Agenda item

Councillor Andy Hull, Executive Member Finance, Performance and Community Safety was present and was accompanied by the Borough Commander, Raj Kohli.

Keith Stanger, Service Manager, Community and Crime Reduction, and Catherine Briody, Head of Youth and Community Services were also present

A presentation was made to the Committee, copy interleaved

During consideration of the presentation the following main points were made –

·         SIP currently oversees five key theme area in crime and safety – crimes involving young people, Hate Crime and ASB, Violence against Women and Girls, Drug and Adult Offending, and Exploitation and Extremism

·         Overall crime in Islington has shown a slight increase of 1.1% after two years of decline, while London has seen crime rises of 8%

·         Violence against the person, including youth violence, and knife crime, remains a priority for SIP. There has been a 2.1% reduction in violence against the person, whilst London has seen a 4.9% increase. Overall youth violence has seen a 7.8% reduction, however there has been an increase in serious youth violence

·         The final knife crime task and finish group meeting took place in September 2019. There have been many positive outcomes, and Islington has recorded a 10.3% reduction in knife crime over the past 12 months, whilst London recorded a 1.4% increase

·         Racial and homophobic crime has seen an increase, while all other forms of hate crime have reduced. Sanction detection rates remain a challenge in this area. Whilst the proportion of Domestic Abuse sanction detections remain low, Islington has seen an increase from 15.6% to 16.5% in the past 12 months

·         Policing in Islington – From November the borough will have 2 neighbourhood inspectors – north and south, Op Guilt is focusing on key families, who are complicit in crime, Op Perch tri-borough operation for Finsbury Park, with co-operation of 3 boroughs, and British Transport Police. There are zero DWO vacancies – 66 Police Constables police the 16 wards. Problem solving teams have been launched, and a large amount of drugs recovered already. I call performance – attendance is 93% of emergency graded calls within 15 minutes. Stop and Search – 7353 with 1777 positive outcomes of which 1011 arrests over the last 12 months. A new intelligence team has been established

·         Violence against Women and Girls – Keel multi agency team launched, and has worked with 60 families. Female Genital Mutilation practitioners tool launched, and 112 trained. Islington signed up to Women’s Night Safety Charter encouraging local businesses to do more to help make Islington safer at night for women. New young Person Independent Domestic and Sexual Violence Advisor post in the North London Rape Crisis Service. VAWG multi agency training programmes 12 dates in 2019/20. 22 housing staff signed up to be Make a Stand to Domestic Violence response leads

·         VAWG challenges and Future work – Challenges - Domestic abuse homicides in England/Wales at highest level for 5 years. Ensuring Islington has sufficient resources to support Domestic Violence victims/survivors and their children. Domestic Abuse sanctions and detection rates have improved, but are still lower than wished. Future work – sustaining and building on VAWG service provision in Islington, including work with perpetrators and increasing IDVA provision. VAWG away day to agree priorities for remaining 18 months of VAWG strategy

·         Crimes involving Young People – Continued reductions in reported crimes involving knife crime injuries, and theft snatch. Further reductions in first time entrants, and less young people requiring a triage, indicates that partnership prevention approach is working. Youth custody rates have reduced, and there have been fewer proven offences by young people. Nearly 50% less fixed term/permanent to secondary school support, and Parent House and Ben Kinsella Parent Champion projects                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                . IGT research report launch November 2019

·         Crimes involving young people – Planning for next 12 months – Challenges – despite recent reduction in violent crime types challenges remain with recent serious incidents in Islington and across London fatalities. Complexity of issues that young people are presenting with continues to be an issue. Frontline staff to respond to the secondary trauma that they experience as practitioners as a result of working with children, and young people at risk of serious youth violence. Current reoffending data from Youth Justice Board (YJB) is higher than London average, due to complex needs of the cohort. Future work – Islington receiving 2 years MOPAC violence reduction unit funding, which is an opportunity to extend Transition Project, and Trauma informed training, as well as funding knife bins, and community strengthening conference. Knife Crime prevention video being produced, and the Working Together for a Safer Islington Prevention Plan has commenced. A new youth safety strategy to be launched in July 2020. Main Youth Offending Service inspection is due

