Agenda item

A report from the Director of Regeneration and Environment is attached. This seeks approval to award a new contract. (Report No.228, agenda part two also refers) (Key decision – reference number 4248)

(Report No.225)

(8.30 – 8.35 pm)

Councillor Yasemin Brett (Cabinet Member for Community Organisations and Culture) introduced the report of the Director of Regeneration and Environment (No.225) seeking approval to award a new contract to the 31 March 2019 as detailed in the report.

NOTED

1.               That Report No.228 also referred as detailed in Minute No.19 below.

2.               That the new contract would provide 16 police officers to form both a Safer Estates team (10 officers) and a tasking team (6 officers) to replace the existing parks and estates police community support officers provided by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) under a previous contract agreement. Members noted that the responsibility for policing was with the Metropolitan Police Service and that this represented an additional resource, funded by the Council to supplement the allocation of police officers by MOPAC to the Borough.

3.               That the Safer Estates Team (10 officers) would continue to be funded by the Housing Revenue Account (HRA). The remaining 6 officers would form a tasking team to be used to tackle other key issues for the local authority, to be funded from the General Fund. For every police officer “purchased” by the local authority, MOPAC would provide an additional officer free of charge, as detailed in the report.

4.               Councillor Brett highlighted the demographic and crime profile of the Borough and stated that the Council would continue to lobby for sufficient police resources within the Borough.

5.               Councillor Oykener outlined the level of crime on the Council’s housing estates and the negative impact on the Borough’s residents. It was hoped that the officers employed through this new contract would have a positive impact on reducing and tackling such instances of crime.

6.               In response to questions raised by Members, Ian Davis (Director – Regeneration and Environment) explained the terms of contract payment, which was based on delivery of service provided within the Borough.

7.               The reasons for the recommendations as set out in section 5 of the report. The tasking team (6 officers) would tackle key issues for the local authority, this would include work within the Borough’s parks and other problem areas/venues. The tasking team was over and above the Borough’s police establishment and would be used to target themed high priority areas. Members noted the partnership working that existed with all involved services/agencies in the Borough.

Alternative Options Considered: The Council could cease to provide any additional police officers or PCSOs as these were not statutory services. However, the Council was committed to improving community safety and had prioritised work in those areas of higher crime and disorder. Work had already begun to focus more strongly on deterring crime and anti-social behaviour one estates and the agreement for a council funded police enforcement team would ensure that improvements continued.

DECISION: The Cabinet agreed that

1.               The Council employ sixteen (16) police officers to support crime and disorder reduction work on housing estates and elsewhere. This would consist of a Safer Estates team (10 officers) and a tasking team (6 officers) that would be used to tackle other local authority issues as identified. Both teams would be line managed by an appropriate officer from the Metropolitan Police but directed by the London Borough of Enfield Head of Community Safety and via the joint tasking process.

2.               As the safer estates team was aimed at housing estates, this should be funded by the HRA (Housing Revenue Account) as per the existing safer estates PCSO team. This would represent a cost increase on the previous contract. The remaining team should be funded from the general fund using existing budgets. This would still provide a saving to the council as the safer parks team would not be re-commissioned.

Reason: The provision of a safer estates team was considered to be the most effective way of providing a service in this area (section 5 of the report referred).

(Key decision – reference number 4248)