Agenda item

Chief Inspector Kevin Thatcher from Avon and Somerset Police will report and take public questions on local policing matters.

The Chair of the Forum, Cllr Goodman, welcomed everyone to the meeting and invited Chief Inspector Kevin Thatcher to update the Forum on local policing matters.

Chief Inspector Thatcher updated as follows:

• The “face- to-face” police enquiry desk in the city centre has relocated from Manvers Street to the B&NES Council One Stop Shop, from the end of January 2016. Operational duties have now been relocated to offices at Redbridge House on the Lower Bristol Road. It is important to get the message out to people in the city so people are aware of the new arrangements.
• Bath is a safe place to live and crime numbers are low. There have however been a small number of recent crimes that  have been of particular concern, including:
  • Two sexual assaults in the city and reports of indecent exposure.
  • A pattern of dwelling burglaries in the Twerton area. An individual has been arrested.

Chief Inspector Kevin Thatcher then responded to questions as follows:

Question 1 - Cllr Norton - What have been the challenges in moving away from the Police Station based in the city centre?

Response - There have been adjustments but operationally things are working well. It is important to remain an active and visible presence in the city centre.

Question 2 - Cllr McGall - Where there have been pressures on the Police budget, what is the current position with regard to PCSOs on the ground.

Response - There is a commitment to maintain neighbourhood policing and daily prioritisation of officer deployments takes place depending on circumstances and demands.

Question 3 - Cllr Patterson - Can problems associated with multiple use of the canal towpath to the east of Bath could be addressed, in particular the conflict between cyclists and pedestrians. Would be possible to patrol the towpath?

Response - Working relationships are now well established in this area and regular patrols are carried out. There are times when other operational requirements will mean patrols do not occur every day.

Question 4 - Cllr Rayment - Why are we seeing a reduction of 17% in police numbers in Avon and Somerset when London has seen the reduction at 5-6%?

Response - Staffing across the force area has reduced by 600 people and there have been a number of Police officers leaving within that number. There has been a recent drive from the force in recruiting new officers.

Question 5 - Cllr Darey - What support is given to the victims of crime, particularly the types of crime with the Chief Inspector had highlighted earlier?

Response - The Lighthouse Team provides dedicated support to victims of crime and is located at the Keynsham Police site. This is an innovative service which provides a wide range of help and support including access to specialist services for victims of serious crime.

Question 6 - Cllr Player - What is your definition of a “regular patrol” in the outer wards in Bath as well as the city centre?

Response –The Police neighbourhood team covers the city and beat officers are expected to be in their local areas for most of their time. However, other commitments may at times means they are not always on the streets. There is a beat officer specifically covering the Twerton area and an additional PCSO will be added soon. There 6 PCs and 10 PCSOs dedicated to the city centre.

Question 7 - Cllr Player - Who looks after public safety where there are problems with lighting on Network Rail land?

Response - This is not a Police responsibility and should be reported to Network Rail. Where public safety reported as a danger the Police may temporarily plug the gaps.

Question 8 - Cllr Furse - Having PSCOs in cars defeats the object of the visual foot patrol. Is this a result of the move away from the city centre?

Response - We want to keep Police out of cars when possible. The distance from the new office to the Centre of the City is a 15 minute walk. Having a local presence in Lewis House will keep Police in the City Centre.

Question 9 - Jeremy Boss - Where residents report incidents such as vandalism they expect to see patrols in these areas and have contact from the Police.

Response - Where reports are made of incidents occurring, reassurance can be given that an investigation will take place and action will be taken.

Question 10 - Caroline Kay - My impressions of the work of Bath Police is fantastic. What would make life easier for you?

Response - More staff, less crime, and a greater ability to get key messages out to the public. We have the support of a number of volunteers and the work they carry out in the background often goes unseen.

Question 11 - Robin Kerr – Was the relocation and streamlining services to a hub in Keynsham after one year deemed a success or failure, particularly relating to the concern that arrest processing would mean more travel to Keynsham?

Response – We have set up a dedicated detainee investigation team which has helped free up other staff and that this had streamlined the process.

Question 12 - George Samios - With the present issue of extremism having a high profile, what concerns should Bath have?

Response - The Police work with partners through the Prevent Strategy which regularly assesses any changes in risk. Bath like any other city will have risks associated with extremism; however there was not a major series of risks in Bath in this regard.

Question 13 – Cllr Goodman asked for an update on what would happen in the case of a terror attack in the City?

Response – Kevin Thatcher explained that Bath was in a similar situation to other comparable Cities and that response plans were in place.