Commissioner puts forward his Draft Plan for tackling crime in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland

Police and Crime Commissioner Sir Clive Loader is set to unveil his draft plan for tackling crime and reducing the number of victims in Leicestershire over the next four years.

 

He will be formally presenting his plan to members of the Leicestershire Police and Crime Panel next week (Wed January 30) along with his proposals for the Police budget. The Panel has until 8 February to respond to the budget, and five days to respond to the Plan.  

Members of the public have until 10 March to send Sir Clive their comments. The feedback from both public and partners will be used to help shape a refined plan due to be issued in September, which will also take account of changes to funding processes, the impact of savings strategies and new commissioning plans.

Sir Clive commented:  “This draft Police and Crime Plan reflects my vision for policing Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, and also the hopes and expectations of the people who live in our communities.   

“I hope to receive some constructive feedback from the Panel when we meet and, meantime, would very much like to hear from members of the public as to what they think. Development of the plan has consumed both me, and my team, over the last two months and now we feel that it is ready to present to the panel, our partners and most importantly the public for their views. 

“It is important to remember that the plan can be refreshed and developed further in future years –and that we will always take public views and experiences into account. 

“We also have to be able to pay for what we want to do but I’m confident that the budget proposed will enable us to do that.”

His key proposals for the budget are a 2013/14 budget requirement of £173.446m and council tax requirement for 2013/14 of £49.153m. Sir Clive will recommend to the Police and Crime Panel that the Band D council tax for police purposes be frozen at £173.8750, the same level as for the financial year 2012/13. As a consequence he proposes to accept the council tax freeze grant from the Government which will amount to £1.92m in over two years. 

The Commissioner wants as many officers as possible to be on front line duties, along with a reduction in paperwork and bureaucracy to allow them to make the best use of their time on patrol. If his proposals are agreed by the Panel, PCSO numbers will be maintained in the first year at least, and the number of Special police officers increased from 300 to 400 by 2016.

He expects the Chief Constable and Leicestershire Police to seek opportunities to reduce running costs and find new ways to make communities safer. He wants the location and opening hours of Front Enquiry Offices to be reviewed to ensure they meet demand and provide good value for money. And he is also asking the Force to build on its relationships with the voluntary sector and capitalise on its own police volunteers in order to reap the maximum benefits of their excellent work.

In developing his draft plan, Sir Clive has listened to the communities of Leicester,Leicestershire and Rutland and to the police and their partners. He is particularly keen to gain the confidence and trust of victims so that they will seek police help and offer their experiences when they do so. 

“I have purposely chosen measures of success that are meaningful and transparent so that performance is not restricted to achievements against targets on crime or disorder reduction, but more specifically on meeting the needs of victims,” he said.

His policing priorities include providing a good quality of service and response to victims of crime and antisocial behaviour. He wants to reduce all crime, to demonstrate a positive outcome for victims of recorded domestic violence, serious sexual assault and recorded hate crimes, and to create a safe and supportive environment for the reporting of child abuse and child sexual exploitation. 

The Commissioner’s partnership priorities include working with partners to reduce offending among young people, alcohol and drug related offending and offending behaviour in supported families. 

With regard to contributing to regional and national threats, Sir Clive wants to ensure that Leicestershire Police maintains the capacity to have trained Police Support Units available for deployment nationally when needed, and that officers are trained to common minimum standards and deployment methods with regional forces.

Chief Constable Simon Cole said: “This is the first ever draft Police and Crime Plan for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

“The Police and Crime Commissioner was elected by local people to hold me to account and this plan focuses on areas that local people believe are important, whilst ensuring that the Force can fulfil its regional and national commitments.

“I have been consulted by Sir Clive whilst he has constructed the plan and it takes into account the Force’s strategic assessment and the consultation surveys that seek the views of local people.  The plan also reflects the challenges of our budget ahead.  

“We serve a diverse population across the city and counties and the plan seeks to build on our neighbourhood approach which allows us to deal with varied local priorities and community concerns.

“I look forward to continue working with local communities, local partnerships and the Police and Crime Commissioner as we seek to protect our communities.” 

Members of the public can contact the Commissioner via the website: Contact Us, Twitter:@LeicsPCC, email: police.commissioner@leicestershire.pnn.police.uk or phone: 0116 229 8980.

 

 

Posted on Monday 9th May 2016
Share this