Agenda item

Consider report by Chief Social Work and Public Protection Officer.  (Copy attached.)

COUNCIL FUNDED POLICE COMMUNITY ACTION TEAM

14.1     There had been circulated copies of a report by the Chief Social Work and Public Protection Officer which provided an overview and summary of activity undertaken by the Police Scotland Community Action Team (CAT) since its formation in 2018/19.  Chief Inspector Stuart Reid of Police Scotland joined the meeting.  The report explained that in the financial year 2018/19 a sergeant and six constables came together to form the initial CAT.  These officers funded by SBC were in addition to the Scottish Borders authorised policing establishment.  For the purposes of oversight and scrutiny, a Member/Officer Oversight Group was established; this was cross party and representative of localities.  Meetings were held monthly, CAT activity in the previous month was scrutinised and tasks for the upcoming month were agreed.  In 2019/20 a second CAT was established taking the complement to two sergeants and twelve constables.  This increase in police officers was incremental over several months. The initial commitment with Police Scotland for both teams was for three years up to the end of 2020/21. 

14.2     Mr Jones, Safer Communities & Community Justice Manager, explained that the CAT was now part way through the third year of the 3yr funded programme.  Each month the Oversight Group considered information which had been put forward by the partnership analyst, Elected Members, and Police Scotland that constituted identified or emerging problems/risks in the Scottish Borders and specifically those that could benefit from focused Police attention to address the issues raised.  Following detailed consideration of each proposal, if deemed appropriate, it became a specific tasking activity for the CAT with any proposals not accepted directed towards an alternative policing or Council response.  To ensure the CAT activity was effectively monitored there were a number of mechanisms in place to ensure the work of the CAT was visible not only to Elected Members and Council officers but also to the wider community within Scottish Borders.  All tasking proposed for the CAT, regardless of the source of the report, was logged and any action agreed to address the proposed problem was documented.  Not all tasks were appropriate for the CAT so where tasking was directed away from the CAT a record was maintained.  The logging of all proposed tasking and clarity where the responsibility lay for addressing issues allowed for effective tracking of the CAT and other disposal options when dealing with community issues.  The report detailed the background to the formation of the CAT, the key successes in terms of drug searches and seizures, youth issue resolution, parking tickets and initiatives.

14.3     Councillor Harry Scott thanked Mr Jones for his presentation and suggested it would be helpful for the CAT quarterly reports to coincide with meetings of the Police, Fire & Rescue and Safer Communities Board.  Councillor Scott then raised concerns that Police Officers no longer attended Community Council meetings and requested that CAT Officers attend in order to strengthen their links within communities.  In response, Chief Inspector Reid advised that he was happy for CAT officers to attend but Police Scotland was unable to use Zoom for remote meetings due to security issues, although officers could use Microsoft Teams.  Mr Robertson added that the Council was looking at how to allow access to Zoom for Elected Members to attend remote Community Council meetings.  Councillor Anderson referred to very good results on youth resolution and also whether the figures on drug seizures related purely to work by the CATs or included wider Police Scotland activity.  Chief Inspector Reid confirmed that the figures in the report related to the work of the CATs.  Since the inception of the CAT, drug recovery was touching on almost £2m.   

14.4     Councillor Harry Scott went onto to request that the Member/Officer CAT Oversight Group be included in the Scheme of Administration as a formal committee of Council, as in his opinion there was no adequate means of scrutinising the work undertaken and openness and accountability was required and that terns of reference be drawn up for the CAT.  Ms Wilkinson, the Clerk to the Council, explained the implications of adding the Oversight Group to the Scheme of Administration in terms of public reporting and confidentiality and discussions with Police Scotland were required.   Members of the Committee discussed the merits and issues of bringing the Oversight Group into the Scheme of Administration and requested further details from the Clerk to the Council for the next meeting before reaching a decision. 

DECISION

AGREED to receive a report from the Clerk to the Council at the next meeting on the options and implications of including the Member/Officer Strategic Oversight Group into the Scheme of Administration to allow for discussions with Police Scotland.