Agenda item

The Portfolio Holder for Community Safety and Customer First will attend the meeting in order to be held to account for matters within the remit of this committee. 

Discussion:

The Portfolio Holder for Community Safety and Customer First, Councillor O’Brien, gave a presentation to the committee which included:

·        A variety of enforcement operations carried out with the police

·        Community clean-up campaigns

·        Partners & Communities Together (PACTs)

·        Schools and Communities Together (SACTs)

·        Flytipping

·        Medway Community Alcohol Partnership (MCAP) – working on underage sales and enhanced training packages for traders

·        ‘Eat Out Well’ campaign

·        CCTV – recently assisted police with two major arrests. Medway now operated Gravesham and Maidstone Borough Council’s CCTV coverage (and already covered Swale)

·        ‘Love Medway’ app

·        Emergency planning.

The committee requested further information about the ‘Eat Out Well’ campaign and the Portfolio Holder advised that this campaign was at an early stage and the details were still to be considered. Members also asked about the teething problems with the Love Medway app and were assured that these had been resolved.

The Portfolio Holder was asked about the Medway Community Alcohol Partnership and when this would be rolled out across Medway? He replied that where small shop holders had problems with underage sales, they were being given advice to overcome these challenges. Ward Councillors would be advised as and when this project was taking place in their ward.

Members asked about the recent restructure within the Police service and how this affected the number of Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) to be based within neighbourhood teams. Councillor O’Brien advised that during the re-structure several neighbourhood police models had been produced, one of which excluded PCSOs from Medway. However, he had argued against this and Medway had benefitted with longer cover until 3am and neighbourhood teams located in all High Streets. There would also be one dedicated PCSO for each ward and the number of Police officers within Medway had increased.

Members asked what additional functions had been transferred to the neighbourhood teams following the restructure and also how many PCSOs in total would be located in Medway? The Portfolio Holder advised that a recent presentation given by Kent Police on the restructure of their service would answer these questions and that he would send a copy of that presentation to all Members of the committee. He also advised that there had been 66 PCSOs prior to the restructure. There was then to be none but this had been re-visited and there would now be 36 PCSOs located in Medway.

The Portfolio Holder was asked whether the CCTV system was now at full capacity and he responded that there was still the capability to cover another two council’s areas.

A Member asked about poor air quality conditions in certain parts of Medway, as his ward seemed to have particular problems. The Portfolio Holder advised that he took air quality very seriously and that a report had been submitted to the committee for consideration some time ago. He advised that he would arrange for a copy of the report to be sent to the Member for information.

Decision:

The Portfolio Holder for Community Safety and Customer First was thanked for his presentation.