Venue: Committee Room 1/2 - Port Talbot Civic Centre. View directions
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To resolve to act as the Crime and Disorder Scrutiny Committee in line with Section 19 of the Police and Justice Act 2006 Minutes: Members resolved to act as
the Crime and Disorder Scrutiny Committee. |
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Minutes: Members noted the minutes from the previous meeting. |
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Scrutiny Forward Work Programme 2017/18 PDF 127 KB Minutes: Members
noted the scrutiny forward programme for 2017/18. |
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To scrutinise information and monitoring issues being reported by: |
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Anti Social Behaviour - Presentation by Inspector Declan Cahill / Paul Lewis PDF 319 KB Minutes: Inspector Declan Cahill from South Wales Police gave a presentation to
Members on Operation Grey Denver, which highlighted the partnership work that
had been undertaken to tackle anti-social behaviour within the county borough.
Inspector Cahill reported that between July and September 18 individuals had
been identified in Neath town centre as engaging in
anti-social behaviour, and 12 in Port Talbot town centre. Where relevant,
information regarding these individuals were shared
with Housing Options and the Welsh Centre for Action on Dependency and
Addiction (WCADA) to offer support. Inspector Cahill listed the various locations where anti-social
behaviour had frequently occurred. The areas that were identified were Victoria
Gardens and Angel Square in Neath where instances of
substance misuse had taken place, the Neath and Port Talbot town centre areas
for begging, and the train stations in Neath and Port Talbot for begging and
substance misuse incidents. Inspector Cahill informed Members of the preventative
steps taken when attempting to tackle anti-social behaviour, such as
intelligence and information sharing with 40 local businesses, effective CCTV
analysis, and the presence of police officers, police community support
officers and town rangers in various locations. Inspector Cahill added that
maintaining the current level of police presence in the town centres was
becoming challenging due to financial constraints. Inspector Cahill informed Members that there had been reports of
individuals begging in the town centres that were not considered destitute, and
as a result could be committing fraudulent acts. Inspector Cahill continued by
stating that it was difficult to prove if somebody was begging as it required a
robust evidence base. Inspector Cahill added that the police would be unable to
charge anybody who did not directly ask for money e.g. individuals sitting
silently with receptacles for citizens to place money into. Members enquired
whether a beggar could be charged if they were proven to be fraudulent and were
witnessed by police requesting money from the public. Inspector Cahill
confirmed that in this case they could be charged. Inspector Cahill informed Members of the work that had been undertaken
during Neath September Fair to address underage drinking. Inspector Cahill
stated that police officers visited off licences in the town to ensure that
they complied with licensing laws and found that there were no issues to
report. Inspector Cahill informed the committee that despite numerous comments
regarding anti-social behaviour on social media sites during Neath September
Fair, the police only received one reported incident. Inspector Cahill added
that the police were unable to act on comments made on social media and instead
needed citizens to report incidents directly to the police. Inspector Cahill
informed Members that South Wales Police were intending to purchase software in
the near future that would allow citizens to report incidents via a mobile
phone application. Details of any incidents reported via this channel would
then be received directly by police officers on patrol. Inspector Cahill acknowledged that the 101 service for reporting crime had missed targets for answering calls, but 94.3% of those who ... view the full minutes text for item 4a |
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Additional documents:
Minutes: Officers updated Members on the new legal duties and responsibilities
placed on the local authority to prevent people from being drawn into extremist
activities following the introduction of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act
2015. Officers informed Members of the counter terrorism strategy CONTEST,
which had four elements; pursue, prevent, protect and prepare. Officers
informed Members of the Council’s participation on the Western Bay CONTEST
Board which aimed to prevent extremism threats. Officers reported that 800
members of staff and councillors from the current and previous administration
had attended the Workshop Raising Awareness of Prevent (WRAP) training which
highlighted potential signs to look out for if somebody was being drawn into
extremist activity. Officers added that there were eight accredited trainers in
place to deliver the WRAP training, and the next phase of the training would be
carried out in the schools. Officers presented the Prevent action plan to Members which outlined the
work completed to date and the work to be undertaken next to deal with
extremism and terrorist threats. Officers stated that the work was being
carried out by the local multi agency Prevent action group. Officers reported
positive feedback following a peer review and added that Neath Port Talbot were
the first group in the UK to have the review. The review confirmed that the
action group’s approach was correct. Members noted the Prevent action plan. Officers stated that
they were seeking endorsement from the Regeneration and Sustainable Development
Cabinet Board for delegated authority to be passed to relevant officers to
implement the Venue Hire Policy. Officers informed Members that the policy
would place responsibility on officers who take venue hire bookings to be
vigilant and to take the relevant course of action if an enquiry raised
suspicion. Members stated that it was important for town and community councils
to be aware of the Venue Hire Policy. Members were supportive of the proposal
to be considered by Cabinet Board. |
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Food and Feed Law Enforcement Performance PDF 955 KB Minutes: Officers informed Members of their intention to inspect 100% of the
premises for 2017-18. Officers reported that in 2016-17 the department did not
achieve 100% inspections on premises classified as category D and E. Officers
stated that the Food Standard Agency (FSA) were notified of this, and resources
had been re-distributed in order to ensure that the target was met in 2017-18.
Officers informed Members that they were considering charging new businesses
for advice and coaching from the team. This service had been provided free of
charge previously. Members queried whether businesses were still fined if a food item was
found out of date during an inspection. Officers stated that any businesses
using items found to be passed their use by date would be committing an offence
and would be dealt with accordingly. Officers added that businesses found to be
using items that had exceeded their best before date would be advised that it
was not good practice. Members queried whether the council received the money
generated from the fines. Officers confirmed that the Home Office received the
money from the fines. Officers added that if a business is taken to court and
found guilty, the council will be reimbursed for the time spent on the case by
the Trading Standards Officer and Legal Officer. Members enquired whether there was information available which explained
why a business had received a certain hygiene star rating. Officers informed
Members that this information could be obtain on the FSA website. Members queried whether it was a legal
requirement for businesses to display the hygiene rating at all times. Officers
stated that it was a legal requirement; however some businesses had been known
to display incorrect hygiene ratings. Members enquired whether officers carried
out unplanned visits to business premises. Officers confirmed that unplanned
visits were carried out especially if complaints were received regarding a particular
business premises. Members queried whether new businesses were automatically inspected or
did they need to submit an application to receive the inspection. Officers
confirmed that the onus was on the new businesses to apply for their initial
inspection. Members acknowledged the good working carried
out by the section. Members noted the report on Food And Feed Service Delivery Plan
2017-2018 And The Food And Feed Law Enforcement Review 2016-2017. |