Agenda item

This will be a presentation by key members of Safer Exeter - the city’s Community Safety Partnership (CSP) - regarding work that has been conducted to make Exeter a safer place for women and girls at night. The presentation will cover:-

 

·         the role of the CSP

·         funding bids and the outcomes they have delivered;

·         CCTV improvements;

·         the Safe Space;

·         Best Bar None;

·         the SWAN charter;

·         the policing strategy around the evening and night time economy.

 

At the end of the presentation, Members will have an opportunity to ask questions to the presenters:-

 

·         Insp. Nathan Johnson – Police Lead for Safety of Women

·         Jeanie Lynch – Deputy Chair, Safer Exeter and CoLab Resilient Women Lead

·         Peter Scargill – Chair of Safer Exeter and Director, University of Exeter

·         Nicola Wheeler – Chief Executive, InExeter

·         Mat Jarratt – Chair, InExeter

·         Laura Wright – Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for City Centre, Exeter City Council

·         Simon Lane – Service Lead for Environmental Health and Community Safety, Exeter City Council

 

 

The Chair explained that, as the originator of the proforma requesting a Scrutiny item on “Local Measures to Tackle Violence Against Women and Girls”, Councillor Atkinson had been invited to sit with the Committee for this item and would be allowed to ask the first question after the presentation.

 

The external guests (Peter Scargill, Jeanie Lynch, Mat Jarratt, Supt. Antony Hart and Insp. Nathan Johnson) introduced themselves to the Committee, then talked Members through the presentation, which included:-

 

·         Purpose of the Exeter Community Safety Partnership

·         Partners

·         Areas of Focus 2020-2025

·         Funding

·         Improving Safety for Women in Exeter

·         CoLab Women

·         Women’s Centre for Exeter

·         Best Bar None

·         Safe Space

·         Police Overview

·         Evening and night time economy (ENTE) Locations and Patterns

·         Bystander Intervention Programme

·         Network of High-Definition Cameras

 

 

Community Safety Partnership

 

Peter Scargill (the only non-statutory Chair of a CSP in Devon) noted the uniqueness of the set-up. Jeanie Lynch praised the breadth of the partnership as well as the breadth of commitment across the city.

 

CoLab Women and Women’s Centre

 

Jeanie Lynch stressed how important the Safer Streets Funding had been. She also highlighted the need for a women’s hub in Exeter.

 

Best Bar None and Safe Space

 

Mat Jarratt remarked that these two projects did not exist in isolation, adding that:-

·         it was crucial not to consider best-case scenarios but real-life experience; and

·         the statistics for the Safe Space were inspiring.

 

Police Overview

 

Supt. Hart made reference to:-

·         the improved intelligence at Devon & Cornwall Police’s disposal;

·         the importance of internal as well as external culture; and

·         hotspot policing in Exeter.

 

Insp. Johnson, remarking that the night time economy had changed, talked Members through the four “Tier 1” hotspots and stressed the importance of foot patrols.

 

Portfolio Overview

 

Councillor Wright remarked that members of the LBGTQ+ community were also vulnerable within the NTE context. She also praised:-

·         Tony Cox for being responsible for many ideas aimed at improving the safety of women in Exeter;

·         street pastors; and

·         the work of everyone involved in the implementing the CCTV network, reminding Members that this was not a statutory duty.

 

Finally, she introduced the “Need Help” sign with the aid of which women who feel at risk can direct police operatives to the nearest camera.

 

The Director Net Zero Exeter & City Management praised the wide variety of representatives in the room and noted that the spirit of cooperation demonstrated in Exeter was the envy of all CSPs, adding that the Exeter model was recognised as best practice by the College of Policing.

 

 

Councillor Atkinson thanked all participants for their contributions but felt more detail could have been provided about:-

·         Serious Violence Duty;

·         Cause of Violence

·         Partnership Working across Devon; and

·         the deployment of staff to alert to VAWG.

 

The Service Lead - Environmental Health and Community Safety assured Councillor Atkinson that Exeter was fully involved in work taking place across the South West Peninsula. He acknowledged that more detail and/or topics could have been covered but explained that a conscious decision had been made to keep proceedings to one hour. On the issue of Serious Violence Duty, he referred to the link with neighbouring CSPs. Peter Scargill advised that the Safer Devon Plan was reviewed by the Safer Devon Partnership and that everyone was sighted on the Plan. Mat Jarratt highlighted that bar culture applied to both patrons and staff; he offered to meet up with Councillor Atkinson.

 

During discussion, Members made reference to:-

·         the daytime economy (especially around South St and Cathedral Green);

·         the need for a clear action plan with tangible outcomes;

·         the importance of communication around good work being done, and the role Councillors could play in this respect;

·         the need for conversations to take place in the men’s realm and for recognising that VAWG meant specifically Men’s Violence against Women and Girls; and

·         the feeling of insecurity felt by passengers at taxi ranks.

 

The external guests provided the following responses to questions from Members:-

·         the CSP had a sub-group set up specifically to deal with anti-social behaviour (ASB);

·         it was essential to marginalise the behaviours of perpetrators rather people themselves;

·         ASB constituted the bulk of complaints made to police in Exeter;

·         there was a detailed action plan;

·         there was no budget for communication and a lot had been achieved through sheer goodwill;

·         it was important not to mislead people into thinking that Exeter was unsafe;

·         staffing costs were the largest obstacle to the opening of a Women’s Centre in Exeter, and securing premises would be a significant first step;

·         for every pound spent on a Women’s centre, £5 would be saved to the public purse;

·         a total of 53 venues had signed up to the voluntary Best Bar None scheme, including bars on the university campus;

·         Devon & Cornwall Police were acutely aware that VAWG was under-reported;

·         it was crucial to engage with young men to make them realise the damage caused by VAWG and pornography;

·         the Safe Space had been financed through one-off funding (Safer Streets 4) and a business case was needed for its continuation;

·         the two-hour slot between 10pm and midnight - before the opening of the Safe Space - was largely covered by street pastors (who started work at 10.30pm);

·         taxi rank marshals had made a significant difference to problems at taxi ranks, which were paid for by the trade itself;

·         problems in Sidwell Street and Fore Street were well and truly on the radar of Exeter police; and

·         under-reporting was always a hindrance.

 

The Chair thanked all participants and Members noted the presentation.