Agenda item

Health and Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee – last meeting was on 6 May 2014

Police and Crime Panel – 13 May 2014 from Councillor Helena McCloskey and any issues to raise for the next meeting on 28 July 2014.

Health and Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee –  6 May 2014.
The chair advised that Penny Hall had attended the last meeting. Councillor Flo Clucas had been nominated as the Council’s representative on this committee at Selection Council. She had been advised of the dates of future meetings so she could provide feedback to this committee by attending in person or providing a written update.
* The chair requested that the committee should be updated on any relevant items from the last meeting.

Police and Crime Panel – 13 May 2014

Councillor Helena McCloskey updated members on this meeting and invited them to raise any issues they would like her to raise at the next meeting on 28 July 2014.

Combattingcybercrime is the new priority added to the Police and Crime Plan and members received a presentation on the effects of cybercrime in Gloucestershire. This included details of the different types of cybercrime, the number of people affected, the impact on the economy and the action being taken by the Police. It is estimated that nationally 41 per cent of people had been affected by cybercrime at an annual cost of around £800 million and 20 per cent of people did not take steps to protect themselves from online crime by taking simple measures such as the installation of anti-virus software. Gloucestershire Constabulary is recognised as taking a leading role in tackling cybercrime and is involved in national initiatives including a unit working across international boundaries.

The Police and Crime Plan has been updated to reflect recent developments including the formation of the Gloucestershire Criminal Justice Commission and the new arrangements for Probation Services. Gloucestershire is recognised as a leading area for restorative justice and the Panel requested more information on that at a future meeting.

As part of a regular review, the Panel received reports from three bodies who had received grants from the Commissioner’s Fund in 2013-14:

In response to a question regarding the objectives of this initiative, Councillor McCloskey advised that it was to raise public awareness and to train officers in all aspects of cyber crime so that they could be in a better position to deal with reported incidents.

A member asked whether it was appropriate for council tax payers’ money to be spent on cyber crime locally which with the power of the Internet, was clearly an international issue.

Councillor McCloskey advised members that the PCC had carried out a consultation and the public had supported a 2% rise in the police precept in order to tackle the issues in his plan which had included cyber crime as a priority.

With O&S support, she advised that she intended to write to the PCC to ask how he would allocate the money arising from the late night levy. Cheltenham was only the second town in the country to introduce such a levy. She informed members that 30% of the late-night levy would be retained by the Council and 70% would go to the PCC. Although it was not in the legislation, the PCC had promised that the 70% would be spent in Cheltenham and this formed part of the arrangement between the council and the police.

A member was concerned that the PCC should have to justify any spend of the funds, particularly if they were spent outside Cheltenham.

The Deputy Chief Executive added that a number of recommendations had been agreed in a report to Council last year. She emphasised the arrangement between the PCC and the council to work together.  This included the setting up of a late-night levy advisory group and Councillors Chard, Thornton and Lillywhite sat on the group. The advisory group would make recommendations which would then go to Cabinet for approval.

* She agreed to circulate the membership of the advisory group to the committee.

The DSM advised that a meeting of the Gloucestershire Scrutiny Group was planned for the Autumn. Officers and chairs of O&S are invited to attend.