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Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Panel - Tuesday, 10th December, 2024 10.00 am
December 10, 2024 View on council websiteSummary
The Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Panel's December meeting included a presentation of the final Police and Crime Plan for 2024-2029, a consultation on the budget process and an update from the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).
Police and Crime Plan
The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 requires the PCC, Clare Moody, to produce a Police and Crime Plan within the financial year in which she was elected.
The final version of the Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Plan 2024-29 was presented to the Panel for their consideration after a period of public consultation. The final version of the Plan included five priorities:
- Strengthening Neighbourhood Policing
- Reducing Violent Crime, with a focus on male violence against women and girls and serious youth violence
- Preventing Crime
- Supporting Victims
- Improving Standards of Policing
Strengthening Neighbourhood Policing
The plan recognises that Neighbourhood policing is essential to provide a visible police presence, to engage with communities and to work with individuals and organisations to help prevent crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB).
It notes that The public tell me, in so many conversations, how important visible policing is to them.
and that both the PCC's Police and Crime Survey and academic research show that people have greater confidence in the police when they have seen them more recently.
There is a recognition that Being visible is not enough though
and that Neighbourhood Police Teams need to engage with communities and tackling hate crime, extremism and helping to support community cohesion.
Reducing Violent Crime
The plan highlights that There were nearly 43,000 recorded violent offences in Avon and Somerset, in the year ending September 2024, over a quarter of all recorded crime. In this year it included 23 homicides.
There is a recognition that Violent crime can have a profound, long lasting and devastating impact on the victims, their families and local communities.
The plan sets out two areas of focus:
- Male violence against women and girls
- Serious youth violence, in particular knife crime
Male violence against women and girls
Male violence against women and girls refers to acts of violence or abuse that disproportionately affect women and girls. This includes rape and other sexual offences, domestic abuse, stalking, ‘honour’-based abuse (including female genital mutilation, forced marriage, and ‘honour’ killings), revenge porn and upskirting, as well as offences of this nature committed online.
Focussing on male violence against women and girls does not in any way detract from the fact that people of any sex or gender can be an offender or a victim, nor does it minimise anybody’s experience as a victim; everybody should receive the same quality of service. However, these crimes do not happen in isolation and are part of the gender inequality and misogyny that still exists in our society, starting from childhood and in schools. Given that the police are the public and the public are the police, this misogyny also exists within policing. Offences are perpetrated by and against people who work in policing. There is also systemic misogyny, which is less visible, that exists within the police culture that can undermine the service provided.
Serious youth violence
Serious youth violence, in particular knife crime, can be connected to the criminal exploitation of our children and young people, who have been drawn into wider criminality such as drug supply. Knife crime is often a symptom of other problems in that person’s life. They may have been, or continue to be, a victim themselves. Being a victim and being an offender are not mutually exclusive. These crimes often involve children and young people at a critical stage of their development and at cross-roads in their life, which means the impact can ruin the life chances of all the people involved.
The report notes that there were over 1,700 violent offences involving a knife in Avon and Somerset for the year ending September 2024, with perpetrators and victims of all ages, not just young people. This has gone up by 29% since the previous year. There were also over 650 offences of knife possession.
The plan states that Addressing this complex issue requires a coordinated effort to prevent further violence, support for those affected, and ensuring that our children and young people have safe and positive pathways for their future.
The Serious Violence Duty is described as a legal requirement for agencies to work together to prevent and reduce serious violence.
Preventing Crime
The Plan outlines the importance of preventing crime by working with other organisations and the public to build safer communities. It states:
“Prevention is better than cure”, and this is particularly true when it comes to crime. I want Avon and Somerset to be a safe place to live, work and visit. The best way to achieve this is by preventing crime, not just responding to it; this means addressing the root causes of crime.
