J Field welcomed everyone to the meeting. 

In the absence of the Chair and Vice-Chair, J Field sought a nomination from the Panel to Chair today’s meeting. 

Councillor Downing proposed that Councillor Garbutt Chair today’s meeting, this was seconded by Councillor Milsom and unanimously agreed by the Panel. 

RESOLVED – That, in the absence of the Chair and Vice-Chair, Councillor Garbutt be appointed Chair for this meeting of the Panel.  

Apologies for absence were noted as above. 

None. 

To determine whether there are any additional items of business which by reason of special circumstances the Chair is of the opinion should be considered at the meeting; the reason(s) for such urgency to be stated.

None. 

To identify items where resolutions may be moved to exclude the public and press.  (For items marked * the public and press may be excluded from the meeting).

None. 

None. 

The Panel’s Rules of Procedure and the procedure for asking questions of the Commissioner and the Panel is available at: https://www.barnsley.gov.uk/sypcp

If any member of the public wishes to ask a question of the Police and Crime Commissioner at the meeting, they should be submitted in writing at least 5 working days before the meeting and be no more than 100 words in length.  They must not relate to an individual case, and must not repeat, or substantially repeat, any question that has been asked and answered at a meeting of the Panel meeting in the six months preceding the date of the meeting.

Questions should be submitted to Andrew Shirt, Senior Members Services Officer (Host Authority for the Police and Crime Panel) by email – andrewshirt@barnsley.gov.uk

There were no questions to the Police and Crime Commissioner. 

If any member of the public wishes to ask a question of the Police and Crime Panel at the meeting, they should be submitted in writing at least 5 working days before the meeting and be no more than 100 words in length.

They must not relate to an individual case, and must not repeat, or substantially repeat, any question that has been asked and answered at a meeting of the Panel meeting in the six months preceding the date of the meeting.

Questions should be submitted to Andrew Shirt, Senior Members Services Officer (Host Authority for the Police and Crime Panel) by email – andrewshirt@barnsley.gov.uk

There were no questions to the Police and Crime Panel. 

Matters Arising / Action Log

Councillor Davison requested that minute 11 be amended at paragraph 34 to read ‘Councillor Davison commented that it would be useful for the Panel to explore trends over a longer period.  For example, over the last 5 years, to analyse if the Force were being successful in combatting crimes.  He noted that there could be a distorted picture in the trends due to the time of the COVID-19 restrictions’. 

Councillor Milsom requested that minute 11 be re-worded at paragraph 36 to read ‘Councillor Milsom asked the Commissioner for his opinion on whether the large decrease in the recorded level of anti-social behaviour incidents reported to the Force in the period had a relationship with the larger increase in the recorded level of all crime’. 

Councillor Garbutt raised concerns that the Performance Sub-Group had not met recently due to discussions currently taking place between M Buttery and Councillor Haleem around the future requirement for a Performance Sub-Group. 

In response, the Commissioner said he was aware that discussions were on-going; unfortunately, he could not provide any further details. 

The Panel discussed and noted progress in respect of the agreed actions captured on the Panel’s Action Log set out in Appendix A to the minutes. 

In relation to Action 11 v) from the meeting held on 6 June 2022, Councillor Milsom requested that the action be retained on the Action Log for further work.  Councillor Milsom commented that the district level anti-social behaviour and crime data which was being recorded by the local authorities and police was incomplete.  She believed that it did not provide a full picture of what was really happening. 

Following discussion, the Commissioner agreed to meet with Councillor Milson after today’s meeting to discuss where improvements could be made on the information provided. 

RESOLVED –

i)           That subject to the above amendments, the minutes of the Annual Police and Crime Panel meeting held on 6 June 2022 be agreed and signed by the Chair as a correct record. 

ii)          Noted that the Panel’s Action Log would be updated following discussion and agreement at today’s meeting. 

iii)         Noted that the Commissioner had agreed to meet with Councillor Milson after today’s meeting to discuss where improvements could be made in relation to the district level anti-social behaviour and crime data being recorded by the local authorities and by the Force. 

A report was submitted to inform Members that the Commissioner is supported by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) in delivering his Police and Crime Plan, and in effectively discharging his wide range of legal responsibilities. 

The OPCC has a Delivery Plan which outlines how this is undertaken each year. 

The report provided Members with an update on key PCC and OPCC activities against the new Delivery Plan since the Panel’s last meeting held on 18 July 2022. 

The report also provided Members with information on the decisions taken by the PCC since the Panel’s last meeting. 

The Commissioner informed the Panel that he had been the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner for almost eight years.  During this time, there had been four Prime Ministers and five Home Secretaries.  This had made it difficult for the Commissioner to build any long-term relationships with any of the previous Policing Ministers and Home Secretaries. 

