Agenda item

Information/Discussion paper from the Community Safety Manager

The Community Safety Manager outlined his report and explained that at this stage it was a little premature to link the closure of youth facilities to any rise in anti-social behaviour committed by young people. He was however working closely with the police to obtain the information in the coming 12-24 months and this issue had also been raised countywide.

Members understood that statistics may take time to be formulated but were concerned that youth related anti social behaviour was not captured in some form. This was a vital issue and a failure to record what was going on on the ground must mean there was a lack of understanding of what was actually happening. They made reference to the Community Orientated Police Scheme (COPS) and asked whether they provided any such data in terms of records of COPS resolutions. In response the Community Safety Manager explained that he had consulted widely but to date there were no figures coming through.

Members were also concerned that the safeguarding young people work previously carried out by the youth service was no longer being undertaken. They asked whether monitoring and signposting was still being done bearing in mind that there was now only one dedicated youth worker in the borough.

 The Community Safety Manager responded to Members by saying that CBC worked closely with the Police. The County Council ran an Anti Social behaviour strategy group which was seeking funds to set up a database to record issues. It was however not just a question of finding an IT solution. He also reported that in Cheltenham the Crime and Disorder partnership facilitated information exchange between stakeholders and intervention was starting to be put in place before enforcement.

Members could not understand why it was possible on the Gloucestershire Constabulary website to access the number and nature of particular crimes in a particular area and that neighbourhood watch leaflets also reported crime statistics yet it was not possible for a report to be provided to Councillors.

The Community Safety Manager acknowledged that it was difficult to get the information down to the right level. It was suggested by members to invite an officer from Gloucestershire Constabulary to a future meeting to explain why incidences were not being recorded properly.

When asked how the Committee could take forward its strong views the Director of Commissioning suggested that the Committee submit a recommendation to Cabinet expressing its concerns with regard to the lack of reporting figures and that Cabinet should take this issue up directly with the Police. Members felt that this was the correct approach but that in addition to this the wider issue of lack of youth provision in the town and the lack of coordination of new projects being undertaken should be raised with Cabinet.

The Director Commissioning explained that the Cheltenham Strategic Partnership had a Positive Lives Partnership under its umbrella which should capture the impact of the cuts to youth activity. The Community Safety Manager added that if there was a link between the withdrawal of funding and the rise in incidences of antisocial behaviour he would help bringing the right people together.

Resolved

To express the Committee’s concerns to Cabinet regarding the lack of data on the impact of the reduction in funding for general/universal youth provision in the town with a particular focus on incidences of antisocial behaviour.

The Committee recommends that Cabinet

1. takes this issue up directly with Gloucestershire Police
2. works with the CSP Positive Lives partnership to address the wider issue of lack of youth provision in the town, particularly in terms of coordinating new youth projects being undertaken