The Plan outlines the importance of early intervention and addressing the root causes of crime. It states:
We work with partners to reduce reoffending and the ‘revolving door’ of crime, but it is also hugely important to get up-stream and address the root causes of crime. This is a complex and deep problem to try and solve. There are societal level issues of poverty, economic change, individual experiences of trauma, as well as some rooted in historical events. There is no one way to address these things and it can take years to see a change. However, partners need to continue to work together to understand the vulnerabilities and needs within our local communities and identify where and how these societal issues are having the greatest negative and disproportionate impact. In doing so, we must continue to identify the most vulnerable and target the right support at the right time. Addressing these root causes, and improving people’s life chances, requires the services and support of many organisations and people across the public sector, including education, social care and health; the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector; and communities themselves.
The Plan highlights the problem of drugs and the link to crime.
Of these pathways drugs are a particular focus for the police and partners. As well as being illegal, they are harmful to the users and those around them. There is a very dangerous drugs market involving serious and organised crime that is violent and exploitative.
“Half of all homicides and half of acquisitive [theft] crimes are linked to drugs. People with serious drug addiction occupy one in 3 prison places.”
It also states the importance of understanding the issues faced by rural communities. It states:
It is important to recognise that Avon and Somerset is a very diverse area with a number of large cities and towns, but also significant stretches of countryside. While urban areas suffer more crime, we must ensure that the benefits of prevention work extend to rural areas and include preventing rural crime.
The Plan highlights the issue of disproportionality in the criminal justice system. It states:
When considering diversity, we know that a person’s ethnicity has an impact on their life. This is especially true when it comes to policing and crime. Black and ethnic minority groups are over-represented in going through the criminal justice system and they can receive different treatment and worse outcomes as a result. In Priority 5, I talk about the police needing to provide a fair service, but tackling disproportionality is wider than the police and the criminal justice system as a whole. It is about looking at people’s lives, and their life course, to try and understand what makes people more likely to come into contact with the criminal justice system and working collaboratively with partners to address those societal and structural issues. Ultimately, reducing disproportionality is about improving people’s life chances and therefore helping to prevent crime.
The Plan also recognises the importance of reducing road related crimes. It states:
Road related crimes should not be overlooked when we think of crime prevention. The harm caused on our roads is considerable: in Avon and Somerset, one person is killed or seriously injured on our roads every day.
It goes on to describe the fatal five
most common factors that contribute to fatal and serious injury collisions:
- Drink and drug driving
- Not wearing a seatbelt
- Driver distraction, including use of mobile phones
- Inappropriate and excess speed
- Careless and inconsiderate driving
Supporting Victims
The Plan sets out the importance of supporting victims. It states:
There were 92,500 victims of crime recorded by Avon and Somerset Police in 2023/24. In the same year the Crime Survey for England and Wales estimated that 16.1% of people aged 16 and over were victims of crime (including fraud and computer misuse); this would equate to 230,000 victims in Avon and Somerset that year.
The Plan highlights the far-reaching impacts of crime on victims:
It is well documented that the impact of crime on victims can be far reaching, including physical and emotional injury, long-term psychological and mental health effects, the ability to trust, a sense of fear and feelings of being unsafe. All of these can impact on various aspects of a victim’s life, such as housing, employment, finance, and relationships.
Research has found that over half of victims report substantial psychological harm, with nearly a quarter describing having to change their daily routine, and 10% indicating negative repercussions on their family. Unsurprisingly, victimisation is more likely to have a detrimental impact for individuals who already experience existing mental or physical health problems. Following a violent crime, between 21%–33% of victims developed post-traumatic stress symptoms. The service provided to victims needs to be trauma-informed.
The Plan goes on to describe The Victims’ Code of Practice, a national code that sets out a minimum standard of service that must be provided to victims of crime by the police and the criminal justice system, and sets out some of the rights that victims have under this code:
To be able to understand and to be understood.
To have the details of the crime recorded without unjustified delay.
To be provided with information when reporting the crime.
To be referred to services that support victims and have services and support tailored to their needs.
To be provided with information about compensation.
To be provided with information about the investigation and prosecution.
