The Scrutiny & Overview Committee of Croydon Council met on Tuesday, 26 March 2024, to review the annual performance of the Safer Croydon Partnership, discuss the draft Strategic Assessment from the Violence Reduction Network, and conduct a deep dive into the Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy. The committee also approved recommendations from its sub-committees and noted its work programme.

Croydon Community Safety Partnership - Annual Review

The committee reviewed the annual report on the Safer Croydon Partnership's work over the past year. Key areas of focus for the partnership include tackling youth violence, violence against women and girls (VAWG), and improving the use of data to address crime hotspots. The report highlighted the establishment of a Community Safety Partnership Board, open to the public, and the development of a Youth Safety Plan in collaboration with youth groups.

During the discussion, concerns were raised about the complexity of the partnership's structure and how its impact is measured. While acknowledging the breadth of activities, the committee sought more quantitative data on the positive outcomes achieved. The role of the Council's Housing Service within the partnership was clarified, and future improvements to links with the Homelessness and Rough Sleeper Strategy were noted. The committee also received an update on the Safer Neighbourhood Board, which is working to resume regular meetings.

The committee agreed on several actions, including circulating updated terms of reference for the Safer Neighbourhood Board and sharing outcomes from an anti-social behaviour review. They concluded that while the partnership had delivered significant work, future reviews should provide more evidence of tangible outcomes. Recommendations were made to the Mayor to raise awareness of the Safer Neighbourhood Board and to ensure the partnership focuses on delivering tangible public outcomes.

Violence Reduction Network - Draft Strategic Assessment

The committee considered the draft Strategic Assessment from the Violence Reduction Network, which provided a comprehensive overview of crime and safety challenges in Croydon. The assessment highlighted concerns regarding knife crime, robbery, and reoffending rates.

Discussions focused on the implementation of the Youth Safety Strategy, with an acknowledgement that many aspects were still in their early stages. The committee questioned when a reduction in knife crime could be expected, with assurances that efforts were being made to focus police resources on identified hotspots. The challenge of gathering intelligence from the community and rebuilding trust with certain communities was also discussed.

The committee noted the lack of physical safe spaces for young people and the ongoing efforts to tackle county lines gangs. An update was requested on the Mayor's manifesto commitment to provide mentors for excluded young people, which was deferred to a later discussion with the Education service. The increase in robberies was addressed, with details of police operations and increased partnership working. The effectiveness of facial recognition technology and its independent auditing were confirmed.

The committee agreed on actions to follow up on the Mayor's manifesto commitment regarding mentors for excluded children and requested further information on the youth offer funded by Public Health. They concluded that the Strategic Assessment was an excellent report, highlighting knife crime, robbery, and reoffending as particular concerns. They commended the police's work with schools and noted that while bespoke community plans for hotspot areas were in progress, they were not yet completed. Recommendations were made to benchmark reoffending rates against other areas and to explore identifying libraries and schools as safe spaces.

Violence Against Women & Girls (VAWG) - Deep Dive

The committee conducted a deep dive into the Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy and its developing delivery plan. The committee had previously held community meetings to gather insights from residents, community leaders, and survivors of domestic abuse.

Key points from the discussions included the timeline for the delivery plan's sign-off, which was anticipated for the May Cabinet meeting. The committee sought clarification on how all members could input into the plan, with a briefing session to be arranged. While no additional funding had been allocated in the budget, existing ringfenced funds would be supplemented by contributions from Public Health and the Housing Revenue Account, with external funding avenues being pursued.

It was suggested that data presented at Safer Neighbourhood Panel meetings should differentiate between VAWG-related crimes and youth violence to raise awareness. The plan's emphasis on collaboration with community and voluntary organisations was welcomed, alongside efforts to direct funding effectively. The committee noted the national issue of VAWG not receiving the same attention as other more visible crimes.

The effectiveness of the Croydon MARAC (Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference) was highlighted as a centre of best practice. Outreach work with local businesses to educate them about domestic violence signs was discussed, with an agreement to revisit this post-pandemic. The need for engagement with male community leaders and the potential involvement of Crystal Palace Football Club in awareness campaigns were also raised. The committee welcomed the review of the Council's community safety presence online to provide a centralised source of information on VAWG groups and services, with a suggestion for physical distribution of this information.

The committee agreed on actions to share the VAWG Delivery Plan and accompanying community engagement report once available, and to share key performance indicators related to the Family Justice Service and other VAWG workstreams. They concluded by welcoming the development of the delivery plan, the planned briefing for members, and the Council's intention to transfer funding to community and voluntary sector groups. Concerns were raised about public awareness of VAWG services and the need for cultural competence and equal treatment of victims, particularly from black and ethnic minority communities. Recommendations were made to include specific areas in the final plan, such as targeted engagement with local businesses, expanding the Domestic Abuse Champions programme, focusing on children affected by domestic abuse, and improving training for statutory partners. A recommendation was also made to the Metropolitan Police to review data provided for Neighbourhood Panel meetings to better highlight VAWG-related cases.

Scrutiny Recommendations and Work Programme

The committee approved recommendations made by its sub-committees for submission to the Executive Mayor. They also noted the most recent version of the Scrutiny Work Programme for 2023-24 and considered whether any new items should be added as a result of the meeting's discussions.

The meeting concluded with the agreement that the Scrutiny & Overview Committee had held a productive session, addressing key community safety issues and making recommendations for future action.