Key
points raised during the discussion:
- The PCC
introduced the item and informed Members that the Police and Crime
Plan had recently been published. It was confirmed that scrutiny of
the plan would be conducted with the Chief Constable through
monthly meetings which would be held in public and private. The PCC
went on to highlight the six main priorities of the plan and
invited Panel Members to ask questions on its content.
- The
Chairman highlighted a comment made by the PCC regarding the
importance of dealing with domestic abuse cases quickly and
suggested that efforts should also be concentrated on cases where a
person is falsely accused.
- A Member of
the Panel expressed their concern over the improvement needed to
CCTV in certain parts of Surrey and the role it played in
preventing terrorism. The PCC responded by informing the Panel he
was aware of its importance and that a review on CCTV usage was
being conducted as a matter of urgency with the Police. When asked
for a timescale on this the Panel were informed it would be
soon.
- A Member of
the Panel informed the PCC of stories he had heard of Police
Community Support Officers (PCSOs) with long years of service
leaving because they felt they were not given the support they
needed. This was because Police Officers were also leaving the
force and were not being replaced. The PCC noted this and explained
that this was very concerning as they would not want to lose
experienced Officers.
- Members of
the Panel were pleased that the Policing in your Neighbourhood
scheme was under review and asked for timescales of when the review
would be over and when the report would be made available. Members
were informed that the review would be over in November 2016 and
that more information would be made available then.
- Panel
Members raised concerns over speeding on Surrey roads and asked how
the Police were going to tackle this, The PCC understood their
concerns and informed the Panel that the police took speeding very
seriously. It was said that the Police would do what they can but
would have to take a proportionate approach to the problem as it
was not viable for the police to be stationed on every road
monitoring speed. The PCC explained that he would be meeting with
the Leader of Surrey County Council to consider what can be done to
reduce speeding in the county.
- A Member of
the Panel asked for information on how police were cutting crime
and statistics on how successful they were. The members stated that
they could not find this information and asked if this could be
included in future reports. The PCC confirmed that the information
was available online but was not included in the report as it was
lengthy. He agreed that this information would be included in
future reports. A member of the Panel queried when the rural crime
strategy would be published. The PCC explained the strategy was
still in draft. The PCC also explained that the Police were working
with Surrey County Council on the development of the Police estates
strategy.
- A
discussion was had around people driving whilst using their mobile
phones and how the police were intending to prevent this from
increasing. The PCC agreed that this was a problem and mentioned
that this was a crime that was difficult to enforce as it required
an officer to witness someone using a mobile whilst driving. The
PCC informed the Panel that penalties for this crime were
increasing to prevent it from happening. A Member of the Panel suggested looking into more
advanced ways to prevent mobile phones from being used whilst
driving Members asked for details around the number of people being
caught using mobile phones whilst driving in Surrey.
- After being
questioned on the progress with the Secretary of State in terms of
the policing funding formula, the PCC informed the Panel that they
had previously spoken and that a revision of the funding formula
was underway. He mentioned that a letter would be sent to all
Surrey Members of Parliament and Council Leaders asking for support
to make sure Surrey would get a fair deal. A copy of this letter
would also be shared with the Panel. The Chairman of the Panel
stated that the Panel had previously sent a letter to the Home
Office in support of fairer funding for Surrey Police and would be
happy to do it again.
- A Member of
the Panel asked for confirmation if Epsom Police Station had been
sold. The PCC confirmed that the Police station had not yet been
sold but was currently considered as a surplus.
RESOLVED:
The Police and Crime Panel
noted the early progress made against the Police and Crime Plan
2016-2020.
ACTIONS/FURTHER INFORMATION TO BE PROVIDED:
For the Police and Crime Panel
to send a letter to the Home Office in support of fairer funding
for Surrey Police.
For the PCC to provide the
panel with details around the number of people being caught using
mobile phones whilst driving in Surrey.