Agenda item

To receive an update on Crime and Disorder Matters.

The members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, acting as the Crime and Disorder Committee, received a Crime and Disorder Update. The Committee welcomed the following:

·         Community Safety and Resilience Manager (Dover District Council)

·         Community Development Manager (Dover District Council)

·         Detective Chief Inspector Keith Taylor (Kent Police)

·         Detective Inspector Leigh Woolnough (Kent Police)

The presentation covered the following points:

Kent Police

·         Community Safety Partnership. The three priorities that formed its focus for 2023-2027 were as followed:

(i)            Safeguarding (Adults, Young People and Children)

(ii)           Serious Violence

(iii)          People and Places

·         Kent Police’s Kent Control Strategy which was focussed on the following key areas while still maintaining a child centred policing approach and a focus on violence against women and girls:

(i)            Exploitation

(ii)           High Harm Crime

(iii)          Serious Violence and Abuse

·         The new structure for Kent Police in the Dover District that had been established in September 2023 and, whilst some elements were still not quite fully established, was progressing well. The new structure reduced the demand on keeping officers at the station and enabled great public visibility and ability to respond. It enabled greater ability to be proactive and more time to provide a quality service at the initial point of contact which improvement the likelihood of subsequent outcomes. It also motivated officers who were enjoying their ‘specialism’.

·         The Victim Based Crime Team (VBCT) function provided specialist investigative resources, positive investigative mindset and investigative habits and an ability to focus towards problematic individuals and locations.

·         The Community Safety Unit (CSU) provided the ability to flex resources to focus on specific issues and a greater ability to be proactive. The CSU worked closely with other partner agencies such as social services, homeless charities, mental health charities and victim support.

·         Overall crime was down 5.7% year-on-year in the Dover District, which was 582 fewer recorded offences.

·         All crimes with suspects and suspect arrest/interviewed were up and arrest rates were 2% up year-on-year.

·         Violent crime (includes VAP, Homicide, Death or serious injury through unlawful driving, violence with injury, violence without injury, stalking and harassment and MSV, Sexual offences and Robbery) was down 8.6% year-on-year. There was also a decrease in recorded hate crime.

·         All crimes with solved outcomes were up 2.6% year-on-year.

·         The majority of Anti-Social Behaviour related to drunken/rowdy behaviour, neighbour disputers and nuisance motor vehicles on roads. This information helps to identify where to focus attention and results in activity such as Operation Nebula, Additional GRIP patrolling and partnership approaches to neighbourhood issues and disputes.

Community Safety, Emergency Planning and CCTV

·         Members received an update on the activity of the CCTV service which has recorded 3923 incidents across the district since 1 April 2023. The police had attended in 1850 cases and 327 arrests had been made. The service had also received 741 thanks. The main incidents were as followed:

(i)            Nuisance Youths – 343

(ii)           Missing Persons – 307

(iii)          Shoplifting – 260

(iv)          Other – 255

(v)           Disturbance - 249

·         The Out of Hours Service since moving in-house had received 905 total calls. The top five calls related to Homelessness (18.01%); Central Heating (12.71%); Other (10.94%); Noise (9.95%) and Plumbing (8.62%).

·         The Community Safety team had opened 276 Anti-Social Behaviour cases since January 2023. The M3/Tascomi migration had completed in January 2024.

·         The Beehive Project located in the old Roman Quay building, Stembrook had officially launched on the 11 November 2023. The project would contain a second-hand clothes shop and café and would provide individuals with any additional support they required.

Community Development

·         Community Development worked closely with Community Safety to ensure that the most vulnerable residents in the district are supported. There were a number of innovative projects (Inspire to Change, Youth Conference, to combat issues such as Anti-Social Behaviour, social isolation, and community tension. 

·         The Household Support Fund provided £1 million of support over 3 tranches to the most vulnerable residents with support for fuel and food poverty.

Members raised the following points:

·         To discuss the deployment of CCTV resources in the district.

·         To enquire as to the progress in respect of nuisance vehicles.

·         To enquire as to the progress in assigning a named police contact for each ward. Members were advised that 9 were in post currently with 3 places to fill.

The Chairman thanked the representatives of Kent Police and DDC officers for providing the update on crime and disorder.