Scottish Borders Council

Agenda item

Safer Communities - Safer Communities and Community Justice Manager - Graham Jones. (Copy attached.)

Minutes:

9.1     Safer Communities

          There had been circulated copies of the Safer Communities Performance Report covering the period 1 April 2016 to 31 December 2016.  Mr Graham Jones, Safer Communities and Community Justice Manager, highlighted the key points in the report.  Strategic Policy 1 - There had been an increase of 7 reported incidents of domestic abuse for the year to date in 2016/17, when compared to the same time period last year, which equated to a 1.1% increase.  5 fewer reported sexual crimes related to domestic abuse in the year to date when compared to the same time period last year, which equated to a 35.7% decrease.   There had been 58 fewer referrals in the year to date when compared to the same time period in 2015/16. The aim was to increase referrals but the trend for the last 3 years had been downward.   There had been a decrease in the number of cases discussed at Multi-Agency Risk Management Conference (MARAC) in the year to date when compared to the same time period on 2015/16.   MARAC referrals were lower than the expected yearly total of 200.   This projected figure was based on a national U.K. wide statistical indicator which suggested that a population the size of the Scottish Borders could expect 200 high risk cases per year.   The number of high risk offender referrals to the end of quarter 3 of 2016/17 was 40% lower than recorded for 2015/16 for the same time period.   There were 79 fewer children present in the home where domestic abuse incidents had taken place; this was a 28.3% reduction on the year to date when compared to the same time period in 2015/1/6.   52 fewer children witnessed domestic abuse, this was a 48.1% reduction for the year to date when compared to the same time period in 2015/16 and was currently reversing a recent upward trend.  There had been an increase in the number of homeless presentations from 60 in the year to date of 2015/16 to 85 in 2016/17.  Strategic Policy 2:  There had been a small decrease in the percentage of Anti-Social Behaviour incidents which were alcohol related in the second quarter of 2016/17 when compared to the same time period in 2015/16.There had been 78 interventions following anti-social incidents in licensed premises in the third quarter of 2016/17 bringing the total for the year to date to 208.  There had been 23 referrals into the Anti-Social Behaviour process as a result of proactive drug enforcement.    Strategic Policy 3: There had been a small increase in the number of group 1 – 5 victims recorded in the year to date when compared to the same time period in 2015/16, this equated to 21 additional victims.   There had been an increase of 309 reported Anti-Social Behaviour incidents compared to the same time period in 2015//16.There had been an increase in the number of youth related Anti-Social Behaviour incidents in the year 2016/17 when compared to the same time period in 2015/16; if the current trend continued it was likely that youth incidents would show the first year end increase in 5 years. 287 more persons were being monitored for anti-social behaviour in the year to date when compared to the same time period in 2015/16.  The number of mediation referrals in the year to date was the same when compared to the same time period in 2015/16.    Strategic Policy 4:      In relation to reducing the level and impact of poor driver behaviour through effective working, it was noted that had been an increase of 3 road users killed on our roads in the year to date when compared to the same time period in 2015/16; and an increase of 1 road user seriously injured in the year to date when compared to the same time period in 2015/16.  2 children had been seriously injured on our roads in the third quarters, bringing the total to 4, the same as last year at this point.  5 young drivers had been killed or seriously injured in the year to date, which was the same number compared with the same time period in 2015/16.   6 older drivers had been killed or seriously injured in the year to date; this was a decrease on the same time period in 2015/16.   Finally 14 motorcyclists had been killed or seriously injured in the year to date; this was an increase on the same time period in 2015/16.   Strategic Policy 5:  In relation to reducing the level and impact of accidents in the home through effective partnership working, for the time period 1 April to 31 July 2016 there had been an increase of 4 accidents in the under 5’s recorded, when compared to the same time period in 2015.   For the time period 1 April to 30 September 2016 there had been fewer recorded falls in the over 75s compared to the same time period in 2015.   There had been a significant increase in the number of actioned Fire Service adult and child protection referrals received from Safer Communities.

 

         

          DECISION

          NOTED. 

 

Supporting documents:

 

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