9. Written evidence from Denbighshire
Community Safety Partnership
POLICE SERVICE, CRIME AND ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
IN WALES INQUIRY SUBMISSION ON BEHALF OF THE DENBIGHSHIRE COMMUNITY
SAFETY PARTNERSHIP
This submission details the role of the Community
Safety Partnership in Denbighshire is respect of addressing crime
and anti-social behaviour.
1. Structure/funding
The Community Safety Partnership is Chaired
jointly by the County Council Chief Executive, and the Divisional
Police Commander. Membership comprises representatives from agencies
such as Probation, Local Health Board, NHS Trust, Magistrates
Courts, Fire Service, Youth Offending Team. There is also one
county councillor who is the Cabinet member whose portfolio includes
community safety and also sits on the North Wales Police Authority.
The Partnership's primary source of funding
is from the Home Office "Building Safer Communities",
and "Substance Misuse Action Plan" funds and the National
Assembly for Wales "Safer Communities" Fund, as follows:
| Building Safer Communities:
| £156,835.50
|
| Safer Communities Fund: | £140.000.00
|
| Substance Misuse Action Plan | £285,120.00
|
| Substance Misuse Action Plan Coordinator's Post
| £20,000.00
|
| Anti-social Behaviour Order Coordinator's Post
| £25,000.00
|
| Basic Command Unit Fund | £136,000.00
(approx)
|
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The use of this funding has been hindered in the past by
delays in approving expenditure plans or in releasing funds. The
different funding streams and their differing conditions such
as restrictions relating to the levels of revenue and capital
expenditure have also lead to difficulties in introducing initiatives.
In addition, Denbighshire provides administrative support
and time of officers: about 1.2 full time equivalent are engaged
solely on crime and disorder work and many others in education,
housing, social services etc. are engaged in dealing with crime
and disorder issues for part of their time.
Part of the partnership's resources each year is given to
four area-based crime and disorder groups to spend on local initiatives.
The groups are administered by the Council and bring together
local bodies, such as businesses and community councils, and other
interested individuals who wish to tackle crime and disorder problems.
The community warden service is provided by STARS, a not-for-profit
body with its headquarters in Rhyl, and supported by funding from
the Partnership. There are eight wardens in four towns.
2. Achievement
The Partnership recently completed its crime and disorder
audit, which will drive its strategy for 2005-08. The audit demonstrated
that overall crime levels in the County had fallen by 7% in 2003-2004
when compared to the previous 12 month period. In the same period
recorded numbers of some crimes have fallen by such an extent
that they are now below the levels which existed prior to the
introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in 2002.
For example burglary fell by 28%. Unfortunately there has been
an increase in respect of some offences, such as alcohol related
violent crime and juvenile crime, and particularly with regard
to anti-social behaviour. Some of this can be attributed to efforts
to increase reporting but there seems to be an underlying real
increase in the levels of these offences. They are the focus for
proposed action in the 2005-08 strategy.
Encouraging progress continues to be made. Figures for crime
from April to October 2004 compared to the equivalent period in
2003 show a reduction of 15%, although incidents of disorder have
fallen by only 1% in the same period.
In 2002 a Policing Priority Area was introduced in the West
Rhyl ward which was used to enhance a number of joint working
arrangements between the Police and the County Council as well
as specific initiatives such as alleygating schemes. This helped
to reduce levels on both crime and disorder in the area both during
the period of the scheme and afterwards, and the lessons learnt
from it have been replicated in other parts of the County.
3. Anti-social Behaviour
The Partnership has for some time sought to address anti-social
behaviour as one of its key priorities, but has not sought to
use anti-social behaviour orders as the only solution to the problem.
Frequently it has been found that the behaviour has been addressed
by the use of other solutions such as acceptable behaviour contracts.
It has also sought to address the issue of juvenile nuisance
by providing a number of alternative activities for young people
to divert them away from activities which would create a nuisance
to other members of the community. Schemes such as summer play
activities and training initiatives through "Splash"
schemes for example have been introduced, and have been shown
to reduce levels of juvenile nuisance.
A number of community safety wardens have been introduced
throughout the County, and recently Police Community Support Officers
have been employed in the Rhyl area. These provide reassurance
to many people, particularly the elderly so as to reduce the fear
of crime.
The Council and North Wales Police have supported British
Transport Police in introducing a Dispersal Order in and around
the railway station in Rhyl so as to combat problems in respect
of nuisance, mainly caused by juveniles, and petty crime.
The crime and disorder audit has shown, however, that juvenile
nuisance is only part of the problem and that alcohol related
disorder is also a major issue. This is likely to be reflected
as a priority in the next Community Safety Strategy. The Partnership
will be seeking to ensure that the licensing powers being transferred
to the Council are used effectively to address these issues.
Although the Partnership has sought not to pursue ASBOs in
many cases it recognises that these are the only solution is some
instances. It has particularly sought to use the powers contained
in the Police Reform Act to seek ASBOs in connection with convictions
for other offences. The use of such orders has been led by the
Partnership Anti-Social Behaviour Co-ordinator who is employed
by North Wales Police. There appear to be significant inconsistencies,
however, between courts in North Wales and courts elsewhere with
regard to their willingness to grant such orders and this seems
to have resulted in a lower number being issued in Denbighshire.
The statistics as at 31 October 2004 are:
Acceptable behaviour contracts implemented: 16
Anti-social behaviour orders issued: 5
4. Future Strategy
The Partnership's future priorities will be to continue the
reductions in levels of crime which have been achieved over the
last few years whilst concentrating on the areas of concern that
have been identified in the crime and disorder audit namely alcohol
related crime, juvenile crime and anti-social behaviour. In seeking
to achieve these local priorities it will have to ensure that
it meets its requirements to achieve national initiatives such
as the Prolific and Priority Offender Programmes as well as implement
new legislation such as the Domestic Abuse Act.
Indications from both the Home Office and the National Assembly
are that, although there will be a new funding stream entitled
the Safer and Stronger Communities Fund, this will include little
additional new funding. It is likely to be the case that funding
which is available to partnerships in England in the form of a
single stream—and at a higher level—will not be replicated
in Wales, where we will still face a minimum of two funding streams.
If this is the case it may restrict the Welsh Partnerships' ability
to deliver the national crime reduction targets which are to be
introduced by the Home Office in 2005.
Ian Miller
Joint Chair
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