Agenda item

Consider report by Executive Director, Finance & Regulatory.  (Copy attached)

4.1       With reference to paragraph 13 of the Minute of the Audit and Scrutiny Committee of 22 October 2020, there had been circulated copies of a report by the Executive Director, Finance & Regulatory, which provided further details of potential amended governance arrangements for the Police Community Action Teams (CATs).  As had been reported previously, the performance monitoring of the CATs could be moved from the CAT Member/Officer Oversight Group to the Executive Committee and be reported through the Executive Committee on a quarterly basis.  This would allow a more public view of the work of the CATs, with reports being published committee papers and available on the Council website.  A workshop could be held for members of the Police, Fire & Rescue, and Safer Communities Board to explain the process used to decide on the work of the CATs, including when issues are passed to Police Scotland.  This would allow members of that Board to gain an insight into the governance of the CATs.  It may also be helpful to consider whether the CAT Oversight Group and the Police, Fire & Rescue and Safer Communities Board should meet informally, in private, once per year to discuss the work of the CATS and raise any concerns.  The Clerk to the Council explained the potential amendments contained within the report and, following discussion, Councillor Harry Scott sought to simplify the recommendations as follows:-

4.2       Councillor Harry Scott, seconded by Councillor Anderson proposed the following motion:-

(i)      that the tasking of the Police Community Action Teams remains with the CAT Member/Officer Oversight Group;

(ii)      that the performance monitoring of the Police Community Action Teams be moved from the CAT Member/Officer Oversight Group to the Executive Committee, with reporting on a quarterly basis; and

(iii)     that a workshop be held for members of the Police, Fire & Rescue, and Safer Communities Board to explain the process of tasking for the Police Community Action Teams.

4.3       Councillor Fullarton, seconded by Councillor Greenwell, proposed as an amendment that the recommendations contained within the report be approved as follows:

(i)      Notes that those involved in the current CAT Member/Officer Oversight Group consider it to be working effectively, therefore it remains the officer view that no changes are required to the governance arrangements.

(ii)      Agrees to make recommendations to Council on the current Police Community Action Teams governance arrangements, potentially:

(1)     that the tasking of the Police Community Action Teams remained with the CAT Member/Officer Oversight Group;

(2)     that the performance monitoring of the Police Community Action Teams be moved from the CAT Member/Officer Oversight Group to the Executive Committee, with reporting on a quarterly basis; and

(3)     the Police, Fire & Rescue and Safer Communities Board and the CAT Member/Officer Oversight Group meet informally, in private, on an annual basis, to discuss the work of the Police Community Action Teams.

(c)     Agrees to recommend that a workshop be held for members of the Police, Fire & Rescue and Safer Communities Board to explain the process of tasking for the Police Community Action Teams.

VOTE

            As the meeting was conducted by Microsoft Teams members were unable to vote by the normal show of hands and gave a verbal response as to how they wished to vote the result of which was as follows:-

         Motion – 4 votes

          Amendment – 4 votes

          Abstain – 1 vote

         As there was an equality of votes, the Chairman exercised his casting vote in favour of the amendment.

         The amendment was accordingly carried

DECISION

(a)     DECIDED to NOTE that those involved in the current CAT Member/Officer Oversight Group consider it to be working effectively, therefore it remained the officer view that no changes were required to the governance arrangements. 

*          (b)     DECIDED to RECOMMEND to Council the following changes to the current Police Community Action Teams governance arrangements:

 (i)     that the tasking of the Police Community Action Teams remained with the CAT  Member/Officer Oversight Group;

(ii)     that the performance monitoring of the Police Community Action Teams be moved from the CAT Member/Officer Oversight Group to the Executive Committee, with reporting on a quarterly basis; and

(iii)    the Police, Fire & Rescue and Safer Communities Board and the CAT Member/Officer Oversight Group meet informally, in private, on an annual basis, to discuss the work of the Police Community Action Teams.

*         (c)      DECIDED to RECOMMEND that a workshop be held for members of the Police, Fire & Rescue and Safer Communities Board to explain the process of tasking for the Police Community Action Teams.