The Director of Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report which introduced Reading’s Community Safety Partnership’s (CSP) new Community Safety and Serious Violence Strategy, which had been co-produced with key stakeholders following a comprehensive strategic assessment and consultation exercise.  The Strategy had been approved by the CSP Executive Group, which was in the process of finalising a three-year plan which would be launched following the adoption of the new Strategy.  A Community Safety Survey would start at the end of February 2023 to provide a baseline to measure the impact of the strategy on public perception.   The following documents were appended to the report:

Appendix A:  Reading’s Community Safety and Serious Violence Strategy 2023 - 2026

Appendix B:  Reading’s Community Safety Partnership Priorities Consultation – Response summary

Appendix C:  Equality Impact Assessment

Superintendent Steve Raffield, Thames Valley Police, attended the meeting, addressed the Committee and answered questions.

The report explained that a public consultation had been undertaken between July and September 2022 and the responses were attached at Appendix B.  The Strategy had been developed in response to the consultation feedback and discussions with key partners and had been approved by the CSP at its Executive Group meeting in November 2022.  The Strategy would be formally launched at the CSP Executive Group on 2 February 2023, along with the launch of a new annual Community Safety Survey to support the monitoring of the new plan.  In addition to this, the CSP would hold annual Community Safety Conferences to promote the work of the partnership and provide feedback to residents about what action was being taken to tackle crime and disorder in the town.  Key CSP partners were completing a Community Safety and Serious Violence action plan which would be overseen by the CSP Executive Group, with the proposal to set up a number of delivery groups to take responsibility for the delivery of the actions.

Resolved     

(1)      That the Community Safety & Serious Violence Strategy be adopted;

(2)      That a Community Safety Survey be undertaken in February/March 2023 to provide a baseline for the Community Safety Partnership’s Community Safety & Serious Violence Strategy 2023-26.