The Commissioner said that it was important for him to build a relationship with the new Home Secretary and the new Policing Minister due to the discretionary grants which are provided by the Home Secretary in relation to South Yorkshire’s legacy issues. 

The Commissioner was pleased to inform the Panel that South Yorkshire was on track to meet its target of recruiting additional officers as part of its share of the 20,000 new officers, which the government had pledged to restore from those that were cut nationally from police forces after 2010. 

The Commissioner highlighted that officer numbers in South Yorkshire would go slightly above the number which had been lost from the Force since 2010. 

The Commissioner said that if any Panel Member wished to observe a new Police Officer Attestation Session, then arrangements could be made for them to attend. 

The Commissioner reported that new officers were not fully competent to go out on the streets until they had received a period of training.  In most cases this currently took around 2-3 years before a new officer was fully competent. 

The Commissioner referred to the Chancellor’s recent ‘mini-budget’.  He said that the Chancellor’s announcements had caused turmoil in the financial markets, which had led to an increase in interest rates.  This was now putting pressure on the Force in all sorts of ways.  The task of preparing next year’s budget would be very difficult in terms of what numbers to include in relation to inflation and pay. 

The Commissioner warned the Panel that he could not recall a time when things were so volatile and so uncertain in the financial world. 

Councillor Garbutt noted that there was currently a projected revenue budget underspend of £4.621m as at the end of June 2022.  He said that officers who retire from the Force would tend to be more expensive than the new officers joining the Force.  He asked if this would have an impact on the underspend position. 

The Commissioner explained that there were a number of reasons for the underspend.  He confirmed  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

A report was submitted which set out the Quarterly Police and Crime Plan Performance Report for the period April to June 2022 (Quarter 1 2022/23), produced from the Police and Crime Commissioner’s (PCC’s) Police and Partners Performance Framework.

The report aimed to provide information about how the police and partners, as well as the Office of the PCC (OPCC) are working to achieve the outcomes and priorities set out in the Police and Crime Plan for South Yorkshire.

The Quarterly Performance Report for the period April to June 2022 (Quarter 1 2022/23), was set out in Appendix A to the report and noted by Members. 

Councillor Garbutt asked if a further breakdown of the hate crime statistics could be provided in order to identify if a hate crime was committed either face-to-face, violently, verbally or online. 

The Commissioner noted the question and agreed to ask K Wright if it would be feasible to provide this information. 

In response to a question from Councillor Milsom, the Commissioner explained that the budget underspend as at 30 June 2022 was a forecast at this point in the year.  At year-end, this could be more or less than presented in the report. 

Councillor Milsom referred to 101 call volumes.  She highlighted that there had been 70,000 abandoned calls in a 12-month period.  It was also highlighted that the longest wait time in August 2021 for a 101 call to be answered was 3 hours and 14 minutes.  Councillor Milsom asked if there were any plans to improve further on the call waiting time. 

The Commissioner replied that the longest call waiting time highlighted was very exceptional.  The average 101 call waiting time last week was 11 minutes.  He explained that demand did rise at different times during the day, and this put pressure on the call wait times.  In addition, 101 was now the first option for many people to use, given that several local authorities had closed all the different telephone helplines that they had previously. 

In relation to abandoned calls, the Commissioner explained that a person may have abandoned their call to report a crime via another method.  For example, via the online reporting facility. 

Councillor Baum-Dixon highlighted that the recorded levels of robbery, vehicle related thefts, firearms crimes and crimes involving a knife or sharp instrument had all increased during the period.  He asked what work was being undertaken by the Force to solve these crimes. 

The Commissioner replied that the report often compared crimes over a 12-month period.  However, to analyse trends, he suggested that they needed to be looked at over a longer period of time.  In analysing longer-term trends, the Force could identify hotspots in the county where they can undertake preventative work. 

Councillor Garbutt informed the Commissioner that he had a number of questions relating to domestic abuse.  He said that he would circulate the questions to Panel Members to ascertain if Members have any further questions to raise prior to sending them to the Commissioner for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

A report of the Chief Finance Officer was presented setting out the consolidated financial position for the period 1April 2022 to 30 June 2022.

The report set out the anticipated year-end position, updated with information available up to 30 June 2022. 

Members noted that the following key points:-

·            The PCC had approved a revenue budget of £310.7m for 2022/23. 

·            The PCC had also approved a capital programme of £24.920m for 2022/23, anticipating that £22.770m of borrowing would need to be undertaken in the year to fund the programme.  The programme was decreased to £16.48m in July 2022 to take account of slippage, re-phasing, and adjustments.  The PCC approved the revised programme on 27 July 2022. 

