1.         PURPOSE OF REPORT AND EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1.1      The purpose of the report is to update the Committee on the work of the Safer Maidstone Partnership since last year and ask for the two aforementioned documents to be accepted for implementation.

2.         INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

2.1 The Maidstone Community Safety Strategic Assessment is a report published by the council each year as required under the Crime and Disorder act 1998. The act requires Local Authorities in conjunction with key partners to produce a detailed crime and disorder audit.  This identifies community safety issues, emerging trends and future priorities for the Community Safety Partnership (CSP).

2.2 The Maidstone Community Safety Plan 2013-18 is a five year rolling document, which highlights how the SMP plans to tackle local community safety issues that matter to the local community. The plan is revised annually through reviewing information set out in the Strategic Assessment which ensures that current issues can be taken into account and used to direct the SMP’s strategy.

2.3    Last year’s Strategic Assessment raised the following priorities:

·          Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB)

·          Reducing Re-offending

·          Road Safety (Killed or seriously injured)

·          Substance Misuse

·          Violent Crime – Domestic Abuse

·          Violent Crime – Night-Time Economy

Emerging themes that occurred through the year were:

·         Safeguarding, educating and engaging young people (Child Sexual Exploitation and Prevent)

·         New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) Legal highs

·         Self-Neglect and Hoarding

·         Victim support and restorative justice

2.4 Our priorities for this year have been extracted from a wide variety of information shared with our partners and represent the most important issues to focus on this (2015/16) year.  Based on the information in the Strategic Assessment, it is recommended that the Committee confirm the following 2016/17 priorities:

·         Violent Crime (specifically Domestic Abuse and Night Time Economy)

·         Substance Misuse

·         Reduce Re-offending

·         Road Safety – Killed & Seriously Injured

·         Community Resilience (emerging issues around CSE, Prevent, SOC and Safeguarding)

3.         AVAILABLE OPTIONS

3.1 Do nothing (not recommended).  This is not a recommended option as the data sourced from the Kent Safer Communities portal shows that some community safety trends have changed. Other emerging issues need to be tackled within the partnership and if not picked up by the SMP, this will potentially result in more victims of crime, especially amongst the most vulnerable of society.

3.2      Support the identified priorities for 2016/17 so they can be implemented and developed by the SMP.  These priorities have been clearly evidenced and some also raised by other Community Safety Partnerships around the county. This assists with cross borough interventions and valuable information sharing around similar issues.

4.         PREFERRED OPTION AND REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

4.1      Move forward with the acceptance and implementation of the listed priorities. These will be delivered under the umbrella of the Safer Maidstone Partnership.  The annual Strategic Assessment and refresh of the Partnership Plan demonstrate that issues do change and even emerge between assessments.  Often this is as a result of partnership working targeting specific issues or crime types. It also shows that keeping up to date with current issues allows partners to be at the forefront of innovation and try to keep within one step of the perpetrators of crime.

4.2      It is recommended that ASB is removed as a priority based on a continued reduction in ASB and the mandatory legislation and partnership working that is in place. It is advised that given the importance of ASB, support is continued and made available through the existing CSU meetings and referral pathways. ASB is more of a service lead response than a targeted project based intervention. The sub group shall remain but will meet when a Community Trigger is prompted and if there is an emergence of new ASB powers.   

5.        CONSULTATION RESULTS AND PREVIOUS COMMITTEE FEEDBACK

5.1      Both reports have been sent out to members of the SMP for consultation.  These comments have been carefully considered and the reports updated accordingly in line with the desired direction of the majority of the partnership. The comments mainly related to specific wording within the documents and changes made to avoid confusion or misrepresentation of data. Other responses have queried where certain issues would sit best in the priorities. They will be discussed further after sign off as this do not affect the SMP’s response to them.

6.        NEXT STEPS: COMMUNICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECISION

6.1      Following final approval from Council and implementation of the decision, the Strategic Assessment and Partnership Plan will be disseminated to all partners for their information and for action through the priority subgroups.  This year’s Police & Crime Commissioner’s community grant will then be able to be advertised externally. Part of the criteria for bids is their alignment with the SMP’s priorities and applications will need to submitted, sifted and a report sent to the PCC’s office for invoicing by May 27^th.        

7.        CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES AND IMPLICATIONS

8.         REPORT APPENDICES

The following documents are to be published with this report and form part of the report:

·         Appendix I: Strategic Assessment 2016-17

·         Appendix II: SMP Community Safety Partnership Plan 2013-18