Agenda item

Update on the findings of the 2018/19 Community Safety Strategic Assessment

Relevant to all priority areas of the Community Safety Strategy

 

Sepia Golding

Senior Partnership Performance

Barnet Council

 

Peter Clifton

Community Safety Manager

Minutes:

Peter Clifton, Community Safety Manager, spoke to the report on the Barnet Community Safety Strategic Assessment in relation to the key priorities of the Strategy:

 

·         According to the 2017 Residents Perception Survey, residents’ top antisocial behaviour (ASB) concerns were ‘rubbish and litter lying around’ and ‘people using or dealing drugs’. There had been an increase in reports relating to environmental crimes including littering, flytipping and illegal encampments.

 

Mr Clifton reported that the Community Safety MARAC (A Barnet multi-agency problem panel that met regularly to review the most persistent and complex ASB cases) had been working with around 30 ASB cases per month. Also a range of partnership activity was ongoing including introducing Community Space Protection Orders eg in areas of persistent street drinking. There had been a 40% increase in the number of fixed penalty notices issued for littering and a 570% increase in notices issued for flytipping (April 2017-March 2018).

 

·         Mr Clifton reported that the Partnership had been increasingly vocal over the past year and had taken strong steps to keep engaged with the community. This had included more use of Barnet First with articles every quarter on issues such as VAWG, burglary and environmental crime. The Partnership had also delivered leaflets and held street-based engagements in crime hotspots. 

 

The Partnership had invested in the Online Watch Link (OWL) system; this was updated with the latest crime prevention advice from the police and Neighbourhood Watch. Over 12500 residents had signed up to OWL.

 

·         VAWG – Barnet’s rate of domestic violence and abuse is the 4th lowest of the 32 London boroughs though there had been a 12% increase in domestic abuse offences recorded by the police over the past year.

 

·         Violent crime has fallen in the Barnet over the past year, for the first time in a number of years. Barnet has the second lowest rate of violent crime with injury in London.

 

·         During 2017/18 the REACH (Resilient, Engaged, Achieving Children) team had been working with an average of 26 vulnerable young people each quarter. These included children displaying vulnerabilities to child sexual exploitation, Gang Serious Youth Violence (GSYV); missing persons episodes or harmful sexualised behaviour. Family Services has also overseen the delivery of preventative school engagement work.

 

·         Sustained reductions in offending and re-offending – the adult re-offending rate in Barnet was 26.3% for 2018 – an increase compared to the same period the previous year. The Barnet Enhanced Reducing Offending Project was working to enhance the effectiveness of the Barnet Integrated Offender Management Scheme and strengthen the partnership approach to reducing offending.

 

·         Sustained reductions in high-volume crime types (burglary in Barnet) – interventions included ANPR cameras and joint working with OWL and Neighbourhood Watch. The Barnet Burglary Reduction Partnership Group had promoted burglary-related crime prevention advice to residents using social media, articles in Barnet First and direct messages via the OWL system.

 

·         Supporting the borough’s diverse communities – Barnet Prevent Strategy launched in 2017/18; Zero Tolerance to Hate Crime project.

 

 

Ms Bateman noted that the Safeguarding Adults Board was working with the voluntary sector to help people recover following residential burglary. Superintendent Leach stated that the police were looking to increase resources in priority areas. Ms Colville added that Victim Support could provide victims with safety measures such as door alarms - she thought that this may not be well known in the borough. Superintendent Leach would provide a contact for Ms Colville. Action: Superintendent Leach

 

Ms Bateman asked about the impact of Domestic Violence Protection Orders. Ms Leach responded that the figures from the trial in Barnet would be available for the next meeting. If the study had been completed she would update at the next meeting. Action: Superintendent Leach

 

The Chairman enquired about the increase in reoffending in Barnet and how this would be tackled. Mr Clifton reported that the team was working with the most prolific offenders and was improving joint working. There had been progress by the Reducing Reoffending Delivery Plan and there was a multi-agency approach focused on this group..

 

Ms Kausar Mukhtar, CRC stated that she was working with Mr Norfolk on reviewing the IOM nominals and amending the list. They were working closely with those subject to reoffending and providing them with an incentive to give back to the community. It was often difficult to place people due to a lack of projects however and work was ongoing on this.

 

The Chairman requested report for the next meeting with a clear indication of what was being done to improve offending levels in Barnet.  Ms Mukhtar noted that the CRC had begun Public Protection Boards which Barnet could be involved in; this helped to ascertain what the trends were as this information filtered in from the local community. As this covers six boroughs it was not possible to report back to the SCPB on Barnet specifically. Mr Clifton agreed to report back at the next meeting.

Action: Mr Clifton

 

Supporting documents: