Issue - meetings

Report and appendices attached.

The report before Members presented information regarding the progress of the mobilisation of the new Enforcement and Safety structure which commenced on 1 June 2020.

Tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB) and all aspects of environmental nuisance was a priority for the community and for Members and it was identified in 2017 that the Council’s approach to enforcement had been fragmented and inconsistent.

After completing a detailed review and consultation it was agreed in December 2019 to proceed with the implementation of a new unified intelligence based enforcement and safety structure.

Implementation of the new structure was slightly delayed due to a change in personnel in February and March and the outbreak of the Covid19 pandemic. However preparation for the mobilisation continued in April and May.

Mobilisation of the new structure commenced on 1 June 2020 and all staff were assimilated or appointed to new roles within the new structure.

Appended to the report were appendices showing the new structure, a training matrix and examples of performance indicators.

An Enforcement and Safety Lead Officer matrix, had been established and shared with relevant Council and Police staff to enable the transition to the new structure to be as smooth as possible.

A review of the new structure is scheduled to commence after the first 6 months has concluded to ensure it is meeting the new requirements or to allow for adjustments if not.

The Environmental Enforcement Teams were split into three areas (North, Central and South. Each team looked after 6 wards and each team had 4 officers who worked shift rotas between 7am to 7pm Monday to Saturday.

The Daytime Tactical Team had a borough-wide remit which focused on parks and open spaces. The team operated Monday to Sunday with officers working 5 of 7 days and worked between 10am and 8pm depending on the seasons.

The Night Time Tactical Team worked from Monday to Saturday between 1pm and 11pm and had a borough wide remit which concentrated on high footfall areas predominantly town centres.

In response to a question relating to devices and equipment, officers responded by advising that some staff had previously not had mobile devices so they had been unable to receive emails and reports, body cameras for some staff and a uniform provision.

Police representatives responded to a question relating to the increased use of electric scooters by advising that it was not a targeted priority but if it was a problem in a particular area then officers would intervene.

The Chairman asked that if possible both officers and police representatives also advise the Sub-Committee going forward of any good news stories.

The Sub-Committee noted the contents of the report and appendices.