Minutes:
The Police Update was provided by the Borough Commander; the main points of the update were:
Across the key seven crime types that the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), targeted the Police on, there was currently a 5% reduction overall, which meant there were 500 fewer victims of crime. The performance of Bromley Police was strong in relation to burglary with 526 less victims
(-16.8%), robbery with 198 less victims (-34.4%) and theft from motor vehicle where there had been 301 less victims (-15.3%). However challenges remained as violence with injury offences had increased by 274 offences (+16.2%) and criminal damage had increased by 263 offences (+12.9%).
The Borough Commander updated the Committee with respect to Operation Equinox which focussed on preventing and detecting violent crime. Additional officers on foot patrol had been allocated to some key locations, such as Bromley Town Centre, Orpington High Street and Beckenham Junction--on Friday and Saturday nights. The Police had been working with Bromley Council and other stakeholders to reduce the number of alcohol related incidents. Staff at some pubs and clubs were now assisting to marshal taxi queues and to take responsibility for behaviour of their clientele outside their premises. Recently the Police had served a Closure Notice on a venue that prevented them opening for 24 hours as a result of several incidents the night before. It was estimated that this would have resulted in a loss of income for the premises in the region of £10k.
December saw the MOPAC Roadshow event at the Civic Centre, hosted by the Leader of the Council. This was a presentation to the public by the Mayor's Office and the Police, concerning the Local Policing Model and how matters were progressing. The Borough Commander expressed some disappointment about the number of people that turned up to the Roadshow. However, it was felt that the feedback from the public had been useful, and that as a result, the Police would be seeking to improve road safety, traffic enforcement, and the use of speed guns.
The Borough Commander stated that the Safer Neighbourhood Teams were looking to clamp down on drivers caught driving while talking on their mobiles, and drivers that breached red lights.
It was noted that progress had been made concerning the allocation of funding for a police officer to work at the Bethlem Hospital site. The proposal was awaiting sign off by the Assistant Commissioner, and the post had been advertised. The Borough Commander informed the Committee that arrangements had been made with SLaM for a protocol to be followed when the Police were called. The Police had requested that command and control be set up before they arrived on site. When the Police arrived on site, they would make contact with the Emergency Team Leader off the ward. A “Grab Pack” would be made available to the Police. The “Grab Pack” would contain useful information for the Police concerning the individual concerned (such as personal and medical information), that would inform and better enable the Police to deal with the situation.
A Member raised the matter of “legal highs”, and the concerns expressed by residents of his Ward. It was noted that the Police were working hard with Trading Standards to deal with the problem of “legal highs”, and that it was anticipated that positive outcomes would be achieved in the near future.
A Member raised the matter of the nuisance caused by quad bikes, stating that in view of the serious damage that was caused to parks and woodland, it was questionable if this could be classified as criminal damage. The Portfolio Holder responded to this by stating that the Park Rangers had been instructed to work closely with the Police on this matter. The Portfolio Holder explained to the Committee that correct intelligence was the key to getting results. When intelligence was forthcoming, bikes were confiscated, and people were charged; Ward Security were now also involved.
A Member drew attention to the recent firearms incident at Market Square, East Street. At around 4:30am on Sunday 25th January, Police were called to reports of a fight in East Street, Bromley. As officers were attending, Bromley Council CCTV operators observed that one man appeared carrying what
looked like an assault rifle. The group that had been fighting dispersed before officers arrived at the scene, but excellent work by the CCTV staff traced the suspect to a nearby address. Firearms officers entered the address and several men were arrested and three weapons seized. The weapons were subsequently found to be imitation firearms. The Committee expressed their appreciation for the excellent work carried out by the Police and by the Bromley Council CCTV operators.
A Member expressed thanks to the Police and the Council for two house closures on the Mottingham Estate. This had resulted in a positive effect on the local community, and demonstrated the importance of reporting anti-social behaviour to the authorities.
RESOLVED that the Police Update be noted.