Report of the Warwickshire Police and Crime Panel Response to the Police and Crime Commissioner s Annual Report 2014/15

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1 Report of the Warwickshire Police and Crime Panel Response to the Police and Crime Commissioner s Annual Report 2014/ Introduction 1.1 The Warwickshire Police and Crime Panel (PCP) is required by the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 to review and make a report to the Police and Crime Commissioner in response to his/her Annual Report each year. The Panel considered the Commissioner s draft Annual Report 2014/15 at its meeting on 26 th June 2015 and agreed to note the report. 1.2 The minutes of the meeting (attached at Appendix A) outlines the questions put by the Panel and the responses of the Police and Crime Commissioner. This report summarises the discussion in respect of cyber-enabled crime which the Panel acknowledges is an area of crime which is significantly under-reported and does not have an accurate profile, both nationally and locally. 2.0 General comments/recommendations on the Annual Report 2014/ The Police and Crime Panel is pleased that its comments and suggestions raised regarding the Annual Report 2013/14 have been acknowledged and that this recent version is now outward and outcome-focused. The Panel considers the new format of the report to be user-friendly and welcomes the use of graphics to demonstrate data and information. 3.0 Cyber Crime 3.1 The Panel notes the recent activity undertaken by the Commissioner to understand levels of cyber crime in Warwickshire. This has included the Internet Safety survey, which was launched in partnership with Warwickshire County Council in February 2015, to gather residents experiences of cyberenabled crime. 3.2 The Panel welcomes the Commissioner s commitment that cyber-crime will be routinely recorded by Warwickshire Police and will form part of the performance framework, once a detailed profile for Warwickshire has been achieved. The Panel also welcomes the Commissioner s commitment to providing support to victims of cyber-enabled crime. 3.3 Members of the Panel are conscious of the difficulties in encouraging victims to report cyber-enabled crime and the reporting procedures that are currently operated by Action Fraud, in which only those categorised as the most serious (i.e. greater than 50,000 loss) are reported to Warwickshire Police. This is considered to be an arbitrary figure, given that it does not take into consideration the economic and personal vulnerability of the victim. Page 1 of 2

2 Report of the Warwickshire Police and Crime Panel Response to the Police and Crime Commissioner s Annual Report 2014/ The Panel will continue to monitor the Commissioner s progress in developing an accurate profile of cyber-enabled crime in Warwickshire and look forward to further progress being included in the Commissioner s next Annual Report for 2015/ Conclusion 4.1 The Panel notes the Commissioner s Annual Report 2014/15 and looks forward to receiving further detail in respect of cyber-related crime at its future meetings. Page 2 of 2

3 Webcast A webcast of this meeting is also available at: Present: Members of the Panel Councillors: Councillor Mike Brain Warwickshire County Council Councillor Michael Coker Warwick District Council (substitute for Councillor Moira-Ann Grainger) Councillor Nicola Davies Warwickshire County Council Councillor Dennis Harvey (Chair) Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council Councillor Phillip Morris-Jones Warwickshire County Council Councillor Derek Poole Rugby Borough Council Councillor David Reilly North Warwickshire Borough Council Councillor June Tandy Warwickshire County Council Co-opted Independent members Bob Malloy Robin Verso (Vice-Chair) Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) Ron Ball Neil Hewison Rebecca Parsons Robert Phillips Eric Wood Police and Crime Commissioner Chief Executive Policy and Research Officer Deputy Treasurer Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Warwickshire County Council Officers Georgina Atkinson Sarah Duxbury Democratic Services Team Leader Head of Law and Governance Members of the Public Three members of the public. Page 1 of 11

4 1. Appointment of Chair to the Warwickshire Police and Crime Panel Councillor June Tandy proposed that Councillor Dennis Harvey be appointed Chair of the Panel and was seconded by Councillor Nicola Davies. There were no other nominations. Resolved That Councillor Dennis Harvey be appointed Chair of the Warwickshire Police and Crime Panel for 2015/ Appointment of Vice-Chair to the Warwickshire Police and Crime Panel Councillor June Tandy proposed that Robin Verso be appointed Vice-Chair and was seconded by Bob Malloy. There were no other nominations. Resolved That Robin Verso be appointed Vice-Chair of the Warwickshire Police and Crime Panel for 2015/ General (1) Apologies for absence Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillor Moira-Ann Grainger (Warwick District Council), Councillor Stephen Gray (Stratfordupon-Avon District Council) and Councillor Peter Morson (Warwickshire County Council). (2) Members Disclosures of Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests There were no declarations of interest on this occasion. (3) Minutes of the meeting held on 24 th April 2015 The Police and Crime Panel agreed that the minutes of the previous meeting held on 24 th April 2015 be signed by the Chair as a true and accurate record. 4. Public Question Time A member of the public made a request to submit a question to the Police and Crime Panel. The Chair rejected the request on the grounds that the question related to a personal issue and did not meet the eligibility criteria in the Public Question Time Scheme. Neil Hewison (Chief Executive) provided the member of the public with an update as to the current position. Page 2 of 11

