Minutes:
4. RESTRICTED: Crime and Disorder Strategic Assessment 2021/2022
The Crime and Disorder Strategic Assessment (CDSA) 2021/22 showcases to Community Safety Partnership (CSP) members an analysis of crime, disorder, substance misuse and environmental degradation adversely affecting the residents of Barking and Dagenham with the aim of identifying the priorities for the year ahead. The evidence of priority areas to focus on ultimately shape the Community Safety Partnership Plan that is reviewed and updated every 3 years as well as the CSP sub-groups.
• Daniel James noted there were no significant changes to the CSP priority areas or the CSP structures.
Performance overview:
2020/21 vs 2021/22:
• All major crime types had exceeded pre covid 19 levels except for the following offence types:
- Robbery offences
- Theft offences
- Vehicle offences
• In 2021/22 there was a grand total of 20,560 offences reported up 1,931 offences (+10.4%) on the 18,629 offences reported in 2020/21. Of the 1,931 additional offences:
• Violence Against the Person offences accounted for 37.5% (mainly VWOI – ongoing improvements in recording):
-Theft offences (20.7%) - ongoing improvements in recording.
-Public Order (12.5%) -ongoing improvements in recording.
-Vehicle Offences (12.1%) – genuine increase
-Arson & Criminal Damage – 11.4% (CD = ongoing improvements in recording)
Statistically significant increases in:
• Non-DA Abuse Violence With Injury
• Other Firearms offences
• Theft of motor vehicle
Crime Volume vs Harm vs Cost:
The crimes committed in the borough at the highest volume and rates have been ranked and analysed in order to apply the estimated costs and harm scores to Barking and Dagenham. This analysis has led to a focus on the priorities below:
Current Priorities:
- Non-Domestic Abuse Violence With Injury (with a focus on Serious Youth Violence)
- Robbery of Personal property
- Domestic Abuse Offences (mandatory high harm priority)
- Sexual Offences (mandatory high harm priority)
- Fire Safety - Arson (low volume but high harm and current high rank within London)
- ASB (mandatory MOPAC priority)
Sanction Detection Rates:
Daniel James stated that sanction detection rates are generally areas for improvement and are low across London as well as well nationally. There are some improvements being made, but there is a programs of work identified through some of the documents that have been made available through the police like the MP’s Force management plan where it identifies the kind of actions being to increase sanction detection rates for offences.
Ward Level data:
Ward level offence figures for Barking and Dagenham continues to show Abbey ward (Barking Town Centre) as being the ward with the highest volume of crime for most crime types in 2021/22. Efforts should continue with the Barking Town Centre management meetings to address the levels of crime and disorder in this area.
Partnership Indicators:
Daniel James shared that an assessment of partnership crime indicators within the borough are also carried out in comparison to the national average. The following crimes/ incidents recorded are as follows:
- London Fire Brigade: primary fires, secondary fires.
- Adult Re- Offenders
- Juvenile Re-Offenders
- Adults in Drug Treatment/substance misuse
In 2021/22 Barking & Dagenham falls within the top quartile in London for several areas (Arson, Drugs, Domestic Abuse, Violent Crime, First Time Entrants, youth custodial sentences and the rate of juvenile offenders).
Perceptions of Safety:
• 2021: Of the 1,000 respondents 82% said they felt safe outside in their local areas during the day, an increase on the 2019 results (81%).
• Only 43% of residents felt safe outside in their local area after dark. This is an increase on the 2019 results (38%)
• Although there has been a small improvement in safety after dark further improvements can be made in this area.
ASB issues perceive as problems 2019 and 2021 comparison:
- Rubbish or litter lying around 2021 – 65% (-1%)
- People dealing or using drugs 2021 – 53% (-9%)
- Fly-tipping (2021) - 55% (-3%)
- People being drunk / rowdy in public spaces – 36% (-7%)
- Vandalism, Graffiti etc to property – 32% (-6%)
- Dog fouling – 40% (-1%)
- Noisy neighbours/ loud parties (18% (+1%)
- Abandoned/ burnt out cars 14% (-4%)
Recommendations:
Priority setting:
· Based on this year’s assessment of offence volume, cost, and estimated harm the existing priority crime and disorder types to remain priorities to address in 2022/23. This includes:
O Violence Against Women and Girls (mandatory high harm MOPAC priority area)
o Gun Crime (Mandatory high harm MOPAC priority area)
o Hate Crime (mandatory high harm MOPAC priority area)
o Knife Crime (mandatory high harm MOPAC priority area)
o Sexual Offences (mandatory high harm MOPAC priority area)
o Anti-Social Behaviour (mandatory high harm MOPAC priority area)
o Non-Domestic Abuse Violence With Injury (Agreed MOPAC high volume Priority)
o Robbery of Personal property (agreed MOPAC high volume priority)
o Adult and Juvenile reoffending (locally set)
o Arson (locally set)
CSP Governance and sub-groups:
· Continue with current CSP Structures (IVOLT, Reoffending Group, Etc) to address these issues and coordinate and monitor implementation of the BCU and Local Authority Serious Violence, Knife crime and drug action plans.
How Barking and Dagenham CSP Priorities fit with MPS Strategy and the Mayor’s Policing and Crime (MOPAC) Plan Priorities
The main priorities of both the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and MOPAC are:
- Reducing and preventing violent crime
- Protecting people from exploitation and harm
- Victims being better supported
- Increasing partnership working
- Increasing trust and confidence
These priorities are in line with existing Barking and Dagenham CSP priorities and sub-groups:
- Contextual Safeguarding & Exploitation and YOS Board
- Hate Crime, Intolerance and Extremism
- IVOLT
- Managing Offenders
- Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG)
- Safer Neighbourhood Board
- Safeguarding Boards
Stuart Bell notes that burglaries remains a high priority of the Met and improving victim support of burglary and recognises that data sets everywhere are skewed by the Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020. Stuart Bell asked Daniel James to contact him outside the CSP meeting to discuss access to police data.
Nathan Singleton questioned who has access to the CDSA data as well as noting that the young people he works with are very concerned around youth violence, the violence they face, experience, the bullying, the grooming, all those areas and that it is important for us as a borough to maintain a focus on that area alongside the VAWG issues. Daniel James responded that his access to police systems has been stopped due to new regulations on police sharing their data so most of it has been sourced from the public domain.
Pip Salvador Jones commended the focus in the CDSA on preventing and tackling violent crime is important but also notes that the cost-of-living crisis is a pivotal factor in increasing other crimes such as shoplifting or domestic abuse that may not be priority areas for the Met or MOPAC in comparison to reducing violent crime.
Andy Opie responded that he agrees that the next steps are to translate the CDSA into clear priorities for the CSP plan 2023-2026 and consider how to deliver these priorities in a way that is effective and not duplicated across multiple groups.
ACTION: Daniel James to contact Stuart Bell about access to police data.