Chair’s Opening

Grant Settlement

This week the Authority received details of the Government’s Provisional Grant Settlement for the next two years.

The Authority will receive £135.1m to fund policing in the Humberside Police area in 2011/12 and £126.3m in 2012/13. This compares with a comparative figure of £142.2m in 2010/11 (taking into account the £1.8m in-year reductions from the original grant allocation of £143.9m).

This represents a cut in Government Revenue Funding in 2011/12 of £7.1m in 2011/12 with a further reduction of £8.8m in 2012/13. The Government has confirmed however that funding for Neighbourhood Policing to support PCSOs will continue for the next two years at the current level of £4.8m in 2011/12 and at £4.7m in 2012/13 before this grant is absorbed into General Grants.

Information has also been received in relation to Capital Grant which will be cut from £2.0m in 2010/11 to £1.3m in 2011/12 rising again to £1.9m in 2012/13.

Overall the Settlement which sees the General Grant funding for all authorities reduced by 5.1% in 2011/12 and 6.7% in 2012/13 is worse than the initial calculations for Revenue Grants following the Comprehensive Spending Review announced on 20 October 2010. This suggested cash reductions of 4% in 2011/12 and 6% in 2012/13. Details of funding in future years will be announced following a review of local government finance due to be completed in the summer.

The figures are worse than we were predicting but the Settlement announcement provides greater clarity over the scale of the task that we face. In addition we now know that there is some certainty in relation to the funding for PCSOs for the next two years. The Settlement will present the Police Authority with substantial challenges. We are continuing to work hard with the Chief Constable, Tim Hollis, to ensure that with the reduced amount of cash we have available in this and subsequent years he is able to use it to provide the best possible service to local communities in this area.

We are developing a programme of change that reflects public views balanced with the professional judgement of the Chief Constable and his senior colleagues as to the level and style of service necessary to keep our communities safe.

In order to do this we recognise the Authority will need to make some difficult but necessary financial decisions. We will not shy away from making those and keeping the public and our partners informed as to the reasons why and the impact these might have on communities.

Throughout the year the Authority will continue to talk to local people and visit police stations to ensure the service Humberside Police is delivering is effective and meets the expectations of the public.

We will be keeping in touch with local people through the media and our newsletter and let them know what we have found. While taking into account any reductions in funding, if we find a policing service does not meet the reasonable expectations of the public then we will ask the Chief Constable to address this with his senior collegues.
 

Young People Take on Police Marketing Challenge

As part of National Takeover Day, we invited 50 young people to demonstrate their skill in producing a marketing and media campaign for the police. The Takeover event aimed to challenge perception associated with teenagers and followed recent consultation we conducted with the Youth Parliament in Hull, where young people said they believed that more should be done by public services to portray young people in a more positive light.

This event topped off a great month for young people as it came just a couple of days after the Humberside Police Lifestyle Awards, the Chairman of the Authority sat on the judging panel for the awards. He later heralded both events as “great showcases for the excellent contribution young people make to society”.
 

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Supporting Young People and Local Community Projects

Every year the Police Authority accumulates money from the sale of property that comes into Police possession; either the property is in connection with a crime and the owner cannot be found, or the property is forfeited by a convicted individual by order of the courts - this is called the Police Property Act Fund. We use this fund to help support local charities and community projects. We also have a separate fund that makes small contributions to projects specifically for young people with the aim of preventing them from becoming the victims or perpetrators of minor crime and anti-social behaviour. Recently a number of local groups across the Humberside Police area benefited from these funds:

• Brigg Air Training Corps Cadets received £500 to purchase lightweight tents to enable them to complete the Bronze and Silver levels Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.
• The East Marsh Youth Development project in Grimsby was awarded £2,036 to provide services and activities to young people between the ages of five and eighteen during the school holidays.
• The Scunthorpe Anti-Poverty Group secured £1,215 so that their volunteers can continue to give much needed support to the needy and underprivileged through partnerships with the Probation Service, Women’s refuge and church organisations.
• The Haltemprice Skate Park Association received £2,036 for the upkeep of the facility which regularly attracts as many as 200 young people.
• Courts FC, a girl’s football team from the Orchard Park Estate in Hull, were awarded £500 to contribute to their expansion and to attract new members.

We are delighted to be able to support these types of community projects, especially those for young people. They encourage community involvement and regularly provide a platform for our Neighbourhood Policing Teams to interact with young people.
 

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Chinese Community Consultation

During consultation earlier this year, Chinese residents in the Humberside Police area told the Police Authority they are often hesitant to report crimes such as commercial burglary as the process was unclear. As a result, the Police Authority has produced a leaflet for all business owners 'Commercial Burglary Explained' so you know exactly what service to expect if your premises are broken into. For more details contact Claire Harrison on 01482 317003 or email claire.harrison@humberside.pnn.police.uk
 

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Disability Groups Consultation

In May this year the Disability Access Group and Foresight in North East Lincolnshire supported the Police Authority in assessing police station accessibility for residents with disabilities. A findings report was presented to the Communities and Partnerships Committee and as a result, several improvements have been made including visible markings on the front steps at Grimsby Police Station and hearing loop checks. Humberside Police will also be carrying out disability access checks on all stations open for public access in the spring.

The Disability Advisory Monitoring Group in the East Riding and the Interfaith Forum in North East Lincolnshire have also been advising on best practice for the new police building currently being developed on Clough Road in Hull. Thank you for your input!
 

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It's Not Too Late to Have Your Say!

Readers may be aware from the last newsletter that since the Spending Review, Members of the Police Authority have been working closely with the Chief Constable to examine a range of options to achieve extra budget cuts. A major factor in this process has been 'The BIG Converstion', the most comprehensive consultation exercise that the Authority has ever undertaken. The BIG Conversation has provided members of the public with a range of ways to get involved and have their say on the future of policing, from focus groups, to online chats, to postal surveys. And it's not too late to get involved. The survey is still available in a range of formats, including an online simplified version, until 31st December 2010. Your views are important to us.

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