Agenda item

a)    Officer presentation

b)    Committee questioning and discussion

c)    Formation of comments and recommendations

Invitees:

-          Rhys Cornwall Strategic Director- Transformation and Corporate)

-          Janice Dent (Policy and Partnership Manager)

-          Helen Gordon (Senior Policy and Partnership Officer)

-          Sam Slater (Head of Strategy, Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent)

The Strategic Director introduced the report to the Committee. The Policy and Partnership Manager, Senior Policy and Partnership Officer and the Head of Strategy, Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent then gave an overview of the report.

The Committee asked the following:

• The Committee noted a discrepancy on page 179 of the report regarding “Weapon-related crime” and “Rape and Sexual offences” statistics, which appeared to show the same figures for both Newport and Gwent as a whole. The Policy and Partnership Manager advised this would be corrected.

• The Committee highlighted the importance of county lines drug dealing and the use of alternative bladed weapons in crime. They asked if these were included in the knife and gun crime data. The Head of Strategy at the Gwent Police and Crime Commissioner's Office noted all weapons were included in the knife and gun crime statistics.

• The Committee noted a reduction in criminals attending hospitals due to criminal injuries. The Head of Strategy at the Gwent Police and Crime Commissioner's Office highlighted that while the data shows a drop, it doesn't identify the cause, which would be explored further.

• The Committee asked if the report stood alone or was linked to community profiles. The Head of Strategy at the Gwent Police and Crime Commissioner's Office noted it fulfils Home Office requirements, but the report fed into localised planning.

• The Committee asked for ward-by-ward data to be provided and for the challenges faced with consultation, such as anonymity, to be highlighted. The Strategic Director noted that since the report is in its infancy, there is room for growth. The Committee was informed that the report would be brought back to them. The Strategic Director further highlighted that some of the data's real-world impacts are relatively small compared to their percentages. The Head of Strategy, Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent, explained that local engagement is a key priority.

• Concern was raised by the Committee over the reality of increasing crime rates. The Committee also expressed concern regarding the increase in sexual crimes against women. The Policy and Partnership Manager highlighted that the issue of crimes against women needed to be explored in more detail.

• The Committee highlighted the positive impact of more women coming forward about crimes they had experienced. The Policy and Partnership Manager agreed with the Committee's observation.

• The Committee queried if hate crime was increasing and whether specific ethnic groups were being targeted both by perpetrators but also by law enforcement. The Strategic Director noted this is an important point, highlighting its importance within the counter-terrorism and community reports.

• The Committee asked for clarification on the term "community safety domain." The Strategic Director noted it is covered under the Welsh Government index but would clarify the term in all future reports.

The Committee thanked the officers for attending.

Conclusions

-          The Committee commended the report stating that it was very accessible and informative.

-          The Committee noted a discrepancy on page 179 of the report regarding “Weapon-related crime” and “Rape and Sexual offences” statistics, which appeared to show the same figures for both Newport and Gwent as a whole. They recommended a clarification or correction of this data.

-          The Committee suggested including a detailed breakdown of the ethnicity of targeted groups in hate crimes within the Safer Newport Strategic Needs Assessment (SNA). This analysis will help contextualise the link between hate crimes and serious criminal activities, enhancing the overall effectiveness of the assessment in addressing these specific issues.

-          The Committee observed that presenting data as percentage increases (e.g. a 300% increase in homicides) could be misleading due to the small numbers involved. They suggested that presenting the actual figures might provide a clearer and less alarming picture.