·         Hate Crime and Anti-social behaviour – Progress – successful delivery of a multitude of events. Increase in the use of Community Protection warnings, and notices, Community MARAC continues to excel at dealing with complex cases involving high risk victims of crime. Multi-agency working has resulted in a significant decrease in crime, and ASB, in the north of Islington, through a range of engagement, diversion and enforcement tactics. Significant improvement in approach to tackling homelessness, and street population issues, particularly in Stroud Green Road

·         Hate Crime and ASB challenges and future work – Need to address ASB generated by moped delivery drivers. Relaunch the early intervention ASB warning notices issued by Police, and Parkguard officers, to encourage reporting. Work with the Police to increase sanction detection rates across all forms of hate crime, and actively promote successes, to encourage others to report. Further develop the offer of engagement, and support for rough sleepers to address rising numbers

·         Drugs and Adult Offending -  Significant reductions in complaints to LBI, and Police, relating to drug dealing, and use of drugs in Blackstock triangle.  Communications delivered to circa 16000 properties in Finsbury Park, outlining what the Council, and partners, are doing to tackle the problem. A wide range of interventions put in place to provide reassurance to the community, with increased use of enforcement powers. Finsbury Park operational group providing co-ordinated responses to crime, and ASB, across Islington, Haringey and Hackney, in conjunction with three borough police areas, and British Transport Police. Planning for the next 12 months – new communications strategy developed to be delivered as part of work around drug related crime in the Finsbury Park area. Strengthening the Finsbury Park Operational Board with new partners, and developing the range of tactics and offers being utilised. Support research initiative being undertaken into the links between drugs and violence, and adopt the findings into current working, as they plan for merger in April 2021

·         Exploitation and Extremism – Progress – Prevent – Training for Partners has reached over 300 practitioners to date, and is being linked to hate crime. Utilising key partners in awareness of the Far Right. Most Islington schools, and educational establishments, are now meeting their Prevent obligations set out by Ofsted

·         Modern Day slavery – Creation of a multi-agency Modern Day Slavery board, (MDS) overseeing a programme of local action

·         National referral pathway training delivered to the MDS Board. Council web page completed and now live. Over 300 people across the borough trained in MDS awareness. Awareness training event in Town Hall on National Slavery Day

·         Prevent – Exploring options to deliver the legal requirements post March 2020, should funding not be confirmed. A national review of Prevent is currently underway. Continue to increase the knowledge of, and how to report, all for staff and members of the public

·         Modern Day slavery – analysis underway of cases seen in Islington to improve understanding of the local picture. Agreeing how the MDS charter will be implemented across the range of contracts awarded. Ensure that as many front line staff members as possible are trained. Commissioning of licences for online training. Delivering the pilot scheme, if accepted, in order to have greater control of NRM process locally

·         Reference was also made to the fact that whilst information is provided on the number of offences the report did not provide information as to whether detection/sanctions actually resulted in a person being taken to Court/conviction rates and this information should be provided to Members

·         Discussion took place as to Stop and Search and whether this is being applied proportionately and breakdown of ethnicity of Stop and Search. It was stated that the Stop and Search Monitoring Group report should be circulated to Members that contained these details

·         In response to a question it was stated that changes to the Bail Act resulting in suspects being released under investigation, did it make it more difficult to monitor offenders. The Borough Commander added that he did feel sanction/detection rates were currently not good enough

·         Discussion took place as to the role of Neighbourhood Police officers and it was stated that apart from specific events such as Extinction Rebellion, such officers should remain ward based. They should also work to the priorities set by Safer Neighbourhood Panels, however this needed to be balanced with other priorities

·         In response to a question the Borough Commander stated that Dedicated Ward Officers should be problem solvers and can call on other staff to assist if necessary and have a co-ordinating role

