Scrutiny backs Norfolk community police funding fight

South Norfolk Scrutiny Committee is set to back a campaign for more funding to support community police officers in the district.

The move by the Committee, which meets at 9am on Wednesday (17 January) at South Norfolk Council's headquarters in Long Stratton, comes as concern continues to grow over a Home Office funding squeeze on Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs).

The cuts could result in fewer PCSOs being deployed in towns and villages across South Norfolk and elsewhere in the county.

Scrutiny Committee Chairman Councillor Christopher Kemp said:

"There is a depressingly familiar pattern to all this. The Government waits until local initiatives like this get up and running, and then it pulls the plug, threatening the effectiveness of the new service and leaving the community feeling betrayed.

"Crime is South Norfolk is low - a testament to the hard work of everyone at Norfolk Police - although fear of crime and anti-social behaviour remains a concern. Police Community Support Officers are a vital and reassuring presence in our communities.

"If there is anything we can do to support the Police Authority and Norfolk Constabulary in their discussions with the Home Office on this issue, then we stand ready."

Chris Harding, Norfolk Police Authority chief executive, NPA member Robin Chapman, and Central Area Commander Adrian Myhill will open the meeting with Scrutiny before taking questions from South Norfolk Councillors.

The Committee gave the Police Authority advance notice of ten questions it wanted to ask in order to be better informed, but more could come up in discussions.

The ten cover many key issues including the costs of the PCSO service, the ratio of PCSOs to Pcs and WPcs, the parish-funded Special Constable scheme, and the Authority's budget projections for 2007/08.

This is not the first time the Police Authority has attended South Norfolk Scrutiny, and Councillor Kemp welcomed their willingness to meet partners and take questions on issues of real importance to the community.

He also called on members of the public to attend the meeting, to see the valuable work of Scrutiny for themselves and contribute to the discussions.

He said:

"Members of the public are more than welcome to come along to our meeting and join our discussions. Anyone wishing to participate should contact us on 01508 533602 or by e-mail at democracy@s-norfolk.gov.uk."

The pioneering development of Scrutiny in South Norfolk over the past six years has put it ahead of Government thinking.

Last year, the Government caught up and in its White Paper 'Strong and Prosperous Communities', it set out proposals to strengthen the powers of local council Scrutiny Committees to investigate matters raised with them by the public.

South Norfolk Scrutiny Committee acts as a critical friend, not only to the Council's own administration but to other bodies providing services to the local community.

Much of it is done on a voluntary basis, but under the White Paper's proposals it would have power to demand co-operation from other publicly-funded bodies and a duty to respond to requests made by the local community to investigate particular issues and complaints.

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