Issue - meetings

The purpose of this report is to provide an update on the ‘5-year Surrey public place CCTV strategy’ which was set out in 2018, current CCTV provision across the county and Surrey Police’s position on the future of public place CCTV.

Witnesses:

Lisa Townsend, Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner

Ellie Vesey-Thompson, Surrey Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner

Damian Markland, Head of Performance and Governance (Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner)

Key points raised in the discussion:

1.    A Panel Member asked about the PCC’s view on the effectiveness of CCTV in crime reduction, prosecutions and locating missing persons. The PCC explained that in some cases, the evidence did not back up the usefulness of CCTV. Ring doorbell footage was often more useful for a recent missing person case. It was noted that in areas with a night-time economy, CCTV was still seen as beneficial. However, it was made challenging as District and Borough Councils took different views on CCTV and its provision. 

2.    In response to a question on the new CCTV Strategy, the PCC explained that this was a decision for each of the District and Borough Council Leaders. The Force would not take a lead on this work going forward and encouraged the Panel Member to ask the Chief Constable about it. A Panel Member added that the District and Borough Councils needed a policy from the Force. The PCC emphasised that CCTV had been devolved to District and Borough Councils and whilst the Force would work with local councils, it was not appropriate for them to lead on CCTV.

3.    A Panel Member asked about the responsibility of CCTV on highways and the use of personal CCTV in rural areas. The DPCC explained that Automatic Number Plate Recognition was used actively by the Force. They had also been trialling mobile CCTV units. The Force had a good relationship with farmers and landowners in rural parts of the county.

Actions/requests for further information:

1. R25/22 – The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner to reshare the funding formula for financial support from Surrey Police for CCTV.

RESOLVED:

1. The Panel recommends the Police and Crime Commissioner for Surrey takes a lead on renewing the county’s CCTV strategy, in partnership with local authorities, and publishes the renewed strategy within the next three months.

This report sets out details of two recent inspections and subsequent work being undertaken by Surrey Police to address the recommendations made.

Witnesses:

Lisa Townsend, Police and Crime Commissioner for Surrey

Damian Markland, Head of Performance and Governance (Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner)

Key points raised in the discussion:

1. The PCC informed the Panel that the Force did not receive any inadequate ratings in the inspection and the Force was rated outstanding for preventing crime and antisocial behaviour. All of the issues raised in the report were already being looked at.

2. A Panel Member asked whether the findings were in line with the views of the public and to what extent the PCC felt her Plan needed to change to reflect the Inspectorate’s recommendations. The PCC responded that the Plan was a living document, and it was regularly revisited with the Chief Constable. The public’s perception was influenced by their immediate experiences as well as the wider media. The PCC hoped that the report did not include anything that the public would strongly disagree with, especially regarding the outstanding areas.

3. A Panel Member noted that a lack of police officer visibility is the most common issue raised by residents and queried whether preventing crime and antisocial behaviour could be maintained if the PCSOs were not being replaced this financial year. The PCC clarified that there would be no reduction of officers on the ground, as they were being replaced by fully warranted officers. The PCC added that there was no real evidence to suggest that officers on the streets prevented more crime.

4. A Panel Member asked about 101 call abandonment and the response time when using the digital 101 service. The Head of Performance and Governance explained that this was a complicated area, as there was an uplift in call abandonment due to users switching to the digital service. There were points in the day where the response time was much faster and much slower. Data on this could be provided in conjunction with an existing action on this area.

5. A Panel Member enquired as to whether officers had undergone training around registered sex offenders yet. The Head of Performance and Governance explained that this was a multi-force report, therefore, not all points were specific to Surrey. Overall, it was felt that Surrey Police were managing these responsibilities well. The Head of Performance and Governance would find out if the training had occurred yet.

Actions/requests for further information:

1. R20/22 – The Head of Performance and Governance to find out whether police officers had undergone training regarding managing registered sex offenders.

RESOLVED:

The Panel noted the report.

This paper is provided to the Police & Crime Panel for information only to give Panel Members information on the budget to fund the Office of the Police & Crime Commissioner (OPCC) for the financial year 2022/23. 

Witnesses:

Lisa Townsend, Police and Crime Commissioner for Surrey

Kelvin Menon, Chief Finance Officer – OPCC

Alison Bolton, Chief Executive – OPCC

Key points raised in the discussion:

1. The PCC acknowledged that any increase in any budget was not taken lightly but she needed to ensure that the OPCC as an organisation was suitably equipped to meet increased demand and deliver her and the Office’s statutory functions. The increase in operational budget would fund new posts where the OPCC was currently at its weakest. Investment would mean those contacting the Office would have their case dealt with in a timely manner, which was not always the case currently. The PCC believed that greater work could be undertaken with Criminal Justice System (CJS) partners, and this would require a new role within the Office. Increasing the visibility of the PCC and OPCC to the public was necessary to further transparency and public understanding of their work and thus, investment in a communications role was also proposed. Commissioning services and giving grants to support victims required additional resource to secure funding and achieve value for money. The PCC highlighted that Surrey’s OPCC was considerably smaller than other OPCCs in the region, with only three being smaller within England and Wales.

2. It was raised by the PCC that the Office owed considerable amounts of overtime to almost all staff members and the PCC shared her concern that this could result in a loss of staff members. The PCC assured Panel Members that the proposed increase in the operational budget for the OPCC was to the benefit of both Surrey Police and residents and following the increase would account for 0.5% of the total Police budget. It was noted that £270,000 of the increase was to fund new posts and the remainder was to meet other costs including cost of living and pay increases for existing staff. The PCC provided Panel Members with an overview of the work of the OPCC, including new initiatives since her election. The services that the OPCC commissioned were said to directly support vulnerable residents within the community. The OPCC had successfully bid for over £2.3 million of government funding, which included £1.1 million for domestic abuse and sexual violence support and had worked with partners to secure £2.8 million from the Changing Futures funding.

3. A Panel Member recognised that there was a lack of understanding by the public regarding the role and functions of the PCC and her Office. The Panel Member disagreed with the idea that an increased budget for the OPCC would take away from front-line policing services, when rather, their work supported that of front-line services. The Panel Member highlighted the importance of understanding where to go with a concern about policing and receiving a response in a timely manner. The Panel Member expressed his support for the OPCC budget proposal. The PCC shared that since May 2021, the OPCC had received 2,222 contacts from residents and the average number of complaints per month had  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12