Decision details

To review the Community Safety Partnership Plan, taking into account information arising from the Medway Community Safety Partnership Strategic Assessment and Medway’s Sustainable Community Strategy. 

Discussion:

The Assistant Director, Front Line Services, introduced the report advising that the annual rolling three year plan set out the aims and objectives of the Community Safety Partnership (CSP). A third strategic assessment had been undertaken in November 2009 and, coupled with the views of the public and stakeholders, it identified six key areas of focus. The plan also contained the progress made on existing actions in the ‘Performance Highlights 2009’ section of the plan.

The reason for urgency accepted by the Chairman was that the report had to be submitted to this meeting in order that the committee’s views could be forwarded to Cabinet on 20 July 2010.

Members asked various questions and commented on:

·        enforcement checks of uncovered skip vehicles using Medway’s roads and causing litter problems, suggesting that there should be a specific reference in the plan about this;

·        the use and success of the SoS bus with aiding people from mis-use of alcohol and/or drugs, or any other reason of safety by acting as a first aid facility or simply a refuge;

·        anti-social behaviour – deliberate fires (arson) and appropriate action to reduce the risk of repeated incidents. The committee was advised that Kent Fire & Rescue Service specifically provided youth outreach to young people to provide information on the risks of fire setting;

·        gated alleyways used as rubbish dumps and the successful use of community clear-up campaigns;

·        Alcohol Control Zones (ACZ) – requirement for clearer signage and recognition by officers and the police that it moved street-drinking problems on to other areas within Medway. Members discussed the possibility of making the whole of Medway an ACZ.

Decision:

The committee agreed to refer the annual review of Community Safety Partnership Plan 2009-2012 to Cabinet for approval recommending the addition of a section on the enforcement of uncovered skip vehicles and that Cabinet take note of the comments made during the discussion (as set out above.)