Agenda item

The Board received a presentation from Sgt Roy Evans and Inspector Richard Vine of the Thames Valley Police and noted the current policing figures and the Chesham policing team members. The also noted the following:

·           The Buckinghamshire Council organised the online voting process for Neighbourhood Priorities which were then captured within local Patrol Plans; directing Neighbourhood officers to what their daily business should include. Each day on-duty, officers recorded their contribution and often provided a real-time update to communities through TVP social media accounts.

·           Quarterly Updates were produced by each Neighbourhood team drawing from the data collected in the monthly Patrol Plans. Much like a shareholder’s report they sought to inform communities (and their Community Boards) of local offending behaviour and progress relevant to the Neighbourhood Priorities.

·           Community Board Chairs and Coordinators could contact their respective Neighbourhood Sergeants to discuss specific concerns raised by residents, this included securing police attendance at a Community Board meeting to discuss the issue.

·           The Policing Issues Panel was held every 4 months and was independently chaired. It comprised of representatives from all Community Boards; providing an interface with Neighbourhood Inspectors and a platform to discuss strategic policing topics. The panel agreed the 3 issues the neighbourhood teams would focus on when able to over the following 4 months 

·           Community Boards supported policing objectives through Community Resilience; forming groups such as Community Speed Watch, Neighbourhood Watch, Shop Watch, Pub Watch, and Rural Spotters. Alternatively, they organised special events which sought to inform and protect those who were vulnerable to particular crimes such as Cyber-crime, Hate Crime or Domestic Abuse. With the allocation of Local Authority funds, Community Boards might also consider development of public facilities such as improved street lighting, CCTV or ANPR.

·           Greater diversity within Community Board membership could not only provide a better understanding of local issues but also offered prospective members for the Independent Advisory Group serving as consultants for the local Area Commander on real-time policing incidents, which might impact the communities.

In response to a question about whether there was much crime associated with the London Underground tube line with trains going in and out of London Richard Vine responded that it was a difficult one to answer due to the Undergound being under the jurisdiction of the British Transport Police (BTP). It was also reported that Thames Valley Police (TVP) had, in the past, undertaken joint operations with the BTP specifically in relation to drug supply and knife crime.

In response to a question about police historically being first responders or last resort when it comes to cases of mental health issues it was confirmed that these were still ongoing issues, although affected the Emergency Response Officers more than others and it was noted that the Ambulance Service were short of people. All calls go through a triage system and if someone was having a heart attack, they would be prioritised over someone having a mental health issue. Therefore, the next services to be called were the police, particularly if that person was violent or aggressive.

Members were encouraged to report direct to the police if they believed drug dealing was taking place in a particular area. The more intelligence that was received the more it could be acted on.

It was noted that there were to be some changes within the LPA and that there was a move to amalgamate with the Wycombe LPA. It was also explained that Emma Burrows was one of the LPA Commanders and is knowledgeable about the way LPA’s work. Reassurance was given to the Board that business would continue as usual although a physical move might happen from the police station to the library but will remain in Chesham.

The next Policing Issues Panel as part of the South Bucks Community Forum was meeting on the 11 November although slightly different format. 

The Chairman thanked Roy, Richard and Jack for attending and their informative presentation.