Agenda and draft minutes

To endorse the new Co-opted member to the Police and Crime Panel.

Proposed by Cllr Peter Sidaway, seconded by Cllr Tony Trent.

Decision: that Ben Sargeaunt was appointed as Co-Opted member of the PCP.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 11^th December 2024.

The minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 11^th December 2024 were confirmed and signed.  

To disclose any pecuniary, other registrable or non-registrable interests as set out in the adopted Code of Conduct. In making their disclosure councillors are asked to state the agenda item, the nature of the interest and any action they propose to take as part of their declaration.

If required, further advice should be sought from the Monitoring Officer in advance of the meeting.

No declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests were made at the meeting. 

Representatives of town or parish councils and members of the public who live, work, or represent an organisation within the Dorset Council area are welcome to submit either one question or one statement for each meeting.  You are welcome to attend the meeting in person or via MS Teams to read out your question and to receive the response. If you submit a statement for the committee this will be circulated to all members of the committee in advance of the meeting as a supplement to the agenda and appended to the minutes for the formal record but will not be read out at the meeting.

The first eight questions and the first eight statements received from members of the public or organisations for each meeting will be accepted on a first come first served basis in accordance with the deadline set out below.  For further information please see Public Participation - Dorset Council  

All submissions must be emailed in full to megan.r.rochester@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk by 8.30am on Monday 3^rd February 2025.

When submitting your question or statement please note that:  

-       You can submit one question or one statement.

-       A question may include a short pre-amble to set the context.  

-       It must be a single question, and any sub-divided questions will not be permitted. 

-       Each question will consist of no more than 450 words, and you will be given up to three minutes to present your question.  

-       When submitting a question please indicate who the question is for (e.g. the name of the committee or Portfolio Holder)  

-       Include your name, address, and contact details.  Only your name will be published but we may need your other details to contact you about your question or statement in advance of the meeting.  

-       Questions and statements received in line with the council’s rules for public participation will be published as a supplement to the agenda.

-       All questions, statements and responses will be published in full within the minutes of the meeting.  

Dorset Council Constitution - Procedure Rule 9

Councillor Questions

Councillors can submit up to two valid questions at each meeting and sub divided questions count towards this total. Questions and statements received will be published as a supplement to the agenda and all questions, statements and responses will be published in full within the minutes of the meeting.

The submissions must be emailed in full to megan.r.rochester@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk by 8.30am on Monday 3^rd February 2025.

Dorset Council Constitution – Procedure Rule 13

Questions had been received from Ms Judy Sands and Councillors Julie Robinson and Sara Armstrong.

The members of the public and councillors were thanked for their questions. The PCC highlighted the responsibility of addressing antisocial behaviour, which rested with both the Police and Local Authority. Noting that incidents had decreased by 32% overall, with a further reduction of 9% reported this year. Dorset Police had been proactive in managing hundreds of public contacts and the PCC expressed gratitude for the information provided by community members. However, it was essential to acknowledge that operational and financial constraints limited the extent of immediate action. Ongoing investigations may be taking place, and the implementation of enhanced video response capabilities across Dorset signified their commitment to this issue. To support residents, contact and engagement leaflets were available, aimed at fostering better communication with the local policing team and residents. Community members were encouraged to engage directly with the Police and Crime Commissioner and to utilize the available leaflets, which were designed to reassure them regarding the proactive measures being taken in their area.

The Police and Crime Commissioner responded to Cllr Armstrongs questions. He emphasized that the provision of housing must not be viewed as a policing matter, and assurance was sought from the Local Authority regarding this issue. It was suggested that correspondence be initiated with Local Authority representatives to address these concerns. The operational status of Maple is to remain intact, with ongoing efforts to recommission services, ultimately leading to the establishment of a new independent service aimed at providing enhanced support for victims, including the option for self-referral. The PCC anticipated sharing further updates with the panel as developments occur. It was noted that public services were currently facing significant funding challenges, yet progress is being made, with some initiatives from Bobby Van being integrated into the response framework.

Furthermore, there was a commitment to improving outcomes in technology-enabled crimes, with domestic abuse advisers receiving specialized training that encompasses coercive control. Annual vulnerability training ensures that external sources were utilized effectively to bolster the capacity of trained first points of contact. Statistics concerning stalking incidents from April to December 2024 indicate a 7.9% positive outcome rate, highlighting an area for continued development and improvement. Training programs specifically addressed the implications of stalking, harassment, and technology offences, recognizing the long-lasting impact these crimes have on victims. The PCC remained dedicated to the practice of target hardening as a preventative measure.

The Police and Crime Commissioner responded to the member of the public’s question regarding their concern about making every penny count and set out why personal security work had been completed at the PCC’s private property.

No further questions or petitions had been received.  

To set out the Police and Crime Commissioner’s proposals for the 2025/26 budget and precept.

The Chairman advised that the Panel should consider the PCC's proposed budget requirement and independently scrutinize its appropriateness. The options open to the Panel were to either support, not to support or veto the proposal.

The Police and Crime Commissioner introduced the report and framed the strategic need.

The Chief Constable provided a comprehensive oversight from the point of view of operations (00:40:35 on the recording). Commendable efforts had been noted across various departments, with positive feedback reflecting the commitment to delivering fair policing services to the community in Dorset. Nevertheless, the Chief Constable acknowledged the ongoing financial challenges, highlighting the necessity of judicious budgeting and the significant pressure faced by the policing team due to substantial budget cuts. With a focus on maximizing resources, the team was exploring innovative solutions, such as renegotiating contracts and leveraging technology, while also regrettably reducing the number of policing posts by 72 and anticipating a further reduction of 110 posts if unsuccessful with the proposed budget. It was clear that decisions regarding service delivery were being approached with care, fully recognizing their impact on public safety. Despite these challenges, the Chief Constable proudly noted several key improvements and a decline in crime rates throughout Dorset, reinforcing the commitment to effective policing.

