Policing is enhanced across our community through respect and tolerance of diversity of opinion and lifestyle. Our Sector Working Group [SWG] supports this. For true success, it matters what our goals are. And it matters to us how we go about attaining them. The means are as important as the ends. How we get there is as important to our SWG as where we go. For further information on our work visit www.padpolice.com
We will work in partnership with the police, and will consult all sections of the community including ‘hard to reach’ groups. We will also research crime concerns from all members of the community through their representatives and leaders and through an annual crime audit of all members.
Our objective will be to reduce crime, fear of crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour: and to increase public safety, quality of life and harmony in our part of North Westminster, London.
The matters addressed by the local Paddington and Westminster Community Safety Strategy (CSS) and/or the Divisional Crime & Disorder Reduction Plan/Audit shall constitute the Sector Working Group’s [SWG] remit. All aspects of the Strategy, which are Police led, shall be legitimate subjects for discussion at SWG meetings and subsequent activity. All views and opinions will be considered in a spirit of mutual tolerance and respect, so long as they conform to the principles set out in this document.
Our SWG aims to establish an inclusive membership, and ensure that it is representative of ALL communities resident in our part of Paddington. These are fully listed and held by police, and include all resident, visitor and business-based communities.
More detailed information is available at the SWG Constitution page at our website link http://www.padpolice.com/constitution.php and at the Metropolitan Police Service remit for Sector Working Group consultative machinery given at http://www.padpolice.com/mpswg.php
The following may be invited to attend our SWG meetings in order to answer any points raised regarding the CSS or local/Borough Crime & Reduction Audit/Plan:
Our SWG will endeavour to ensure that the ‘hard to reach’ groups are fairly represented in all our meetings and activities.
ALL participants will demonstrate that they are promoting equality for all sections of society irrespective of race, sex, disability, age, religion and ethnic background. The activities of the SWG shall be founded upon good relations between persons regardless of race, sex, disability, age, religion and ethnic background.
Members neither appreciating, nor adhering to this policy of respect and tolerance, would be required to leave the SWG. Such expulsion shall be decided by agreement between the Divisional Police Senior Sector Management and the Chair of the SWG.
The Police will maintain facilities for the benefit of the SWG comprising:
Portfolio holders may be elected to assist the Chair. The Chair according to need will allocate ‘Portfolios’ in agreement with Police team. Portfolios will be volunteers with skills in the portfolio area, usually a crime concern and/or a Community Safety Plan priority agreed for the current year. Portfolios when appointed will be approved by the SWG members at the following quarterly meeting. For the period of the CSS [currently 3 years] these SWG portfolio holders along with Chair will form the SECTOR STEERING GROUP (SSG) charged with the delivery of the local Community Safety Strategy (CSS).
This above SSG forum of SWG representatives will act as a link between latter and officers of the local/Borough police, Local Authority, Probation Service, Health Services/Trusts and others, including the Community Safety Team. Also the Crime and Disorder Reduction team at WCC. Note: that whilst the latter Team is itself not a statutory body it monitors statutory processes and is a factor in our local police/community partnership’s implementation of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.
Portfolio Holders, and indeed any member on the SSG, can be consulted direct by the Sector Inspector or other police officers regarding any decisions, revised policy, police activity and service delivery of their individual actions into local level of the CSS. A function of the SSG is to monitor and measure the priorities of the local CSS and provide feedback to the SWG membership. The SSG will help to ensure that these locally identified issues are incorporated into the borough-wide strategy. The SSG will also be asked to contribute to the discussion and proposed implementation at SWG meetings of any agreed and co-ordinated solutions to local problems. The SSG has a major responsibility for ensuring that the delivery of the CSS remains relevant to local problems, and must take account of all communities’ crime concerns, including Hate crime.
The SWG and SSG will work with the police to foster a healthy pro-active working relationship to achieve overall objectives as described above. Portfolio members will be accountable at meetings to the SWG and the Chair. Where approved jointly with police, they may undertake initiatives, projects, visible audits and responses to public consultations. Their primary function will be to monitor progress of the local element of the CSS and raise crime concerns on behalf of the SWG. Police will also demonstrate effective contribution to consultation with the SWG through the Chair.
