This item provides a roundtable update from all partners on developments in relation to performance and emerging issues.
Minutes:
The Safer Neighbourhood Board (SNB) update was provided by the SNB Chairman, Sharon Baldwin. She said that since the last meeting of the SBP, the Autumn Crime Summit had been held. This had taken place on Saturday, October 14th 2023. She expressed her thanks to all who had supported the event, especially Luke Baldock, Chris Lyon, Cllr Angela Page and Council Officers. There was excellent feedback from the public who continued to welcome this style of public engagement. The Spring meeting of the SNB would be held in March 2024 and details would be sent out in January.
After a lengthy delay with MOPAC’s (Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime), new financial procedures, the SNB project funding for the current program had been received. The SNB Program was designed in response to community concerns that had been highlighted at the previous Crime Summit and from Ward Panels. This included funding an additional speed camera for use by panel members alongside their SNT (Safer Neighbourhood Team) Teams in targeted areas.
The ASB Conference planned for 11th March 2024 would bring together the public, police, LFB, Council, academics and those targeted by or previously involved in ASB behaviour. The aim was to better understand what partners collectively meant by ‘ASB’, and its subsequent impact on individuals and neighbourhoods, financially, environmentally, and socially. The aim of the conference would also be to work out local solutions to prevent and resolve ASB. Additional funding to support the expansion of Community Impact Days to smaller towns and areas of greatest need had been received.
The project funded in the Autumn was the theatre performance regarding ‘County Lines’ for ten schools across the Borough. This was a very powerful and engaging way of communicating the dangers that young people could be exposed to.
As Chair of LCP2 (The London Communities Policing Partnership--the pan-London body representing all SNBs) Ms Baldwin had been working with senior officers responsible for Neighbourhood Policing, as well as meeting with the Deputy Commissioner, Dame Lynne Owens, to highlight the ongoing concerns around the MET’s ability to deliver the promise of the best ever Neighbourhood Policing Programme.
The SNB Chairman said that it was good to hear that the Met was committed to the Ward Panel structure, and that their focus would be on ensuring community engagement was part of, and not an addition to the role of SNT officers. The appointment of Borough Superintendents was a key initiative in the Commissioner’s vision for an improvement in re-building local knowledge, and for developing local solutions.
The SNB Chairman expressed the view that Bromley was an excellent example of partnership working, something not necessarily shared by other boroughs. This provided the opportunity to make collaborative decisions that would directly and positively impact on local communities.
Funding for 2024/25 would be approved by MOPAC in February 2024. Although not confirmed, it was likely to be similar in scale to the current £15k and targeted to three community projects.
In the meantime any ideas / suggestions (for the community projects) were welcomed and could be sent to the SNB Chairman for discussion by the SNB Board.
RESOLVED that the SNB update be noted.