This meeting was intended to provide the Safer and Stronger Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee with an update on a range of topics relating to crime and disorder in County Durham. The meeting included presentations about serious violence in the county, the performance of the County Durham Youth Offending Service, and updates on efforts to combat anti-social behaviour and the work of the Horden Together Partnership.

County Durham Youth Justice Service

The Committee were scheduled to receive a report on the performance of the County Durham Youth Justice Service, highlighting key achievements during 2023/24 and areas for improvement in 2024/25.

The report identified that in 2023/24 the rate of young people entering the criminal justice system in County Durham for the first time had increased to 250 per 100,000, an 11% increase on the previous year.

The report identified that the rate of reoffending among young people dealt with by the criminal justice system in County Durham had risen to 44%, a 20% increase on the previous year.

The report identified that in 2023/24 the rate at which custodial sentences had been given to young people in County Durham was 0.42 per 1,000.

The report also noted that the number of nights young people spent in custody in County Durham while awaiting trial or sentencing had increased from 224 to 464, with 10 young people accounting for this total.

The report noted that despite these increases, the total number of young people offending, and the total number of offences, had both reduced slightly compared to the previous year.

The report identified the key priorities for the service in 2024/25, including:

• A review of processes for dealing with young offenders out of court.
• The development of plans to reduce the number of young people entering the criminal justice system.
• The development of plans to reduce the use of custody for young offenders.

Serious Violence Duty

The Committee were scheduled to receive an update on progress that had been made to discharge the Council's Serious Violence Duty. The Serious Violence Duty was introduced by the Home Office in April 2022 to require specified authorities in local areas to collaborate to reduce serious violence.

The meeting was scheduled to receive a presentation by Assistant Chief Constable Richie Allen from Durham Constabulary summarising the partnership approach to tackling serious violence. The presentation was also scheduled to include the latest assessment of the strategic needs of the partnership in relation to serious violence.

The Committee were scheduled to be told that seven projects had been awarded grant funding in March 2024 to address serious violence. These projects included:

• A project delivered by the Probation Service to provide trauma-informed training.
• A project delivered by Durham Constabulary that would make use of Civil Orders.
• A project delivered by an organisation called Robiquity.
• A project to support Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs).
• Projects delivered by Durham County Council and Darlington Borough Council to provide 'SWAN Hubs'.
• A project delivered by Durham County Council to provide a 'Transition Coordinator'.
• A project delivered by the Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust to provide a 'Trauma Informed Care Pathway'.
• A project delivered by the Foundation of Light called 'You Only Live Once'.
• A project delivered by Groundwork.

Horden Together Partnership

The Committee were scheduled to be given an update on the work of the Horden Together Partnership.

The Horden Together Partnership had been established in the village of Horden to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour by addressing some of the root causes.

Community Protection Service

The Committee were scheduled to receive an update about the enforcement and intervention activity of the Council's Community Protection Service, including presentations about its work on:

• The sale of illicit tobacco.
• The sale of illegal vapes.
• The use of counterfeit vehicle parts.
• Taxi licensing.
• Food safety.
• Air quality.
• Animal health.

The report notes the intention of the UK Government to introduce legislation that would, among other provisions:

• Ban the sale of tobacco to anyone born after 1 January 2009
• Introduce a licensing regime for the retail sale of tobacco and vapes.
• Grant powers to regulate the appearance of tobacco products.
• Ban the sale of disposable vapes from 1 June 2025.

The report notes that Durham County Council prosecuted a Durham-based company called Lebaneat in September 2024 for breaches of food safety law, resulting in a fine of £28,000.

Anti-social Behaviour

The committee were scheduled to receive a report on the levels of anti-social behaviour in the county and the work that was being done to reduce it.

The report was scheduled to highlight the impact of the national roll-out of the Safer Streets programme, which was providing funding for projects to tackle anti-social behaviour and had provided funding for councils to deliver problem-solving initiatives in hotspot areas.

The report was scheduled to update the Committee on the success of the Immediate Justice Trailblazer project, which was providing funding for a new Immediate Justice hub to help victims of anti-social behaviour and provide ways for offenders to make amends.

The report notes that the UK Government had announced several policies that could impact levels of anti-social behaviour, including:

• The Crime and Policing Bill, which proposed new police powers to tackle anti-social behaviour including Respect Orders, fast-tracked Public Spaces Protection Orders, and new powers to tackle off-road bikes. The Bill also proposes a duty for local partners to co-operate to tackle anti-social behaviour, with a dedicated anti-social behaviour lead in every local authority.
• The Victims, Courts and Public Protection Bill, intended to strengthen the powers of the Victims' Commissioner and require offenders to attend their sentencing hearings.

The report was scheduled to provide an update on the partnership's performance against its objectives, with a particular focus on three areas:

Partnerships

The report was scheduled to update the committee on progress made in enhancing partnership arrangements to tackle anti-social behaviour, including:

• The establishment of the Community Protection Service
• The development of a new anti-social behaviour delivery plan
• Work to adopt preventative measures to tackle anti-social behaviour, including early intervention and awareness campaigns, CCTV upgrades, the Safer Streets programme, and the Safety of Women and Girls strategy.

People

The report was scheduled to update the committee on progress made to ensure that victims of anti-social behaviour are supported, including:

• Providing victims with a way to request a case review.
• The establishment of a Community Remedy process.
• Work to support young people involved in anti-social behaviour.
• Work to reduce noise nuisance from students.

Places

The report was scheduled to update the committee on work that was underway to reduce anti-social behaviour in public places, including:

• The use of selective licensing.
• The use of Public Space Protection Orders.
• The Safer Streets scheme, which in County Durham had seen the installation of CCTV, the recruitment of anti-social behaviour engagement officers, and the implementation of target hardening measures.