5 5. Report of the Police and Crime Commissioner The Police and Crime Commissioner referred to the report which provided an outline of recent activity that had been undertaken since the last meeting of the Panel. Senior Staff Appointments The Commissioner reported that the Treasurer, David Clarke, would retire at the end of July 2015 and a recruitment process had commenced to fill the vacancy. Five applications had been submitted for the position, which would be followed up by interview in due course. Once a preferred candidate had been selected, the Police and Crime Panel would be invited to hold a Confirmation Hearing for the candidate. In the interim period, Robert Phillips (Deputy Treasurer) would be Acting Treasurer. Warwickshire Police Performance The Commissioner advised that it was likely that the number of recorded crimes would increase in 2015/16. This was as a result of the HMIC (Her Majesty s Inspectorate of Constabulary) Crime Data and Integrity review in 2014 which had highlighted technical errors in previous crime recording procedures. An action plan had been implemented to address these errors which would subsequently increase the number of crimes recorded. A member of the Panel referred to the 2010 Home Office Counting Rules for Recording Crime and asked whether Warwickshire Police used this procedure for recording crime. In response, the Commissioner advised that the current procedures were complex and reiterated that the HMIC report had not indicated malpractice and that the issues identified were predominately technical. A discussion took place with regard to the continued increase in violent crime both with and without injury. The Commissioner advised that this was a national issue and was not unique to Warwickshire. Members of the Panel considered violent crime to be one of the most serious and damaging types of crime and expressed concern at the continued increase. Neil Hewison (Chief Executive) explained that Warwickshire Police needed to undertake preliminary work to understand the cause of the increase in order to take appropriate action. A member of the Panel referred to the use of stop and search in Scotland and asked whether this had had any impact on violent crime. Rebecca Parsons (Policy and Research Officer) reported that a detailed review had identified a number of failures and public criticism with regard to the stop and search method in Scotland. The effectiveness of the procedure would continue to be reviewed by the Commissioner s office, with due consideration of a number of issues, such as the risk of alienating the police from local communities and the time taken to conduct the procedure. It was considered that a targeted, rather than universal, approach to stop and search was more effective. Page 3 of 11

6 A discussion took place with regard to the level of performance data made available to both the Commissioner and the Panel. A member of the Panel considered that further detail, such as the conversion and conviction rates for all crime categories, would provide a better indication of the effectiveness of Warwickshire Police. In response, Neil Hewison advised that the formation of the Strategic Alliance had affected crime performance data management; this would be rectified through the development of an Alliance Performance Framework which would be shared with the Panel HMIC PEEL Inspection The Commissioner advised that the Police Effectiveness, Efficiency and Legitimacy (PEEL) inspection had been undertaken across the Alliance in May He reported that a number of areas of concern had been identified by HMIC during the inspection; this included a lack of an overarching leadership strategy for the Alliance. Dialogue with HMIC was ongoing with regard to their findings and the final report would be published in September 2015 and shared with the Panel. A member of the Panel asked the Commissioner whether the leadership issue would be addressed if included in the final report. In his response, the Commissioner considered that as the Alliance was a unique and new model of leadership, external bodies such as the HMIC may have a lack of understanding about the structure. He advised that the traditional model of policing would not be appropriate for the Alliance as Warwickshire Police wanted to retain its own identity and have its own Chief Constable. Estates The Commissioner informed the Panel that agreement had been reached regarding the location of Control Centres for the Alliance; one would remain at Hindlip and a second would be positioned in Warwickshire. As this would remove the need for the Control Centre at Leek Wootton, it was anticipated that the value of the site would increase. The Panel requested that a further update on the proposals for the site be provided at a future meeting, together with information relating to the police and court buildings at Rugby and Stratford-upon-Avon. Public Scrutiny The Commissioner advised that Chief Constable Martin Jelley, who had joined Warwickshire Police in April 2015, had agreed to continue the Commissioner s approach to Public Scrutiny meetings around the county, at which members of the public would put questions to the Commissioner and the Chief Constable. Decisions of the Police and Crime Commissioner In response to a question from the Panel, the Commissioner advised that the Citizens Academy was a training programme for members of the public to Page 4 of 11

