Staffordshire Police Authority

Periodic Report on Police Authority Matters

Queen’s New Year Honours List

1. Report – We are sure that members are already aware that Derek Davis, a Councillor member on the Authority, was awarded the OBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours List for his services to local government, particularly his work as Chairman of the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Combined Fire and Rescue Authority from 2001 to 2009. This accolade comes in Mr. Davis’ 38th year as a local councillor.

This award reflects Mr. Davis’ long and dedicated service in local government and his commitment to the people of Staffordshire and the Authority has extended its congratulations to him.

Appointment of Deputy Chief Constable

2. Report - The Authority, at a Selection Panel on 25 February 2010, appointed Douglas Paxton as the new Deputy Chief Constable of Staffordshire Police, following a rigorous two-day selection process. Mr. Paxton was Assistant Chief Constable with Staffordshire Police prior to this appointment, a post which he had held since April 2007.

Mr. Paxton, who took up his new post on 1 March 2010, will continue to work in keeping Staffordshire a leading Force and promoting the trust and confidence strategy through the Communities First Programme, together with continuing to hold three national portfolios on performance, citizen focus and criminal justice. One of his lead roles will be in taking the Communities First Programme forward and Mr Paxton has restated his commitment to this task.

The Authority is planning to appoint to Mr. Paxton’s former post of Assistant Chief Constable (Protective Services) during the summer of 2010.

Communities First Programme

3. Report - The Communities First Programme represents a substantial and ongoing challenge for the Force, which will entail significant changes both in the delivery of policing in communities and in the way the Force is organised. The Authority and the Chief Constable fully accept this challenge and will be looking at new approaches to collaboration and working with partners, with the fundamental objective of safeguarding the communities of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent and improving the service we provide to them at a time when we are facing significant financial and organisational challenges.  

Revenue Budget 2010/11

4. Report – The Authority has approved a Revenue Budget for 2010/11 of £189,958,782. The Authority’s decision followed careful consideration of the feedback received from its widespread consultation (including that with local councils, the business sector and the Citizens’ Panel), the impact and implications of the current economic climate and the overriding aim to at least maintain resources during the year for front-line policing in line with the Communities First Programme, as a logical extension of the Trust and Confidence Strategy that had been developed since 2007. The extensive consultations undertaken by the Authority had demonstrated a clear endorsement of the Communities First Strategy and the priority being given to it by the Authority and the Force.

After taking account of the national financial settlement for the Police Authority for 2010/11 and other income, the balance of £63,361,078 was required to be raised by way of precept, requiring a Council Tax Bill at Band D for £177.61, equating to an increase of 2.8%, which was in line with the Authority’s approved Medium Term Financial Strategy.  This increase is close to the average of council tax rises of police authorities across England and Wales. When consulting with the Citizens’ Panel, 80% of more than 1,000 respondents supported a precept rise of about 3%.

This settlement will allow for the Force’s excellent performance to be consolidated into 2010/11 and beyond, whilst imposing a modest increase on the taxpayer. Making the best use of resources remains an integral part of the further development of the Communities First Programme. Staffordshire Police Authority is the top-rated Authority in England and Wales for the effective use and management of resources, assessed by the Audit Commission. 

Provisional Capital Outturn 2010/11

Capital Programme 2010/11

5. Report – The Authority has noted progress on the Capital Programme 2009/10, together with implications for 2010/11 and beyond, and has agreed changes to the Programme, including capital financing proposals. The Authority has also considered proposals for the Capital Programme 2010/11 and beyond, having regard to the recommendations of the Capital Programme Joint Working Group, and made decisions on the allocations to the Programme.

Policing Staffordshire – Strategy and Plan 2010/13

6. Report – The Authority has considered and approved its ‘Policing Staffordshire – Strategy and Plan 2010/13’.  The Plan sets out the Authority’s key priorities and targets for the three-year period.

The Plan focuses clearly on targets and outcomes to deliver on the Communities First Programme, encapsulated in the shared mission of both the Authority and the Force “to put the citizen at the heart of all that we do so that the Staffordshire Force can be the one that inspires the greatest levels of trust and confidence amongst the communities we serve”. The Plan confirms the Authority’s commitment to securing an effective and efficient police force for the communities of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, seeking continuous improvement and the best use of resources across the range of police services provided, reducing bureaucracy and safeguarding front line policing within the resources available. 

‘Policing Staffordshire – Strategy and Plan 2010/13’ will be published to meet statutory requirements and will be made available on both the Authority and Force websites from 1 April 2010.  The Authority and the Force are also producing a four-page summary of the Strategy and Plan for 2010/13, for both public and internal use.

Corporate and Business Plan 2010/11

7. Report – The Authority has considered its Corporate and Business Plan for 2010/11 which has been updated to take account of the decisions taken in respect of paragraphs 3 and 4 above.

