MINUTES
Nottinghamshire Police Independent Advisory Group
Meeting
held at Carlton Police Station Notts
1830 Wednesday 20th May 2015
Attendees:
Apologies:
David Jones (DJ)
Safdar Azam (SA) - Chair
Serab Ozdural (SO) – Vice Chair
Steve Cooper (SC) city divisional commander
Mustafa Rajabali (MR)
Chris Thompson (CT)
David Simmons (DS)
Mark Kirsch (MK)
Asher Siddiqi (AS)
Michael Worrall (MW)
Aneeta Purwaha (AP)
Lorinda Liversidge (LL)
Bill Dixon, University of Nottingham, (BD)
Blair Lawrence-Broughton (BLB)
Amdani Juma (AJ)
Ishtiag Haq (IH)
Tina Lee (TL)
Asher Siddiqi (AS)
Tim Wendels (TW) Notts Police
Bettina Wallace (BW)
Farnoosh Shahrokhshahi (FS)
Mark Holland county divisional commander (MH)
Lynda Kelly (LK)
Yvonne Dawkins (YD)
Esther Buck (EB)
Shamila Majid (SM)
Welcome and introductions, minutes and actions of last IAG – Chair Safdar
Azam
Minutes and actions of IAG meeting 25th March 2015 agreed as accurate by the
IAG, SC and SO.
University of Nottingham Research Project.
Professor Bill Dixon explained to the IAG the progress and intentions of his
research project.
SA asked, How do you identify the interviewees
BD will be contacting IAG leads and also new members for their thoughts on the
way the IAG functions and perhaps how they thought it would work before they
Agenda Item 2: became involved.
SA asked if the project included looking at other IAG’s across the country?
BD not at this stage.
MK asked if Bill had access to previous minutes and docs.
BD confirmed that CT had provided IAG docs and minutes.
IH asked if there were IAG guidelines.
BD and SA confirmed that ACPO published guidelines about 2010.
Agenda Item 1:
*RESTRICTED*
BD will contract the relevant interviewees; CT will help with any contact
Actions/Decisions: details as required.
CT has circulated ACPO guidelines and IAG terms of reference 21/5/15
IAG video conferencing? Increasing county membership.
SC explained the thought process. At this time we are lacking members from the
north end of the county, probably due to travelling long distances, time and cost
etc. Police Stations all have video conferencing facilities which work well in the
policing environment. It is proposed that police staff will support members from the
north of the county to attend either or Mansfield/Worksop/Newark etc. police
stations, to enable a wider community reach.
SO agreed that this was a good idea, she had experience of video conferencing;
although sceptical at first she now supported the concept.
MR was concerned that extra police staff would be needed to support the
conferencing.
SC explained that Mark Holland had already agreed to facilitate this by travelling
Agenda Item 3: across the county area, as divisional commander for the county division this was
not a problem.
SA disagreed with the idea, people want to talk face to face and of course we
should be using community venues, not everyone likes going into police stations. If
we go to video, some meetings should be held in community buildings.
CT agreed that some meetings should be held in the community.
LL pointed out that Gypsy Travellers did not always engage, police stations may
preclude their involvement.
AJ he has attended meetings across the East Mids region, if persons are
interested they should travel and attend to prove their commitment.
MW distance and cost would always be an issue.
CT Expenses are available.
Video conferencing will be tried on three occasions over the next 12 months
starting with the next meeting on July 8th. For ease of access we will use Carlton
Police Station for conurbation members, with an option of either Worksop or
Actions agenda item 3 Mansfield or both stations if staff are available. MH will be asked to facilitate
Worksop, CT will ask Ch Insp Rooke to facilitate Mansfield.
IAG annual report, draft version has been shared with members. Further info and
comment from members is required by 31/5/15
Agenda Item 4:
CT emailed members 21/5, Chair has asked for members comments on the draft
annual report, still work to do prior to publication, but now is the time for any
improvements you may wish to add, replies no later than 31st May please.
Secondly, the biographies are still required from the majority of members, please
include info as below. Name: Age: Occupation: interests; How long have they
been involved with the IAG? What do they want the IAG to deliver? Three words to
Actions agenda item 4
describe themselves. How can the public help the IAG? (for report and website)
Thirdly, are you willing to have your contact details published on the police
website, would suggest email or phone or alternatively CT could act as a filter, you
could ask for contact via CT?
Oh and fourthly, action plan 4/15, before you read the next sentence this is
VOLUNTARY and there is no obligation to be involved “IAG members to attend
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community meetings with NPInpsector in their area. IAG members should check
the force website for their NPI and make contact to attend a local meeting with the
Inspector. Ring 101 you will be prompted to reach the necessary officer”.
I repeat this is voluntary.
Agenda item 5. Communications/Media Relations could not attend the meeting.
SA and CT are meeting with media dept over the next few weeks to progress
Action agenda item 5
action plan 4/12
Standing agenda item- Significant Changes-Police estates update by Tim
Wendels Head of Assets.
Government policy “One Public Estate”, the joining up of service providers, police,
councils, fire, ambulance etc, co-location of premises.
