Agenda Document Pack - Police and Fire and Rescue Scrutiny Sub-Committee - 12/03/2024
Renfrewshire Council · 12 March 2024
Back to Police and Fire and Rescue Scrutiny Sub-Committee — 12 March 2024 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
Page 1
04/03/2024 Notice of Meeting and Agenda Police and Fire and Rescue Scrutiny Sub-Committee Date Time Venue Tuesday, 12 March 2024 15:00 Council Chambers (Renfrewshire), Council Headquarters, Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street, Paisley, PA1 1AN Membership Councillor Marie McGurk (Convener); Councillor Robert Innes (Depute Convener); Councillor Kenny MacLaren; Councillor Janis McDonald; Councillor Iain McMillan. Hybrid Meeting Please note that this meeting is scheduled to be held in the Council Chambers. However, it is a hybrid meeting and arrangements have been made for members to join the meeting remotely should they wish. Meeting Details The meeting will take place at 3.00pm or at the conclusion of the Communities & Housing Policy Board Meeting whichever is the later. Members of the Press and Public Members of the press and public wishing to attend the meeting should report to the customer service centre where they will be met and directed to the meeting. MARK CONAGHAN Head of Corporate Governance Page 1 of 16
Page 2
04/03/2024 Further Information This is a meeting which is open to members of the public. A copy of the agenda and reports for this meeting will be available for inspection prior to the meeting at the Customer Service Centre, Renfrewshire House, Cotton Street, Paisley and online at http://renfrewshire.cmis.uk.com/renfrewshire/CouncilandBoards.aspx For further information, please email democratic-services@renfrewshire.gov.uk Webcasting of Meeting This meeting will be filmed for live or subsequent broadcast via the Council’s internet site – at the start of the meeting the Convener will confirm if all or part of the meeting is being filmed. To find the webcast please navigate to https://renfrewshire.public-i.tv/core/portal/home Page 2 of 16
Page 3
04/03/2024 Items of business Apologies Apologies from members. Declarations of Interest and Transparency Statements Members are asked to declare an interest or make a transparency statement in any item(s) on the agenda and to provide a brief explanation of the nature of the interest or the transparency statement. 1 Police Scotland - Performance Report Report by Police Scotland. 5 - 16 2 Spotlight - Scottish Fire and Rescue Service - Youth Engagement Verbal update by Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. 3 Local Issues Verbal update by Police Scotland and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. Page 3 of 16
Page 4
Page 4 of 16
Page 5
OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Renfrewshire Performance Summary Report Reporting Period: 01/04/23 - 31/12/23 Total Crime 12,456 Crimes Incidents Recorded Overall Dishonesty Domestic Abuse Incidents +10% +18.4% +2.5% +9.9% +6.5% -30.3% Road Traffic Casualties -2.9% Sexual Crime 44,089 1,523 3,092 1,646 1,684 360 132 5,252 Overall Violent Crime Missing People 442 190 Common Assault +19.5% Housebreaking Disorder Complaints Unless otherwise stated, all data provided within this report is for the period 1 April 2023 - 31 Decem- ber 2023, with comparisons made against the same period in 2022. All statistics are provisional and should be treated as management information. All data have been extracted from Police Scotland internal systems and are correct as at 15 January 2024. +2.6% +6.6% -21.5% Item 1 Page 5 of 16
Page 6
2 OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Renfrewshire Performance Summary Report Reporting Period: 1 Apr 2023 to 31 Dec 2023 Introduction I am pleased to present this report to the Police Fire and Rescue Committee for its information and consideration. Please note that all data included in this report are management information and not official statistics. All data are sourced from Police Scotland internal systems and are correct as of date of publication. Unless stated otherwise, numerical comparisons are against the comparable period in the preceding reporting year. Chief Superintendent Gordon McCreadie Renfrewshire & Inverclyde Divisional Commander SECTION PAGE NUMBER Introduction 2 Executive Summary 3 Demand Analysis 4 Antisocial Behaviour, Violence & Disorder 5&6 Protecting Vulnerable People 7 Acquisitive Crime 8 Cyber and Digital Crime 8 Road Safety and Road Crime 9 Public Confidence - Complaints & Allegations 10 Recent Initiatives and Results 11 Forthcoming Initiatives 11 Page 6 of 16
Page 7
