116 Improving Alleyways by Tackling Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour PDF 756 KB
Additional documents:
Minutes:
The Executive Member for Environment and the Director
of Environment and Communities submitted a report for the Executive’s
consideration. The purpose of the report was to request additional funding of
£400,000 to the wider development of CCTV in alleys and hot spot areas
throughout Middlesbrough to reduce crime, antisocial behaviour and environmental crime. The report also proposed
a change in approach to collection of fly tips and enforcement of offences
across Middlesbrough via the introduction of an
‘Environmental Enforcement Flying Squad’, meaning fly tips would be
investigated and removed in one pass by a dedicated team.
Crime and antisocial behaviour
in Middlesbrough continued to be the highest in the
whole of the Cleveland Police Force area. When looking at the actual number of
incidents for the financial year 2019/20 and the year to date information for
2020/21, Middlesbrough was 11% higher than Stockton
which was 2nd highest. The submitted report contained statistical information
and data pertaining to recorded incidents in Middlesbrough.
The £400,000
planned to enable the installation of 100 cameras in key areas, which had been
identified using an intelligence led approach based on recorded data held by
Cleveland Police and the Local Authority.
In
conjunction with the use of CCTV cameras the Council may explore giving
residents individual bins and removing communal bins, for areas covered by back
alleys. That would allow residents to take more control of their waste. A pilot
scheme was at present underway in parts of North Ormesby.
Following an examination of the results of the scheme, a wider approach may be
implemented.
The proposed
‘Environmental Enforcement Flying Squad’ planned to enable the Council to
improve the aesthetics of Middlesbrough and in turn improve quality of life for
residents who were blighted by such activity. That would mean fly tips would be
investigated and removed in one pass by a dedicated team consisting of 8
personnel, 4x Neighbourhood Safety Wardens (Enforcement) trained on current
legislation and able to bring prosecution, 4x Area Care Operatives to work
alongside officers to assist clearing the fly-tip/rubbish and 4x bespoke caged
vehicles.
The proposal
planned to:
·
improve
public confidence;
·
deter
people from committing crime and antisocial behaviour via the presence of more
CCTV; and
·
ensure that fly tips were collected in a
timely manner - in turn reducing the amount of time debris was left in the
alleys, streets, walkways etc.
A discussion ensued and Members commented that before considering
granting approval for funding of £400,000, there was a need to conduct a pilot
scheme to establish the effectiveness of the proposal in reducing crime,
antisocial behaviour and environmental crime. It was also identified that,
following delivery of the pilot scheme, there was a requirement to evaluate the
impact of the approach by analysing data and reporting outcomes to the
Executive. Upon receiving that information, the Executive would then be in a
position to make an informed decision regarding whether additional funding
should be invested.
Members also
commented that there was a need to:
· take a ... view the full minutes text for item 116