Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Deputy Chief Executive.

This item provides Scrutiny Committee with an update on the key achievements of partnership working and across partner organisations against SSP Themes and Priorities during 2018/19 and to date. These are based on the 3-year SSP Plan published in April 2018.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to:

(a)  Consider the SSP Annual Review and Partnership Update 2018/19 presentation;

(b)  Note the progress made in relation to delivering against the priority themes of the SSP Plan

(c)  Note the decision to move from a formal report to a presentation;

(d)  Provide any comments or reflections on the issues covered in the presentation.

Officer contact: Katy Forde at katy.forde@stockport.gov.uk

Kathryn Rees (Service Director for Strategy & Commissioning, Stockport Council) and Superintendent Marcus Noden (Greater Manchester Police) attended the meeting and made a presentation on the key achievements of partnership working across partner organisations against the Safer Stockport Partnership Themes and Priorities during 2018/19 and to date.

The Cabinet Member for Inclusive Neighbourhoods (Amanda Peers) attended the meeting to respond to councillors’ questions.

The following comments were made/ issues raised:-

·         The uptake level for restorative justice was comparatively high in Stockport a result of the longstanding and strong history of a robust voluntary sector and developed partnership working arrangements around restorative justice programmes that had been in place for a number of years

·         A discussion took place in relation to the type of crimes for which restorative justice might be suitable.  In response, it was stated that restorative justice was primarily used for low value crimes involving theft or criminal damage.

·         It was stated that there needed to be a degree of caution in relation to reported incidents of knife crime, as the number of incidents where a knife was reported to have been present was far higher than those where a knife was found.  It was stated that the myth or rumour of knife possession was particularly prevalent amongst high school age children.

·         Additional police officers were being allocated to Stockport which included four neighbourhood beat officers, ten which had been split across five response teams, and a further four dedicated to work tackling child sexual exploitation.

·         There was a need to bolster the number of special constables.

·         It was commented that there had been difficulties in securing police attendance during recent traveller incursions in the Cheadle Hulme and Hazel Grove areas that had resulted in additional delays in moving them on from the site.

RESOLVED – That Kathryn Rees and Superintendent Marcus Noden be thanked for their attendance and presentation.