3 OFFICIAL OFFICIAL PRIORITY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In line with a rise noted at the national level, overall violent crime has increased by nearly ten percent on the previous year, to a total of 1,684 crimes. Minor violence has increased by ten percent, with serious crimes of violence rising by 8.8%. The overall rate of violent crime in Renfrewshire is 94 crimes per 10,000 population. The detection rate for violent crime is 64.8%, compared to 68.5% in the same period in 2022/23. Reported sexual offences have increased by 6.5% to a total of 360 crimes, with a rise also noted at the national level. The detection rate is 60.3% which remains above the national detection rate for the reporting period. Approximately 28% of sexual crimes involved non-recent reporting. Almost 40% of sexual crimes were non-contact offences, with many of these being cyber-enabled sexual crimes. As per the national picture, acquisitive crime has increased in Renfrewshire compared to the previous year. A total of 3,092 acquisitive crimes have been recorded in the reporting period, a rise of approximately 18% on the previous year. The most significant drivers in terms of the overall increase are crimes of fraud (+19.8%), shoplifting (+57.6%) and acquisitive motor vehicle crimes (+19.7%). The detection rate of 35.5% remains above the previous year’s rate and the national detection rate. Recorded road traffic offences in Renfrewshire have fallen by 5.7% on the previous year to a total of 2,716 in the reporting period. Overall, road injuries have fallen by over 30%, with road deaths and serious road injuries reducing by a fifth. RENFREWSHIRE POLICING PRIORITIES 2023/26 POLICE SCOTLAND’S POLICING PRIORITIES 2023/24 Protecting vulnerable people Renfrewshire & Inverclyde Division continues to support a multi-agency approach to reduce drug deaths, to engage with Scottish Government and stakeholders to influence approaches to supporting individuals with complex mental health needs, and to work in partnership to develop local effective and efficient pathways to support vulnerable people. Working with communities The Division continues to support this Police Scotland priority and to develop strategic partnerships to find synergy in policy making and shared resources. Police in Renfrewshire recognise the importance of engaging with communities to understand their needs, and strive to support innovation in local partnership settings. Tackling crime in the digital age Police in Renfrewshire continue to benefit from the support of specialised Police Scotland units such as the Cybercrime Unit and the Economic Crime and Financial Investigation Unit. This assistance is crucial to the division as we tackle a rise in cyber enabled sexual crimes. There are continued efforts to ensure our Officers have the training, resources and equipment needed to tackle the threat arising from cyber related criminality and technological advancement. Support for operational policing Renfrewshire Police continue to link in closely with Police Scotland’s Corporate Services who enable and support operational resources to deliver against the strategic priorities and their outcomes. As part of the Digitally-Enabled Policing Programme, migration to new national Core Operational Systems has led to increased efficiency and deployability of local Police Officers, allowing them to spend more time in Renfrewshire’s communities. Page 7 of 16
Page 8
4 OFFICIAL OFFICIAL DEMAND ANALYSIS PYTD - PREVIOUS YEAR TO DATE CYTD - CURRENT YEAR TO DATE CRIME PYTD CYTD INCIDENTS PYTD CYTD Total Crimes & Offences 12,140 12,456 Total number of incidents 41,350 44,089 The volume of recorded crime and offences has risen by 2.6% on the previous year to a total of 12,456 in the current reporting year. Notwithstanding the overall increase on last year’s crime figures, the total num- ber of recorded crime and offences in Renfrewshire remain 1.5% below the previous five year average. As per national figures, increases have been recorded in Renfrewshire in relation to Group 1 crimes (non- sexual crimes of violence), Group 2 crimes (sexual crimes), Group 3 crimes (acquisitive crimes e.g. theft, fraud, shoplifting) and Group 6 crimes (miscellaneous offences e.g. common assault, breach of the peace). In Renfrewshire, these rises have been partially offset by a fall in recorded crimes of Group 4 crimes (e.g. fireraising, vandalism and other malicious mischief), Group 5 crimes and Group 7 offences. The overall detection rate for all crime and offences is 63.5%, close to the national average detection rate of 64.5%. Meanwhile, recorded Police incidents have increased by nearly seven percent to a total of 44,089, with approximately 53% requiring physical Police attendance, the others being dealt with via other means i.e. via telephone. Almost 17% of all incidents resulted in a crime being recorded. With officer numbers being slightly lower than those of the previous year, it has been a challenging time for the division dealing with the increase of almost 3,000 incidents. Although part of this rise can be attributed to an increased in silent/ discarded 999 calls (caused by a rise in accidental 999 dials resulting from software updates to some smart devices), there are also indications of a continually growing and evolving demand on Police in Renfrew- shire, with a rise in some crime incidents and external agency requests. Page 8 of 16
Page 9
