Agenda item

Report of the Corporate Director (Housing and Communities) provides an update of the successful work of the Community Safety Partnership over the last 12 months and requests that the Committee formally supports the Partnership’s ongoing commitment to reduce youth Anti-Social Behaviour and to tackle emerging issues.

The report of the Corporate Director (Housing and Communities) provided an update of the successful work of the Community Safety Partnership (CSP) over the last twelve months and requested that the Committee formally support the Partnership’s ongoing commitment to reduce youth Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) and to tackle emerging issues.

The Chairman, on behalf of the Committee, welcomed to the meeting representatives from the Hertfordshire Constabulary and the Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, who worked very closely with the Council and other Partners through the community safety partnership.

The Committee received a combined presentation from the representatives of Hertfordshire Constabulary, Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service and the Council’s Community Partnerships Team.

District Councils had a mandatory duty to act as a “responsible authority” on their local CSP, in order to plan and deliver measures to tackle crime, anti-social behaviour, substance misuse, to reduce offending and promote assurances to the public whilst working together with other statutory and non-statutory organisations.

The Welwyn Hatfield CSP over the past twelve months had major successes in tackling youth ASB, delivering the Borough’s first Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) and the implementation of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) funded youth engagement project ‘Positive Pathways’.

The Partnership developed an area based approach this year, which had targeted activity on priority areas which had been identified as needing focussed attention in order to reduce crime and disorder.  The CSP Action Plan had been shared publicly to increase visibility of the work of the Partnership within the communities it was set up to help.  It also launched its first Three Year Plan in December 2018 (attached at Appendix Two).

Following the presentation Members, referring to the Welwyn Hatfield Youth Provision: Gap Analysis report recently published by the YMCA raised concerns regarding the limited number of hours available at youth clubs and queried whether an increase would reduce ASB committed by young people.  Members stated that they would like to see the Council invest or fund extended hours.

Officers explained that this was an area that would require further analysis as any additional provision would need to be properly resourced.  Funding applications had been made to the Police and Crime Commissioner which, if successful, could result in additional funding.  Additional youth activities at YMCA Peartree would not necessarily be the solution to the issues as there were several different factors that had to be considered.

Members raised further concerns regarding domestic abuse, human trafficking and modern slavery and requested that a safeguarding report be brought to the next meeting of the Committee.

RESOLVED:

(1)       That the successful work of the Community Safety Partnership over the past twelve months be noted.

(2)       That the risk of crime remaining low locally be noted.

(3)       That the Committee support the continued work of the Community Safety Partnership to reduce crime and the effect of crime on residents of the Borough.

(4)       That the Committee formally supports the ongoing commitment to the Partnership and the work being undertaken to reduce youth anti-social behaviour and to tackle emerging issues such as ‘county lines’ and serious violence.

(5)       That the next meeting of the Committee be themed around safeguarding, domestic abuse, human trafficking, modern slavery across county lines and community safety initiatives, for example, OWL.