Issue - meetings

The Board received a report from the Executive Director, Environment and Regeneration which provided an update on the development of the Community Safety Partnership (CSP) and the Safer Halton Governance and Strategy. 

          CSP’s were created when the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 placed responsibility on Local Authorities and Police Chiefs to meet regularly to discuss crime and disorder issues within their respective areas.  The aim of the CSP in Halton was to make it a safe place to live and work; its functions were outlined in the draft strategy. 

          Members were advised that the Safer Halton Partnership Strategy had recently been revised along with its governance arrangements and priorities to ensure that it was fit for purpose.  This work was supported by an additional resource, funded by the Police and Crime Commissioner and it had been agreed that focus would be given to:

·       Safer Halton Governance structure;

·       Strategic Needs Assessment;

·       Community Safety Partnership Strategy/Partnership Plan; and

·       Safer Halton Partnership Delivery Plan.

The draft Strategy set out the priorities which were data driven and governance led.  To date, the priorities that had been agreed were:

1)    Anti-Social Behaviour;

2)    Domestic Abuse;

3)    Serious and Organised Crime;

4)    Integrated Offender Management;

5)    Counter Terrorism;

6)    Hate Crime;

7)    Substance Misuse;

8)    Serious Violence; and

9)    Road Safety.

The three year over-arching Strategy would be implemented on
1 April 2024.  Thereafter, annual delivery plans would be developed which would set out clear actions.

A number of workshops had been held with partners who sat on the SHP and these had been well received.  Members were advised of the advantages of having such a partnership in place, including access to funding opportunities.  Through work carried out in recent months, over £160,000 of funding had been secured.  

The following additional information was provided in response to Members questions:

·       There were data arrangements in place between Council systems and Cheshire Police;

·       Dangerous dogs – if these were at a rented property and causing a nuisance then the matter needed to be reported to the landlord.  If there was a safety concern then the matter should be reported to the Police;

·       Anti-Social Behaviour Case Review – a tool available for residents to report unsatisfactory outcomes of anti-social behaviour.  This would be reported to the Local Authority and the Enforcement Team would then work with agencies involved, for example housing providers, Police etc to review actions and assess if these had fallen short of procedures; and

·       A presentation on Serious Violence Duty would be delivered to the next Board meeting and this would include details on the impact of knife crime.  Cheshire Police had focussed on “stop and search” which had resulted in a significant number of weapons being confiscated.  Work was also being carried out in schools to deliver educational programmes.  

          RESOLVED:  That the draft Safer Halton Partnership Governance and Strategy be received and comments made be noted.