5 OFFICIAL OFFICIAL VIOLENCE, ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOUR AND DISORDER Violence In the current reporting year, the rate of violent crime in Renfrewshire (94 crimes per 10,000 population) is slightly higher than the national average (88 crimes per 10k) . As per the national picture, recorded crimes of violence have increased on the previous reporting period (+9.9%) to a total of 1,684 crimes. Minor violence has increased by ten percent, with crimes of serious violence have risen by a smaller margin (7.7%). To tackle this we will continue to focus our resources at identified violence hotspots, Violent crime continues to be a priority and is subject to close scrutiny and information sharing within the daily Renfrewshire Community Partnership meeting, all with a view to detecting crime, ensuring public safety and introducing preventative measures at every opportunity. Weekly tasking meetings led by the Area Commander ensure officers are effectively briefed and provided with up to date information in relation to priorities, trends and emerging threats. Licensed premises remain a key focus alongside the night time economy plan. Action plans, involving local officers and partners, continue to tackle hot spots and repeat locations. Nearly 55% of all crimes of violence occurred in private spaces such as dwelling houses. Violence occurring in private spaces tends to be associated with unique challenges to Police, with limited independent investigative opportunities (witnesses, CCTV etc) and fewer oppor- tunities for prevention. Police in Renfrewshire continue to direct resources to areas of con- cern, and to capitalise on all available investigative options, including forensic and digital evi- dence. Analysis of crime data provides any problematic public space locations for violence and these areas will be subject to additional preventative patrols by local Police and partners, such as Community Wardens. Page 9 of 16
Page 10
6 OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Disorder and Antisocial Behaviour Recorded fireraising crimes have fallen by 7.6% percent on the previous year. Advice continues to be issued to all householders regarding the dangers of leaving combustible items in common close areas. Meanwhile, recorded vandalism crimes have fallen by almost 12% on the previous year. Any fireraising incidents are discussed with partners at the daily tasking meeting and suitable prevention advice arranged. While the issue of antisocial behaviour and disorder continues to be a priority issue and area of concern for Renfrewshire’s residents, incidents of this type have fallen by 2.9% to a total of 5,252. Where emerging disorder trends are identified, Police in Renfrewshire continue to work as part of a multi-agency response to resolve these issues. Hate Crime 202 hate incidents were recorded in Renfrewshire in the reporting period, an increase of 3.1% on the previous year. 166 of these hate incidents resulted in a crime being recorded. The detection rate for hate crime in the reporting period was 62%, compared to 64% in the same period in 2022/23. Approximately 57% of hate crimes were racist in nature, with sexual orientation and disability being the next most commonly targeted protected characteristics. Consistent with previously observed trends, a substantial proportion (nearly 17%) of recorded hate crime in Renfrewshire was directed towards Police Officers during the course of their duties. While the ongoing Israel - Palestine conflict has contributed to tension in some communities of Scotland (in some cases resulting in hate crimes being recorded) no hate crimes linked to the Gaza conflict have been recorded in Renfrewshire in the reporting period. VIOLENCE, ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOUR AND DISORDER Page 10 of 16
Page 11
7 OFFICIAL OFFICIAL Sexual Crime 360 sexual crimes have been recorded in Renfrewshire in the reporting period, a rise of 22 crimes on the previous year (+6.5%). In the reporting period, recorded sexual crimes also increased at a national level. Over 28% of sexual crimes involved non-recent reporting. There are specific challenges associated with the Investigation and detection of non-recent sexual crimes, due to the passage of time and resulting loss of various forensic opportunities. Nearly 40% of sexual crimes recorded in the current year related to non-contact offences - the majority of these being cyber-enabled sexual offences (e.g. indecent communications, sharing of intimate images without consent). The detection rate for sexual crimes is 60.3%, which remains above the national detection rate for sexual crime for the same reporting period. We continue to offer advice via our Social Media channels and school visits highlighting the current trends of how victims can be targeted online. Missing People In the period April to December 2023, 442 missing person reports have been recorded in Renfrewshire, 121 fewer than the same period in 2022 (-21.5%). In the reporting period, 52% of all missing persons incidents involved Looked After and Accommodated Children (LAAC), The rollout of the Philomena Protocol and ongoing coordination and training relating to the national guidance for LAAC who go missing have played a crucial role in the reduction of missing person incidents. The Missing Person Co-ordinator monitors any persons who are reported missing on more than one occasion and will discuss any support that may be required for that person with key partners. The 442 missing person incidents involved 202 unique missing persons, with 75 of these people being reported missing more than once. Police Scotland remains committed to reducing harm related to people who go missing and continues to develop and implement key measures to ensure missing persons and their friends and family receive a consistently high level of service wherever the person has gone missing from. This approach has contributed to the majority of missing people (75%) being traced within 24 hours. Domestic Abuse Tackling domestic abuse remains one of Renfrewshire and Inverclyde Division’s top priorities. While research strongly suggests that domestic abuse continues to be significantly under-reported, Police in Renfrewshire continue to work with a range of partners to instil confidence in victims to report abuse to the Police, and to continually improve our service to all victims of domestic abuse. Recorded domestic abuse incidents in Renfrewshire increased by 2.5% on the previous year, to a total of 1,646. 