Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED:  That all items of business be considered in public.

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the meeting held on 11 December 201 be agreed as a correct record. 

The Chairman welcomed those present to the meeting.  Ms Jacqui Robertson, the Council’s Service Manager - Community Safety Team, advised that the figures provided in the report were for quarter 2 (Q2) and that Q3 results would be reported to the Safer Hillingdon Partnership (SHP) meeting being held on 26 March 2019. 

Partners had performed well against the SHP target to reduce burglaries by 1% per annum each year between 2017/18 and 2019/20.  Against a target of 810, residential burglaries had reduced to 598 by the end of Q2 in 2018/2019 and non residential burglaries had reduced to 180 against a target of 234 during the same period.  Members queried whether technology had advanced to enable police officers to receive direct automatic notification of a burglar alarm that had been activated when they were in the vicinity.  Unfortunately, digital technology had not yet developed in this area. 

Concern was expressed that residents’ perception was that there had been an increase in the number of burglaries in Hillingdon.  Superintendent Ricky Kandohla, Ealing, Hounslow and Hillingdon’s Basic Command Unit of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), advised that OWL (Online Watch Link) had helped to significantly reduce the number of burglaries in the Borough.  However, it was noted that there had been an increase in the North of the Borough, some of which had been aggravated burglaries, but that aggravated burglary levels were still lower than in neighbouring boroughs.  Supt. Kandohla advised that smart water (MetTrace) was increasingly being used by householders and had helped to catch perpetrators of burglary crimes.  Consideration was now being given to how MetTrace might be rolled out elsewhere in the Borough. 

A burglary had taken place two weeks before Christmas.  The victim had immediately reported the crime but, to date, there had been no follow up from the police.  Concern was expressed that this was not a stand alone incident.  Supt. Kandohla advised that it was important for residents to report these crimes and for the police to properly record them.  If there was evidence at the scene, then officers should attend to collect it. 

It appeared that the fear of crime might have increased even though there had been an increase in the proactive work undertaken in Hillingdon.  There appeared to be a lack of communication reassuring residents that significant proactive work was being undertaken to reduce crime in Hillingdon.  Supt. Kandohla also noted that, as there were seasonal variations in the prevalence of some crimes, additional burglary patrols had been undertaken in specific areas of the Borough over the Christmas period. 

Members were advised that when the police received a report of a burglary, officers would talk to several households in each direction around the targeted property (known as ‘cocooning’).  Where available, home CCTV footage was also sought to establish whether it could offer up any additional evidence.  Messages were also sent out to the local Neighbourhood Watch for them to warn their members that there had been a burglary in the area. 

Reducing anti  ...  view the full minutes text for item 41.

Consideration was given to the Committee’s Work Programme.  It was noted that the Chairman had met with Mr Nick Carver, Chief Executive at East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust (ENH), earlier in the day to discuss the future of Michael Sobell Hospice.  The Chairman would be meeting with Michael Breen, a trustee of Michael Sobell Hospice Charity, on 14 February 2019.  It was likely that, once the meeting had taken place on 28 February 2019, there may be a need for one more final meeting, perhaps in May 2019.  Members were asked to provide the Democratic Services Manager with any questions that they would like answered by ENH before the meeting on 28 February 2019. 

It was noted that a Substantial Variation Protocol had been drafted and was currently going through an approval process, after which it would be shared with the Committee.  Feedback and agreement would then need to be sought from the local health bodies. 

Members were advised that Public Health, Hillingdon Clinical Commissioning Group and Healthwatch Hillingdon were invited to both Quality Account meetings on 30 April 2019 and 1 May 2019 as their work tended to cut across all of the Trusts. 

RESOLVED:  That:

1.    Members forward questions to the Democratic Services Manager for ENH before the meeting on 28 February 2019; and

2.    the Work Programme be noted.