Agenda item

To provide an overview to Members of the activities of the Gwynedd and Anglesey Community Safety Partnership.

Resolved:

1.     To accept the report, noting the observations made during the discussion.

2.     To request that future Annual Reports include data on performance measures including crime related measures, and a map highlighting the location of crimes.

3.     To request further data and information about the 'Don't Steal My Future' sessions, hosted by RASASC Cymru (Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre).

4.     To request data on the number of sessions and the number of individuals who have undertaken VAWDASV (Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence) training, and that this data be included within the future Annual Report.

5.     To urge Cyngor Gwynedd to proceed to obtain the 'Trauma Informed Council' accreditation.

 

The report was presented by the Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Well-being and the Senior Operational Officer of the Gwynedd and Anglesey Community Safety Partnership.

 

It was confirmed that the report provided a comprehensive update on the work of the Community Safety Partnership, showing how it works together to tackle crime and disorder across Gwynedd and Anglesey and to improve safety for our communities.

 

It was explained that the Partnership worked to an annual plan that was based on the priorities of the Safer North Wales Board’s Strategy. It was elaborated that the Partnership receives quarterly data from the police in order to identify trends, steer discussions, support early intervention and solve local problems within communities.

 

It was stressed that the Partnership did not have permanent core funding and it does not commission services directly except for Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHR). It was explained that the partnership relied mainly on short-term or competitive grant opportunities to support its wider work.

 

Details were provided of the Partnership's activity, confirming that it continued to deliver a Community Safety Plan and provided quarterly reports on it to the Safer North Wales Partnership Board. It was also noted that the Partnership provides an active contribution to the North Wales Serious Violence Strategy, which was a new national duty.

 

They were pleased that £65,000 had been allocated for seven preventative projects in Gwynedd and Anglesey. The projects in Gwynedd included:

 

·         'Don't Steal My Future' sessions held by RASASC Wales (Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre) to raise awareness of sexual violence with pupils and to influence attitudes and behaviours.

·         An awareness campaign around selling vapes illegally and child exploitation, in order to share intelligence.

·         An additional youth provision over school holidays for 11-25 year olds in areas facing a high risk of crime, violence and anti-social behaviour.

·         A joint project with the Council's Education Department to reduce exclusions and prevent serious violence through training, mentoring and group work, with the aim of keeping pupils in school and safe.

 

Reference was made to other projects that the Partnership had carried out, such as upgrading CCTV cameras in Caernarfon, Bangor and Pwllheli; developing and piloting an awareness pack around Serious Organised Crime for local authority staff, and continuing as a Member of the Council's Strategic Safeguarding Panel and Safeguarding Operational Group.

 

They highlighted that the partnership worked closely with the Regional Lead for Suicide and Self-Harm in the Health Service, noting that a multi-agency workshop had been delivered by the Partnership to examine the link between domestic abuse and suicide. They also referred to the Partnership's ongoing work with a regional Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy that was aimed at reducing alcohol-related harm.

 

It was explained that the Partnership had delivered professional training on the themes of sexism, masculinity and violence. It was confirmed that the Welsh Government had approved a VAWDASV (Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence) capital grant application to purchase 100 security cameras for survivors of domestic abuse and contribute to regional work on standardising 'target hardening' by making the homes of victims and survivors safer.

 

It was reported that an application had been submitted to the Welsh Government's Equality and Inclusion Grant Programme to fund awareness signs on cycle routes in order to promote respectful use of the paths, reduce collisions and prevent serious injuries to blind and visually impaired people. Similarly, it was noted that British Sign Language training through Grŵp Llandrillo Menai had been arranged for Siop Gwynedd staff and local domestic abuse organisations.

 

It was highlighted that the Partnership was developing Safe Zones for the prevention of violence against women and girls in Caernarfon and Bangor as well as Crimestoppers Zones in Maesgeirchen and Blaenau Ffestiniog to encourage confidential reporting of criminal activity.

 

They referred to a number of the Partnership's priorities for the year ahead, including ensuring continued implementation of all projects and schemes, whilst also attracting additional grant funding to deliver new projects.

 

During the discussion, the following observations were made:- 

 

It was highlighted that some of the priorities of the Safer North Wales Board's Strategy included 'Tackling Serious Violence and Serious Organised Crime'. In response to a query on how these offences were defined, the differences between them and how the measures that are in place to prevent them are recorded to ensure that the Strategy works efficiently, the Chief Inspector confirmed that serious offences were cases such as murder and domestic and sexual violence, and that organised crime were incidents that had been planned and co-ordinated by a group of offenders. It was added that measuring the success of work to prevent these crimes from taking place was multi-agency work as several organisations were recording data. It was confirmed that monitoring of this data highlighted whether or not the Strategy's priority was working.

 

Members were concerned that rates of robbery had increased 112.5% since last year (a total of 34 cases compared to 16 last year) where North Wales as a region had only seen an increase of 12.4%. In response to an enquiry on whether there was a way of identifying clusters where such offences occurred to be able to predict which areas would be targeted, the Chief Inspector confirmed that a successful project had recently been conducted in Bangor to prevent Serious Organised Crime related to drugs. However, he emphasised that no robbery incident can be effectively predicted as there was no pattern to the crime. It was explained that it could happen in any area, to different types of victims and can be triggered by alcohol and drug use or through disputes. However, he stressed that the vast majority of offenders who carried out robberies were arrested and charged.