45.5% of all recorded incidents resulted in a crime being recorded, with the detection rate for domestic abuse crimes being 57.9% Drug Related Deaths 15 confirmed drugs related deaths have been recorded in Renfrewshire in the reporting period, with toxicology results awaited for a further 27 suspected drug related deaths. Toxicology results in confirmed drug deaths identified that the vast majority related to poly-drug misuse, often involving benzodiazepines such as etizolam and bromazolam. We continue to collaborate with a range of partners through the Alcohol and Drug Partnership to address the issue of drug harms within the area. PROTECTING VULNERABLE PEOPLE Page 11 of 16
Page 12
8 OFFICIAL OFFICIAL ACQUISITIVE CRIME The detection rate for acquisitive crime has increased by 4.9 percentage points compared to the previous year, to a total of 35.5% in the reporting period. This compares to the national detection rate of 32.3% for the same period. The number of recorded acquisitive crimes in Renfrewshire has increased by 18.4% to a total of 3,092 crimes - with a rise of over 11% also noted at a national level. Acquisitive crime is both investigated and scrutinised to identify trends and patterns to provide prevention and intervention at an early stage. While housebreaking crimes have increased by 19.5% on the previous year, this increase is predominantly due to an increase in break ins to sheds and other outbuildings and not private dwellings. Housebreaking crimes targeting dwelling houses remain relatively low, with 94 crimes in the reporting period (less than 14 crimes per 10,000 population). Increased prevalence in theft by shoplifting is also replicated across Renfrewshire and nationally, accounting for nearly a third of all acquisitive crime within the area. Officers across Renfrewshire continue to raise awareness on prevention measures which retail premises can take. Renfrewshire is home to several large retail parks, with these locations being attractive targets for shoplifting and other acquisitive crimes. As such, the Preventions Unit, alongside Community Policing Teams, continue to engage with local businesses to implement target hardening measures and other problem solving initiatives. 115 crimes of theft of motor vehicle have been recorded - a rise of 6.5% on last year. However, a proactive focus on this issue has resulted in an increase of nearly nine percentage points in the detection rate, to the current position of 49.6%. Crime prevention advice continues to be issued to motor vehicle owners in Renfrewshire to raise awareness of measures that can be taken to reduce the likelihood of vehicles being stolen. CYBER & DIGITAL CRIME Cyber-enabled crime continues to impact on the communities of Renfrewshire, with frauds with an online element constituting almost half of all recorded cybercrimes in the reporting period. A range of online frauds and attempted fraud methods continue to be reported, with online marketplace / internet order frauds and phishing attacks most commonly featuring. Cyber-enabled sexual offences are another key priority issue that Police in Renfrewshire continue to tackle, with support from specialist national units. These crimes include sexual online communications with children, and possession of indecent images of children (IIOC). Approximately one in every ten cybercrimes related to online extortion, with the majority of these being sexual extortion crimes. Threatening, obscene and/or malicious online communications also constituted around 16% of recorded cybercrimes. Page 12 of 16
Page 13
9 OFFICIAL OFFICIAL ROAD SAFETY AND ROAD CRIME Road Traffic Casualties 2022/23 2023/24 Number of persons killed on our roads 2 1 Number of persons seriously injured 46 37 Number of persons slightly injured 84 54 Number of children seriously injured 7 5 Road Traffic Data from 01/04/2023 to 31/12/2023 Overall, 40 fewer road casualties have occurred in Renfrewshire, as compared to the same period in 2022/23. This decrease comprises one fewer road death, nine fewer serious road Injuries and 30 fewer slight injuries. Two fewer children have been seriously injured on Renfrewshire’s roads, and there have been no road deaths involving child victims in the current reporting year. Meanwhile, the number of recorded road traffic offences in Renfrewshire have fallen by 5.7% on the previous year to a total of 2,716 in the reporting period. A decrease has been noted across the majority of road traffic offences, though a modest rise has been