To make a Victim Personal Statement.
To be given information about the trial, trial process and their role as a witness.
To be given information about the outcome of the case and any appeals.
To be paid expenses and have property returned.
To be given information about the offender following a conviction.
To make a complaint about their rights not being met.
The Plan also highlights the role of the PCC in ensuring victims of crime receive appropriate support:
The Victims’ Code is the minimum victims should expect. Victims should also have access to expert support from specialist organisations. Supporting victims of crime is a crucial part of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s role, alongside local criminal justice agencies and local authorities. PCCs are responsible for ensuring that the voices of victims are heard and that their needs are prioritised within policing and criminal justice strategies. My role also enables me to convene partners locally to address crime and community safety issues. I am also responsible for commissioning services, allocating funding to victim support services and working to improve the overall response to victims. Complementing this, local authority and health partner organisations provide and commission vital services, including housing, counselling, and advocacy, that can help victims recover and rebuild their lives after experiencing crime.
Improving Standards of Policing
The Plan outlines the importance of ensuring high standards of policing to ensure public confidence. It states:
Providing an effective police service and doing core elements of policing well – such as responding to calls and investigating crime – are essential in maintaining and improving public confidence in the police. The service provided needs to be effective for all the people they serve and it is especially important that the police protect and help people who are vulnerable.
It recognises the pressure that the police service is under:
In 2023/24, Avon and Somerset Police received nearly one million calls on 999 and 101. Compared to 2019, 101 calls have reduced by 13% but 999 calls have increased by 44%. This resulted in 410,000 recorded incidents.
The Plan outlines the importance of effective investigations:
In 2023/24, Avon and Somerset Police recorded 150,000 crimes. Offenders will not be brought to justice unless the police conduct effective investigations, that are perpetrator focused, and prepare high quality files to support successful conviction. The police are the start of the criminal justice process and their work is essential to secure justice both for victims of crime and for society more broadly.
It also highlights the importance of tackling high-volume crimes such as burglary, vehicle crime, theft from the person and retail crime. It states:
In the same year, 31% of recorded crimes were theft offences such as burglary, vehicle crime, theft from the person and retail crime like shoplifting. These offences are high in volume, affecting a lot of people in our communities and are often very visible. The public need to understand how the police are responding to these types of crime as well.
The Plan also outlines the Strategic Policing Requirement (SPR), which defines seven national threats that require a cross-boundary policing response:
The SPR defines seven national threats that require a cross-boundary policing response. This is either because the threat itself crosses force boundaries or because the response required to a local incident can exceed the capacity of a local force, and resources from other forces need to be deployed.
The seven national threats are:
Violence Against Women and Girls
Terrorism
Serious and organised crime
National cyber security incident
Child sexual abuse
Public disorder
Civil emergencies
The SPR sets out the outcomes, capabilities, capacity, consistency and standards, collaboration and connectivity with partners that are needed to respond to these national threats. Key to responding to these threats is planning and preparation, and testing and exercising these plans to ensure they are fit for purpose. In order to be able to address these threats, the SPR recognises the importance of different police organisations working together and with other partners.
The Plan goes on to highlight the importance of ensuring high standards of professional conduct within policing. It states:
The police must uphold the highest standards, especially as they have the legal power to do things which are intrusive and coercive. Where standards are breached, officers and staff should be supported to improve their conduct and improve the service delivered; be disciplined, or where the breach is sufficiently serious, the person should be dismissed from the service quickly. It is only by upholding these high standards that we can maintain and improve trust and confidence in the police and preserve the British model of policing by consent.
It recognises that misogyny is prevalent in the police service and wider society:
Fair and professional police service
All the people of Avon and Somerset have a right to be treated fairly, regardless of who they are. The police must recognise, understand and respond to disproportionality whenever it occurs.
