Ann Barnes (Police Crime Commissioner) has been invited to attend to respond to questions raised in respect of crime in rural areas.

Questions from the public are welcome.

The Chairman welcomed Ann Barnes (Kent Police Crime Commissioner) to the meeting.

Mrs Barnes stated that following recent Government cuts to their budget the Police had as a result lost a fifth of its workforce and further cuts were expected.  She spoke about how crime had changed with child sex exploitation becoming the focus for Police following high profile cases such as the Jimmy Saville inquiry and its impacts on police resources. 

Mrs Barnes spoke about the importance of frontline staff working in Police call centres as they were the first point of contact for victims of crime.  Mrs Barnes also spoke about the possibility of providing Police officers with computer tablets which she felt could improve their efficiency and also save them time as they would not then need to go back to the office to write statements and check details.   

Mrs Barnes spoke about the Crime Rural Advisory Group which was made up of representatives from rural organisations and the Rural Task Force who had specialist teams that dealt with crimes including fly-tipping and hare coursing.  Mrs Barnes also spoke about the National Rural Crime Network survey, the biggest ever survey into rural crime and anti-social behaviour, to assess how the Police could better serve rural communities.  Mrs Barnes urged all those in attendance to complete the survey which could be found on the Kent Crime Commissioner website: www.kentpcc.gov.uk/home.php?category=News

Mrs Barnes reminded Members about the good work of the Crime Safety Units (CSU) which were a good example of partnership working and enabled the Police to prioritise their work better.  The units were funded by Kent County Council and if they were not working effectively Members needed to let her know.

The Chairman then invited questions from Members of the Forum and the public in attendance.

A Member queried why community groups were not supported by the Police with regard to requests for CCTV in rural areas?

Mrs Barnes stated that any CCTV evidence needed to be of good quality and this may be a problem in rural areas. 

Chief Inspector Tony Henley spoke about the Automatic Plate Reader meter system they operated.  He stated that there was one installed on the Sheppey Bridge which had been very successful.  He stated that PCSOs and CCTV were used when ‘hotspot’ areas were identified if appropriate. 

A Member raised concern about partnership working between British Transport Police and local police officers in relation to CCTV at Newington train station which was not manned and was experiencing a lot of Anti-Social Behaviour.

Mrs Barnes noted the comments and stated that the Transport Police were specialised and the problem could be a logistical one.  She agreed to look into the matter further.

In response to a query about rural crime statistics, Chief Inspector Henley advised that these were available on the Kent Police website: www.kent.police.uk

Mrs Barnes spoke about the inaccurate reporting of crime in the past which had been addressed and there was now 97% accuracy rate in Kent.  This had resulted in the crime figures in Kent rising but at least crime was being recorded accurately.  She added that 70% of Kent was rural and only 26% of crime recorded was committed in rural communities.

In response to queries, Mrs Barnes advised that Police officers would like to be more involved in pre-planning application discussions.  She advised that her Police and Crime Plan set out her vision, priorities and objectives for policing.  Members were invited to comment on the plan which was refreshed annually and could be viewed on her website.  Mrs Barnes agreed to forward a copy to all Members of the Forum for comment.

A Member raised concern that the proposed cuts would have an adverse impact on recruitment to the force.  Mrs Barnes agreed that the amount of people leaving the force was an indicator of morale, but there were currently more people joining the police service than leaving. 

In response to a query about PCSOs and the powers they had to enforce, Chief Inspector Tony Henley considered that if they were given more authority then there was a risk that they would not be able to be out in the community as much as they were currently.  He considered that there responsibilities were about right.

Mrs Barnes agreed that PCSOs should have authority to issue fixed penalty notices outside schools.  In response to a query, Mrs Barnes stated that PCSOs should stay in-post for two years but she was aware that this was not always the case.

The Chairman thanked Mrs Barnes for attending the meeting.