Agenda item

This report presents a Medway Police update on licensing matters and offers Members the opportunity to ask the police representative questions.

Discussion:

The Licensing and Local Land Charges Manager welcomed the Police representatives to the meeting to present their annual report on licensing matters.  She paid tribute to both Inspector Joy Dean and Sergeant Mark Carron for the excellent partnership between the Council’s and Police Licensing teams on joined up working in all matters relating to licensing on a daily basis.

Sergeant Carron circulated an additional section to add to the report and introduced the various Police operations in Medway relating to licensed premises.

The Committee was advised that during the period October 2010 to October 2012 there were eleven operations run and the results were as follows:

• 111 licensed premises visited
• 38 persons arrested
• 85 drug seizures
• 252 persons searched under the Misuse of Drugs Act
• 5 section 27’s issued (direction to leave the area)
• 10 persons received cannabis street cautions
• 2 drug intervention support program (DISP) referrals made
• 1 penalty notice for disorder issued
• 10 warnings given to licensed premises for breach of licensing conditions
• 1415 persons tested on the ION track machine
• 62 intelligence reports submitted.

The following figures showed that in the rolling year to November 2012:

• All crime has fallen by 7.7% (766 fewer offences)
• Violent crime has increased by 8.2% (172 more offences)
• Serious violent crime has fallen by 2.4% (8 fewer offences)
• Criminal damage has fallen by 18% (354 fewer offences)
• Anti-social behaviour has fallen by 11.4% (4808 fewer incidents).

Sergeant Carron also referred to the fact that a survey by Kent Police in Medway had illustrated that the perception of drunk/rowdy behaviour in Medway had decreased from 17.5% in 2010 to 11.6% as of September 2012 (381 people were surveyed).

Responding to questions, he and Inspector Joy Dean answered as follows:

• The difference between violent crime and serious violent crime was explained.  Serious violent crime could cover murder, grievous bodily harm etc and was the higher end of the scale.  It was also stated that the reason for the increase in violent crime related to domestic violence was which increasing.  The Committee were informed that the Police were putting multi-agency plans in place in an attempt to address this.

• The point was made that with the price of cocaine reducing this was often seen as an alternative to alcohol as a recreational drug.  Kent Police were investigating this trend.

• In relation to the drop in perception of anti-social behaviour it was stated that this was a continual reduction.  Inspector Dean referred to the Medway Action for Families Programme, which worked with the most needy and troubled families offering intensive programmes of support.  Although the reduction in anti-social behaviour was an ongoing one it was accepted that it would not be possible to completely eradicate it.

• Reference was made to the Cumulative Impact Policy, which allowed licensing authorities to limit the growth of licensed premises in a problem area.  Sergeant Carron explained that it was not easy to apply this particular legislation and it was better that the Police used the section 27 legislation as this enabled them to disperse people that were gathering and causing problems outside licensed premises.

• As far as the 24-hour economy and extension to the licensing hours were concerned this had an impact on policing in the area and took the Police away from resolving other crimes such as burglaries.

• Discussion took place about the possibility of there being a general circular produced by the licensing section and Police for distribution to licensed premises setting out the important issues which the licence holder should be aware of in relation to compliance with the regulations and sharing of common issues.

Decision:

The Police were thanked for their comprehensive report and for the work they, and the Licensing Team, carried out in Medway.