Agenda item

Information Report: Local Policing on Wirral

To receive a presentation from Local Policing Superintendent Ian Hassall.

Minutes:

The Committee considered a presentation from Local Policing Superintendent, Ian Hassall on local policing on Wirral.

 

Superintendent Hassall reported on the current financial position indicating that prior to the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) Announcement, the force were expecting further a reduction to its funding which would reduce the establishment to less than 5000 officers and staff.

 

He reported that the Community First Project Team was established to help meet the saving requirement and create the best possible operating model for the community.

 

Post the CSR announcement, It was announced that the budget was to be protected; there would be a 50% uplift in firearms capability; there would be further savings to reinvest into reform; more collaboration with Fire service and other forces; planned changes to the funding formula; inflation and pay awards; a transformational fund and efficiencies and savings be identified for reinvestment elsewhere.

 

To meet the savings required the force created new business areas to include: Response & Resolution, Local Policing, Investigation, Matrix, LAT’s & Secretarial Support, Criminal Justice, Intelligence and Corporate Services (blue light).

 

In summary he explained what the new business areas meant for Wirral

 

·  Emergency and priority calls would be responded to by police with 999 and 101 calls being answered by Force call handlers

·  Investigations – Protecting Vulnerable People Unit & Reactive & Volume Crime teams would manage all Wirral investigations based at Birkenhead Police Station

·  Community Policing Team & Targeted Policing Team would be based at Wallasey and team would continue to provide visibility across Wirral and respond to priorities such as serious and organised crime

·  A Community Policing Team would be based at Bebington

·  Community Police Stations would be based within Communities

 

Superintendent Hassall outlined some of the benefits and challenges faced whilst operating under the new model.

 

He highlighted some of the positive feedback received, in particular from North Birkenhead where officers had undertaken work along with other partner agencies.

 

The new model encouraged smarter working; created stronger relationships with partner agencies and Local Authorities and was of a big benefit to the prevention model.

 

Superintendent Hassall indicated that officers worked closely with emergency services on all major incidents such as the one in New Ferry and the force would continue to lobby the Government for funds from the Transformational Fund. He reiterated that Officers would always respond to a major incident and if required could call on other police forces resources to assist.

 

In response to a Members concern that due to the limited resources the good work of the Community Policing would diminish, Superintendent Hassall commented that the Community Policing Team would be there to help solve issues for examples issues arising from Mischief Night and Bonfire Night and PCSO’s would take the lead on community issues which was an essential part of community policing. it was hoped that incidents such as the one in New Ferry was a one off incident and therefore officers would not need to be redrafted away from their areas of work to assist. It was the Force’s aim for the PCSO’s to move away from the areas in which they trained and be in attendance at crime scenes.

 

In response to Members concerns, he indicated that in relation to human trafficking Wirral was leading on this issue and regularly ran operations in places known as hotspots for trafficking.

 

Superintendent Hassall reported that the Matrix Team operated from a central department, which included Police horses and dogs but he could request those resources if and when needed. CID was based locally in Birkenhead and there was a road and traffic element of policing based on Wirral. In addition there were nine police vans that could also be utilised with officer support to attend to incident or cause disruption.

 

In relation to cyber-crime, it was reported that there was a lot of activity; online threats would get investigated at a local level and organised crime would be dealt with by a specialist team or a specialised agency.

 

Since the launch of the new policing model , Superintendent Hassall indicated that lessons had been learnt in relation to communication, processes were now in place and  services would continue to be evaluated and audits undertaken to help respond to those issues that could drive improvement.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That  Superintendent Hassall be thanked for his update presentation.