Draft Cabinet Report

CABINET REPORT

FOR DISCUSSION

THE FUTURE OF WARDENS AND POLICE COMMUNITY SUPPORT OFFICERS (PCSOs)

REPORT OF THE LEAD MEMBER FOR COMMUNITY SAFETY

TO THE CABINET MEETING ON 12 JANUARY, 2005

RECOMMENDATIONS:

It is recommended that:  Members note the content of this report  Members endorse the development of a citywide Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) policy and implementation plan  Members authorise officers of the council to consult with partners, staff and union representatives in developing the PCSO policy and implementation plan  Members approve the extension of wardens’ schemes due to expire on 31 March 2005, for a further twelve months to the 31st March, 2005, whilst consultation takes place and implementation plans are developed and introduced.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

The Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership has supported wardens schemes and Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) in Salford since their introduction in 2001 and 2003 respectively.

Community Wardens and PCSO services are time bound initiatives which have been funded, in part, to date by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) and the Home Office respectively.

The government has made no commitments to continuing its’ support of community wardens schemes beyond their current lifetime. Ministers have however, affirmed their commitment to maintain and increase the number of PCSO’s across the country. BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS:

Crime and Disorder Reduction Strategy, Confident Communities in a Safer Britain.,

ASSESSMENT OF RISK:

Medium

SOURCE OF FUNDING:

Revenue Budget 2005/2006

LEGAL ADVICE OBTAINED:

Not appropriate at this stage.

FINANCIAL ADVICE OBTAINED:

John Spink, Head of Finance consulted.

CONTACT OFFICER(S):

Chris Wells, Interim Community Safety Unit Manager - extension 3588

WARD(S) TO WHICH REPORT RELATE(S):

KEY COUNCIL POLICIES:

Community Plan Crime and Disorder Reduction Strategy Council Pledges Cabinet Work Plan Community Strategy Neighbourhood Management Policy REPORT DETAILS

BACKGROUND

Government policy on community wardens and Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) was introduced to Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships in 2001 and 2003 respectively.

At the same time Salford Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership was invited to make applications to government for funding to introduce community wardens and PCSO services to the city.

There are now four wardens schemes employing twenty six staff operating in The Valley (Swinton),Kenyon Way (Little Hulton), Brookhouse (Eccles) and the A6 Corridor. There are also nineteen PCSO’s operating in the city.

All of the community wardens’ schemes and PCSO services are financed through time-limited funding arrangements with government. Some of the schemes have also received additional short-term finance from regeneration programmes including the Housing Market Renewal Fund (HMRF) and the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF) for example.

There is a further scheme operated by Salford First (Manchester Methodist Housing) in the Seedley and Langworthy area which is part funded through SRB5 and runs until end of March 2006. Further schemes are also under consideration for the Central Salford catchment area including Broughton and Charlestown and Lower Kersal.

CURRENT ARRANGMENTS

The council employs community wardens on behalf of the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) employs PCSOs.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) has been the principal funder of the community wardens schemes, and the Home Office has been the principal funder of the PCSO service.

The Valley, Kenyon Way and Brookhouse schemes are due to expire on 31/03/05. The A6 Corridor scheme is due to expire on 31/03/06.

CURRENT OPERATIONAL DUTIES

Community Wardens are recruited, trained and equipped by the city council. They are deployed by supervisors who are part of the Community Safety Unit. They undertake the following duties:- High visibility patrolling in those areas of the city covered by the four existing wardens schemes, providing a friendly presence. Generally limited to 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday inclusive. Wardens provide a point of contact for the public and ‘signposting’for other services. e.g. environmental, highways, NPHL, Nuisance Link Team, police etc; They also provide reassurance to the communities in which they operate including visits to vulnerable residents and promotion of crime prevention initiatives. Additionally, they are involved in numerous community events such as estate clean ups, leaflet drops, gardening competitions, after school reading club, sporting activities and contribute both directly and indirectly to the city’s seven pledges.The wardens have no statutory powers to enforce legislation. They also work with the Fire Service on safety initiatives and engage with children in schools to encourage responsible citizenship and reduce anti social behaviour.

Police Community Support Officers are recruited, trained and equipped by Greater Manchester police. They are deployed by the police and undertake the following duties :- High visibility patrolling across the eight Neighbourhood Management areas and are linked into that structure. They are deployed on shifts by police supervisors seven days a week throughout the year. They provide a reassuring presence as well as challenging anti social behaviour and strengthening links with communities. They also release police officers to deal with more serious incidents and investigation of crime. It is the intention in the very near future to provide PCSO’s with a wider range of powers in respect of issuing Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN’s) and the power to detain suspects. Powers also include the authority to confiscate items such as alcohol, cigarettes and tobacco, to stop vehicles and require the removal of abandoned vehicles. Importantly they will have the powers to issue Fixed Penalty Notices for offences which are the responsibility of the local authority in respect of fly-posting, graffiti and truancy. Issue of FPN’s for many of these offences will generate income for the authority to offset other costs including any future contribution towards costs of PCSO’s.

FUNDING ARRANGEMENTS :

The City Council has contributed a total of £38,904 to part fund the cost of existing PCSO’s in 2004/05 and 2005/06 from the Housing Market Renewal Fund (HMRF). The City Council has also contributed £ 850,000 to the operation of community wardens schemes for 2004/05 from a number of sources including NRF, Street Crime Initiative and Housing Services budget

Government advice has been sought about the future of its policy direction and ongoing funding commitments to community wardens and PCSO services. There has been no commitment from government to maintain existing, or introduce new community wardens’ schemes beyond their current lifetime.

Government has however, affirmed its commitment to maintain and extend their policy and funding commitments as regards PCSOs, in the government’s Confident Communities in a Secure Britain report.This policy position has also been confirmed by the Home Office Minister, Hazel Blears, MP at a recent meeting with senior representatives of the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership in Salford. The Neighbourhood Policing Fund will support the expansion of PCSO services in the city in 2004/05 and 2005/06 wholly, and up to seventy five % in 2006/07. Early indications are that the Salford Division will be allocated up to ten PCSO’s of those that are currently being recruited by GMP. These are in addition to the existing nineteen currently deployed in the city. This would provide a total of twenty nine with the opportunity for further increases should additional funding be secured from the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership.

The annual additional cost to the council of maintaining all of the existing community wardens’ schemes beyond their current lifetime would be approximately £1,000,000 p.a.

The additional cost to the council of extending the contracts of community wardens’ where their schemes are due to expire on 31 March 2005 for a further year would be approximately £ 420,000.

This cost would need to be met from the council’s revenue budget for 2005/06.

CONCLUSIONS

The impact of this shift in government policy and funding arrangements away from community wardens will require the Salford Crime and Disorder Partnership to explore the development of a single citywide PCSO policy and implementation plan.

The development of this policy and implementation plan will take some time to come to fruition. It is therefore essential that community wardens contracts due to expire on 31 March 2005 are extended for up to a further year to ensure that full consultation can take place with all partners, staff and union representatives who are affected by this policy change.

RECOMMENDATIONS

It is recommended that :

 Members note the content of this report

 Members endorse the development of a citywide Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) policy and implementation plan  Members authorise officers of the council to consult with partners, staff and union representatives in developing the PCSO policy and implementation plan.  Members approve the extension of wardens’ schemes due to expire on 31st March,2005, for up to a further twelve months, whilst consultation takes place and implementation plans are developed and introduced. APPENDIX 1

COMMUNITY WARDENS AND PCSO FUNDING COMMITMENTS

2004/05 – 2007/08(?)

SCHEME 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08?

Community Wardens

Kenyon

Brookhouse