observed in relation to offences involving careless driving (+8.3%), unlicensed driving offences (+15.6%) and uninsured driving offences (+2.9%). Police in Renfrewshire continue to utilise community intelligence to proactively undertake speed checks throughout the local authority area. Officers also continue to participate in a range of road safety campaigns, with officers carrying out vehicle and speed checks as part of the festive road safety campaign and speaking to motorists about the risks of driving after even one drink, and the dangers of drug driving. Local community officers are trained in the use of speed detection equipment and will carry out enforcement at areas identified by the community. Colleagues in Road Policing carry out pa- trols in Renfrewshire each day, and will also assist local officers at problematic locations. Page 13 of 16
Page 14
10 OFFICIAL OFFICIAL PUBLIC CONFIDENCE: COMPLAINTS & USER SATISFACTION COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE POLICE From 01/04/2023 - 31/12/2023 A total of 192 complaint cases and 266 allegations have been received in Renfrewshire in the reporting period. The total number of complaint cases increased by 19.3%, while the number of allegations have fallen slightly (-0.7%) on last year’s figures. 183 allegations were ‘On Duty’ with a further 85 relating to quality of service. The largest proportion of allegations related to irregularity in procedure. PUBLIC CONFIDENCE From 01/04/2023 - 31/12/2023 80% of respondents to the ‘Your Police’ survey reported that they felt very or fairly safe in their local area, while 46.6% of those who completed the survey stated that their concern about crime had increased in the last 12 months. 34.6% agreed, or strongly agreed that they had confidence in the police in their local area. 25% of Renfrewshire respondents felt that the police were doing a good job in the local area, while 68.3% agreed that they had respect for the local police. In Renfrewshire, the proportion of positive responses were either in line with, or exceeded comparable national figures for the reporting period. Results from ‘Your Police’ survey indicate that respondents would like to see a greater visible police presence within the area. In recent months (November and December), around 23% of Renfrewshire respondents highlighted that the issue causing them most concern in the area related to road crime / road safety (e.g. speeding, street racing and other road traffic issues). A further 21% described anti-social behaviour, such as criminal damage of property, youth disorder and neighbour dis- putes, as the issue that they were most worried about. We continue to focus on the issues reported to us from the communities we serve and update our Social Media channels and local media with the outcomes. Page 14 of 16
Page 15
11 OFFICIAL OFFICIAL LOCAL POLICING PRIORITY OUTCOMES – CASE STUDIES Police in Renfrewshire participated in the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, which ran from 25 November to 10 December. Information highlighting concerns surrounding GBV was shared, and members of the public were signposted to external agencies able to provide support. The ‘That Guy’ campaign - was also launched on 30 October and continuing through November - urging men to be part of the solution to prevent sexual offending, by having those difficult conversations with a friend who may have crossed the line. Over December and January the Preventions & Interventions Team visited gyms in Renfrewshire to raise awareness and offer intervention advice in relation to sexual extortion. This was in response to the rise in reports of this type of crime. Information relating to the festive safety campaign was also shared. Renfrewshire Police made important contributions to festive safety campaigns, including road safety campaigns focusing on drink and drug driving. There were also increased high-visibility patrols in Paisley Town Centre and Braehead Shopping Centre, which contributed to increased public reassurance and engagement with businesses, as well as serving as a deterrent to criminal activity. FORTHCOMING INITIATIVES Two of the Preventions team are now trained in the “Pitched in” program and will be running their first session with a Renfrewshire High school in Feb 2024. We continue to roll out training for the Partners Intelligence Portal (PIP) where partners can access an electronic system and input intelligence that gets sent straight to our National Intelligence Bureau. Mandatory training will soon get under way in Renfrewshire to help prepare for implementation of the new Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act, which goes live on 1 April 2024. Crucially, it will send an important message to victims, offenders and wider society that hate crime will absolutely not be tolerated. Key benefits of the legislative changes include simpler identification of appropriate legislation when dealing with hate crimes; protection for two new Protected Characteristics, namely Age and Variations in Sex Characteristics; and enhanced protection for all Protected Characteristics via the introduction of a new crime of stirring up hatred against any of the Characteristics covered by the Act. Page 15 of 16
Page 16
Page 16 of 16