Officers from the Murder Squad, Local Authority as well as lay members. One of the agenda items is how to manage and support the family of the victim and much discussion goes into thinking about any possible threats and risks around the family. The Police nearly always provide the family with a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 419.

420.

PREVENT WORK TO TACKLE RADICALISATION pdf icon PDF 75 KB

To receive a report from Sujeevan Ponnampalam, Prevent Programme Manager.

Minutes:

RECEIVED a report on the Prevent work to tackle radicalisation from Sujeevan Ponnampalam, Prevent Programme Manager.

 

NOTED:

 

i)                 The report aims to give a brief update on how the Prevent Strategy is being implemented and provides details on how vulnerable people are safeguarded from radicalisation.

ii)               In Enfield the Prevent Team regularly engage and work with teachers, social care staff and many other organisations to offer support to those who are deemed to be at risk.

iii)              Prevent aims to work with all forms of terrorism whether it is foreign inspired, far right or any other ideology.

iv)             To bolster the Prevent Programme in Enfield, two extra staff were recruited in November 2017. This was achieved by obtaining grant funding from the Home Office through its Office for Security and Counter Terrorism which already provides funding for the existing post and project.

v)               Enfield continues to provide targeted workshops for front line officers including social workers and housing officers. This workshop is called WRAP (Workshop to Raise Awareness of Prevent) which is available online and in person.

vi)             Sujeevan went on to speak about some of the next steps that were being looked at as part of the Prevent Programme. He advised that one of the key elements of Enfield’s Prevent support is through the monthly Channel Programme, which has similarities to a multi-agency safeguarding panel.

vii)            The panel receives concerns about vulnerable individuals and the needs are assessed along with any risks that the police may highlight suggesting terrorism or radicalisation concerns.

viii)           The support is voluntary and where this is accepted the panel is able to bring to the table unique Home Office approved intervention providers who have experience in tackling the radicalisation of individuals and are able to offer one to one support and mentoring.

ix)             The Home Office have indicated that it is their intention to move the case management and administration of the Channel Panel from the Police to the Local Authority. This is being brought in at stages over the country and London is expected to be near the end of 2019, although consultation events are still ongoing and some key issues remain to be ironed out.

x)               Looking forward, the threat from terrorism remains severe. The patterns of radicalisation are changing and travel to conflict areas may be getting smaller in number but the country is starting to receive returnees from these conflict areas. Enfield’s work to engage communities and provide vital support still remains as important as ever.

 

The following questions and comments were raised:

 

Q.      How many people are in Enfield Council’s Prevent Team?

A.       The Prevent Team in Enfield consists of three staff. There is also a Prevent Team within the Police.

 

Q.      How many people do the Police have working in this area?

 

A.       There are two Counter Terrorist Officers in Enfield who deal with Prevent. The dedicated School Police Officers also work with Prevent.

 

Q.      How many referrals to the programme do we get in Enfield from schools  ...  view the full minutes text for item 420.

421.

DRUGS AND ALCOHOL REPORT pdf icon PDF 182 KB

To receive a report from Katharina O’Donnell, Health Informatics & Public Health Service Development Manager.

 

To receive a report from Detective Superintendent Tony Kelly.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RECEIVED a Drugs and Alcohol Update Report from Dr Glenn Stewart, Assistant Director of Public Health.

 

NOTED:

 

i)                 The report provides a brief summary of the Drug & Alcohol Action Team (DAAT) Partnership work currently being undertaken in the Borough in relation to the crime reduction agenda. It also provides a brief outline of the key performance highlights most relevant to this agenda.

ii)               There is a well-established although complex link between drugs and alcohol and crime. Whilst drug users are more likely to be involved in crime there is strong evidence that community treatment can be a positive factor in helping to reduce offending behaviour for those individuals.

iii)              The Enfield Adult Substance Misuse Treatment System has recently been retendered and since April 2017 services are now being provided by Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust (BEH-MHT).

iv)             There have also been some system changes as part of the tendering exercise which are still being implemented, ensuring that all Enfield residents aged 18+, who are seeking help for their substance use, can benefit.

v)               Local performance is measured by various indicators but the main ones as outlined by Public Health England (PHE) are ‘Numbers in Treatment’ and ‘Successful Treatment Completions’. In 2016/17 a total of 1,213 drug and alcohol; users in Enfield received community based treatment. Approximately 24% (292 clients) of those were also known to the Criminal Justice System with a successful treatment completion rate of approximately 30.3%, which is above the national successful completion rate of 22.3% for all drug and alcohol users in treatment in 2016/17.

vi)             Alongside various soft markers, the partnership also monitors performance against MOPAC 4 Grant Agreement in terms of crime reduction; where the key target is the ‘Percentage of Offenders within the cohort with Reduced Offending’. By the end of 2016/17 Enfield achieved 71.4% against a target of 20%, with a reduction in the number of cumulative convictions by over 50% to 105 against a baseline of 221.

vii)            Further information was provided on the Service elements in place to support the criminal justice and crime reduction agenda and includes service provision ranging from Arrest Referral function, assessments for Alcohol Rehabilitation Requirements (ATRs) and Drug Rehabilitation Requirements (DRRs) to court reports, prison liaison and prison releases as well as access to community based treatment including rapid access to prescribing, one-to-one and offender based group work programmes.

viii)           Further discussions took place on Arrest Referrals, Crime Reduction Group Work Programmes and the Integrated Offender Management Team (IOM).

ix)             The Young People’s (YP) Substance Misuse contract is separate from the adults’ and is being provided by COMPASS – Sort It! primarily located at Felixstowe Road Edmonton N18. There are well established links between this service and the Youth Offending Service (YOS) which constitute for just under half (44% in 2016/17 compared to only 25% nationally) of all referrals into the YP treatment service

x)               The Committee was asked to note the commitment and work undertaken by the DAAT Partnership to reducing re-offending  ...  view the full minutes text for item 421.