Equality covers all different people and identities and a common way to define this is by the legally ‘protected characteristics’. These are race, including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin; sex; gender reassignment; disability; sexual orientation; religion or belief; age; being married or in a civil partnership; being pregnant or on maternity leave. We must also acknowledge that people’s characteristics do not exist in isolation from each other. Intersectionality recognises how a person’s multiple and differing characteristics combine together to impact on their opportunities in life, and that people may face multiple disadvantages as a result of several characteristics.
Given that the police are the public and the public are the police, the misogyny that exists in society also exists within policing. Male violence against women and girls is perpetrated by and against people who work in policing. The less overt misogyny that exists in society also exists in the police culture and this impacts the service provided. The inequality faced by women and girls – and how we can help tackle this – is discussed in Priority 2 of this Plan.
The Plan acknowledges the findings of the 2023 report that found Avon and Somerset Police to be institutionally racist:
In 2023, Chief Constable Sarah Crew publicly acknowledged that Avon and Somerset Police is institutionally racist.
The evidence demonstrates that some ethnic minority groups have police powers used against them at a much higher rate than White people. Also, the level of service and protection a person receives can vary based on their ethnicity. Black people, in particular, have been found to be over-policed and under-protected. This results in different ethnic minority groups often having lower levels of confidence in and engagement with the police. It is clear this situation has to be addressed.
The Plan highlights the importance of ensuring a diverse workforce to improve policing:
An important aspect to help ensure equality of service is to have a workforce that is representative of the communities it serves. Aside from being uniquely important to policing – for the above reasons – there is also evidence that inclusive and diverse teams perform better overall, which is a benefit to policing and society as a whole.
We need to ensure that the right people join and serve in the police and that there is a positive culture, which has the values of being caring, courageous, learning and inclusive at its heart.
The Plan also recognises the importance of looking after the police workforce. It states:
Policing is all about people. This Plan is rightly focussed on the people receiving the service, but we must not overlook the people delivering the service. The police are a service that never stops and their work is often incredibly difficult. Police officers suffer a significant amount of trauma throughout their careers; they are the people who run towards danger.
Therefore, we need to ensure that the police workforce are looked after and supported to deliver the best service they can.
Consultation Findings
In her foreword to the Plan, Police and Crime Commissioner Clare Moody states:
Consultation is a critical part of that consistent dialogue I mentioned. As part of the process of shaping this plan more than 1,140 people shared their ideas for how the priorities can be delivered.
My promise to you is you will see a plan of action that I will continue to discuss, revisit and review with you throughout my time in office.
The consultation was a huge ask of the public and I want to personally thank all of you that took the time to take part. As well as all the responses through our online survey I ensured my team reached out to our communities in lots of ways, through a postal survey, public forums across the area and numerous focus groups to hear the quiet and under-represented voices so often missing from policing.
This Plan is not about me making unrealistic promises. We all know that it isn’t possible for me or the police to solve all the problems we face as a society in the coming three and a half years.
Chief Constable Sarah Crew also states in her foreword:
I call on our communities to work with us, as we cannot achieve these ambitious goals alone. By fostering strong relationships with local partners, engaging openly with the public, and committing ourselves to continuous improvement, we can realise our shared vision of a safer Avon and Somerset for all.
The Minutes of the Previous Meeting on 5th November 2024 provide details of some of the responses to the consultation, including:
- detection rates
- quantitative and qualitative criteria for measuring success
- the need to improve police officer response rates
- the need to educate the public on the role of the PCC
- engagement with rural communities
- neighbourhood policing
The minutes also report that the Panel suggested it was important to educate the public on the role of the PCC to encourage them to take part in the consultation. The PCC was cognisant of the lack of public understanding around the role and recognised the importance of building awareness of the significant influence it can have.
The minutes report that the Panel suggested that, because the public forums only took place in towns and cities in the force area, the rural communities continued to struggle to make their voices heard. Holding public forums online as well as in person could have helped to mitigate this issue.
