Angelique Foster, Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner, will evaluate the impact of efforts to crackdown on anti-social behaviour and neighbourhood crime in a new Performance Scrutiny Meeting.
The meeting, to be held online on Tuesday 18th June, is part of an ongoing programme of scrutiny to enable the Commissioner to hold the Chief Constable Rachel Swann to account for delivery against her Police and Crime Plan priorities.
Since her election in 2021, the Commissioner has continually challenged the force to provide an effective response to nuisance behaviour and neighbourhood crimes such as burglary, drug dealing and theft.
Neighbourhood Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) are key priorities in the Commissioner’s Police and Crime Plan, mirroring the strong public feeling and concern around these issues. Since her election the Commissioner has strengthened Neighbourhood Policing Teams significantly, ensuring that the 351 additional officers have the right training and equipment to carry out their job effectively.
Last year, the Commissioner secured Derbyshire a place in two national pilots to address ASB, bringing in an extra £4.4m for the force area to invest in ‘hotspot’ policing patrols in the worst affected areas of Derbyshire and Derby City and a new Immediate Justice scheme to make the perpetrators of ASB repay their communities for their wrongdoing.
Since the Commissioner unveiled her Derbyshire Action Against Anti-Social Behaviour Plan in July, almost 1,900 double-crewed hotspot patrols have taken place across 23 locations. This has resulted in numerous arrests with drugs, stolen property and weapons recovered.
Meanwhile, Derbyshire Constabulary is believed to be the only force in the country to be successfully integrating the hotspot patrols pilot with the Immediate Justice scheme, with 148 referrals received so far by restorative services charity Remedi – the highest figure in the country.
The Commissioner’s ongoing work to address ASB – a key public priority – has seen incidents fall 50 per cent since pre-Covid levels while residential burglary rates have fallen by 31 per cent and theft offences have dropped by 11 per cent.
The Commissioner’s budget has funded vital operational improvements including the introduction of Neighbourhood Acquisitive Crime Teams to tackle robbery and burglary. She has also invested in the appointment of Neighbourhood Wardens across the county to support the delivery of visibility patrols to combat ASB.
In addition, the way police and local authorities work together to tackle illegal encampments in Derbyshire has been strengthened with the Commissioner’s launch of a rapid reaction taskforce pilot scheme to make it easier and quicker for partners to intervene and address issues effectively.
Police and Crime Commissioner Angelique Foster said: “We have delivered significant progress to protect our communities from the threat of ASB and neighbourhood crime. These improvements have not only driven down offending but have put Derbyshire on the map for innovation.
“There is no room for complacency, however. I continue to do everything I can to put an end to these intrusive crimes and ensure perpetrators face the full consequences of their actions and ultimately change their behaviour. With significant additional funding to support this work, we will continue to show a united front with our partners to deliver the response to these issues the public deserves.”
In fulfilling her Police and Crime Plan pledges, the Commissioner launched her own annual Anti-Social Behaviour Prevention Grant scheme – injecting £100k into voluntary and community organisations across the county to help divert young people away from the risks of crime and anti-social behaviour.
She also kept to her promise to recruit more police officers to boost visible policing in Derbyshire’s communities. Derbyshire Constabulary now has 351 more police officers than it did in 2020.
The PSM meeting will take place virtually on Tuesday 18th June and will be recorded and published via the Commissioner’s website and social media channels as soon as possible after its conclusion.
The public can submit questions prior to the event between: 12 February and 26 February 2024 at: https://forms.office.com/e/e5cNrSN2w0
As published on OPCC website 12th February 2024