Agenda and minutes

www.swansea.gov.uk/disclosuresofinterests

 

In accordance with the Code of Conduct adopted by the City and County of Swansea, the following interests were declared:

 

Councillor Susan Jones – Minute No. 70 – Son is an employee of South Wales Police

 

Councillor Wendy Lewis- Minute No. 70 - Son is an employee of South Wales Police

 

In accordance with the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011, no declarations of Whipped Votes or Party Whips were declared.

To approve and sign the Minutes of the previous meeting(s) as a correct record.  

 

Resolved that the Minutes of the Scrutiny Programme Committee held on 13 April 2021 be approved and signed as a correct record.

Questions must be submitted in writing, no later than noon on the working day prior to the meeting.  Questions must relate to items on the agenda. Questions will be dealt with in a 10 minute period.

There were no public questions.

Representatives from South Wales Police and the Council attended to provide a progress report on Safer Swansea Partnership, which both organisations jointly chair, and answer questions.

 

The Deputy Chief Executive highlighted challenges which had arisen as a result of the pandemic. It had brought about new challenges as well as an increase in domestic incidents, neighbour related anti-social behaviour and hate crimes. Effective partnership working, which had been built during the pandemic had been key to dealing with those issues and would be essential to maintain going forward.

 

A presentation was provided which included the following:-

 

·                     Background

o    Partnership Vision

o    Partnership Purpose

·                     Current Safer Swansea Partnership Governance

o    Public Services Board

o    Safer Swansea Partnership Steering Group

o    Strategic Priorities

·                     Strategic Priorities

o    Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (VAWDASV)

o    Substance Misuse

o    Stronger Communities

o    Evening and Night Time Economy

o    Hate Crime and Community Tension Monitoring

·                     A Journey in a Pandemic

·                     Pandemic: Flexibility of Response

o    Joint Enforcement Team – resource commitment between the Local Authority and South Wales Police to look at areas of key concerns such as licensing, trading standards and Covid-19 enforcement which included joint tasking and coordination – Over 1,200 fixed penalty notices had been issued in respect of Covid-19 enforcement

o    Problem Solving Groups – Objective, Scanning, Analysis, Response & Assessment (OSARA) way of solving problems for each area e.g. for Motorcycle Annoyance, Sex Workers etc.

o    Community Projects – e.g. Project at the Vetch to address issues of County Lines and Criminality which had included installing Hot Spot CCTV, cutting back of overgrowth, knocking down wall, Installation of Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) and seating as well as development of a community café.

o    Partnership Meetings – Street Vulnerability Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) supported over 60 individuals who were homeless and/or begging using a more holistic solution to meet needs  - Development of Pop Up Youth Clubs

o    Outreach Work – Was compromised during Covid-19 but did continue – Additional funding had been secured for additional posts – engagement activates run in Cwmdonkin Park – Mid and West Wales Fire Service carried out engagement work on setting fires and hill fires – Food parcels delivered to VAWDASV – 35 hot spot cameras in and around Swansea – Paws on Patrol engagement events in parks

·                     South Wales Police 

o    Reduction in Demand

o    Increase in Demand

o    New Internal and External Challenges

o    New Evolving Policing Context

o    Embed Learning Through Recovery

·                     Impact of Covid-19 (23^rd March 20 – 22^nd March 21) – Increase in Anti-Social Behaviour (Majority Covid-19 related) – working on early intervention and using enforcement as last resort – Hidden harms e.g. Domestic Violence not reported as much

·                     Total Recorded Crime Over Time – movement of crime in respect of lockdowns

·                     Pinch points

o    Cohesion – Voice of Wales

o    Protests – BLM, Kill the Bill and Reclaim the Streets

o    SA1 / Beaches / Hotspots

o    Impact of Homeless in Temporary Accommodation

o    Covid-19 Regulations – the 4 E’s

o    Daily Business – VAWDASV / Substance Misuse / Hate Crime

·                     Challenges 

o    Partnership

o    Practical Consequences of Regulation Change

o    Proportionate but Robust Response

o    Consent

o    Wellbeing

o    Recovery

·                     Performance & Crime Statistics

o    Violence against Women and Girls

o    Hate Crime

o    OP SCEPTRE – Knife Related Crime / Incidents

o    Drug Trafficking

·                     Future

o    Recovery

o    Keep the Good Bits

o    The Next 12 Months – Joint Challenges

 

Questions and discussions focussed on the following topics:

 

·         Safer Swansea Community Strategy – the process for consultation on and renewal of Strategy

·         Experience in the area of breaches of Covid-19 rules and regulations – noted that main issue was gathering indoors – 846 fixed penalty notices had been issued for gathering indoors

·         Impact of Covid-19 on crime and disorder –  heard about online engagement, hot spot cameras installed

·         Theft of Dogs – there didn’t appear to be an increase in the theft of dogs in Swansea contrary to public perception – Paws on Patrol initiative was reassuring dog owners on this

·         Preparations for coming out of lockdown and the possible impacts of that – set up of youth clubs

·         Increase in theft of catalytic converters – told of operation to ensure correct processes for handling such goods were being followed

·         Increase in vandalism in some areas – focus of localised problem solving group

·         Drink driving / anti-social behaviour on the seafront / parties on the beach - glass on beach – possible powers to prevent issues

·         Public Space Protection Orders – a possible solution but careful that it does not just displace people and move the problem elsewhere

·         Tackling Hate Crime – there are dedicated Hate Crime Officers which link with Cohesion

·         Fear of police 

·         Public demonstrations in Swansea -peacefully policed where correctly organised and distancing was maintained

·         Continuity of Police Inspectors and communication with Local Members to build relations

·         Powers of Police Community Support Officers – nature of role and additional powers granted outside of Wales

·         Action against those living off immoral earnings

·         Funding of Safer Swansea Partnership – noted there is no allocated funding, but some grants had been received from the Police and Crime Commissioner

·         Balance of Police Community Support Officers and Police Officers

·         Reporting of information / network of data

·         Provision of online outreach in the future – balance of online and face to face, there were some instances where face to face was important

 

The Chair thanked all those present.

Councillor Peter Jones, Convenor, presented the Natural Environment Scrutiny Performance Panel Update.

 

The new Panel was created in July 2019 and had met 5 times during that period. It would be meeting bi-monthly going forward.

 

The Panels achievements and scheduled future work was highlighted, in particular positive outcomes from scrutiny leading to the appointment of a Section 6 Duty Biodiversity Officer and a Planning Ecologist.

 

Resolved that the update be noted.

The Chair presented a report on the Membership of Scrutiny Panels and Working Groups. There were no amendments to report.

 

Resolved that the report be noted.  

The Chair presented a report on the Annual Scrutiny Work Programme Review 2020/21.

 

The next Scrutiny Programme Committee was scheduled for 15 June 2021. The main item scheduled was Scrutiny of the Public Service Board

 

Resolved that the report be noted.

The Chair presented a report on ‘Scrutiny Letters’ for information.

 

Resolved that the scrutiny letters log be noted.

The dates and times of the upcoming Panel / Working Group meeting were noted.