National Rural Crime Network
Meeting Notes – City of York Council Offices
20 June 2014
Present
Julia Mulligan, PCC North Yorkshire; Tim Passmore, PCC Suffolk; Barry Sheldon, DPCC West Mercia; David Gibson, DPCC Hertfordshire; Richard Martyn, OPCC Devon and Cornwall; Cheryl Bridges, OPCC Warwickshire; Sarah Wilson, OPCC Cleveland; Dr. Peter Wilson, English Heritage; Martyn Green, NFU Mutual; Suzanne Clear, NFU; Sarah Lee, Countryside Alliance; Gemma Wilson, Crimestoppers; Damon Blandford, OPCC Gloucestershire and Gloucestershire Constabulary.
Apologies
John Dwyer, PCC Cheshire; Anthony Stansfield, PCC Thames Valley; Hardyal Dhinsa DPCC, Derbyshire; Paddy Tipping, PCC Nottinghamshire; June Armstrong, NCSN; Kate Daisley, Neighbourhood Watch; Mark Harrison, English Heritage; Stuart Williams, Avon and Somerset Constabulary; Martin Surl, PCC Gloucestershire; Dr. Dan Gilling; DCC Michael Banks, Durham Police; Martyn Underhill, PCC Dorset; Paula Coulter, OPCC Cumbria; Caroline Bedell, CLA; Andrew Tremayne, APCC; Matthew Ellis, PCC Staffordshire, Vicki Ross, OPCC Northamptonshire
Tim Passmore initially chaired the meeting
Approval of Notes of last meeting
Notes of the meeting of 25 March 2014 approved
Matters Arising
1) NP is to meet Chief Constable Simon Prince, Dyfed-Powys and national policing lead for Rural and Wildlife Crime on 27 June to discuss detailed collaboration with the activities of the network and his role.
2) Only two colleagues had responded to date to the request for suggestions for work priorities and this item was therefore outstanding. All NRCN colleagues are requested to feed in suggestions for developing an agreed list of work priorities for the NRCN. NFU had undertaken a survey of membership on rural crime issues which had been very well responded to. SC of the NFU to share with NRCN colleagues. Action SC/all
3) NP to recirculate Dan Gillings’ analysis of PCC’s crime plans which details different references to rural crime issues. Action NP
4) NP had made initial contact with the FSB but discussions had not developed to the point where the FSB were likely to support or endorse the NRCN. Sarah Lee would investigate another FSB contact. Action SL
5) Agreed to look at providing a video conferencing option for future meetings to enable other colleagues to participate. Action NP/Tim Passmore.
Constitution
The meeting went through the proposed draft Constitution document which had previously been available for comment for several weeks by all interested parties. A small number of comments had been submitted prior to the meeting which had been incorporated in to the draft for consideration. NP explained these changes and the rationale behind them. A number of additional minor alterations were suggested and agreed. The Terms of Reference would be included as an Appendix to the Constitution. Anti-Social behaviour to be added to the definition section in the ToR. NP to recirculate a final document for electronic approval. Action NP
Appointment of the Executive Board
As the substance of the Constitution was accepted by the meeting, subject to final amendments being made and the document resent to the network, it was agreed that the appointments to the positions on the Executive Board should proceed so that the network was in a position to begin operations as soon as the decision on the Home Office bid was known. PCCs had be given an opportunity to volunteer to take places on the Executive Board prior to the meeting. After consideration the following appointments to the Executive were agreed:-
PCCs (6 places):-
Julia Mulligan, Chairman
Tim Passmore, Vice Chairman
Tony Hogg, PCC Devon and Cornwall; Richard Rhodes, PCC Cumbria; Barrie Sheldon, DPCC West Mercia;
Non PCC organisations (4 places):-
June Armstrong, National Community Safety Network; Kate Daisley, Neighbourhood Watch; Suzanne Clear, NFU; Sarah Lee, Countryside Alliance
There was one PCC vacancy to be filled. NP was asked to approach Christopher Salmon, PCC Dyfed-Powys to take this vacancy. Action NP
Julia Mulligan took over the Chair for the remainder of the meeting.