7 attend ten sessions, each focusing on a different area of policing. The previous cohort had been well attended by 30 members of the public. The Warwickshire Police and Crime Panel agreed to note the report and: 1) Request that a report regarding the increase in violent crime be presented at a future meeting; 2) Request that the developing Alliance Performance Framework be shared with the Panel; 3) Request that a further update on the Leek Wootton site be provided at a future meeting, together with information relating to the police and court buildings at Rugby and Stratford-upon-Avon. 6. Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Neil Hewison (Chief Executive) provided the Police and Crime Panel with an update on Warwickshire Police s latest position in respect of investigations relating to domestic abuse, rape and serious sexual offences. He advised that the attrition rates for rape (12%) and domestic abuse (19.3%) were key areas of concern due to lower than national average rates. In a previous reporting period, the attrition rate for Warwickshire had been 21%. Neil explained that the reasons for the decrease would need to be understood alongside the national context, which had resulted in an increase in the number of rapes, including historic cases, being reported. Neil Hewison advised that Child Sexual Exploitation, rape, sexual violence and domestic abuse were all priorities for the Police and Crime Commissioner for 2015/16. Progress in these areas, together with the low attrition rates for rape and domestic abuse, would continue to be closely monitored by the Commissioner s office. The Panel was reassured by the Commissioner s commitment to prioritise these areas and welcomed the work that had been undertaken by Warwickshire Police to train frontline staff to deal with victims of crime of this nature appropriately. A discussion took place with regard to the Commissioner s role in tackling Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE). The Commissioner advised that a Multi- Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) was currently being developed in partnership with Warwickshire County Council and would be operational by the end of the year. The MASH would focus initially on vulnerable children and young people and subsequently it would be extended to include vulnerable adults. Neil Hewison added that the dedicated multi-agency CSE team at the Leamington Justice Centre was currently investigating 77 cases. The complexity of CSE required a unique approach, focusing on the victim and using appropriate interventions. He considered that the identification of those 77 cases was a positive outcome. Page 5 of 11

8 The Warwickshire Police and Crime Panel agreed to note the report and request that a further report be presented to the meeting on 3 rd February 2016, focusing on action taken to improve attrition rates, the response to repeat victims of domestic abuse and the outcome of investigations into CSE. 7. Police and Crime Commissioner s Annual Report 2014/15 The Police and Crime Commissioner introduced his Annual Report 2014/15 and advised that the Panel s comments regarding the 2013/14 version had been acknowledged. He considered that the 2014/15 version was more outward and outcome-focused and welcomed the Panel s views. The Panel commented that the report was user-friendly and welcomed the use of graphics to demonstrate data and information. In response to a question raised regarding the number of Special Constables, the Commissioner advised that the target was 400 for the Warwickshire. The number of Special Constables had reduced recently due to internal recruitment to Police Officer positions; however, recruitment was underway and a number of improvements to the Special Constabulary, such as the development of a training base in Warwickshire, were currently being explored. A discussion took place with regard to cyber-enabled crime. The Panel noted the recent activity undertaken by the Commissioner to understand levels of cyber crime in Warwickshire, which included the Internet Safety survey to gather residents experiences of cyber-enabled crime. The Commissioner advised that once a detailed profile for the county had been developed, cybercrime would be routinely recorded by Warwickshire Police and would form part of the performance framework. Cyber crime would also be added to the British Crime Survey in July The Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner advised that, at present, cyberenabled crimes were either not reported or were handled by Action Fraud. Only those categorised as the most serious (i.e. greater than 50,000 loss) by Action Fraud were reported to Warwickshire Police. This was considered to be an arbitrary figure, given that it did not take into consideration the economic and personal vulnerability of the victim. Warwickshire Police did investigate cases of cyber-enabled crime where there were lines of enquiry and signpost victims to relevant support services. There was an indication that a proportion of victims had been repeatedly targeted and the Commissioner had allocated additional funding for 2015/16 to victim support services. The Commissioner stressed the importance of taking a measured approach to tackling cyber-enabled crime, in order to manage public expectations effectively. A comment was raised by a member of the Panel regarding the definition of business crime. The Commissioner clarified that this related to a crime committed against a business, which was a Home Office definition. He would Page 6 of 11