422.

UPDATE ON POLICE NUMBERS pdf icon PDF 83 KB

To receive an update from Detective Superintendent Tony Kelly on police numbers in the borough.

Minutes:

An update on Police numbers in the Borough was provided by Detective Superintendent Tony Kelly.

 

NOTED:

 

i)                 The establishment (BWT) of Enfield Police is 552 full time employees (FTE). This has reduced by two as the Counter Terrorist Liaison Officers are now centrally funded posts therefore not shown on Enfield’s strength by the posts are filled.

ii)               There are currently 519.46 police officers in post which leaves 32.54 vacancies. This is an increase of 2.06 vacancies.

iii)              Of these numbers 15 are on maternity leave (an increase of 2 but 2 officers are due to return at the end of January), 7 are on attachments (e.g. working on Operation Grenfell as Victim Liaison Officers) 24 are currently on sick leave making a total of 48 officers abstracted from the Borough (an overall increase of 7 since October 2017).

iv)             This leaves a total of 473.46 operational officers which is 85.7% of the BWT strength.

v)               The Borough is currently fully staffed at 21 PCSOs and 9 Police staff.

 

The following questions and comments were raised:

 

Q.      Concerns were raised over the number of vacancies (which currently stood at 32.54) and further information on this was sought.

 

A.       The majority of vacancies across the MET are within CID which is therefore increasing the pressures and stresses of Officers within this department. There is a particular shortage of Detectives across London but plans are in place to ‘home grow’ more Detectives.

423.

ENFIELD POLICING - DRUGS UPDATE REPORT

Minutes:

RECEIVED a report from Superintendent Tony Kelly on the breakdown of drug offences in Enfield from 01 January – 31 December 2017.

 

NOTED:

 

i)                 The report detailed the breakdown of drug related offences by ward in Enfield from 01 Jan – 31 Dec 2017 (shown in table 1). The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) defines drugs as any substances that are abused and are subject to control and/or regulation under the following legislation:

·       The misuse of Drugs Act 1971;

·       The Human Medicines Regulations 2012;

·       The Psychoactive Substances Act 2016

 

ii)               These offences include possession, possession with intent to supply and cultivation offences.

iii)              The data in the report is broken down into drug type (table 2), gender (table 3) and ethnicity (table 4).

iv)             As is evident from the data shown a wide range of drugs are involved in the drug related offences. A higher proportion of men are also arrested from drug crimes. However it should be taken into account that more stop and searches are carried out by the Police on men and boys as opposed to females. It was recognised that the MPS need to increase stop and searches on women and girls as it was known that females often carry drugs for gang members.

v)               Table 5 details the outcomes of the offences. It was noted that 181 cases still await a result (e.g. laboratory analysis, suspect identification etc.).

vi)             Drug offences have been identified through stop and search on the street; possession found when arrested for other offences and proactive operations.

vii)            Operation Bremont has been running in a number of forms since May 2017. The operation is mainly to tackle knife crime. It was noted that 388 drug arrests/warnings have been generated by this operation alone and demonstrates the links between street crime, drugs supply and knife crime. There have been 72 drugs search warrants executed as part of Bremont.

viii)           The Metropolitan Police have recognised that dealing with the impact of drugs on communities and confidence in Police are linked and has just produced a new Drugs Strategy 2017-2021.

ix)             The aim of this strategy is to support local officers to have a consistent approach to problem solving that reduces the impact of drugs, limits the space that criminals in this area have to operate and demonstrates to local communities that their issues are being dealt with.

 

The following questions and comments were raised:

 

Councillor Lappage thanked Superintendent Kelly for an excellent report and said that it was music to her ears to hear that Drug Crime was such a priority for the MPS. She was encouraged to hear that the Metropolitan Police had produced a new Drugs Strategy (2017-2021) and was keen to see how this would be implemented and the impact it would have on drug crime in the borough.

 

She did however have real concerns that Cannabis is a gateway drug to crime. It is openly being smoked on the streets and this does not appear to be dealt with which  ...  view the full minutes text for item 423.

424.

MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 30 OCTOBER 2017 pdf icon PDF 112 KB

To receive and agree the minutes of the meeting held on 30 October 2017.

Minutes:

AGREED the minutes of the meeting held on the 30 October 2017 subject to the correct spelling of Tim Fellows, Chair, Safer Neighbourhood Board

425.

WORK PROGRAMME 2017/18 pdf icon PDF 218 KB

To note the work programme for 2017/18.

Minutes:

The Work Programme for 2017/18 was noted and agreed.

426.

DATE OF FUTURE MEETING

To note the date of the next meeting:

 

22 March, 2018

Minutes:

NOTED the dates of future meetings as follows:

 

22 March 2018