The Warwickshire Police and Crime Panel is scheduled to meet on Thursday 20 November 2025 to discuss the Police and Crime Commissioner's report, the Victims' Strategy, hate crime, and local government reform. The Panel will also review its work programme and discuss future meeting dates.

Victims' Strategy 2025-29

The Panel is scheduled to discuss the Police and Crime Commissioner's (PCC) Victims' Strategy 2025-29, which aims to ensure that anyone affected by crime or anti-social behaviour in Warwickshire receives the support they need.

The strategy is intended to build upon the commitments to victim-survivors outlined in the PCC's Police and Crime Plan 2025-29 ('A Safer Warwickshire for All'). It sets out how the PCC and his Office will work in partnership with other relevant organisations with the aim that:

• Anyone who is affected by crime or anti-social behaviour in Warwickshire receives the support they need, regardless of whether they make a formal report to the police, and regardless of whether they have any protected characteristics.
• Where a formal report of crime or anti-social behaviour is made, the response to victims and survivors is proportionate, timely and effective.
• There is a seamless end-to end criminal justice system that put victims, survivors and witnesses first.
• Continuous improvement places the voice of victims and survivors at the very heart of services.

The strategy is intended to coordinate activity through the linking together of external requirements, identified victim-survivor need, productive collaboration, internal processes, and effective oversight mechanisms.

The Victims' Code is statutory guidance issued by the Ministry of Justice that sets out the services, and minimum standard for these services, that must be provided to victims of crime by organisations in England and Wales. Underpinning the code is a victim's right to:

• Be treated with respect, dignity, sensitivity, compassion and courtesy
• Make informed choices that are fully respected
• Have their privacy respected by service providers in accordance with their obligations under the relevant privacy and data protection laws
• Have services provided to assist them and their family to understand and engage with the criminal justice process and that are offered in a professional manner, without discrimination of any kind.

The PCC has made a number of commitments to victim-survivors, including:

• Supporting the strengthening of policing standards through continued regular assurance meetings with Warwickshire Police's Professional Standards Department and the Independent Office for Police Conduct, as well as conducting complaint reviews where appropriate.
• Working with all criminal justice partners to ensure that victims receive clear and accessible information about their rights under the Victims' Code and how to access support.
• Advocating for improved referral pathways between police and specialist support services to ensure seamless and timely assistance for victims.
• Using victim feedback to identify areas for improvement in processes and highlight good practices for wider adoption.
• Supporting the use of Restorative Justice approaches to help give victims a voice and for offenders to understand the impact of their actions.
• Advocating for the appropriate use of Out of Court Resolutions to ensure timely justice while reducing pressure on the wider criminal justice system.
• Continuing to contribute to the Warwickshire Hate Crime Partnership in delivering its strategy, ensuring effective help for communities and vulnerable individuals affected by this harmful and divisive crime.
• Advocating for and fund services supporting victims of human trafficking and modern slavery, helping them rebuild their lives and access justice.
• Responding effectively to requests for ASB case review appeals.
• Regularly reviewing and updating the PCC Equality Strategy, ensuring objectives remain relevant, responsive to changing need and are transparently reported in the Annual Report.
• Commissioning services that provide tailored support, including advocacy, counselling, and practical assistance for victims and survivors.
• Monitoring the effectiveness of commissioned services through regular performance reviews and feedback from service users.
• Seeking opportunities to bring extra resources for commissioned services, bidding for funding streams as they arise, for example from the Home Office or Ministry of Justice.
• Working closely with NHS England, the Integrated Care Board and local authorities to align efforts in supporting victims and improving community safety.
• Promoting collaborative working between police, victim support agencies, and other key partners to improve outcomes for victims.
• Seeking the opinions of victims of crime to understand their experiences and inform improvements in policing and criminal justice
• Connecting with people who have lived experience of the criminal justice system to improve services and outcomes.

The PCC will hold the Chief Constable to account for:

• Maintaining a sustained focus on improving the quality of investigations to deliver better outcomes for victims and ensure justice.
• Ensuring compliance by Warwickshire Police with the Victims' Code to support victims throughout the justice process.
• Ensuring victims of abuse and exploitation receive appropriate support and safeguarding measures throughout investigations.
• Ensuring specialist teams are effectively deployed to address complex investigations, including domestic abuse, sexual offences, and child exploitation.
• Ensuring Warwickshire Police implements the national Police Race Action Plan.
• Delivering Warwickshire Police's Public Sector Equality Duty effectively.

The PCC has appointed the Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner (DPCC) as his strategic lead for victims, and responsible for ensuring the commitments set out in this strategy and in his Police and Crime Plan 2025-29 are met. The PCC has also appointed the DPCC as the chair of the new Victims' Board.

Hate Crime - Readiness & Response

The Panel is scheduled to discuss a review of Hate Crime, readiness to respond to events or potential events and how the Force is working with partners such as Equality & Inclusion Partnership (EQuIP).

According to the Hate Crime Report, hate crime is continuing to increase across the country and is motivated by prejudice against parts of a person's identity such as race, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity. Hate Crime can include property damage, threats, theft, verbal abuse, assault, harassment and online abuse.

