Agenda item

The report was introduced by the Head of Safer, Stronger and Supportive Communities, which provided Members with an overview of the activities which were being and could be delivered in the rural areas of Peterborough, to ensure that crime levels within the rural communities remained relatively low. The report described which activities were already in existence and explored some sustainable alternatives which would maintain safety and confidence in rural communities, with a more local focus within a very challenging financial landscape.

The Commission was asked to scrutinise the report, prioritise the schemes contained within the report and identify alternative schemes. 

The sustainable schemes for the Commission to consider were as follows:

·         Rural Watch Patrols

·         Rural Volunteers

·         Rural Community Investigators

·         Rural Specials

·         Employers Specials Scheme (ESP)

·         Neighbourhood Warden Schemes

·         Street Leaders

·         Neighbourhood Watch

·         Utilisation of existing community groups

·         Regular Updates

Observations and Questions were raised around the following areas:

·         Members expressed concern with Neighbourhood Watch not being very successful in villages due to lack of membership and suggested it may be more appealing if it was called Rural Watch. The Head of Safer, Stronger and Supportive Communities responded that a similar scheme had been proposed within the report on page 31, part 4.2.1, called Rural Watch Patrols.

·         The Cabinet Member for Planning and Housing Services commented that the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme was extremely active in some villages and suggested it would be useful to get some tips from the successful groups.

·         Members commented that they had been presented with a very good and informative report and queried whether the Council currently employed a Wildlife Officer. The Head of Safer, Stronger and Supportive Communities responded that the Council had a rural crime team which included a Wildlife Officer.

·         Members queried whether environmental issues were a priority for the police in rural areas. Members were advised that environmental crime, like all crimes, had to be prioritised. The Council were currently encouraging communities to become involved in issues as the police were working increasingly with intelligence.

·         Members commented that people from rural communities were lacking a dedicated contact to build up their trust with the police. Rural communities were no longer reporting incidents as they did not receive a quick response from the police.

·         Members commented that they would like to see more resources being put in to rural communities and were concerned that to employ any of the schemes stated within the report, something important would have to be removed. Members were informed that all of the schemes would be run on a voluntary basis.

·         Members suggested that the schemes were delivered through the support of Parish Councils.

·         Members referred to page 32 of the report, part 4.2.5 and queried whether the Employers Special Scheme (ESP) worked, as not many companies could afford to let their employees have time off work. Members were advised that this did work because employers would receive a far more skilled employee.

ACTION AGREED

The Commission noted the Report.

RECOMMENDATION 

The Commission recommended to the Head of Safer, Stronger and Supportive Communities that a letter was written, on behalf of the Commission, to the two local MP’s to raise the issue at a national level regarding villages not having a local point of contact relating to crime and community safety.