 

A member was pleased that there were plans to install signs on cycle paths to protect any blind or visually impaired pedestrians from harm. It was pointed out that it was important to ensure that signs were also installed to protect deaf or hearing-impaired individuals. Similarly, members shared their ideas of placing signs in public places, such as car parks, to remind drivers of electric vehicles that there was a possibility that people may not hear them, to prevent accidents from happening. In response to the comments, the Senior Operational Officer of the Gwynedd and Anglesey Community Safety Partnership said valuable comments had arisen during the discussion and that every effort would be made to incorporate them into the work, if the application to fund the project was approved. She emphasised that officers were continuously looking for additional grant funding.

 

In response to an enquiry, the Assistant Head of Safeguarding, Quality Assurance, Mental Health and Community Safety confirmed that preventing crimes against women remained a priority for the Partnership once again this year.

 

In response to an enquiry about the difference between Domestic Violence and a Domestic Incident, the Assistant Head of Safeguarding, Quality Assurance, Mental Health and Community Safety clarified that a domestic incident was not a case for the police if no crime had taken place. She elaborated that a report was compiled of all domestic incidents that were non-criminal, and that the Community Safety Service made a decision on whether cases required intervention by assessing whether individuals had access to care.

 

The officers were congratulated on their work of installing more CCTV cameras. In response to a query if this project was being expanded to more rural areas, the Senior Operational Officer of the Gwynedd and Anglesey Community Safety Partnership noted that this particular project had developed a safe zone to protect people in urban areas. However, she hoped that grant funding would allow for the installation of more CCTV cameras during the year, and noted that work was underway to assess those areas where it would be most effective to install the cameras.

 

Details were provided on the 'Don't Steal My Future' project that had been delivered by RASASC Wales, noting that it tied in effectively with the recommendations set out in the recent Child Practice Review Report, 'Our Bravery Brought Justice'. In response to enquiries about the specifics of the event's content, when it had been held, how many schools had taken part and whether it had been shared more widely with organisations such as youth clubs, the Senior Operational Officer of the Gwynedd and Anglesey Community Safety Partnership confirmed that the project had ended. However, she explained that officers would have a meeting with grants officers in the near future and that they would request all this information in order to report it back to the Members following this meeting. The Assistant Head of Safeguarding, Quality Assurance, Mental Health and Community Safety elaborated that the continuation of this project was dependent on grant funding as there was no budget for it, and acknowledged that not every need that arises can be addressed.

 

It was highlighted that the Safer North Wales Strategy 2025-28 stated 'Tackling Serious Violence' including childhood trauma, as a Priority. In response to an enquiry on what actions were in place to realise this priority by working with partners whilst also considering the additional challenges in rural areas, the Cabinet Member explained that a Regional Board looked at the actions relating to this matter. He stressed that the work was a priority and that mandatory training had been delivered to the Partnership and that it was being filtered down to all organisations to ensure that everyone was aware of the most appropriate course of action in such situations.

 

In response to an enquiry about the work the Council was doing to obtain a Trauma Informed accreditation, the Cabinet Member agreed that it was important work that he would like to see being achieved. He elaborated that it was essential that everyone was informed around trauma and how symptoms of potential trauma can manifest in individuals, stressing that trauma-informed training was a priority. The committee was assured that an application would be submitted soon to obtain a Trauma Informed accreditation, and he thanked everyone who had been working towards it so far.

 

In response to an enquiry regarding data on the number of sessions and the number of individuals who had undertaken VAWDASV (Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence) training, the Assistant Head of Safeguarding, Quality Assurance, Mental Health and Community Safety stated that the officers had the relevant data and that it would be shared with the Members following this meeting. She added that this information would be included within the Annual Report in future.

 

In response to a query on how projects were included or removed from the Partnership's work, the Cabinet Member explained that this was decided by the Partnership itself within its meetings. The Assistant Head of Safeguarding, Quality Assurance, Mental Health and Community Safety elaborated that the Partnership looked at the North Wales Region Annual Plan first and then prioritised projects to align with it. The Senior Operational Officer of the Gwynedd and Anglesey Community Safety Partnership explained that the next Annual Plan would be approved in April and the Partnership would work with the Region to develop any new priorities according to the need. Furthermore, the Chief Inspector emphasised that North Wales Police continually shared data with the Partnership, at regional and community levels, to ensure that it could prioritise projects in line with that data.

 

It was pointed out that it would be useful to receive a map within this Annual Report in future, to be able to see if there were areas with more crime and to consider whether those areas were popular tourist spots. In response to the comments, the Chief Inspector confirmed that such a map could be developed and he would endeavour to include it within future reports. The Cabinet Member thanked North Wales Police for their continued co-operation and for their willingness to share data regularly with the Partnership.

 

The members expressed their thanks for the report.

 

Resolved:

· To accept the report, noting the observations made during the discussion.

· To request that future Annual Reports include data on performance measures including crime-related measures, and a map highlighting the location of crimes.

· To request further data and information about the 'Don't Steal My Future' sessions, hosted by RASASC Wales (Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre).

· To request data on the number of sessions and the number of individuals who have undertaken VAWDASV (Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence) training, and that this data be included within the Annual Report in future.

· To urge Cyngor Gwynedd to proceed to obtain the 'Trauma Informed Council' accreditation.