Agenda item

To submit a report by the Community Safety Delivery Manager (Anglesey and Gwynedd).

Submitted - a report by the Community Safety Deliver Manager (Anglesey and Gwynedd) providing an overview of activities of the Anglesey and Gwynedd Community Safety Partnership (CSP) during 2015/16 and developments for 2016/17.

The Community Safety Partnership is required to formally report to this Committee annually to present an overview of activities undertaken. This ensures that the Partnership delivers its obligations in accordance with Section 19 and 20 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2006. Local Authorities have a statutory duty in accordance with the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, and subsequent amendments as a result of the Police and Criminal Justice Act 2002 and 2006, to work in partnership with the Police, the Health Service, the Probation Service and the Fire and Rescue Service to address the local community safety agenda.

The Partnership has a duty to deal with:-

•  Crime and Disorder

•  Substance Misuse

•  Reducing re-offending

•  Deliveing a strategic assessment to identify priorities (work that is now done on a regional basis)

•  Putting plans in place to deal with these priorities (a plan now exists on a regional and local basis)

The Portfolio Holder for Social Services and Housing referred to positive messages received in point 4 of the report as follows:-

•  acquisitive crimes are low in Anglesey compared with other areas;

•  anti-social behaviour has decreased since 2012;

•  the number of people reporting domestic abuse has increasing since 2012, and is to be welcomed;

•  reported sexual crimes have remained the same;

•  re-offending has been reduced.

The Support Officer, Community Safety Partnership (Anglesey and Gwynedd) reported that at the previous meeting 18 months ago, a request was made for more data on performance, which has now been included in the appendices of the report. The Support Officer outlined the report and referred to the main milestones encountered during 2016/17 in point 6 of the report.

The following matters were raised by Members:-

•  It was noted that the Welsh Government have taken a lead role in relation to transferring some services to a regional system, adopting a regional structure  in some fields of work, which they will be accountable for.

•  Re-offending in Anglesey was compared to other areas of North Wales, and statistics show a downward trend, with a slight increase in adult re-offending. 

•  Clarity was sought whether a strategic plan was in place for dealing with offenders in the future at HMP Berwyn, Wrexham. It was suggested that a representative from the new prison attend either the County Council or Scrutiny Committee to give a presentation on preventative work and joint working.  A Regional Prison Supervisory Board already exists, and other bodies will work from the prison within a regional plan, which will include representatives from Anglesey.

•  Clarification was sought on how HMP Berwyn will be marketed and promoted. It was noted that staffing the Community Safety Partnership has been vastly reduced, resulting in limited funding and resources for marketing purposes.

•  The effects of drug, alcohol and substance misuse in the community was highlighted in relation to burglaries and anti-social behaviour.  It was noted that drug and alcohol misuse on Anglesey is similar to other areas, but there are big challenges to the services, due to the availability of new drugs e.g. ‘legal highs’, synthetic cannabis etc. It was further noted that with limited funding and resources, work is carried out regionally with smaller teams. The Partnership is now working with the Area Planning Board, and many service reviews are being carried out.

The success of the Youth Justice Service was noted. The number of first time offenders and children and young people supported by the Service has reduced significantly, and very few young adults are given custodial sentences.

Action: As noted above.

RESOLVED to welcome the report and enclosures and support the priorities and work for the future.