In England & Wales, there were 140,561 police-recorded hate crimes in the year to March 2024—with racial motives driving around 70% of these—suggesting the national picture reflects a similar dominance of an increase in race hate crimes. In Warwickshire religion has been added only when race is mentioned in the national picture for the period 2022-February 2025 the most common racially/religiously aggravated offences recorded were:

• Aggravated harassment, alarm, or distress
• Common assault (aggravated)
• Intentional harassment, alarm, or distress.

According to Warwickshire Police Performance Insights, 108 Hate Crime offences were recorded in August 2025, a 6% increase from the previous month. This figure is above both the three-year average and forecast, although still below the seasonal high of 124 offences seen in August 2024. The rise was mainly driven by an increase in reported incidents in the North of the County. While levels are currently elevated, they are expected to fall in the coming months, in line with seasonal patterns.

The outcome rate for hate crime offences in August was 19.9% which is higher than the 12-month average of 16.2% and above the three-year trend.

The Warwickshire Hate Crime Partnership brings together a range of organisations with responsibilities for community safety. This established multi-agency group includes representatives from:

• Equality & Inclusion Partnership (EQuIP) who independently chair the partnership
• Warwickshire County Council (various departments)
• Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Warwickshire
• Warwickshire Police
• District and Borough Councils: Nuneaton, North Warwickshire, Warwick, Stratford, and Rugby
• National Health Service
• Crown Prosecution Service
• Victim Support
• Neighbourhood Watch
• Warwickshire Pride

Warwickshire County Council launched a Three-Year Strategy for Tackling Hate Crime (2023–2026). The Strategy aims to:

• Raise awareness across communities
• Encourage and simplify reporting
• Improve support for victims

It focuses on five priority areas:

1. Community engagement and awareness
2. Training for professionals and frontline staff
3. Education in schools and with young people
4. Victim support services
5. Links with the Prevent counter-terrorism strategy

Warwickshire Police have reaffirmed their commitment to tackling all forms of hate crime and continue to promote clear definitions and offer multiple reporting routes, including:

• Online reporting
• British Sign Language (BSL) and text services
• Partner organisations such as Stop Hate UK, Stonewall, EQuIP, and the Community Security Trust (CST)

Warwickshire Police, working in partnership with EQuIP, is leading a collaborative initiative to strengthen how agencies engage with communities during periods of heightened tension. This work aims to develop a shared approach for responding to incidents that may cause concern or unrest, ensuring that partners act in a coordinated and effective way.

There is now a hate crime dashboard available that is drawn from partnership data, which is helping to map where hate crime spikes are being experienced, how to target those that require support and to assist with identifying offenders.

The OPCC played an active role in supporting National Hate Crime Awareness Week (11–18 October), working in partnership with the Warwickshire Hate Crime Partnership to deliver a coordinated communications plan.

There is a reporting service delivered by the Partnership via the Report Hate Now website. The online service allows anyone who experiences or witnesses Hate Crime to report it without directly contacting the police.

Local Government Reform

The Panel is scheduled to receive a verbal update following the decisions taken by Warwickshire County Council (WCC) on 14 October 2025 and the potential impact on PCC's.

Report of the Police and Crime Commissioner

The Panel will receive a verbal update from the Commissioner on recent and future events and issues.

Report of the Working Groups

The Panel will receive a verbal update from the PCP Budget Working Group meeting on Friday 14 November 2025.

Work Programme

The Panel will consider and review its Work Programme. The current draft of the PCP Work Programme - 2025 to 2026 includes the following items:

• Hate Crime - Readiness & Response
• Local Government Reform
• Victim Strategy
• Police & Crime Commissioner's Budget and Precept Proposal
• PEEL Report – Update
• Warwickshire Joint Audit and Standards Committee (WJASC) Annual Report 2025
• Annual Report of the Police and Crime Panel 2025/26
• Appointment of Chair and Vice Chair
• Appointment of Working Groups

The Work Programme also includes a number of standing items, such as:

• Report of the Police and Crime Commissioner
• Complaints
• Report of Working Groups
• Work Programme

Training / Conferences / Other

The Work Programme lists the following events:

• National Association of Police Fire and Crime Panels AGM (online) - 26 November 2025
• PCP Orientation with OPCC, Chief Constable & Senior Leadership Team - 8 January 2026

Items to be Timetabled

The Work Programme lists the following items to be timetabled:

• Environmental Sustainability Strategic Plan
• Local Government Reform – Impact on PCPs

Task and Finish Reviews

The Work Programme lists the following task and finish reviews:

• Sustainability / Climate Change

Briefing Notes

The Work Programme lists the following briefing notes:

Dates of Meetings

The following meetings are scheduled to be held at Shire Hall, Warwick:

• 2 February 2026 2pm
• 23 April 2026 2pm

The calendar of meetings for 2026/27 has now been agreed and invitations will be sent out in due course.

Other Items

The agenda includes the following standard items:

• Apologies
• Disclosures of Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests
• Minutes of the Previous Meeting - to confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 25 September 2025
• Public Speaking
• Any Urgent Items
• Reports Containing Confidential or Exempt Information
• Complaints - to consider any complaints received and considered regarding the conduct of the Police and Crime Commissioner.