Agenda item

To receive a presentation from Claire Wheatley, Superintendent Harm Reduction & Communities.

Members received a presentation from Karen Murray, Chief Inspector Harm Reduction & Communities. (Copy attached to the signed minutes.)

Karen Murray, raised the following key issues:-

•        Nationally the PCC Police and Crime Plan had three objectives which were all equally important

•        Fighting Crime

•        Preventing Crime

•        Improving Lives

•        Strategic Harm Reduction and Communities – the Board’s data correlated well with that of Northumbria Police in that the more deprived areas were often also those with the highest crime and antisocial behaviour.  Inequalities were underpinning some of the causes of the behaviour and attitudes that were being seen.

•        Prevention Strategy – Having fewer victims and offences could only be achieved by identifying the causes of crime and utilising partnership working.  There was a national Prevention Strategy and sitting under this were regional coordination groups which met once a month to discuss what was happening in each area to try and learn from each other.

•        Police officers were encouraged to look at the individuals who were suffering as a result of a crime and try to understand what made that person vulnerable and try to start problem solving at the earliest stage to be able to refer on or give advice.  Also looking at the offenders to try and identify what it was in their life that was leading them to offend.

•        Primary Prevention – prevention through education, early intervention, designing out crime.  Engagement with Health & Wellbeing Board was vital.

•        Secondary Prevention – Diversionary pathways to link with young people on the edge of crime.  This was partly re-education and working with parents to help them build confidence and trust and give them options.  Signposting enabled officers to refer people on to other services.  In April across the Northumbria Police force area, 2126 people (410 in Northumberland) had been referred to other services.

•        Tertiary Prevention – This focused on deterrence work and identifying young people on the periphery of crime and trying to change their trajectory.   There had been significant success in using this targeted approach to improve young people’s life chances.

•        Early intervention was key as well as using multi service support to improve outcomes for people, families and wider communities.

•        Serious Violence Strategy 2021-2024 – The key principles were listed along with Northumbria Police’s approach including early intervention, prevention, problem solving and partnership working.  A list of activities considered as serious violence was provided.

The following comments were made:-

•        The outcome of the recent inspection of the Youth Justice Board would be shared with the Members when available.  It would show the effectiveness of the Youth Justice Board’s early intervention and prevention work around youth justice.

•        Northumbria Police’s membership of the Health & Wellbeing Board was welcomed.  Northumbria Police along with the Northumberland Fire & Rescue Service had the challenge as to how to use the various data sets, joint strategic needs assessments etc to identify areas to be focused on and to focus in the right way.  Also to invest the communities and people within the communities in the decisions that were made.  There was certainly a commitment to do this.

•        Multi agency co-operation was very important.

•        Northumbria Police did have a small team which visited schools.  A newsletter was sent out quarterly anything important in the interim was shared.  Working together with small groups of children was proven to be effective and was targeted in the highest harm areas.

•        The Northumberland Fire & Rescue Services also had a full school programme running throughout the year.  There was also the Extinguish Programme which was aimed at young people who were prone to fire setting.  There were Fire Cadets and Princes Trust programmes. 

The Chair thanked Karen Murray for her presentation.

RESOLVED that the presentation be noted.