·            Based on current assumptions, the forecast outturn position for the revenue budget was an underspend of £4.621m as at 30 June 2022. 

·            In the period June to August 2022, the projected underspend had now reduced to £3.5m due to the volatility in the economy.  The Panel were informed that this was a snapshot in time and was based on estimates at this point in the year. 

·            As at 30 June 2022, the projected year end outturn position was a £4.04m underspend on the Chief Constable’s budget, net of external funding. 

·            The PCC and OPCC forecast outturn position was an underspend of £13k, based on information as at 30 June 2022.  The main reasons for the underspend and variances from the budget were presented within the report. 

·            The PCC had approved a capital programme of £16.48m in July 2022.  Expenditure to date amounted to £1.87m, it was anticipated that the full budget would be spent by year end. 

·            As at 31 March 2021, the overall level of revenue reserves available was £67.716m.  This included general reserves of £36.9m, earmarked, and insurance reserves of £25.4m and £5.3m respectively.  The forecast movement in year was detailed in a table at paragraph 6 of the report.

·            Paragraph 7 of the report set out a number of risks and uncertainties in the reported financial position. 

RESOLVED – That Members of the Police and Crime Panel noted the contents of the report and commented on any matters arising. 

Cllr Milsom – Safer Sheffield Partnership – 31 August 2022

Cllr Pickering – Safer Barnsley Partnership – 23 September 2022

Cllr Knowles – Safer & Stronger Doncaster Partnership Board – 29 September 2022

Cllr Haleem – Safer Rotherham Partnership – 10 August 2022

Councillor Milsom provided the Panel with an update from the recent meetings of the Safer Sheffield Partnership. 

In relation to the Safer Sheffield Partnership’s priorities, activity had been dominated by the Safer Sheffield Theme Groups and the work which they are undertaking to progress priority themes identified by the Sheffield Joint Strategic Intelligence Assessment. 

The following key highlights were noted:

·            A city-wide plan for Dark Nights had been developed through the Anti-Social Behaviour Theme Group, with a focus on key hotspot areas.  This Plan would complement Area Based Partner Plans. 

·            Work had commenced on formulating a Cuckooing Strategy. 

·            Funding streams continued to be challenged to improve physical security at key locations.

·            Work was continuing to develop the Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Programme through the Violence Against Women and Girls Theme Group.

·            The Partnership had provided Crime Prevention Packs to support the influx of new students arriving in Sheffield via the Crime Theme Group.

·            Bespoke training packages had been developed aimed at professionals across key disciplines to spot the signs of criminal exploitation through the Supply of Drugs Theme Group.

·            The Partnership continues to monitor in-group activity, overseeing progress and providing small funding schemes to progress activity.

·            In relation to funding, the Safer Sheffield Partnership utilises the Commissioner’s funding to support community organisations in delivering small projects, aimed at reducing crime, anti-social behaviour and exploitation. 

·            The Partnership had received 20 applications to this scheme, of which 17 had been given funding.  Bids had been received from a wide range of organisations and areas within Sheffield. 

Councillor Garbutt thanked Councillor Milsom for her update. 

Due to the absence of Councillors Haleem, Pickering and Knowles, there were no updates available from the Safer Rotherham Partnership meeting held on 10 August 2022, the Safer Barnsley Partnership meeting held on 23 September 2022, and from the Safer and Stronger Doncaster Partnership Board meeting held on 29 September 2022. 

RESOLVED – That Members of the Police and Crime Panel noted the feedback provided. 

A report was submitted to update Members on current events – national, regional and local, together with future plans in respect of learning and development for the Panel. 

Suggestions for any other learning and development opportunities Members may have to support the Panel’s learning and development were welcomed. 

A summary of the events which had taken place since the last meeting together with details of proposed future events were set out within the report for Members’ information. 

RESOLVED – That Members of the Police and Crime Panel:-

i)           Noted the update.

ii)          Agreed to provide suggestions for future learning and development.

Members considered the 2022/23 Work Programme and were reminded that they could submit issues for the Work Programme that fall within the Panel’s Statutory role in supporting and scrutinising the Commissioner. 

All issues would be given full consideration by the Chair, Vice-Chair and Commissioner at the pre-agenda planning meetings. 

Additionally, Members were encouraged to attend the meetings of the Commissioner’s Public Accountability Board (PAB) to increase their operational knowledge. 

Members were reminded that they could also submit questions for PAB through the OPCC, with 5 working days notice prior to the meeting. 

RESOLVED – That Members of the Police and Crime Panel noted the contents of the 2022/23 Work Programme. 

RESOLVED – That the next meeting of the Police and Crime Panel be held on Monday 5 December 2022, at 1:00 pm in the Council Chamber, Town Hall, Church Street, Barnsley.