Central Police Station in the city is moving to Byron House on Maid Marian
Way/Derby Road island, very visible location, it is likely that this option will replace
Canning Circus PS also, both stations will be sold. Nottingham City Council own
Byron House, the police will pay rent.
MW question re parking.
SC Central has very limited parking, Byron House will be slightly better.
TW Sneinton PS will have a NCC library on the ground floor, police moving to top
floor. NCC will pay rent. Any lift access issues will be resolved. There will not be a
front counter at Sneinton, video or phone link to HQ as most stations are not
resoursed out of hours. The aim has to be to keep staff on the streets.
Meadows PS will close with the police moving into a suitable shared property,
likely to be the local children’s centre.
Retford PS closing with police moving in with council, similarly Worksop Police
Station is likely to close with staff moving 100 yards up Potter St to the BDC
Queens Building. A Bassetlaw response base is being considered in the centrally
located Ranby village. Carlton PS will be sold staff will be moved to a suitable local
location, retaining a police presence in Carlton Sq area, possible option is EMAS
(ambulance). Arnold staff may move to the Home Brewery to collocate with both
Agenda Item 6. the county and district councils. Cotgrave town centre is subject to major
redevelopment, the current police station will be replaced to a new property within
the development. Eastwood PS, negotiations with Health and Fire to share.
Mansfield Woodhouse PS local youth service are being encouraged to take space
at the police station.
Current stations may close, but will be replaced by moves to colocations, but
retained within the communities that they serve.
BLB asks, will it affect jobs?
TW budget cuts are already within the public arena, money has to be saved, but a
big driver is also to provide the right type of accommodation for modern
neighbourhood policing. We are already moving to “response hubs” at places like
the Riverside and Oxclose Lane.
LL likes the partnership idea, particularly the Mansfield Woodhouse share with
youth project.
SO asks about PFI (private finance initiatives) and her concerns over this.
TW we only have one premises subject to PFI, the Riverside, this project is almost
half way through its life, no further PFI will be undertook.
DJ expressed concerns about the loss of iconic buildings such as Central Police
Station.
SC reiterated that the location of the new Central Police Station would become
iconic in time, a very busy road passing right by the front door.
SC gave update on the reduction of PCSO’s. 25% of the establishment are likely
to leave the organization, 72 members of staff in actual human terms.
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MR asked if other alternatives to redundancy had been considered.
SC said all options had and were being explored, however other similarly graded
police staff will be offered voluntary redundancy which may mean some of the
PCSO’s may be offered other positions, these proposals are still out for
consultation. Reductions across the force including reducing the Chief Officer
Team from 3 assistant chief constables (ACC) to one ACC and other senior
managers such as Chief Superintendents from 15 to 3, would realize significant
savings.
MK will it affect Community Protection Officers?
SC, no CPO’s are city council staff. He went onto explain the redistribution of the
PCSO strength which will be demand led. Each area will still have a named police
officer/beat manager, but their area of responsibility will increase across more
ward areas. He went onto explain the telephone investigation bureau (TIB) which
now deals with almost 30% of crime over the phone, even so an officer would be
deployed if evidence was securable.100% attendance at all crimes is not viable
and had not been so for some time in other police areas.
SO expressed her concern about a PCSO attending a community meeting in
Bakersfield about ASB, the officer was clearly out of their depth and struggled to
satisfy issues raised at other meetings on a few separate occasions.
Action 6. None
IAG award to officer or staff member. The chair explained that the Chief
Item 7
Constable has agreed that this will happen.
Action item 7 SA and CT will work with Jodie Zygadlo at Media to progress this matter.
Taser update. Email update from Ch Insp Turner “I don’t believe there is any
follow up for anybody that has been tasered. Whilst in custody, the policy states
that anybody subject to Taser will be examined by an FME”
Chris Thompson has emailed the College of Policing “Does the police college
know of any post Taser research. I have trawled the internet and can find many
US studies, some which are industry funded”. Reply expected before 20th May
meeting. Update 13/5 Your enquiry has been assigned the ref IR102208and
escalated to the Team responsible for this area. If you need to contact us to
discuss the progress of your request, please call 0800 496 3322 quoting the
Item 8 reference number. Richard Wendon College of Policing
contactus@college.pnn.police.uk
www.college.police.uk
19 suspects were tasered by Notts Police in the last 12 months none personalised
data from Insp Thornton has been provided and was briefly presented at the May
2015 meeting by CT. Hard copies were not distributed due to restricted nature.
Any IAG member who wants to look further at the data can contact CT who will
talk one to one where necessary. SO has asked to meet with CT re this offer.
IAG Action plan update. Brief verbal update from CT, IAG members asked to
update their area of responsibility via CT.
Action item 9 IAG members asked to update their area of responsibility via CT.
Item 9
AOB None
Action from AOB None.
Date, Time & Location Wednesday 8th July 2015 Carlton Police Station and also via Video Link,
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of Next Meeting
probably Worksop Police Station and or Mansfield Police Station
Future meetings;
23rd September 2015
18th November 2015
All meetings to commence at 1830 hours for approx 2 hours.
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