Agenda and minutes

The Evacuation Procedure was noted.

There were no declarations of interest.

To approve the minutes for the last meeting held on xxx

The minutes of the previous meeting were agreed as a true record subject to the removal of Hartlepool in the list of Clear Hold Build locations.

AGREED

Members were presented with the Recorded Crime & Disorder report, the report focused on the recorded crime in the Stockton On Tees Borough over a 12 month period starting in June 2024 to June 2025.

Key pointed noted from the report were:

-        Publicly reported offences had decreased by 9.9%. 

-        Police generated crime had decreased by 2.0%.

-        Overall violence was down by 3.2%.

-        Overall Sexual Offences was up by 15.7% however Officers noted that Rape down by 24.7% during this period.

-        In public reported offences Residential Burglary saw the largest decrease of 31.2%.

Also discussed was the increase in drug offences shown in the report. This was expanded upon by Officers as being due to proactive work to tackle organised crime, this was also linked with the increase in weapon offences in the report.

AGREED to note the report.

New Home Office guidance on neighbourhood policing had been released called Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee (NPG). The NPG has five pillars and associated commitments which are as follows. 

•              Police back on the beat: A Neighbourhood Policing Team in every local area, carrying out intelligence-led and visible patrols, including in town centres and on high streets. We will hold forces to account for ensuring neighbourhood policing teams are protected, so they remain focussed on serving communities.

•              Community-led policing: A named, contactable officer for every neighbourhood, responsive to local problems. Residents and local businesses will be able to have a say on the police’s priorities for their area.

•              Clear performance standards and professional excellence: New training for officers and standards for professional excellence will ensure neighbourhood policing is developed as a specialist policing capability.

•              Crackdown on anti-social behaviour: Neighbourhood policing teams will have tougher powers, and be supported by other agencies, to tackle persistent anti-social behaviour. This includes piloting the new Respect Order to enable swift enforcement against prolific offenders, and a dedicated lead officer in every force working with communities to develop a local anti-social behaviour action plan.

•              Safer town centres: Neighbourhood policing teams will crack down on shop theft, street theft and assaults against retail workers, so local people can take back their streets from thugs and thieves.

Representatives from Cleveland Police also informed members that there would be 20 additional neighbourhood Officers announced shortly. With plans to deliver those additional Officers by the end of 2025, but at the latest the end of the financial year.

Officers also informed members of Force Engagement Leads which would entail a named PC lead for areas/wards. This would take the form of PCSOs identified by Photo and name online, which would be used to advertise local meetings community or Council alongside Police drop-in sessions.

Members asked how the named PSCO for every ward would be managed, would wards share the same PSCO etc. Officers explained that depending on size and population some areas would have the same PSCO but would be monitored for change in demand etc.

Members agreed to note the update.

Representatives from the Cleveland Unit for the Reduction of Violence (Curv) presented the Knife Crime Action Plan to partners.

The Knife Crime Action Plan aims to reduce knife crime by targeting both young people and adults. For young people, the focus is on prevention through early engagement, positive alternatives to violence and support at critical moments. The plan empowers communities with youth-led campaigns, real-life stories, and safe spaces. For adults (19+), the emphasis is on long-term solutions like job training, skill development, and mentorship to create lasting opportunities. By collaborating closely with stakeholders, partners will ensure a coordinated approach that aligns prevention efforts with enforcement actions. All partner’s shared goal is to build stronger, safer communities where individuals have the tools and support to avoid serious violence and contribute to a Safer Cleveland.

The key themes in the report were:

1.         Prevention – Engage, Educate and Divert

2.         Early Intervention – Supporting at Critical Crossroads

3.         Community Action – Reducing Knife Crime Together

4.         Building Tomorrow – Creating Opportunities for a Safer Future

How partners will be able to measure the success of the action plan were discussed with partners. The overall success of the measures were set out by the Home Office and included:

•              NHS data on hospital admissions for assaults with a knife or sharp object, for all ages and particularly for those under 25.

•              Police-reported data on knife and sharp object-enabled serious violence, across all age groups.

•              Homicide statistics recorded by police, with a focus on victims under 25 and non-domestic settings (where data allows)

•              Reduction in reoffending rates

•              Reduction in serious violence measured using the Cambridge Harm Index

•              Cost Benefit Analysis

Partners discussed the following with Officers following the report.

What work was being done to limit the ability for possible perpetrators to get knives etc. Officers informed members that this would be included in the prevention section of the action plan and would be looking to engage with partners working on that.

Officers noted that some reasonable reductions in Stockton had already been seen which shows that prevention work is successful.

AGREED to note the report.