9 continue to engage the business community and regularly held informal events, such as business breakfasts, to meet business owners. The Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner added that the Strategic Alliance task group which had been appointed to address business crime was chaired by a business owner from Bedworth. A member of the Panel suggested that the Commissioner visit companies, particularly in industrial areas. In response to a question raised regarding the publication of the Annual Report, the Commissioner confirmed that a number of paper copies would be made available at community bases, such as libraries. Hyperlinks in the document enabled readers to access further information electronically if they wished. The Warwickshire Police and Crime Panel agreed to note the Commissioner s Annual Report 2014/15 and welcomed the improved format. 8. Report of the Planning and Performance Working Group Councillor June Tandy, Chair of the Planning and Performance Working Group, referred to the report and minutes of the last meeting that had taken place on 15 th June She reported that the Working Group had considered the Commissioner s Delivery Plan and identified a number of areas for further scrutiny. The Warwickshire Police and Crime Panel: 1) Noted the report and minutes of the Planning and Performance Working Group meeting, held on 15 th June 2015; 2) Agreed that a report on Cyber Crime, including the results of the Internet Safety Survey and an overview of issues involving banks and Action Fraud, be presented to its meeting on 18 th September 2015; 3) Agreed that a report on Warwickshire Police performance in response times to emergency incidents be presented to its meeting on 18 th September 2015; 4) Reappointed the Working Group for 2015/16; and 5) Appointed Councillor David Reilly to the Working Group. 9. Report of the Budget Working Group Robin Verso, Chair of the Budget Working Group, referred to the report and minutes of the last meeting that had taken place on 16 th June The Working Group had considered the Finance Outturn Report 2014/15 and had identified a number of issues regarding the significant level of revenue underspend (6.4%) and slippage in the capital programme (4.2%). Robin Page 7 of 11

10 Verso queried the length of time it had taken for action to be taken in respect of the underspend. He also requested information on the impact of the underspend and slippage on the performance of Warwickshire Police and sought reassurance from the Commissioner regarding the adequacy of his oversight of the vacancy and recruitment position. In response, the Commissioner accepted that the underspend and capital programme position was an area of concern; however, this was an issue that had only recently been identified and he referred to the previous HMIC Value for Money profile for Warwickshire Police in 2014 which had been positive. The Commissioner advised that delays in recruitment to vacant posts remained a key contributor to the level of underspend; hence the recent challenge letter which he had submitted to the Chief Constable. Recruitment had accelerated recently and a Star Chamber had been appointed to oversee progress. In terms of the capital programme, the Commissioner explained that new measures to address this had been introduced and expenditure had increased in recent weeks. With regard to the 1.99% increase in the precept for 2015/16, the Commissioner referred to the likely need for further significant budget cuts to the Strategic Alliance, totalling 33 million over the medium term. He clarified that Warwickshire s proportion of this was 11 million. To mitigate this, the Commissioner explained that reserves would be utilised and reduced to 10 million over the period, assuming an annual precept increase of 1.99%. He acknowledged that budget pressures and slow recruitment had put pressure on the workforce, one affect of which was increased sickness absence. This issue was currently being addressed. Robert Phillips (Deputy Treasurer) acknowledged the discomfiture of the outturn position. He explained that the officer pay calculations at Quarter 1 had been inaccurate which had led to substantial differences at Quarter 4. With regard to the capital programme, he explained that a new procedure had been introduced whereby projects would only be added to the programme following formal approval of the business case. The new process would also give the Commissioners and Chief Constables greater involvement in assessing the feasibility of projects at an early stage and greater accountability of project managers. Robert Phillips added that the culture of the Alliance had also been a contributor to slippage in the capital programme. He explained that prior to the Alliance, Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police had a different approach to Cost Centre Management. Warwickshire had a decentralised system, whereas West Mercia had adopted a centralised system with little budget delegation to managers. Through the implementation of the Alliance Blueprint, budgets had been held at a higher level than intended which had exacerbated some of the problems. The Scheme of Governance had been recently amended to give greater delegation to budget holders, who were also required to act in accordance with the Memorandum of Accountability which reemphasised their responsibility for budgeted expenditure. Page 8 of 11

