Agenda item

The Police and Crime Panel for Surrey scrutinises the work of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Surrey, Kevin Hurley.  The PCC published the Police and Crime Plan in March 2013 and issued some additional actions in March 2014.  This report provides the first quarterly update for 2014/14, from April 2014 to June 2014, on how the PCC is progressing against the plan.

·         The PCC stated that arrests in Surrey were up 15% and that crime was down 8% in 2013/14 which highlighted that his strategy was working, particularly in relation to reducing anti-social behaviour. The PCC reiterated the success enjoyed by the JET teams in Reigate and Banstead which have been working to enforce local bylaws. Members commended the success of the JET initiative and highlighted that they were being rolled out in other Boroughs and Districts throughout Surrey with Spelthorne set to introduce them next year and Runnymede developing plans to start the initiative in the near future.

·         The PCC mentioned that he was conducting a series of crime summits throughout Surrey to assess residents’ concerns and priorities for tackling crime in the County and to help inform the strategic direction of the Police. It was advised that the PCC was also using these meetings to gauge public support for granting more powers to PCSOs as well as for raising the precept by the equivalent of £1 a week per household for a Band D property and stated that the majority of residents who had attended the Crime Summits so far were in favour of both. The PCC further mentioned that applications amounting to £108,000 had so far been received for funding Community Safety Partnership initiatives and asked the Panel to remind their colleagues on Borough and District Councils that more money is available for these Community Safety schemes.

·       Members highlighted that they were aware of how easily and readily crime statistics can be skewed and requested assurances that crimes were being downgraded to give the appearance that crime was falling in Surrey.The Panel expressed some concern with the recording of crime statistics which it was intimated could often be skewed or new practices adopted in an attempt to give the appearance that crime was falling. The PCC stated that discussions with the Chief Constable had assured him that Surrey’s crime recording statistics were both ethical and accurate and that crime in Surrey is is in fact falling. It was further advised that the fact that arrests have increased suggests that Police are taking crimes more seriously rather than downgrading them.

·       In reference to the increase in the reporting of sexual offences, Members queried the logic of the PCC to indicate that this was a good thing and whether the obvious conclusion could be that more sexual offences took place in Surrey than last year. It was advised that few victims of sexual offences come forward to report the incident and that the number of sexual offences brought to the attention of the Police is the tip of the iceberg. Thus, any rise in the reporting of sexual offences should be viewed positively as it suggested that victims were beginning to place more trust in the Police.

·            Members also requested clarification on why the detection rates for Surrey Police were so low. The PCC highlighted that detection rates are complex and involve numerous variables which must be considered. It was advised that the drop in detection rates could either be a combination of the fact that more victims are coming forward to report crimes but there has been no increase in the number of cases being solved or that the reduction could be as a result of the time it takes detection rates to be recorded due to the length of time it takes for case to go through the criminal justice system.

RESOLVED: That,

1. The report be noted.