Agenda item

To consider the attached report on the work of the Council-funded Police Officers over the last six months.

The Specialist Technical Assessment, Caroline Wiggins gave a 6 monthly update on the work and range of operations of the Council’s funded Police team.

The Council continued to fund the employment of an additional Police Sergeant and 2 Police Constables to supplement existing local policing resources. The team were incepted in July 2018 with an initial 3-year contract, which had now been extended for a further two years.  The team were tasked in-line with District Community Safety Partnership (CSP) priorities which were identified through the Annual Strategic Assessment and aligned with the priorities set by the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner’s (PFCC).Also the team could be requested via a tasking process, to support any Council departments where there was an identified threat, harm or risk to staff. A service level agreement was in place to prevent abstraction of the officers except in extreme cases or high priority incidents.

The team accepted and completed 50 tasking requests in 2020 in spite of the challenges presented by COVID-19 which included:

§  In response to an increase in serious acquisitive crime in the south of the District, the team lead on a cross border operation with the Metropolitan Police, sharing resources and tactical assets to target key routes in and out of the District. The operation resulted in 4 arrests, 4 pursuits, 10 stop searches, 25 successful ANPR activation responses (i.e. where there was a ‘live’ marker and the vehicle was stopped);

§  Supporting council officers with joint visits at licenced and business premises highlighted to be committing COVID legislation breaches;

§  Support Planning Enforcement with the initial site visit and subsequent service of injunction at a location where there was threat, harm and risk to staff;

§  Site visit with Planning Enforcement and Community Resilience at a venue where the occupant presents risk to staff;

§  Site visits and representation at professionals meeting in relation to high-risk homeless person;

§  Targeted patrols at three separate locations in the District which were at risk of persistent ASB and current problems for both police and council;

§  Proactive arrest of youth riding a stolen moped and in possession of a large knife in Loughton. Subsequently passed to the Youth Offending Team for a disposal decision;

§  Following an increase in acquisitive crime in Waltham Abbey, the team deployed to a recent catalytic converter theft. Whilst on route a second unrelated car failed to stop, and the driver was arrested. Enquiries showed the car had been recently stolen from the town;

§  Whilst on patrol in the Roydon area the team saw a van that was known to be cloned. The offenders tried to make off but were detained. The driver was a prolific offender who was wanted on a recall to prison. The van and driver were linked to multiple thefts in the District. The driver was sentenced to 42 weeks imprisonment;

§  The last 3 months had seen the team recover 11 stolen vehicles to the value of approximately £900k. This was as a result of the team interpreting various data streams to locate vehicles stolen from the District.  A particular highlight was the recovery of a rare Brabus 6x6 truck stolen by burglary in Loughton.

RESOLVED:

That the six-month report of the Council funded Police Officers be noted.