The Chair of the SWG shall be a community member. Only in exceptional circumstances can the Chair be a representative from the police. The Chair should not be a member of the WCC or a Councillor. The portfolio holders shall agree the Chair of the SSG, along with local Divisional police command. The chair shall remain in office for the period of the CSS and/or Crime Disorder Reduction Plan – currently three years - and then be eligible for re-election, along with all portfolio members. The Chair and portfolio holders will also elect a Deputy Chair at the end of this period, however if that position becomes vacant during a term of office a Deputy chair can be appointed solely by Chair with agreement by the Sector police team and outgoing Deputy Chair.
Elected members to above are those who have attended the majority of SWG meetings during the previous 3 years CSS and/or Crime Disorder & Reduction Plan. Those eligible to vote should have attended a majority of meetings in the previous three years of the CSS and/or Crime Disorder & Reduction Plan.
Meetings of SWG and SSG should be held at least four times a year. Meetings should commence no later than 7pm. Meetings will be staggered and at venues accommodating the varied customs of all sections of community: also that are accessible to members with disabilities and easy to travel to in our SWG representative area. Meetings will be held on mid-week evenings (Tues/Wed/Thurs) and on dates that do not coincide with religious festivals, Bank or school holidays.
The SECTOR STEERING GROUP (SSG) will meet a minimum of twice a year either at Paddington Green police station, or at the event venue prior to the SWG meetings. They can also convene if police officers responsible for sector, Chair, and Westminster City Council (WCC) Community Safety Unit/Community Protection Team representatives deem it necessary.
The SWG meeting Agenda throughout the year will be agreed between police and Chair who will be responsible for raising issues on behalf of the SSG and the wider SWG membership. In addition to [12-13] below, meetings will have an input from the Sector Inspector or the Paddington police officer responsible for the sector, and any attending member of the Senior Management Team. Also, when ever possible, from the Divisional Chief Inspector and/or Superintendent. The Detective Chief Inspector, Crime Prevention Officer, Sector Sergeants and other members of the police team are always encouraged to attend each quarterly meeting.
Police inputs will include recommending, reviewing and reporting current policing activity, concerns and operations requiring community input, information, assistance and knowledge. A Question and Answer session and an open forum will be encouraged in order that police are made aware of local issues of concern and, together, agree and co-ordinate effective solutions. There will be a one-to-one surgery between 5.30pm and 6.30pm to discuss individual policing problems. There will always be a strong networking facility from 9pm to encourage all community leaders to meet one another, police and other guests attending.
SWG meetings will address local priorities causing crime and disorder concerns, and where police and community working together can produce results. Also, those issues where crime reduction can be achieved through improving the quality of life, limiting anti-social behaviour, promoting environmental safety and addressing those measures recommended in the local and borough-wide CSS.
When relevant to above, efforts will also be made to have a guest speaker addressing the above issues and broader MET Police-wide issues. Westminster Borough Commander should be invited once a year, preferably at the first meeting of the New Year to discuss his or her crime issues and Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) priorities for the coming year. Also to discuss the local CSS with the community leaders and representatives and its relationship with MPS policing priorities.
Rather than compile detailed minutes, a brief action list will be adopted and produced by police. This list will highlight what was agreed at SWG/SSG meetings and who was responsible for its action and outcome. This “making it happen “ list will be used as a performance measurement of the success of the SWG and the local CSS with the aim of continuous improvement. Police and Chair will approve the list, at their monthly meeting as at item 4 (g). The SWG community leaders will be fed back performance outcome at their subsequent meeting, gather response from their members and evaluate progress.
And finally….
Our SWG work must be productive and produce results, with meetings being enjoyable, educational and energetic. It is important that we all work together to ensure our diverse community wants to contribute towards reducing crime and disorder, promote harmony and an improved quality of life across Paddington sector in North Westminster London. At all times we will work with the Metropolitan Police Service to help achieve the objectives outlined in their Statement of common purpose below:
