Issue - meetings

9.30pm

The Committee received a report from the Director of Customer & Community Services regarding the consultation on Draft Community Safety Partnership Priorities for 2014 -2017.

The Committee were advised that the strategic approach of those priorities was to understand the impact of mental health, alcohol and drug misuse on violent crime and anti-social behaviour, by tactically addressing the following:

·        Personal acquisitive crime – emerging trends

·        Alcohol related violent crime – pub clusters

·        Anti-social Behaviour – new ways of working.

The Director of Customer & Community Services explained that the Community Safety Partnership would continue to track and support County led work on domestic abuse (with local work around awareness and training and re-offending.

Members’ Comments:

Councillor Reid welcomed the strategic priorities, particularly on mental health and asked what links the Partnership had with mental health charities. The funding on mental health services in Cambridgeshire and the how this could impact the service was also queried.

The Director of Customer & Community Services acknowledged that there was a gap with mental health representation. She was unable to comment on the overall financial situation of funding. However the Partnership was aware that budgets were decreasing with demand on the service increasing. Resources available were being looked at, identifying duplication, recognising gaps in the service to enhance the service and promote improved dialogue between agencies with the funds available.

Councillor Cearns again welcomed the strategic priorities and spoke of his work with the County Council to identify best practice to reduce re-offending, particularly focusing on training and employment.

Councillor Cearns asked if the Partnership would consider shoplifting as one of the priorities. The Director of Customer & Community Services stated that Partnership supported outside agencies which recognised shoplifting as a high volume crime and was constantly addressed.

County Councillor Cearns suggested that the priorities should include the term ‘reducing’ in front of word re-offending in the report to bring to the issue to people’s attention. 

Councillor Nethsingha stated that she too welcomed the strategic priorities and acknowledged there were cuts in funding for mental health services and stressed the importance of all agencies working together to safeguard the delivery of service.  

Councillor Reiner brought to the Committee’s attention page 26 of Cambridge Community Safety Partnership’s report, entitled ‘Issues raised at neighbourhood meetings’ and identified the need to foster good discussions and have good minutes.