Financial Arrangements
NP advised that at the time of submitting the HO bid it was felt that the most straightforward arrangement for handling the NRCN’s finances initially was for the host OPCC to act as its banker. This had been agreed in principle with Gary Macdonald of NYOPCC. The meeting concurred and was advised that Gary was due to leave to start another job. However JM would put NP in contact with another member of her finance team to sort out detailed arrangements. Invoices would need to be raised for other PCC contributions so that the network could become solvent. An audit process would need to be agreed and set in place in due course. It was suggested that an annual report should be produced each year which included a financial statement that others could scrutinize. Action JM/NP
Public launch of the NRCN
NP advised that the NFU NE Regional Director (Richard Pearson) had kindly offered to assist us in launching the NRCN at the Great Yorkshire Show on 8 July. A teleconference had taken place with Michael Sargood, Communications officer of NYOPCC, Rachel Gillbanks of NFU, Richard and Nick. The proposals were outlined which are complicated by the absence of a HO decision on the bid. The intention was to make the announcement during a media conference held at the show on the first day. Traditionally the CLA and the NFU hosted this with input from another organization occasionally. On the 8 July the CLA and NFU Presidents would be giving out a statement on behalf of their organisations. Our launch could hopefully be accommodated during this morning session. NP would continue to work on the basis and produce something that other PCCs could use locally to back up the announcement in localities. If the HO announcement was delayed we may have to consider doing the launch at another event. Action NP
Developing a NRCN Communications Strategy was proposed by JM and agreed. TP to lead a small group to develop this further.
Website Procurement
NP advised that as soon as we knew the outcome of the bid we needed to develop a specification for the development and implementation of the proposed NRCN website. NP had given thought to the type of features that were required but felt that a group needed to come together to define the requirements properly and then oversee the procurement process with specialist inputs where required. It was agreed that this should be undertaken by the Communications Group under TP’s chairmanship. JM had had experience of website development and agreed to supply TP/NP with some background documentation. Action JM
Programme of future meetings
NP explained that despite his best endeavours, it had not been possible hitherto to find a programme of dates for meetings that could be communicated in advance to everyone. Previous suggestions about combining dates with other meetings/briefings in London that PCCs attend had not been possible for a variety of reasons. Now that the Executive had been appointed it might be possible to ask the relevant PAs to identify dates that the Chairman and Vice Chairman can accommodate and others would need to work around. It was understood that an autumn APCC conference proposal was under consideration and might provide an opportunity for all interested PCCs to be updated on progress on the NRCN and discuss common issues.
Any Other Business
1) Peter Wilson had been asked by Mark Harrison (English Heritage) to speak to his suggestion of developing a model Heritage Crime strategy that could be promoted by the NRCN for adoption and local use in individual Force areas. An example document had been circulated to the meeting based on work being done by MH in Lincolnshire. Lincs had also agreed to this principle. A discussion took place around the topic and it was agreed that this was an important component in the rural crime challenge, that practice varied from area to area and the problem suffered from very differential resourcing and response. David Gibson (Herts) advised that his Chief Constable Andy Bliss was the national policing lead for Heritage and Cultural Crime and described some of the work they doing in conjunction with EH. Suzanne Clear (NFU) advised that heritage crime issues had featured prominently in her canvass of NFU Regional Officers and their experiences in relation to the incidence of rural crime. SC will share this feedback with the group. This could also be selectively added to our launch information content.
In due course a small group would collaborate on developing a short list of agreed work priorities.
2) TP mentioned the problem of marine based crime. This was not currently mentioned in our remit. It was acknowledged that this was a problem in most Force areas with coastlines. Agreed to add this to the ToR.
3) DG mentioned his local problems in Herts with Fly Grazing. Other PCCs said that this also an issue for them. DG believed that it could only be successfully tackled though legislative change. Herts were looking the Welsh experience and hoping to try and replicate it. SL advised that DEFRA Working Group was being set up to look at the issue.
Postscript: SL has advised the following subsequent to the meeting “there is a one day parliamentary inquiry in September and my colleague, who is working on this, is compiling case study examples to submit. It might be worth the National Rural Crime Forum also submitting some, if you think this is a good idea I will get further information out of him. The Government position is that there is already enough legislation surrounding the issue because it can be dealt with under anti-social behaviour legislation. The horse welfare groups he is working with are also pushing for the Welsh legislation to be replicated.”
4) DB advised that he had recently met with officers of the Action for Communities in Rural England organization (ACRE) which is based in Gloucestershire. ACRE acts a coordinating body for rural community councils across England. They are interested in producing a brochure dealing with rural prevention crime issues to compliment others they produce to help support grass roots activity. Agreed that DB/NP pursue this with ACRE.
Meeting concluded at 14.55.
Minutes submitted by: Nick Payne
24 June 2014