The Executive Director of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report which set out an update in relation to the workplan of Reading’s Community Safety Partnership (CSP) and a proposed timeline for delivering its new three-year Community Safety Strategy and Plan as follows:

·        Draft Strategy agreed by the CSP – July 2022;

·        Public Consultation on the priorities in the draft strategy – July/August 2022;

·        Finalised Strategy agreed by CSP – September 2022;

·        Finalised strategy for adoption to Housing, Neighbourhoods and Leisure Committee – 9 November 2022

The report explained that Reading’s CSP had been established under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, which set out a statutory requirement for key responsible authorities, including local authorities, to work together to reduce crime and disorder, anti-social behaviour and minimise re-offending in local areas.  Each CSP had to carry out regular strategic assessments to understand its local issues relating to crime and disorder, develop a strategy to set out how it would tackle those identified issues, share strategies with Police and Crime Commissioners and review the strategies on an annual basis.

The report added that Reading currently had an Executive Group that oversaw the work of the CSP and the delivery of its responsibilities.  In 2021 the Chair of the CSP (the then LPA Commander of Thames Valley Police) and the Executive Group had agreed an internal review of what work was required to put the partnership on a solid footing for the next few years. The approaching issues included:

·        The Thames Valley’s Police and Crime Commissioner reduction of the Community Safety Fund allocation by half over a three-year period;

·        Incoming legislation in relation to the Serious Violence Duty;

·        The approaching end of the current Community Safety Strategy;

·        A need for the partnership to be more effective in terms of customer engagement and communications;

·        Rising concerns from residents about crime.

Resolved:

(1)      That the progress of the Community Safety Partnership workplan and the intention to produce a new Community Safety Strategy for endorsement by the Committee in November 2022 be noted;

(2)      That the Lead Councillor for Environmental Services and Community Safety be authorised to approve consultation questions which would be posed when the public consultation was conducted in respect of the Community Safety Partnership & Serious Violence Strategies.