Issue - meetings

(Safer, Greener & Transport Portfolio Holder) To consider the attached report (C-041-2017/18).

(1)        That £215,000 per annum budget provision be made in the District Development Fund (DDF) for 3 years, to fund the following provision, for a pilot period of three years from April 2018 to March 2021:

            (a)        the employment of three full-time Police Officers by Essex Police,    including a Sergeant and two Police Constables, to be tasked and directed by   the Council;

            (b)        the commissioning of Parkguard security company to undertake       targeted patrolling and youth engagement work; and

            (c)        the delivery of additional, targeted sessions at Crucial Crew and      Reality Roadshow;

(2)        That a Service Level Agreement (SLA) be drawn up with Essex Police to set out the detailed requirements and arrangements relating to decision 1(a) above, in line with the Heads of Terms for the SLA set out in the report;

(3)        That the cost of £215,000 per annum be funded by increasing the Council Tax by £3.69 (2.5%) per annum for a band ‘D’ property; and

(4)        That regular monitoring reports be submitted to the Communities Select Committee every six months by the Community Safety Team throughout the life of this initiative.

The Portfolio Holder for Safer, Greener & Transport presented a report on the options and implications of the Council directly funding the employment of Police Officers within the Epping Forest District.

The Portfolio Holder reminded the Cabinet that, at its meeting on 7 December 2017, it had considered a report on the proposal for the Council to fund the employment of additional Police Officers, employed by Essex Police, but tasked by the Council’s Community Safety Team. This would be to supplement Essex Police’s existing District Community Policing Team in light of the high number of burglaries, crimes and anti-social behaviour in the District.

The Portfolio Holder advised the Cabinet that a recommendation from this report was that Officers would further investigate the implications of the Council funding additional Police Officers. The work undertaken to collate this information included an initial meeting with the Police District Commander and desk research, followed by a telephone conference with Nottinghamshire Council and a meeting with the management of Lakeside Shopping Centre in Essex, both of which employ additional Police Officers within their areas.

The Portfolio Holder stated the District Commander was very clear that Essex Police saw the proposal as a really positive initiative and that the abstraction of Officers would only happen in extreme cases and for very high priority incidents in Essex. He also confirmed that any staff sickness and Police training of the Council-funded Police Officers would be covered by a credit to the Council. The Lakeside Shopping Centre in Thurrock had been operating a direct Policing service for over five years with Essex Police and the arrangement had worked very well. There had only been a small number of abstractions over the period of their Service Level Agreement.

The Portfolio Holder reported that the costs of employing dedicated Police Officers, along with the commissioning of Parkguard Security Company to undertake targeted patrolling and youth engagement work, for a pilot period of three years would be £215,000 per annum. It was requested to make provision for this from the District Development Fund, and increase the District Council Tax to pay for it equating to an increase of £3.69 (2.5%) for a Band ‘D’ property. A Service Level Agreement with Essex Police would be drawn up to set out the detailed requirements for the employment of the three Police Officers.

Cllr Breare-Hall (Environment) felt this was a good proposal, although it was  acknowledged that it was unfortunate for the Council to have to fund this. Cllr Breare-Hall also requested some form of monitoring to ensure that Essex Police did not remove the current regular Police resources within the District. Cllr H Kane (Leisure & Community Wellbeing) supported the use of Parkguard Security Company, but enquired whether there were any savings that could be made to fund these initiatives. Cllr Mohindra (Finance) stated that possible savings were investigated but none could be identified, therefore it was right to increase the District Council Tax precept for this, although this was only expected to be a three  ...  view the full minutes text for item 107

(Safer, Cleaner & Transport) To consider the attached report.

Mover: Councillor S Kane, Safer, Cleaner & Transport Portfolio Holder

Councillor S Kane submitted a report seeking a supplementary estimate for the appointment of Parkguard Security Company, to provide regular uniformed patrols in the District for a short term period between 2 January and 31 March 2018.

Report as first moved ADOPTED

RESOLVED:

(1)        That a District Development Fund supplementary sum of £25,000 for Parkguard Security Company to provide regular uniformed patrols in the district until 31 March 2018 be approved. 

(Safer, Greener & Transport Portfolio Holder) To consider the attached report (C-037-2017/18).

(1)        That further discussion be undertaken with Essex Police to fully determine the options and implications of the Council funding two Police Officers as part of a hybrid model of operation to improve levels of policing in the District;

(2)        That, as a short term measure, Parkguard security company be appointed to provide regular uniformed patrolling of the District during the period 2 January 2018 to March 31 2018, subject to further review, and that Sections 5 and 10 of the Council’s Procurement Rules be waived accordingly;

(3)        That a District Development Fund supplementary estimate in the sum of £25,000 for 2017/18 be recommended to the Council for approval to cover the costs of the appointment of Parkguard security company; and

(4)        That appropriate budget provision be made for the commissioning of a service on a longer-term basis from 2018/19.

The Portfolio Holder for Safer, Greener & Transport introduced a report on a proposal for increased Policing or a uniformed presence in the District.

The Portfolio Holder stated that, over the last 18 months, the Council had seen a significant increase in the number of youth nuisance incidents in the District and cases of general anti-social behaviour (ASB) amounting to 10% more than in the previous year. In addition, the level of recorded crime and violence had increased. It appeared that this had been as a result of the reduction in Essex Police resources from 2015/16, which had seen the number of Community Police Officers in the Epping Forest District reduced by about 50%; as well as the sale of Waltham Abbey police station and the proposed sale of Epping and Ongar police stations, along with the closure of custody and front office facilities at Loughton Police Station.

The Portfolio Holder reported that recent examples of the escalation in serious youth nuisance and ASB problems included incidents over Halloween in Waltham Abbey and Epping, where large groups of young people had behaved in intimidating and threatening ways, which had led to the Council’s Community Safety Team using a range of powers including closure orders, injunctions and Community Protection Notices (CPNs). Although these particular issues had been addressed very well by the Council’s Community Safety Team, working closely with the Community Policing Team, there was a real problem across the whole of the District and this had caused unrest and concern amongst many of the District’s communities.

The Portfolio Holder and the Leader of Council had requested that potential options to address these ongoing issues in the District be investigated and the following potential options had been identified:

            (i)         to commission a private security company who were accredited by the             local Police Service under the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme      (CSAS) (Uniformed Organisation) to undertake regular patrolling and targeted          work;

            (ii)        to pay for a number of additional Police Officers for the District, who             would be employed by Essex Police, but tasked through the Council’s             Community Safety Team in conjunction with the local Police Inspector; and

            (iii)       a hybrid of options (i) & (ii) above, plus provision of a range of youth             engagement work.

The Cabinet was requested to agree that further discussions be undertaken with Essex Police to determine the implications of the Council funding additional Police Officers for the District, and that as a short term measure Parkguard security company be engaged to provide regular, uniformed patrolling of the District during January, February and March 2018. This would require the Council to agree a supplementary estimate from the District Development Fund for £25,000 and further budgetary provision to be made for 2018/19.

The Cabinet generally supported the proposed measures, and although it was accepted that this was not an ideal solution, it was accepted that something had to be done to counter the problems currently being experienced. It was highlighted that Parkguard, when employed at Limes Farm in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 92