PCC says services must look to collaborate as he launches new crime plan Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland, Barry Coppinger, has said that blue light services must look to collaborate in order to survive the Government’s relentless budget cuts. Mr. Coppinger has detailed how he will support agencies working together as part of one of six key priorities in his new Police and Crime Plan. Over the next financial year he will also develop and back bids for Police Innovation Funding to promote partnership and collaboration. The concise five page blueprint sets out 34 specific actions for the next twelve months, it also details important work carried out by Mr. Coppinger since he took office in 2012. This includes: • Hosting Cleveland’s first Criminal Justice Volunteers’ Fair and receiving 900 expressions of interest from people wishing to become a volunteer. • Launching the Property Act Fund to support community projects which contribute to meeting the PCC’s objectives. £39,000 has been distributed to 46 community-led projects. • Launching a Cleveland wide ‘Safe Places’ scheme to support vulnerable people which is supported by a number of agencies and retailers. • Rolling out a Cleveland wide screening model to engage with young people entering custody and divert them from reoffending. • Developing a regional strategy with regional PCCs to tackle violence against women and girls. • Visiting over 140 community meetings as part of the ‘Your Force, Your Voice’ campaign. In 2014/2015, Mr Coppinger has pledged to further develop a number of key areas including the pre-custody Street Triage project, develop a commissioning strategy to focus on services for victims and increase the number of Special Constables to 200. Mr. Coppinger said: “My Police and Crime Plan will not sit on the shelf gathering dust; it’s a working document which has people at its heart and is shaped by communities.” “These are challenging times and severe budgets cuts mean the loss of services and staff across the board. I am committed to Cleveland Police as a standalone force, but if we can identify areas of collaboration we not only make our teams stronger but can make the best use of our resources across Teesside. “Officers, staff and partners have done an excellent job in difficult circumstances and I look forward to working alongside them in protecting neighbourhood policing, supporting victims and reducing reoffending.” The new Police and Crime Plan can be viewed by visiting the website cleveland.pcc.police.uk
Posted on: Mon, 14 Apr 2014 11:35:04 +0000