Issue - meetings

To consider and decided on the recommendations as set out in the attached report.

RESOLVED – That Full Council be recommended that the Community Safety Partnership Plan 2021/22 be approved.

REASON FOR DECISION:. To confirm the multi-agency activity to reduce crime and disorder.

The report was first introduced by Councillor Carol Mackonochie, Portfolio Holder for Communities and Wellbeing.

“ This is the annual presentation of the Community Safety Strategic Assessment and Partnership Plan which sets the priorities for this financial year.  The Assessment and Plan were discussed at Community Safety Partnership Board in February where the priorities for 2021/22 were agreed.  The reports were fully discussed and debated at the Cabinet Advisory Board in March where the Road Safety priority was strengthened.  A further debate took place at Overview and Scrutiny Committee at the end of March and a presentation to Members was undertaken just last week.

In summary I am pleased to report that Tunbridge Wells remains the safest Borough in Kent with data for the reporting period showing a 9% reduction in overall crime, building on the 6% reduction reported last year.  Clearly, 2020 bought new challenges for us all and some of the reductions in crime we have recorded will have been influenced by the changes we have all had to make in our daily lives.  For instance, we have seen good reductions in residential burglaries, robberies and shoplifting. Conversely, reports of anti-social behaviour increased by 58% over the year.  But this was to a great extent due to residents reporting breaches of Covid-19 regulations.  And we should note that every district in Kent experienced similar ups and downs. For 2021/22, our priorities remain the same and we will retain a focus on violent incidents associated with substance and alcohol abuse, particularly in the night time economy when the town reopens fully later this year.  To provide more details on the strategic assessment and to outline some of the plans for the forthcoming year I will now hand over to our Community Safety Manager, Terry Hughes.”

Terry Hughes, Community Safety Manager introduced the report that sought approval for the 2021/22 Community Safety Partnership Plan which included the following:

-       Calendar year data had been used rather than the November to October usually used as it was thought important to capture the most recent data possible.  However, Road Safety data was for the period July to June.

-       Crime and anti-social behaviour data for the County showed that Tunbridge Wells was well placed being 1^st, 2^nd or 3^rd in crime types typically measured.

-       The two that fell outside the top 3 were shoplifting and theft of motor vehicles, Tunbridge Wells was 4^th for both this year.

-       Despite an increase in the theft of catalytic convertors, there was an overall reduction in thefts from motor vehicles.  A project to address this specific issue was initiated and the CSP provided some funding to purchase some property marking kit. CSP may look again at the possibility of some further funding later this year.

-       An increase in violent crime moved Tunbridge Wells from 2^nd place to 3^rd place – Tunbridge Wells had 10 more incidents last year than Tonbridge and Malling.  Tunbridge Wells were going  ...  view the full minutes text for item 127