11 In response to a comment raised regarding internal scrutiny procedures, the Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner acknowledged that greater internal monitoring of budgets and expenditure was required. He advised that at present, monitoring was enhanced through the HMIC inspections, an independent Audit Committee and external auditors. He accepted that the Police and Crime Commissioner, the Chief Constable and the Police and Crime Panel needed confidence that budgets were being managed effectively and within tolerable limits. A member of the Panel referred to the Home Office indication that forces with a high level of reserves could be penalised in the next grant settlement. Robert Phillips advised that the Home Office had decided not to pursue this approach in the next financial year and was currently reviewing the police funding formula. Robin Verso, as Chair of the Budget Working Group, confirmed that he felt reassured by the responses that had been provided. The Warwickshire Police and Crime Panel: 1) Noted the report and minutes of the Budget Working Group meeting, held on 16 th June 2015; 2) Requested that the Commissioner report back to the Budget Working Group on the response of the Chief Constable to the challenge letter, and regularly update the Working Group regarding action taken to address the propensity to underspend and capital programme slippage; 3) Reappointed the Working Group for 2015/16; and 4) Appointed Councillor Mike Brain and Councillor David Reilly to the Working Group. 10. Police and Crime Panel Annual Report 2014/15 The Chair referred to the Annual Report of the Warwickshire Police and Crime Panel which highlighted the Panel s key activity and achievements throughout 2014/15. A copy of the Annual Report had been circulated to the Panel on 8 th May 2015 and was subsequently presented at Warwickshire s Annual Council meeting on 19 th May Members were invited to report any feedback they had received from their authorities with regard to the Panel s first Annual Report. A comment was raised with regard to the graphic of Police Officers on the front page of the report, which would be raised with the County Council s design team so that an alternative image was used for future versions. The Warwickshire Police and Crime Panel agreed to note its Annual Report 2014/15. Page 9 of 11

12 11. Work Programme 2015/16 The Warwickshire Police and Crime Panel considered the proposed Work Programme for 2015/16 and agreed to: 1) Approve the updated Work Programme for 2015/16; 2) Note the update on recommendations and actions previously requested by the Panel; 3) Note the update on the Stakeholder Engagement Task and Finish Group; 4) Note the arrangements for closer working with the West Mercia Police and Crime Panel; and 5) Note the invitation to the conference event on 3 rd July Urgent Items The Chair advised the Police and Crime Panel that its support officer, Georgina Atkinson (Democratic Services Team Leader) would be leaving Warwickshire County Council at the end of August The Panel thanked Georgina for the significant support she had provided. The Police and Crime Commissioner echoed this and also thanked Georgina for the valued contribution she had made. 13. Date of Next Meeting The Police and Crime Panel noted that the next meeting had been scheduled for 18 th September 2015, commencing a.m. at North Warwickshire Borough Council. 14. Report Containing Confidential or Exempt Information The Warwickshire Police and Crime Panel agreed that members of the public be excluded from the meeting for the item below on the grounds that their presence would involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 2 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act Complaints Due to the nature of the complaint, the Police and Crime Commissioner and Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner left the room while the Panel considered the item. Page 10 of 11

13 The Panel was reminded that its role was to consider any non-criminal complaints regarding that conduct of the Police and Crime Commissioner or the Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner. The Panel noted that when it was established in December 2012, it had agreed to delegate initial complaints handling to the Chief Executive of the Police and Crime Commissioners Officer, in accordance with the Elected Local Policing Bodies (Complaints and Misconduct) Regulations 2012 (the Regulations). It was reported that there had been one complaint against the Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner which had been referred by the Independent Complaints Commission (IPCC) to Neil Hewison for local determination. A decision had been taken that no further action was required. There had also been one complaint against the Police and Crime Commissioner which had been submitted to the IPCC and the Professional Standards Department (PSD) in Warwickshire Police. The PSD had undertaken an assessment of the complaint and concluded that a criminal offence had not been committed. This outcome was shared with Neil Hewison who subsequently forwarded it to the IPCC for consideration, the outcome of which was yet to be confirmed. The Warwickshire Police and Crime Panel unanimously agreed to defer further consideration of the complaint until a response from the IPCC had been obtained. The meeting rose at p.m.. Chairman Page 11 of 11