Officers from Curv introduced Partners to the Town Centre Violence Reduction (TCVR) Plan. The plan was in line with the new Police and Crime Plan, the TCVR plan took its origins from the NTE Action Plan delivered previously and would look to deliver improved safety in the defined areas where NTE and DTE merge. This expansion recognised the overlap between day and nighttime economy and the transferability of safety measures. It reflects a collective approach, working in collaboration with town centre leaders from local authority and the Police force, that seeks to create a safe and thriving town centre for visitors to enjoy and businesses to succeed.

The objectives and principles of the plan were outlined in the report and they were:

Objectives:

·         Deliver Cleveland wide initiatives that seek to reduce public space serious violence in defined town centres.

·         Work collaboratively with partners and support local initiatives where possible.

·         Widen the number of locations where people can reach out for help, to include retail spaces and transport hubs.

Principles:

• Evidenced Based Approach. In reflection of the expansion of the plan, CURV will draw on surveys outlining the experiences of businesses and other town centre stakeholders to ensure delivery is reflective of need. If there is a need, CURV will update the NTE Problem Profile to expand into DTE.
• Partnership Working. The Action Plan will seek opportunities to implement whole system ways of working, promoting joint working and problem-solving between all partner agencies.
• Sustainable rather than temporary. As with the NTE Action Plan, the Town Centre Violence Reduction Plan will look to introduce interventions which are low cost with embedded support materials to ensure the long-term sustainability of successful interventions.

Partners discussed how the plan was a welcomed expansion of the nighttime economy plan which had already been in place for two years. Related to the TCVR was the Bleed Cabinets mapping tool which would now be available on the CURV website, Officers agreed to share with members following the meeting.

Members also welcomed the Drug Safer approach outline the in report, with it being noted that it would be helpful to link with Officers to allow testing and data sharing. This would allow Officers to know what is being used and the dangers going forward.

Members AGREED to Note the report.

The Domestic Abuse Strategy update was presented to members of the Partnership. Officers highlighted several sections of the report.

Promotion of Clare’s Law was discussed, and Officers showed the increase in the number of applications since the awareness work had been undertaken. The Community Awareness approach rethink was also discussed, with members noting that 100% of libraries had received training on domestic abuse. Nursery Managers and Childminders had also been offered a briefing session. Currently only 10% of Primary Schools had received training on domestic abuse.

Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHR) had been renamed as Domestic Abuse Related Death Reviews (DARDS). Officers informed members of the link which were in place with Suicide Prevention following recommendations coming out of previous reviews.

One DARD was completed, and Partners were currently working to implement the recommendations from the report.

Members AGREED to note the update.

Officers gave a brief update to members of the two flagship community safety initiatives Project Harmony & Shield. Starting with Project Harmony following the Bowesfield Family Event which had taken place last spring was such a success that another was to be held, with the help of the Local Residents Association. Partners were encouraged to contact Officers following the meeting if they were interested in contributing.

Officers had also been supporting resident groups with capacity building, specialist advice, funding applications etc. This help was a key component of the ‘Build’ phase of the Clear, Hold, Build strategy. Partners had the goal to eventually build enough community resilience so that Partners active involvement can be scaled down, without risking a resurgence in organised crime. With the work on Project Harmony now reaching its mature stages the work on its sister operation (Nightfall) was in good place strategically.

Members were aware that at the last Partnership meeting the funding for operation Nightfall was coming to an end, but the core partners (SBC, Cleveland Police, A Way Out, the Bowesfield RA and local Cllrs) were still actively involved. Also discussed at the last SSP meeting was the switch from plain clothes to uniformed patrols which would now be included in Police core duty times.

Moving on the Operation Shield Officers gave an update to members. A community engagement event would be held with joint commitments from the Home Office’s Safer Streets Town Centre Initiative and the Policing in the Heart of Your Neighbourhood by Cleveland Police. The event would be held the Friday following this meeting of SSP and all partners were welcome to attend.

The event followed the successful July Day of Action which coincided with SBC community engagement’s Summer Family Fun Day.

Officers encouraged all members of the public who may experience ASB offending to call and inform SBC as they are able to react as it happens. And in the case of repeat offenders Officers are able to work with a number of partners such as Change Grow Live, Recovery Connections, The Moses project, A Way Out and Cleveland Police among others to try and solve this behaviour.

One option when dealing with repeat offenders are Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBO’s) whereby certain prohibitions or requirements can be imposed on them.

It was hoped that with the use of the various tools and joint working with partners that the work towards shielding the town centre.

AGREED to note the report.

Officers informed members that following the high-profile attacks which had been carried out in Southport, the Home Office had shared lessons learned for the Prevent programme. The report was now available online and members were encouraged to review it.

Members agreed to note the update.

There was no other Officer business raised at the meeting.

Members were presented with a restricted report that provided an overview on crime comparisons against other similar CSPs utilising iQuanta.

This report was a restricted document due to the statistical information only made available as an intelligence tool for partnerships until released by the Home Office.

AGREED that the report be noted.

Due to the connection to an ongoing Police investigation this Agenda Item was restricted.

Agreed that the update be noted.