The OPCC acknowledged the on-going challenge of engaging with rural communities and advised the Panel that a public forum focused on rural areas had been planned but could not take place due to scheduling and resource constraints; direct email contact with stakeholders such as rural affairs forums was instead utilised.
Budget Process
The meeting also included a consultation on the 2025/26 financial planning and budget process.
The report notes that This report provides an update on the ongoing process that will lead to the setting of the 2025/26 revenue budget, council tax precept and capital programme in February 2025. It sets out our current planning assumptions and areas of continued uncertainty at time of writing.
The key points to be discussed were:
Revenue Funding
- The PCC is forecasting on the assumption that the local policing precept will rise by £10 a year for the next three years for a Band D property, then rise by 2% thereafter.
- The median Band D precept for Avon and Somerset Police is currently £279.20, which is the median for all police forces in England and Wales.
- The final decision on the precept will be made after the government announces the precept cap and in consultation with the Police and Crime Panel.
- The PCC has undertaken a public consultation to seek views on precept levels and the level of support for any potential increase.
- The report predicts a revenue funding deficit of £2.6 million in 2025/26, rising to £17.1 million by 2029/30.
- Inflation remains high and is creating significant budgetary pressure. The deficit is compounded by pressures to support future pay inflation as well as acute inflationary and cost pressures in several different areas.
- Core grant funding is made up of Home Office policing grants and legacy council tax grants.
- It is assumed that core grant funding will increase to support the additional pressure created by the September 2024 pay award for police officers and staff; the increase in national insurance contributions; and police officers becoming incrementally more expensive to employ as the profile of the officer establishment matures.
- At this stage, the report does not assume that core grant funding will grow to support wider inflationary pressures or provide funding towards the 2025 pay award. It is also not assumed that grant funding will grow to support the delivery of the government's plans for further increases in neighbourhood officers.
- All other inflationary pressures and pay award cost increases that are being assumed for 2025/26 and beyond would need to be funded through a combination of council tax increases and savings.
Revenue Expenditure
- Efforts are being made to reduce overtime spending, but it is expected that some additional overtime will be required for the foreseeable future as Avon and Somerset Police are recruiting between 200-250 new officers each year. The overtime budget is expected to grow by £2.0 million in 2025/26.
- Kennelling costs are expected to rise by £0.6 million each year from 2025/26 due to an increase in the abandonment of XL bullies following their ban in February 2024. A grant of £0.4 million from DEFRA is included in the budget, but the exact value of the grant is yet to be confirmed.
- The cost of the new Deferred Prosecution Model, which was funded by reserves in 2024/25, is now included as permanent growth and is forecast to add a further £0.4 million by 2029/30.
- The Police Constable Entry Program (PCEP), a new entry route for policing, is being trialed. The fees for this entry route do not currently attract funding from the apprenticeship levy. This is forecast to add £0.5 million to the budget in 2025/26, rising to £0.8 million from 2026/27.
- Avon and Somerset Police's share of regional collaborations budgets is forecast to grow due to many of the inflationary pressures seen in its main budgets. There are elements of growth in shared forensic costs to manage the increase in accreditation requirements and ongoing growth in digital forensic demand. The cost of this is forecast to be £2.4 million in 2025/26, rising to £4.8 million by 2029/30.
- Capital financing costs are forecast to increase by £1.3 million by 2029/30, driven by increases to interest payable and the provision for the repayment of new loans. Forecasts for interest receivable are that this will decrease by £0.1 million by 2025/26 in line with BOE’s long-term forecast on interest rates.
- Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) budgets reflect inflationary increases in commissioned services, the approved pay award and NI increase, and the recruitment of a full-time Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner (DPCC). The overall increase is forecast to be £0.5 million in 2025/26, rising to £0.7 million by 2029/30.
Balancing the Revenue Budget
- Avon and Somerset Police are developing savings plans to assist in the delivery of a sustainable financial budget plan for 2025/26 and subsequent years.
- A dedicated core planning team and Cost-Conscious programme has been established and has been closely working with senior leads to identify and scope savings from both pay and non-pay budgets.
