Agenda and minutes

Meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 5 July 2022

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 5 July 2022 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

Members may make any declarations of interest at this point and may also make them at any point during the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest made at this point in the meeting.

Matters arising schedule setting out current position of previously agreed actions as at 26 August 2022.

The matters arising schedule, setting out the position of previously agreed actions, as at 26 August 2022, was NOTED.

Presentation by Gary Brockie, West Lindsey Community Policing Inspector, regarding crime, disorder and the role of Community Policing across West Lindsey.

The Chairman welcomed Inspector Brockie for his return visit to the Committee. The Committee were given details of the current Neighbourhood Policing Teams across the district, including areas covered and the PCSOs aligned to each team. It was explained that PCSO recruitment was ongoing with an intake due to start in October. This meant, allowing for training time, the new recruits would be ‘on the ground’ from January 2023. Members also heard that Inspector Brockie was leaving his role to a promotion at the Force Headquarters, with the Community Policing Inspector role having been advertised for his replacement. He advised he would share details of his replacement once known.

It was also noted that across the area the Neighbourhood Teams continued to be supported by Response officers based out of Gainsborough and Market Rasen Stations. These were the teams who the community would likely see in the first instance, responding to calls for managing scenes or road closures at collisions and undertaking general or directed tasking patrols. There also remained a CID presence within West Lindsey with Detectives working out of Gainsborough Station, and access to centralised support for larger incidents or any specialist requirements.

With regard to increased Officer numbers, it was highlighted that is was a work in progress, with an ongoing uplift in recruitment but by the nature of the roles and the training required, this was a lengthy process. Positive changes coming from this to date were that the Force had introduced a dedicated Roads Policing Team, to be based across two locations to provide for appropriate Force wide coverage. Within West Lindsey, Officer had been able to engage this team with problematic locations such as Willingham Woods. They had also been supported around large events, such as car meets and bike nights.

The Rural Crime Action Team used to be managed from North Kesteven but was now operating within the central Specialist Operations department. The team was in its infancy but continued to develop. 

Neighbourhood Policing had been designated an uplift of 12 officers across the Force. The decision making around post locations was completed using a vulnerability referencing matrix, with West Lindsey receiving one additional officer. To demonstrate the spread across the county, Members heard that of the current establishment across all roles, approximately 14% of PCSOs, 11% of NPAs and 15% of CBMs were based in West Lindsey.

It was explained that Response Policing was the obvious core Policing role, it was the largest department and, with that, was gaining the bulk of the uplift Officers. It was not known how the allocation would be seen across the district. The Committee heard there was also an upcoming shift pattern change, based on demand profile assessments, which looked at service demand, workloads, locations and the geographical considerations of the county.

Members heard details of ongoing activities, such as the involvement with Mutual Gain, seeking to sustain long term improvements for the South West Ward in Gainsborough, as well as significant work alongside West  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18.

The Committee gave consideration to the Progress and Delivery Quarter Four and Year End reports, as previously presented to the two policy committees. The minutes of each meeting were included within the report and it was explained that Members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee were required to scrutinise the challenge of the two policy committees to the content of the council’s Progress and Delivery reports.

Note:              Councillor C. Darcel left the meeting at 7.24pm and returned to the Chamber at 7. 26pm.

                        Councillor T. Young left the meeting at 7.26pm

The Chairman read aloud the recommendation within the report and Members expressed their satisfaction with the contents as presented. Having been moved and seconded, the Chairman took the vote and it was unanimously

RESOLVED that the Committee had examined the responses given to the report by the Corporate Policy and Resources and the Prosperous Communities Committees and had assured themselves that the appropriate level of challenge had been made by those committees to the information contained in the report.

With no comments, questions, or requirement for a vote, the Forward Plan was DULY NOTED.

Members gave consideration to the proposed work plan for upcoming meetings of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee. With no questions or comments, the work plan was DULY NOTED.