19 January 2011: Report of the District Partnership Lead - Bob Malloy

1.0 Stratford District Performance   

1.1 Statistics April 2010 to December 2010

1.2 The previously reported reduction in Serious Violent Crime has been maintained, with around 320 offences in the year to date. There were 11 alcohol related violent offences reported following New Year’s Eve celebrations despite a considerable increase in the number of officers on duty.  Most of those offences were at the lower end of the serious violence spectrum and all but three were not reported until the following day or later.  The trend remains down and the expectation is that the target to reduce will be met by the end of the year.  Detections are above target and with others yet to be recorded will improve further.  It is anticipated that the detection target of 45% will be exceeded at year end which is to the credit of the District Violent Crime Action Team.

1.3 There has been an increase in the number of reported sexual offences, 53 in the year to date.  This is taken to indicate the increased confidence of victims to report the offence, although there could of course be other reasons.  With one more to go on the system there will be a total of 15 detections to date which is on target.  It is anticipated that an increase in the reporting of sexual offences, and their detection, will be reported at the end of the year.

1.4 There were a number of street robberies in the first 3 months of the year which, with the addition of the offences recorded at the Global Gathering, have led to the current 55% increase.  The spate of street offences early in the year were at a low level and have now stopped although no suspects were identified. It is a large percentage increase but is on a comparatively small number of offences, totalling 28 year to date. The position is now much improved but the annual target is unlikely to be achieved because of the difficult start to the year.  There is one more robbery detection to go on the system but performance remains below target and the annual target is unlikely to be met.  Detections are particularly difficult when offenders are not local but are attending the Global gathering or are visiting Stratford Town to offend.

1.5 Burglary and vehicle crime remain on a downward trend with good offender management contributing.  There were approximately 180 burglaries, down almost 17%, and 520 vehicle crimes, down nearly 18%, at the end of December.  It is anticipated that both targets will be comfortably met at the end of the year.

2.0 Community Forum Priorities

2.1 The priorities identified following the November/December round of locality meetings were as follows:
Alcester/Bidford Forum 7th December 2010
1. Tackle the seasonal increase in acquisitive crime
2. Alcohol-related anti-social behaviour in Bidford-on-Avon.
3. Alcohol-related anti-social behaviour in Alcester.

Henley/Studley Forum 16th December 2010
1. ASB at Crooks Lane/Pool Road junction in Studley.
2. Dangerous parking outside supermarkets in Henley High Street.
3. Speeding along the A3400 at Wootton Wawen.

Shipston/Stour Forum 30th November 2010
1. Speeding in London Rd and Stratford Rd, Shipston.
2. Speeding in A3400 at Treddington.
3. Speeding in Whatcote village.

Stratford Town Forum December 6th 2010
1. Continuing patrols at Rother Market at least twice weekly.
2. Seize alcohol and move street drinkers on.

Southam/Feldon 15th December 2010
1. Dangerous parking by visitors to Sotham College.
2. Drugs/Alcohol in the area of Wattons Lane, Park Lane and the Recreational Park.
3. Anti-Social Behaviour in Wattons Lane, Park Lane and the Recreational Park.

Wellesbourne/Kineton 9th December 2010
1. ASB in Lighthorne Heath.
2. Speeding in Banbury Road, Kineton.
3. Speeding in Kineton Road, Wellesbourne.

2.2 I made presentations on the new policing model at Stratford and at Henley/Studley Forums.  The majority of both audiences were councillors, who in most cases are engaged in similar budget reducing exercises in their own councils, and so understand the task facing Warwickshire Police.  There were positive comments in response to the plans for SNT’s to be relieved from response and investigative duties and therefore able to be more visible in their localities.  There was also approval for the aim to increase the time that Patrol Teams will spend out and about rather than dealing with arrests in custody suites.

2.3 The Stratford Forum was held a day or two after the Times published national data for police sickness levels, with Warwickshire quoted as having nearly one in seven officers on either sick leave or restricted duties.  This prompted questions about the Force approach to sickness levels in the context of the budget pressures.  It would be useful to be able to report progress on this issue at a future Forum.

3.0 Public Confidence

3.1 The User Satisfaction Survey records satisfaction levels above the force average in Ease of Contact (Stratford 98.1% Force 94.7%), and Police Actions (Stratford 86.2% Force 83.8%). Public satisfaction for Treatment stands at 93.8%, just 0.2% below the Force level at 94.4%.  There has been an issue in the past with satisfaction rates for Follow Up being well below the force average, but currently Stratford is recorded at 76.3% compared to the Force figure of 75% which is a good improvement.  Stratford District records a Whole Experience satisfaction rate of 85.3% compared to the Force average of 85.1%.

3.2 When analysed by crime, burglary victims are 93.3%% satisfied with the Whole Experience, which is 3.7%% higher than the Force average, whereas victims of vehicle crime are only 73.3% satisfied which is over 8% lower than the Force average.

4.0 Press Coverage

4.1 A major gas leak on17th December, caused by a van running into a gas main, led to around 60 homes being evacuated.  The incident took place at 11 pm in icy conditions and with several centimetres of snow on roads and pavements and a police presence was maintained until 4 pm the next day.  Two local residents who were evacuated made a point of contacting me to praise the efficiency of the police operation and to say how reassuring officers were, and similar comments were made in the local press.

4.2 A local publisher was one of several well known people who stood bail for the Wikileaks founder Julian Assange in December.  The publisher’s role in the bail application was handled at Stratford Police Station and he later issued a press release that was reported extensively praising the ‘patience, perseverance and professionalism’ of Warwickshire Police.

5.0 Police Authority Duties

5.1 I have met the District Commander on a monthly basis and attended the District Quarterly Performance Review. At the request of the District Council I will be attending an Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting with the District Commander later in January to discuss the new policing model.

5.2 I have attended Police Authority Finance Training and the Diversity Training events.  I attended the consultation on the draft Alcohol and Substance Misuse Implementation Plans arranged by the Warwickshire Drug and Alcohol Team.  I also attended a successful Force open evening held to encourage the formation of a Stratford District Independent Advisory Group (IAG).

5.3 I attended the South Warwickshire Safer Communities Partnership meeting in November where a comprehensive presentation by the Warwickshire Observatory reported that Partnership performance was on target in all areas with a continuing downward trend.

Bob Malloy

Stratford District
Police Authority District Partnership Lead