Issue - meetings

ES20137

Members were updated concerning the report that looked at draft protocols for how the PP&E PDS Committee should undertake scrutiny of the Safer Bromley Partnership Board. A Task and Finish Group had been set up to look at this and this was chaired by the Vice Chairman of the PP&E PDS Committee (Cllr Colin Hitchins). The Task and Finish Group also consisted of Cllr Kathy Bance, Cllr Mike Botting, Sharon Baldwin and the Assistant Director for Public Protection and Safety.   

The aim of the Group was to re-define the terms of reference for scrutiny of the Safer Bromley Partnership Board by the PP&E PDS Committee. The Group also looked at the type of data that should be provided by the police. After a review of the work programme of the PDS Committee it had been noted that the Committee had only been scrutinising the police (within the SBP) and not the other partners. It was proposed that going forward the work programme of the PP&E PDS Committee would be revised to allow for specific scrutiny of different partners throughout the year. Partners would be provided with at least 4 week’s notice of any proposed intention to scrutinise them.

Members noted that it was further proposed that the police data package be changed and modified and that the police would no longer be required to attend every PP&E PDS meeting, but would attend the first and last meeting of the year. It was proposed that the SBP minutes would be included in all future PP&E PDS agendas. Henceforth, this would form the basis for future police scrutiny by the PP&E PDS Committee.

The Chairman of the SNB gave an update to Members concerning the Safer Neighbourhood Board . There was a SNB in every London borough. Its purpose was to bring the police and the public together so that problems could be solved collaboratively. It was important that the public be involved in any decisions being made that impacted on local community safety. The SNB Chairman informed Members that she had just received an email from MOPAC concerning a new tender process for a revised ‘transparent and accessible community engagement programme’. This was about reviewing MOPAC and MPS engagement mechanisms.

The SNB Chairman stated that over the last two years, there had been a directive from MOPAC that allocated funding should be used for smaller scale projects and that SNBs should support the BCU command in the delivery of ward panel improvement plans. MOPAC’s aim was that there would be a ward panel in every ward across London by the end of March 2022.  The setting up of Ward Panels was a statutory obligation and they allowed scrutiny of policing at a local level. Councillors were welcome to sit on Safer Neighbourhood Panels but would not have voting rights. The SNB Chairman said that she was in receipt of a document that explained how Ward Panels would now be structured and that she  ...  view the full minutes text for item 36