To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 11 March 2021.

The Chair informed Members that the Committee would receive the report on the Peterloo Memorial at its next meeting on 22 June 2021.

Decision

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 11 March 2021 as a correct record.

Report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods)

This report provides an update on the work of the Community Safety Partnership with particular focus on serious and organised crime, including gun crime and knife crime.

The Committee received a report of the Strategic Director (Neighbourhoods) which provided an update on the work of the Community Safety Partnership with particular focus on serious and organised crime, including gun crime and knife crime.

Officers referred to the main points and themes within the report which included:

• Tackling crime and antisocial behaviour;
• Keeping children and young people safe;
• Protecting people from serious harm;
• Reducing the crime impact caused by alcohol and drugs;
• Changing and preventing adult offending behaviour; and
• Next steps.

Damian Dallimore from the GMCA informed the Committee about his role, heading the Violence Reduction Programme for Greater Manchester, managing the Violence Reduction Unit, working as Partnership Lead for Challenger, the partnership approach to tackling serious and organised crime, and working closely with colleagues in Children’s Services on complex safeguarding.  He highlighted the focus on early intervention, prevention and working with families to address the root causes of violence, and on partnership working and taking a community-led approach.

Detective Superintendent Jamie Daniels delivered a presentation on the current picture and activities to address firearms discharges and serious organised crime.  The main points and themes within the presentation included:

• Summary of confirmed firearm discharges in 2020/21;
• Threat mitigation plan, including multi-agency work;
• Operation Haemus, which resulted in a reduction in serious criminality, particularly firearm discharges; and
• Other outcomes over the previous 12 months.

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were:

• Public perception of the police and the importance of residents seeing that action was being taken, noting that when people reported incidents such as break-ins, speeding or drug dealing in their area and had difficulty contacting the police on the 101 number or their report was not followed up, they felt it was not being taken seriously and were less likely to report further incidents;
• Issues within specific wards which had been reported to GMP but were still a problem;
• Request for more community police in local areas;
• Tackling antisocial behaviour, noting that this did not just relate to homelessness and street begging;
• How partner organisations worked together;
• To thank GMP officers for their work during the pandemic;
• Action to tackle modern slavery; and
• The forthcoming changes to probation services, supporting people leaving prison and the link between ex-offenders and homelessness.

The Community Safety Lead highlighted the importance of partnership working, particularly in relation to early intervention and prevention.  She outlined the local partnership arrangements which were in place in each area, comprising of organisations such as GMP, different Council departments, housing providers and voluntary and community organisations, working together to solve problems in that area.  She informed Members that the Community Safety Partnership worked across the whole city, bringing together the strategic leads from those organisations to ensure delivery of the strategy and that there were also strong links with the GMCA, working together and utilising good practice from across Greater Manchester. 

The Community Safety Lead informed the Committee that tackling antisocial behaviour was a key priority for the Partnership and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18.

Report of the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit

This report provides the Committee with details of key decisions that fall within the Committee’s remit and an update on actions resulting from the Committee’s recommendations. The report alsoincludes the Committee’s work programme, which the Committee is asked to amend as appropriate and agree.

A report of the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit was submitted. The overview report contained a list of key decisions yet to be taken within the Committee’s remit, responses to previous recommendations and the Committee’s work programme, which the Committee was asked to approve.

Decision

To note the report.

The officers consider that the following item contains exempt information as provided for in the Local Government Access to Information Act and that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information. The Committee is recommended to agree the necessary resolutions excluding the public from the meeting during consideration of this item.

Decision

To exclude the public during consideration of the following item which involved consideration of exempt information relating to the financial or business affairs of particular persons and public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer

This report provides an overview of how cross-cutting themes in the Our Manchester Strategy – Forward to 2025 reset document are covered by the Council’s Scrutiny Committees during the 2021/22 municipal year.

The report is to form part of the Work Programming session at the rise of this meeting for Committee Members only.

The Committee considered the report of the Deputy Chief Executive and City Treasurer that provided an overview of how cross-cutting themes in the Our Manchester Strategy – Forward to 2025 reset document were to be covered by the scrutiny committees during the 2021/22 municipal year.

Decision

To note the report.