Introduction With the elections of Police and Crime Commissioners in November, I felt it was timely to remind people of the contribution local councils and councillors can make to fighting crime and creating safer communities.
Since the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act became law in September 2011, one of the LGA's priorities has been to help with the establishment of police and crime panels in England. They can be made up of between 10 and 18 councillors as well as two independent members.
My Village Tour 2012, during which I held 63 open street surgeries in villages across the Borough's rural areas, is now over, and I want to thank everyone who came out to speak to me. The fact that so many residents took the opportunity to raise the important matters for them and for their community is much appreciated.
Lib Dem Portsmouth City Council decided some years ago that action to fight crime must be evidence-based and that all members of the Safer Portsmouth Partnership (officers, councillors and other organisations) must work closely together. Staff from outside agencies are co-located within the council offices alongside the Community Safety team. Rigorous scrutiny and research are carried out in order to be sure that the services provided are the right ones -including working with Portsmouth University.
Nationally, the police estimate that they get a call every minute from someone who is a victim of domestic abuse.
The Community Justice Team (CJT) has been in operation in Sheffield since May 2009 and was a Liberal Democrat initiative in the city led by Cllr Paul Scriven, then council leader, following the pioneering work carried out in Somerset. The team consists of a Community Justice Team Coordinator (paid employee of Sheffield City Council) and 40 Volunteer Facilitators. The volunteers are recruited, selected, trained and mentored by the Coordinator. The Coordinator and Facilitators use Restorative Justice to resolve disputes and repair harm. The service is victim focussed but involves liaising with both victims and wrong-doers, together with their supporters, to come to a satisfactory conclusion. In essence, the victim drives the process.