- £3.4 million in savings have been identified from police staff pay. This represents a reduction of 72 budgeted full-time equivalent (FTE) staff from the establishment.
- The full year effect of savings from planned reductions in Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) numbers across 2024/25 has also been recognised.
- There remains some residual risk around savings from PCSOs, considering the government’s neighbourhood policing guarantee. It is hoped that any baseline for future growth will be set at the end of the 2024/25 financial year, thereby acknowledging decisions already taken relating to that year.
- Savings have been made against premises costs as Avon and Somerset Police continue to review their estate.
- Savings have been achieved against fuel budgets due to lower-than-expected fuel pricing, although this remains a risk due to the volatility around fuel prices.
- Savings have been achieved within supplies and services budgets and IT infrastructure.
- Further savings from both pay and non-pay budgets have been assumed in the medium term.
Capital Plans
- Avon and Somerset Police is developing capital plans to maintain and develop its assets and infrastructure and to invest in new transformative initiatives that will help to improve its operational efficiency and effectiveness.
- It is currently forecasting a deficit in capital funding of £18.4 million over the next five years. This includes the costs for electric vehicle charging infrastructure and the Emergency Services Network. Avon and Somerset Police will be lobbying for direct funding for these in its spending review submissions in the spring.
- £14.4 million is expected to be spent on the replacement of personal issue equipment, ICT infrastructure and other ICT.
- £5.6 million is expected to be spent on the replacement and repair of Avon and Somerset Police's estate. This will include the planned replacement of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, mechanical and electrical systems.
- £18.3 million is expected to be spent on the replacement of Avon and Somerset Police's fleet, including response, tactical, investigation, operations support and neighbourhood vehicles.
- £4.4 million is expected to be spent on the replacement of equipment, including body armour, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) hardware and tasers.
- £6.0 million is predicted to be spent on the Emergency Services Network project, in advance of the national switch-off of the Airwave radio network at the end of the decade.
- £4.8 million is predicted to be spent on the implementation of local projects over the next five years, including the replacement of their data platform, command and control system, wireless access points and site access control systems.
- £11.9 million is predicted to be spent on digital projects that have a non-capitalised element, including the cloud option for new upgrades. This includes the replacement of their Enterprise resource planning (ERP) system and their citizen portal.
- £12.6 million is to be spent on estates projects in Somerset, including the reprovisioning of a new police station at Horsey Lane in Yeovil and work at police stations in Somerton, Crewkerne and Frome.
- £1.7 million is to be spent on the reprovision of a police station at Trinity Road (Old Market) in Bristol.
- £2.7 million is to be spent on estates projects in South Gloucestershire. This supports the intention to undertake work at both Almondsbury and Chipping Sodbury police stations.
- £6.3 million is to be spent on the provision of a new police station for Bath at Plymouth House and a planned refurbishment of the police station in Radstock.
- £13.4 million is to be spent on other projects, including electric car charging infrastructure, the training estate and discrete evidential suites.
Next Steps
- Confirmation of the approved 2025/26 tax base across Avon and Somerset Police's local authorities, expected in December/early January.
- Confirmation of the government’s main police grant funding for 2025/26, expected in mid-December.
- Confirmation of Avon and Somerset Police's share of any surplus or deficit on the collection fund across its local authorities, expected mid-January.
- Confirmation of Avon and Somerset Police's savings plans.
Commissioner's Update
The meeting also included an update from Police and Crime Commissioner Clare Moody on the work of the OPCC. The report notes that:
The purpose of this report is to provide assurance to the Police and Crime Panel on how the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) and her Office (OPCC) have discharged their statutory duties since the last meeting. The key focus has been on development of the Draft Police and Crime Plan, public consultation on the Plan and the community engagement programme through the first 100 days of office. This is a transition report, reformatted to take account of the new priorities, and will be refreshed when the new Police and Crime Plan is in place.