·         A Member stated that he felt that there was a lack of confidence from the Public in reporting crime to the Police and that the visibility of Police needed to be improved. There needed to be information given to the Public, by means of a ‘flyer’ through doors to inform the Public how to report crime and information on Safer Neighbourhood Panels

·         In response to an enquiry it was stated that there had been 54 tenants evicted in the previous year, 10 as a result of ASB, and the remainder as a result of rent arrears. Councillor Russell stated that she wished to be sent details of these cases, whether these families were rehoused or in temporary accommodation, and if there were children involved

·         The view was expressed that in future reports there should be additional information that detailed the crime trends and their statistical importance over the previous 5 years and that trends needed to be colour coded/more easily identifiable

·         In response to a question it was stated that if Members wished to view Police working they could do so and contact the Borough Commander in this regard

·         Reference was made to ASB/Drug dealing in Brunswick Square, and whilst recognising this was in L.B.Camden it was requested that this be investigated by the Borough Commander

·         Discussion took place as to the enforcement of 20mph speed limits, and it was stated that speed guns had been used on a past occasion, and this type of measure could be used in future

·         In response to a question it was stated that there was a problem in some areas of people urinating in the street, and it was stated that there were Police powers to deal with this and that discussions should take place with the Council communications team and the Police in this regard

·         Members were informed that the Keel Project is working with perpetrators. In the event of the Project not being able to continue because of lack of funding, the work and what has been learnt from the Project could be evaluated and taken forward

·         Discussion took place as to UC payments to women suffering from Domestic Violence, and whether these could be paid directly to them. It was stated that this was a recommendation in the UC scrutiny report, and Councillor Hull stated that he would investigate the situation in this regard. Members expressed the view that women should not be made homeless if payments were not made directly to them

·         Members were informed that there had, after a number of years, been a reduction in the crimes involving young people, and reduction in custody rates for young people. This is a result of years of early intervention

·         Reference was made to fixed and permanent exclusions from schools, and that there had been a 50% reduction. It was stated that the Children’s Services scrutiny review had led to reductions. A Member referred to an IPPR report which had stated that 70% of children excluded in Islington were in poor educational provision, however it was stated that it was felt that this was out of date information. Councillor Comer – Schwartz stated that she would clarify the latest position to Members of the Committee. She added that it is important that pupils should wherever possible be educated in mainstream education

·         In response to a question it was stated that there needed to be work undertaken with neighbouring boroughs to reduce exclusions

·         It was stated that funding had been obtained to continue the Transitions project for a further 12 months, and of the 24 families who had engaged in this project, none of the children had been excluded from school

·         Reference was made to the bespoke trauma informed practice taking place for 60 local practitioners in Caledonian Road and Finsbury Park, and it was stated that ward councillors should be kept informed with details of this

·         In response to a question it was stated that discussions were taking place with regard to moped delivery drivers that were causing a nuisance, and that details of these could be circulated to Members

RESOLVED:

(a)  That future reports indicate whether the increase/decrease in crime statistics are statistically significant in comparison to crime figures for the past 5 years, and consideration be given to making the trends more identifiable by colour coding or some other method

(b)  That the report on Stop and Search from the Stop and Search monitoring group be circulated to Members

(c)   That consideration be given to a communications strategy/action that can be taken concerning members of public urinating in the street

(d)  That Members be informed of the current position with the payment of UC by the DWP to women directly who are the victims of domestic violence so that they can continue to ensure that rent is paid, and they are not subject to eviction

(e)  That Members be informed of the latest situation in regard to the issue raised above by the IPPR in relation to alternative provision and its suitability for children excluded from school

(f)    That Ward Councillors for Finsbury Park and Caledonian wards be kept informed of the details of the bespoke trauma training, as referred to above

(g)  That details of the work in relation to moped delivery drivers and anti-social behaviour that is taking place be circulated to Members

(h)  That Members be informed of the details of the 54 tenants that were evicted in the previous year, as a result of rent arrears, and whether these families were rehoused on in temporary accommodation, and if any of the evictions resulted in children being made homeless

The Chair thanked Councillors Hull, Comer-Schwartz, Catherine Briody and Keith Stanger for attending