Resolved: That all items be web-cast.

Councillor Heather Langley, Councillor Paulina Stockell and Michael Hill, Kent Police Associations Co-opted Member sent their apologies.

It was noted that Councillor Adrian Brindle was substituting for Councillor Heather Langley and Councillor Nelson-Gracie was substituting for Councillor Paulina Stockell.

Councillor Brian Vizzard attended as a Visiting Member, interested in agenda item 8 and 9 on the agenda, Update from the Safer Maidstone Partnership and Update from Kent Police. Councillor Ian Chittenden attended as a Visiting Member as the co-opted Member from the Kent Police Association was not able to attend.

There were no disclosures.

Resolved: That all items be taken in public as proposed.

Resolved: That the minutes of the meeting held on 8 February 2011 be agreed as a correct record of the meeting and duly signed by the Chairman.

Interviews with:

·  Martin Adams, Chairman of the Safer Maidstone Partnership;

·  David Coleman, Independent Chair of the Kent Police Authority Standards Committee;

·  Robbie Graham, Chief Inspector Kent Police; and

·  Zena Cook, Director of Regeneration and Communities.

The Chairman welcomed Martin Adams, Chair of the Safer Maidstone Partnership (SMP) and Zena Cooke, Director of Regeneration and Communities to the meeting.

Mr Adams began by addressing the issues faced by the SMP including the future economic environment and local needs. He explained that they had taken the opportunity to look at their 9 priorities and rationalise them. The 9 priorities, he explained, had now been reduced to 4: Anti Social Behaviour; Domestic Violence; Road Safety; and Drug & Substance Misuse.  He explained that the group’s decision was supported by the strategic assessment which had looked at all areas of the partnership; data and information. Mr Adams felt that the SMP now had a clear direction for the next 12 months. The composition of the SMP was described as a good mixture of committed people with a range of expertise, coming from various organisations including Highways.

Members confirmed that alcohol misuse was picked up under the priority: Drug and Substance misuse. Mr Adams explained the importance of the Town Centre to this priority and that there would be a focus on this area. Members questioned the responsibility of the Partnership to the Rural Areas if there was to be this emphasis placed on the Town Centre and the High Street Ward.  Mr Adams explained that in terms of Road Safety rural areas were a priority and by the same measure the High Street ward’s issues were focused around relevant priorities chosen by the SMP. There was no intention that this would compromise the SMP’s support of other areas in the borough. Mr Adams explained that he had chaired a working group which included many organisations such as Maidstone Mediation and Golding Homes and it was on this basis with the input from other organisations that it was felt that the regard for issues in the High Street ward should not be lost, with statistics proving the need for focus as it was disproportionately generating more anti social behavioural issues but again he emphasised that the 4 priorities were borough based.

Members questioned the spending cuts and how they would affect the work of the SMP. They queried whether the left over funds could be carried forward.  Zena Cook responded by explaining to the Committee that the funding came from Kent County Council and they were in dialogue with them about keeping money left over from the current year as there would be less expected next year.  The Officer went on to explain that the partnership had recently provided funding for Porchlight and for Crime Prevention initiatives at their last meeting and as such were not waiting for April, they were continuing to make decisions and funding allocations. A 20% reduction in funding was expected. The Officer emphasised to Members that they would have less money but would still have money and went on to explain the work already completed by the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) on Resource Mapping. Resource mapping  identified public money coming into Maidstone and how it was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 101.

Interview with Matthew Nix, Chief Superintendent Kent Police

The Chairman formally welcomed Chief Superintendent Matthew Nix to the meeting, joining Mrs Cook and Mr Adams.

Mr Nix began by referring to Ian Learmouth, the newly appointed Chief Constable, explaining that his priorities for Maidstone and Kent demonstrated a clear steer on Public Services.

Mr Nix explained the Change Programme which would accommodate the 20% reduction in budget over the next four years.  He informed Members that there would be an operational policing model and that it was important to get this right first but also made reference to the ‘back office’ and said that no individual would be unaffected; everyone would have to think differently.  There would also be a freeze on recruitment. Neighbourhood policing would be the bedrock of everything they were doing, he was pleased to say.  They would be broadening frontline duties and there would a crucial sense of ownership for your ‘patch’.

Maidstone would stay as a custody centre and the centre of divisional headquarters which he said he felt it needed to be as the county town.

He expressed there needed to be senior management liaison at all level and included Inspector David Coleman, and a cross cutting relationship between the Town Centre and Councillors in this.

In his presentation Mr Nix, showed the new geographic police structure for Kent which would be divided into three areas; north, west and east. As Chief Superintendent of West Kent Division he would be a single point of contact and accountable for everything that happened in the vicinity.  He explained the proposed new shift pattern which would provide local flexibility with Officers on shift, when needed.  He spoke of the 24/7 response based at Maidstone as something that had wanted to achieve from a managerial point of view for sometime and would be based on demand. Mr Nix highlighted the reduction in crime in Maidstone over the past 4 years. He explained that Maidstone had the lion’s share of resources and would have ownership of 1^st line response with no artificial boundaries, it would benefit from the closest response.  This was highlighted as a big, structural change.  He described a back to basics, core business approach in response to the budget cuts that would keep the impact minimum.  Members were complimentary on the approach described and the idea of local ownership.  They questioned the implementation timescale and were told that it would be in place by the end of the calendar year.  Members questioned the Officer on staff awareness of the changes.  Mr Nix responded that there was a huge amount of communication with weekly open meetings and questions and answer sessions with staff.  Members questioned whether the cutbacks would result in greater powers for Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs).  The Officer explained that it was a discretionary power that the new Chief Constable, Ian Learmouth, was in favour of enhancing. With regard to the spending review, he explained that the budget for PCSOs was ring fenced. The officer explained the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 102.

6.30pm to 8.25pm.