Agenda item

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 it was more common localities and requested further detail of what work was being done with schools to raise awareness.

Priority four - Fight Rural Crime – 03:50:52 on the recording.

The PCC was pleased to report that Operation Honeybun had been successful and had taken into account 50 incidents. Heritage crime was on the rise and this was a concern as there was a lot of heritage in Dorset. He also addressed night hawking and organised crime and informed members that more news was to follow going forward. The PCC was pleased to report that rural mounted volunteers had continued to be recruited.

Questions from the Priority Leads and Panel members (03:54:57 on the recording).

• Operation Honeybun was currently only targeted at rural areas, was there scope for expansion to more urban areas.
• Disappointed to see the level of wildlife crime

Priority five - Put Victim and Communities First – 03:57:05 on the recording.

The Police and Crime Commissioner highlighted the work being undertaken as part of priority five of the plan, providing detail to restorative justice which had been useful for victims and perpetrators, highlighting that it was victim driven and used catered support for them. The PCC informed members that funding had been approved for vital programmes for children, diverting them from antisocial behaviour. Members were informed of the nationwide charity, Hourglass, which was aimed at supporting older people from abuse and neglect. Continued efforts with community networks were taking place to improve support for victims in Dorset.

Panel members were given the opportunity to ask questions. The PCC responded in detail to questions in relation to the figures of hate crime which were significant.

Priority six - Make Every Penny Count – 04:02:40 on the recording

The Police and Crime Commissioner highlighted that ‘right care, right person’ had continued to develop and was on track. Members were informed of collaboration with Southwest police and the PCC highlighted the importance of collaboration and building relationships.

Panel members were given the opportunity to ask questions. The PCC responded in detail to questions in relation to the number of forces who were members of the Southwest collaboration and the funding framework.