The Corporate and Business Plan is a separate document from the three-year Strategy and Plan 2010/13 and sets out a statement of the Authority’s vision, what it does, how it does it and how it seeks to improve, together with the Authority’s proposals and priorities for the current financial year. Quite deliberately the Authority has ensured that the Plan is a relatively short document, setting out in straight-forward terms, information about the Authority and its priorities for the forthcoming year, with targets, timescales and identification of where responsibility for delivery lies.

The Plan is updated to reflect changing circumstances and priorities throughout the year and is available on the Authority’s website from 1 April 2010.

Force Performance

Performance Review - 1 April to 31 December 2009

8. Report – The Authority has reviewed the performance of the Force for the period 1 April to 31 December 2009 against the principal trust and confidence monitored indicators, covering (i) understanding needs, delivering service, (ii) reducing crime and (iii) protecting people. The figures reveal a continuing drop in overall crime, with satisfaction rates for overall service improving when compared to the same period in 2008/09.

Violent crime with injury, which is the sum of two crime types defined by the Home Office as ‘Serious Violent Crime’ and ‘Assault with less serious injury’  showed an increase of 2.9% when compared to the same period last year, and was above target. The Chief Constable has responded to this by putting in place a number of initiatives, including early and targeted interventions, an increased focus on the night time economy and, with partners, implementing the ‘Safer Nights’ campaign.

Significant reductions had been made throughout the Force-area on serious acquisitive crime as compared to 2008/09, with performance in this area being consistently strong. Indeed since 2005/06 there had been a 32% reduction in serious acquisitive crime in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.

Significant reductions had been achieved in the number of burglaries of dwellings during the six-month period, with current levels being 10.8% lower as compared to last year and 56.5% lower over the last ten years. The number of robberies remained stable for the period.

Significant reductions had also been achieved in respect of vehicle crime, with levels being 29.3% lower than the same period in 2008/09 and 63% lower over the last ten years.

The Force overall, and all four Basic Command Units (BCU), performed better than target on business related crime during the six-month period, with 1,145 (13.7%) fewer offences recorded than in the same period in 2008/09.

Improvements in performance on the detection of serious violent crime over recent months had resulted in the Force exceeding its target of 50%. Overall the sanction rate was 6.9% higher than in 2008/09.

During the period there had been 219 people killed or seriously injured in road traffic collisions.  Whilst this remains too high, nonetheless it was 42 fewer than the target for the period (261) and reflected well on the successful partnership working, both through the highly successful CRASH Course initiative and the use of automated number plate recognition and seizure of uninsured and unlicensed vehicles.

Satisfaction with overall crime rates for the six-month period were great than the target (87% compared to 85%) force-wide, and compared favourably with the satisfaction rates published by forces in the group of forces with whom Staffordshire is usually compared. As regards satisfaction with overall service (anti-social behaviour) for the period, the Force was improving with an 83% performance rate as compared to the target of 85%: the North Staffordshire BCU exceeded the target at 87%, with the Stoke-on-Trent BCU being close to target at 84%.

Planning and Performance Review Joint Panel

9. Report – The Authority has agreed to the establishment of a Planning and Performance Joint Panel to enhance its ability to monitor, scrutinise, review, and challenge the Force in all service areas, and to further develop the ‘critical friend’ working relationship between the Authority and the Force.

The inaugural meeting of the PPR, which comprises the Chair and the Vice-Chair of the Authority and the Chairs of the strategic committees and the Chief Constable, has been arranged for 12 April 2010 and will assist in giving performance scrutiny a higher and more rigorous profile for the Authority and across all its strategic committees.

Discussions with the Chief Constable arising out of the Fit for Purpose Review recommendations (as mentioned below) have also led to the introduction of more formalised arrangements for reporting to the Authority on Protective Services (including Counter-Terrorism) and Collaborative Arrangements and Activity, together with the establishment of formal and consistent arrangements for the attendance of Authority members at quarterly performance review meetings with Divisional Commanders.

‘Fit for Purpose’ Review

10. Report – The Authority has achieved a national reputation for being both forward looking and effective, strongly committed to continuous improvement of the Authority and in its statutory roles and responsibilities, including that of securing and effective and efficient police force for its area.  A ‘Fit for Purpose’ Review Team was set-up in July 2009 to (i) take stock of the Authority’s achievements and plan to build upon them; (ii) consider support for equalities issues in every area of service delivery it scrutinises; and (iii) use various reference points, including what success looks like, as it considers key areas of Authority business, with a view to maintaining ongoing improvements in the way it fulfils its roles.

The Team has now completed its Fit for Purpose Review, looking specifically at governance, accountability and support arrangements to inform the Authority’s medium term development, and has made recommendations for discussion and consideration at an ad-hoc meeting of the Authority on 6 April 2010.

MRS. C.G. HEATH                                             MR. H.C. BRIAN AND MR. R. CONTEH
Nominated Police Authority Member              Nominated Police Authority Members
Staffordshire County Council                          Stoke-on-Trent City Council