The Chief Finance Officer then set out additional information which had been received since the report was published. The Final Settlement had been received and confirmed the numbers contained within the report, except for the Neighbourhood Policing Grant. This had been doubled; however, expenditure was also assumed to increase by the same amount. (01:06:16 on the recording). Further to the report previously circulated, it had been confirmed that there were no required changes, with the exception of the neighbourhood policing grant, which had increased, however, expenditure would have still risen. The main table affected in the report is shown at section 3.11. Appendix 1 to the report is also changed and the updated versions of both are appended to these minutes. In conclusion, the Chief Finance Officer had assured the committee [JS1] that the level of reserves was adequate and that the budget proposals for 2025/26 were robust.

The Director of Operations shared the results from the public consultation that had been run between December 2024 and January 2025 (01:11:11 on recording).

The Police and Crime Commissioner reminded the Panel that Dorset Police was the second lowest recipient of the national funding formula, and that over half of the Force was paid for by the people of Dorset, whereas in other parts of the country it was 20%.

Questions from the Priority Leads - 01:21:35 recording (attached at appendix 3).

·       Assurance that there was a proportionate increase in service delivery performance.

·       Welfare of front-line officers and civilian staff.

Panel members were given the opportunity to ask questions. The PCC responded in detail to questions in relation to:

• How the commissioner held the police accountable.
• Timeframes to meet objectives whilst dealing with financial constraints
• Principle of public consultation and survey responses
• Pay ward  ...  view the full minutes text for item 40.

To receive the Q3 monitoring report.

The PCC gave an update on progress against the police and crime plan.

Priority one - Cut Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour – 03:04:45 on the recording

Total crime had reduced in Dorset. Year to date ASB was down by 2% and funding had been approved for Christchurch Harbour Watch. There had been an increase in business crime. The PCC talked about road safety campaigns, highlighting work towards reducing speed in local areas. He also discussed ongoing projects to support vulnerable residents.

Questions from the Priority Leads and Panel members (03:09:35 on the recording).

• Methods used to support those reluctant to report crime.
• Measurement of success of the pilot programme.
• Appropriate steps taken to speeding letters from community speed watch.
• Engagement with residents, particularly young people.
• Communication between those reporting crime and the police to be updated on the progress or the appropriate steps taken.

Priority two - Make Policing More Visible and Connected – 03:24:46 on the recording.

The latest statistics indicated an improvement in the number of police calls received, with response times for call handling reaching an impressive 92%. However, there remained room for enhancement, particularly with the average answer time. It is noteworthy that 73% of calls were answered within 77 seconds, with ongoing efforts to reduce the remaining 27%. Improvements are actively being pursued within the control centre, where a neighbourhood engagement board has been established to assess commitments and prioritize actions. These initiatives had led to significant positive changes across Dorset, notably through the introduction of community contact points and a mobile police office, which has further bolstered community engagement and accessibility. The next steps included continued monitoring of response times and community initiatives.

Questions from the Priority Leads and Panel members (03:30:33 on the recording)

• Online availability of Neighbourhood Engagement Commitments.
• How the input was gathered from communities and residents.

Priority three - Fight Violent Crime and High Harm – 03:33:26 on the recording.

Serious violence was down, and victim support had increased to 10 years. The different types of domestic abuse was highlighted and the Police and Crime Commissioner highlighted that all needed to be looked at, exposed and dealt with. The PCC informed members that there was an approved continuation of funding for prison leavers, addressing issues of perpetrators to change their behaviours and to prevent reoffending. Operation Scorpion continued and different programmes for drug education were introduced to look at different approaches and communication. The PCC discussed Operation Encompass which had been introduced to primary schools as well as secondary. Knife crime numbers were low but the number of teenagers carrying was concerning. Stalking was now a concern, particularly online and the PCC was looking at ways to reduce the risk.

Questions from the Priority Leads and Panel members (03:40:34 on the recording).

• Encouraging to see the responses to domestic violence.
• Queried whether the drug educational programmes were pitched at both primary and secondary schools.
• Noted that there was a decrease in knife crime and an increase in carrying and whether  ...  view the full minutes text for item 41.

To receive a verbal update from Marc Eyre, Service Manager for Assurance.

The Service Manager for Assurance advised that there were no live complaints against the Police and Crime Commissioner.

To receive a verbal update about the PCP Forward Plan.

Cllr Keddie noted that priority leads were originally scheduled to be allocated after the meeting, however, due to a low turn out and the success of the pre-meeting which was held a week prior to the meeting, it was agreed that priority leads and the forward workplan development would be discussed and allocated at a team meeting, scheduled within the next four weeks. Cllr Keddie noted the importance of this for the OPCC to be aware and to ensure that they deliver lines of enquiry.

To consider any items of business which the Chairman has had prior notification and considers to be urgent pursuant to section 100B (4) b) of the Local Government Act 1972. The reason for the urgency shall be recorded in the minutes.

There were no urgent items.

To move the exclusion of the press and the public for the following item in view of the likely disclosure of exempt information within the meaning of paragraph 3 of schedule 12 A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended). The public and the press will be asked to leave the meeting whilst the item of business is considered.  

There are no exempt items scheduled for this meeting.  

There was no exempt business.