The report also highlights some of the OPCC's activity in relation to the five priorities:
Strengthening Neighbourhood Policing
- Learning from the work on ASB hotspots at the mid-point of the project
- A pilot of the Neighbourhood Policing Career Pathway
Reducing Violent Crime
Male violence against women and girls
- Updates on Safer Streets and DRIVE initiatives
- Extending Operation Soteria to include domestic abuse
Serious youth violence
- An update from the Avon and Somerset Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP)
Preventing Crime
- The national APCC Portfolio for Prevention
- The Gold Charter award for lived experience in the Advice Support Custody & Courts Service
Supporting Victims of Crime
- An update on victim services commissioning
- Victims Code of Practice compliance arrangements
Improving Standards of Policing
- An update on PCC-led independent scrutiny panels
- The Custody Visiting Scheme
- The Tackling Disproportionality Programme and Independent Scrutiny Board
Other Business
Complaints
A report was presented to the Panel on complaints against the PCC and Chief Constable.
It notes that No complaints have been recorded against PCC Clare Moody since starting in post.
The report also provides an update on the complaint review process, which allows the PCC to independently scrutinise the outcome of complaints. The report states that The complaint review manager has handled 835 reviews up to 19 November 2024. 19% were upheld, 68% not upheld and 13% were void.
The report also outlines two complaints that were recorded against Chief Constable Sarah Crew since the previous meeting.
- Allegations within the first complaint related to Crew's handling of a report of alleged banking fraud. This complaint was handled by means of explanation and the outcome letter concluded that the service level provided was acceptable.
- Allegations within the second complaint relate to Crew's handling of an internal business interest appeal request. This complaint was still live at the time of the meeting.
Performance Monitoring
The Performance Monitoring Report provides an update on Avon and Somerset Police's performance against a range of measures, including:
- Homicide
- Serious violence
- Drug supply and county lines
- Neighbourhood crime
- Cybercrime
- Victim satisfaction
- Criminal justice outcomes for rape cases
The report notes that:
- Recorded homicide offences are stable. Avon and Somerset Police has above average rates of homicide compared to other forces in its 'most similar group' (MSG).
- Recorded serious violence offences are reducing. Avon and Somerset Police has below average rates of serious violence compared to other forces in its MSG.
- The number of drug trafficking offences is reducing. Avon and Somerset Police has below average rates of drug trafficking offences compared to other forces in its MSG.
- The number of drugs and county lines disruptions is stable.
- Recorded residential burglary offences are reducing. Avon and Somerset Police has similar rates of burglary to other forces in its MSG.
- Recorded vehicle crime offences are stable. Avon and Somerset Police has above average rates of vehicle crime compared to other forces in its MSG.
- Recorded personal robbery offences are stable. Avon and Somerset Police has above average rates of personal robbery compared to other forces in its MSG.
- Recorded theft from the person offences are stable. Avon and Somerset Police has below average rates of theft from the person compared to other forces in its MSG.
- The number of Action Fraud offences disseminated to Avon and Somerset Police is stable.
- The overall victim satisfaction rate is reducing.
- The burglary victim satisfaction rate is reducing.
- The hate crime victim satisfaction rate is stable.
- The violent crime victim satisfaction rate is reducing.
- The ASB victim satisfaction rate is stable.
- The volume of charges for rape offences is increasing.
- The charge rate for rape offences is increasing. Avon and Somerset Police has below average charge rates for rape offences compared to other forces in its MSG.
Work Programme
The Work Programme was presented for discussion and approval.
It sets out the Panel's planned activities for the remainder of 2024/25:
- Scrutiny of the final Police and Crime Plan
- Consultation on the budget led by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) Chief Finance Officer, Paul Butler
- Scrutiny of the Budget/Draft Medium Term Financial Plan
- Formal review of the Budget and Precept proposal
- Presentation by the Chief Constable
- Tackling Disproportionality
The report also notes that the Panel's governance documents are due for review in June 2025.
Attendees





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