Public accountability meeting – 30 & 31 August 2022

This month’s meetings will focus on:

Tuesday 30 August 3-4:30pm – North Yorkshire Police

• Stalking – to review North Yorkshire Police’s process for dealing with stalking cases and safeguarding victims of stalking.

Wednesday 31 August 3pm – 4:30pm – North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service

• Meeting the National Fire Standards – Assurance of progress to achieve, implement and maintain the National Fire Standards, to continually improve services to our communities.

Ask your question on this month’s hot topics

The full procedure for asking questions at this meeting is available here: Procedure for public questions

• To ask a question in advance 
  Send your question to info@northyorkshire-pfcc.gov.uk before the day of the meeting. Please include your name and address with your question.
• To ask a question during the meeting using Twitter
  To ask a question during the live broadcast, post your question on Twitter using #NYscrutiny
• Not all questions may be able to be used, but they will inform the Commissioner’s questioning and the general discussion.

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Tuesday 30 August 3:00 – 4:30pm – North Yorkshire Police – Stalking

To review North Yorkshire Police’s process for dealing with stalking cases and safeguarding victims of stalking.

Attendees

• Zoë Metcalfe – Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner
• Lisa Winward – Chief Constable, North Yorkshire Police
• Caroline Blackburn – Interim Assistant Chief Executive, Office of the PFCC
• Tom Thorp – Interim Assistant Chief Executive, Office of the PFCC
• Jenni Newberry – Head of Commissioning & Partnerships, Office of the PFCC
• Michael Walker –  Head of Operational Training, Planning ＆ Logistics Superintendent, North Yorkshire Police
• Fiona Wynne –  Detective Superintendent, Head of Safeguarding, North Yorkshire Police

Police

Thematic presentation:

• Fiona Wynne –  Detective Superintendent, Head of Safeguarding, North Yorkshire Police

Performance update:

• Michael Walker –  Head of Operational Training, Planning ＆ Logistics Superintendent, North Yorkshire Police

Agenda

Meeting papers

• Police – Stalking Presentation – August 2022
• Police – NYP Performance Report Police-Operational and FCR – August 2022

Public questions

• Questions from the Stray Ferret:
  The average response time to 999 calls is currently at 20 seconds according to the North Yorkshire Police data. It has consistently been above the 36-month average of 18.84 seconds since May 2021. Home Office data shows that the call response time for North Yorkshire is now the worst in the country for the proportion of calls answered in under 10 seconds and the median response time, and the seventh worst for average response time.  

  1 – Given that the target is for 90% of calls to be answered in under 10 seconds and North Yorkshire currently stands at under 40%, how is the force planning on improving this poor position?
  Answer: Our plan is to invest more staff within the call handling function and our recruitment activity is continuing. Overtime has been paid over the summer months to cope with the increase in demand (16%) nationally) and police officers have been drafted in to assist with the increasing demand. External communications are in place to advise the public of appropriate use of 999 calls in an attempt to reduce unnecessary demand. For example 10% of 999 calls into North Yorkshire Police are pocket dials where mobile phones are in pockets and accidentally dial 999. Once received a further call to the mobile phone needs to be made to ensure the owner’s safety.

  2 – On that note, the averages provided by the Home Office and the force for July are different – do you know why that might be?
  Answer: The Home office quote figures from the call being answered by BT and transferred to the relevant force. Police Forces quote the answer times from when the call hits our telephone switch.

  3 – In addition, over the same 36-month period, only 12.95% of cases were marked as ‘resolved’. Would you be able to explain what this means and maybe shed some light on why that number is so low?
  Answer: As per the PAM Pack, Resolved (12.95%) • Evidential or prosecution difficulties (13.72%) • Victim declines to support (27.16%) • Closed – no suspect (23.96%) • Awaiting outcome (21.57%). Resolved means the case has been concluded and the investigation is complete. It includes, charged, charged alternative offence, community resolution, summons or postal requisition, youth caution, youth conditional caution, other body / agency has investigation primacy, adult caution, offence taken into consideration, penalty notice for disorder, cannabis warning and youth restorative disposal. 

Questions raised during the meeting:

Mr Briggs – Northallerton – Cycling on the pavement
It is an operational matter for individual chief officers of police to enforce the law on cycling on pavements.
I have to highlight that enforcement is not being carried out, indeed I have witnessed police officers seeing the offence being committed but no action taken.
I would like to request that you raise this lack of enforcement with the Chief of Police as a matter of safety as well as enforcing the law.
I would question whether all police officers know that cycling on pavements is an offence and that is punishable by an on-the-spot fixed penalty notice?
Could North Yorkshire take the lead to clamp down on this law breaking and encourage the rest of the country to follow suit?

Twitter – Gwen Swinburn:
Can you ask the process in place to check the Chief Constable is meeting her legal obligations regarding complaints submitted to her re Misconduct in Public office complaints & her obligations to the complainants?

Watch live

• YouTube: https://youtu.be/hf-AAI1ttnc
• Commissioner’s website: https://bit.ly/PAMAug2022

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Wednesday 31 August 3:00 – 4:30pm – North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service – Meeting the National Fire Standards

Assurance of progress to achieve, implement and maintain the National Fire Standards, to continually improve services to our communities.

Attendees

• Zoë Metcalfe – Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner
• Simon Dennis – Chief Executive Officer, Office of the PFCC
• Caroline Blackburn – Interim Assistant Chief Executive, Office of the PFCC
• Tom Thorp – Interim Assistant Chief Executive, Office of the PFCC
• Jenni Newberry – Head of Commissioning & Partnerships, Office of the PFCC
• James Manning,  Area Manager – Head of Assurance, NYFRS
• Andy Blades, Group Manager Assurance, NYFRS

Thematic presentation:

• James Manning, Area Manager – Head of Assurance, NYFRS
• Andy Blades, Group Manager Assurance, NYFRS

Performance update:

• James Manning, Area Manager – Head of Assurance, NYFRS

Agenda

Meeting papers

• NYFRS – Fire Standards presentation – August 2022
• Fire – NYFRS Performance Pack – August 2022

Public questions

• Questions from the Stray Ferret:
  1 – In May, fire engine availability was classed as ‘critical’ for 10% of the time that month. What is the PFCC’s opinion on this matter, given the consultation on reviewing fire crew numbers in Harrogate and other parts of North Yorkshire?
  

Watch live

• YouTube: https://youtu.be/D5bhd13-sIo
• Commissioner’s website: https://bit.ly/PAMAug2022