The Assistant Director for Public Protection and Enforcement informed the Board that the VRAP (Violence Reduction Action Plan) was a standing item on the SBPB agenda.

The Assistant Director and Chief Inspector had met with Steve Bentley from the Violence Reduction Unit recently. This meeting took place as a virtual meeting on the 24th May. It followed on from the very positive review given by the VRU to LBB’s Violence Reduction Action Plan. The purpose of the visit from Mr Bentley was primarily to assess how the VRU could assist Bromley. It was suggested to Mr Bentley that a repository be developed which would contain details of the violence reduction action plans of all the other boroughs. Each Council would then be able to look at the action plans to see if there were any ideas or plans that would be suitable to be implemented in their own borough.

The VRU was also encouraged to develop a best practise document, incorporating the best ideas and plans from all boroughs. Again this would be a useful reference tool for all concerned. 

The VRU was further encouraged to develop a ‘basket of offers’.  Within the ‘basket’ there would be the opportunity to request assistance in specific areas of need, possibly limited to two requests.

The VRU was requested to apply weightings (regarding priority/importance) to the actions detailed in the plan.

It was pointed out to the VRU that sometimes actions are suggested for boroughs without due consideration taking place to the funding allocated to boroughs. It was the case that LBB did not receive as much funding as many other boroughs.

A discussion took place with the VRU to ask the question of what does success look like, and what needs to be achieved?

A discussion took place at the meeting with the VRU to discuss the danger of the requirement for instant responses to certain circumstances that may in reality be rare. Such responses could be very resource intensive and in the meantime other areas where resources were needed suffered as a result.

Partners were informed that the SBP was unique in that it was the only London borough were all of the relevant partners within a Community Safety Partnership had completed their April 2021 updates.

Mr Bentley was further impressed by the fact that LBB had detailed more optional actions (more than 50) in their VRAP. He stated that LBB’s VRAP was a great example for all other London Boroughs to follow.

The Assistant Director said that as an action for herself she would disseminate Bromley’s Violence Reduction Action Plan to the Board. 

The VRU had asked LBB to present their VRAP on 7^th July to the Partnership Reference Group which was Chaired by the Mayor for London. This would in effect be a presentation which would showcase Bromley’s VRAP.

The Assistant Director said that she would update the Board concerning this at the next meeting, and that the presentation and script would be disseminated to the Board in due course.

RESOLVED that

1) The update concerning Bromley’s VRAP be noted. 

2) The Assistant Director would disseminate a copy of Bromley's  Violence Reduction Action Plan to the Board.

3) The Assistant Director, subsequent to the presentation to the Partnership Reference Group, would disseminate the presentation to the Board, and would update the Board further at the September meeting.