The Staffordshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel met to discuss a police plan update, questions from the public, and a review of the panel's policies and procedures. The panel agreed to move the Fire Safety Plan Update to the next meeting and to review the panel's policies and procedures in a separate meeting. The panel also received an information report on the suspension of the Chief Constable.

Police and Crime Plan Update

The panel received a comprehensive update on the Police and Crime Plan from the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC). The plan focuses on:

• Outstanding Local Police Service: Getting closer to communities and proactively solving their concerns. The PFCC noted a shared ambition with the government's neighbourhood policing guarantee¹, with local priorities and teams visible on the police.uk website. The PFCC expressed a desire for further evolution to ensure local priorities are fully represented.
• Safe and Confident Communities: Developing an exceptional workforce, active partnerships, and an outstanding organisation.

The PFCC highlighted the police uplift programme, which has significantly increased the number of officers in Staffordshire, with a further increase expected from the neighbourhood policing guarantee. He also expressed his desire to influence ministers to allow for local discretion on the mix of future growth, with a focus on officers, PCSOs, and specials.

The PFCC noted positive progress in victim experience, as shown by surveys conducted by the County Council. However, he expressed concern about the Crime Survey of England and Wales, which suggests that people in Staffordshire have a low perception of the police's performance and their ability to deal with local priorities. The PFCC stated that addressing this disconnect would be his top priority for the next 12 months.

The PFCC also highlighted the success of the hotspot policing programme, which has seen positive results in reducing crime and antisocial behaviour in targeted areas. He also mentioned the ongoing work to prepare for the full appeal inspection by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) next spring.

Other key updates included:

• Refurbishment of Longton Police Station
• Co-location of police and fire services at Uttoxeter
• Use of Salesforce technology to assist with call handling
• Support services for victims of crime, including domestic abuse, sexual assault, and hate crime
• Initiatives to reduce re-offending, such as mental health community triage, drug testing on arrest, and housing and employment support for people leaving prison
• Partnership efforts through the Violence Reduction Alliance and Community Safety Partnerships²
• Work to address court backlogs and encourage early guilty pleas

Councillor Charlotte Atkins, Leader of the Opposition, raised concerns about stalking and domestic abuse, citing statistics on stalking protection orders and risk assessments. She asked what was being done to build victim trust and confidence in the police. The PFCC acknowledged the concerns and said that the service was looking at domestic abuse and stalking, considering the question of specialist officers. He also committed to sharing more information with Councillor Atkins and bringing the issue back to the next meeting.

Councillor Anthony Screen, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Resilience, raised concerns about the accuracy and timeliness of police data on road traffic collisions. He also asked about the number of police community support officers (PCSOs) being recruited. The PFCC acknowledged the concerns about road traffic collision data and said that efforts were being made to improve its accuracy. He clarified that the 53 new officers being recruited under the neighbourhood policing guarantee were police officers, not PCSOs.

Councillor Screen also raised concerns about the lack of detail in the financial information published on the PFCC's website. He asked the PFCC to commit to presenting future accounts in a clearer and more accessible format. The PFCC said that he was happy to provide more detail on specific areas of expenditure and that the panel would be receiving a comprehensive set of papers at the budget review later in the year.

Questions from the Public

The panel addressed questions from members of the public, including questions about police spending, free speech, and the handling of accidents and deer injuries.

Mr. Bradbury's Questions

Mr. Bradbury asked why Staffordshire Police Force was spending large amounts of money blocking or refusing free speech, and about the Chief Constable's performance. The PFCC responded that he was not aware of any money being spent on blocking or refusing free speech, and asked for more context. Mr. Bradbury then raised concerns about the Chief Constable's performance at an open day in September of the previous year, and questioned why the Chief Constable had been given a two-year extension and then later removed. The PFCC responded that he had been confident in the Chief Constable's performance at the time of the open day, and that he was not aware of any issues with his performance. The PFCC offered to look into the matter further and provide a more detailed response.

Brockton Parish Council's Questions

A representative of Brockton Parish Council asked about the reporting of accidents at Brockton Crossroads and the process for reporting injuries to deer on Cannock Chase³. The PFCC responded that he would provide a more detailed response in writing, clarifying what is and isn't recorded and why. He confirmed that the correct number to call for deer injuries is 101, but that there is an arrangement with deer wardens employed by the county council who are trained to attend to the animals.

Review of the Panel's Policies and Procedures

The panel discussed a review of its policies and procedures, including the process for submitting questions to the PFCC. It was agreed that the current three-day notice period for questions did not allow enough time for the PFCC to prepare a response, and that this should be extended to 15 days. The panel also discussed the possibility of an independent review of its procedures, and agreed to explore this further. Councillor Atkins suggested that the panel should research how other panels operate to benchmark its own performance.