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There is no summary of this meeting yet. Summaries are written once the council publishes the minutes, which are its official record of what a meeting decided. They usually appear a few weeks after the meeting.
In accordance with the Code of Conduct adopted by the City and County of Swansea, the following interests were declared: Councillors S M Jones, M Jones, W G Lewis declared a Personal Interest in Minute 100 – Crime & Disorder Scrutiny – Safer Swansea Community Safety Partnership. Statutory Co-opted Member, Beth Allender declared a Personal Interest in Minute 100 – Crime & Disorder Scrutiny – Safer Swansea Community Safety Partnership.
In accordance with the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011, no declarations of Whipped Votes or Party Whips were declared.
Resolved that the Minutes of the Scrutiny Programme Committee held on 18 March 2025 be approved and signed as a correct record.
There were no public questions.
Representatives from South Wales Police, Mid & West Wales Fire & Rescue Services, Probation Service and the Council attended to provide a progress report on the Safer Swansea Community Safety Partnership, and answer questions. The Committee was provided with the Safer Swansea Partnership Annual Review 2024 which outlined the performance, initiatives, and outcomes achieved by the Partnership in addressing crime and disorder in Swansea. Members noted the achievements in respect of the six key priorities and the revisions to the membership, terms of reference and governance of the Partnership. Work was developing in regard to the Police and Crime Commission’s priorities and future linkages to the Partnership. Committee questioning and discussions focussed on the following: · Criminal Damage caused by OffRoad Bikers/Scramblers – The Committee heard the challenges associated with apprehending off road bike riders and the tactics employed by the Partnership to raise awareness of the issue. Officers confirmed that the document would be made available to the Committee. The Committee heard that there were around 430 off-road bike incidents last year (which resulted in 172 anti-social behaviour referrals and 13 bikes being seized) this was significantly reduced from the peak during 2020/2021 where incidents reached 1000. Officers confirmed that the issues with off-road bikes was a priority and stated that the use of drones and body cameras were assisting with policing strategy. Police representatives undertook to provide the Committee with further statistics on Off Road Bike incidents, including comparison with other force areas in Wales. · Enhanced Street Lighting in ASB Hotspots – it was reported that efforts had been concentrated on three crime types in areas that had been disproportionally affected. Members noted the partnership approach adopted to successfully design out crime. Work would continue regarding accessing different types of funding (Safer Streets etc). · Partnership's perceptions of the recent TV series ‘Adolescence’ – the Committee heard that many specialist service providers had developed targeted social media content to support both young people and parents which explained commonly used emojis and slang. Practical advice and support was also offered to parents. A new pilot initiative would be launched in three Swansea schools comprising a computer game named Dan addressing harmful behaviours and attitudes amongst children and young people. To further support this work, a dedicated project focussing on parental awareness was being developed around challenges faced by young people including harmful behaviours, gender bias and negative masculine behaviour. The project would be available to support services via workshops, webinars and printed/digital materials. Additionally, an ‘All Wales approach’ was being developed to ensure consistency. The Child Protection processes were detailed and work was progressing with counter terrorism police, peer networks and communities through the Prevent Panel to increase awareness, understanding and providing positive guardianship. · Knife crime in the area – It was reported Operation Sceptre was the dedicated knife crime team based in Swansea which covered the Neath/Port Talbot areas. Members noted 950 stop searches had taken place and the various campaigns undertaken by the dedicated violence prevention unit in the last financial year. The process and categories for capturing knife crime data was detailed. The last calendar year had seen a decrease to 171 from a peak in 2020/2021 of 236 and there had been a significant reduction in terms of knife crime along with serious violence (including sexual violence) overall. · Lessons learned / good practices – the Committee were reassured that the Partnership arrangements in Swansea were recognised as good practice by the Home Office. The Partnership had prioritised the manosphere and incel ideology and referrals through PREVENT had increased. Members noted the workshops delivered by the Community Cohesion Team and Swansea University on topics such as misogyny and masculinity for mixed gendered groups of young people to share their thoughts and impacts. · Outcomes of the projects funded by the Western Bay Community Cohesion Small Grant Fund – Officers detailed the process and challenges associated with measuring community cohesion (surveys, evaluation forms, along with training and awareness raising sessions). Data was gathered on a quarterly basis and submitted to the Welsh Government. The final report would be shared with the Committee. · Drugs - Independent Drugs Commission Report - The Committee noted that the report had not been completed but was anticipated in the Summer 2025. - Educating young people about the dangers of drug use – the Committee heard that the Western Bay Area Planning Board had established a Sub Group to lead on the recommendations made by a recent independent review of specialist substance use services for young people. The changes to the way services were commissioned using a more holistic approach was detailed. The Sub Group had indicated a willingness to attend a future Scrutiny Programme Committee to talk about their work. - Members noted that in 2023, 147 arrests were made and 37 county lines were closed. There had been a 40% reduction in funding to target drugs so there are significant challenges ahead. It was further noted that following the publication of Drugs Commission recommendations, the Partnership would be able to plan and set key performance indicators to ensure actions made a difference. · Reducing Reoffending and Tackling the Drivers of Crime – the Committee noted the impact of the temporary prisoner Early Release Scheme (SDS40) for the Partnership. The Partnership had robust planning processes and information sharing which had included sharing at risk information. Local authorities and substance mis-use agencies had also been pivotal in assisting in the process. The overall numbers had been relatively low at 30. · Violence against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (VAWDASV) – Whilst the latest statistics on prosecutions and incidents related to VAWDASV were not available discussions from the Council’s specialist domestic abuse best practice meetings indicated that overall performance had been strong over the first quarter however victim attrition rates remained challenging. Swansea’s dedicated specialists in domestic violence had played a vital role in strengthening partnerships within the criminal justice system and this has been recognised as best practice across Wales. Referrals had continued to increase over the last twelve months indicating the success of the awareness raising campaigns. The success of the remote evidence site and the increase in conviction rates were noted. The Chair thanked the representatives of the Safer Swansea Partnership for their input. Resolved that the Chair write to the Joint Chairs of the Safer Swansea Partnership reflecting the discussion and sharing the views of the Committee.
The Chair welcomed Councillor Chris Holley (who provided the Committee a progress report on the work / activities of the Service Improvement, Regeneration & Finance Scrutiny Performance Panel) and Councillor Lyndon Jones (who provided the Committee with a progress report on the work / activities of the Education Scrutiny Performance Panel). Resolved that the Progress Report on the Service Improvement, Regeneration & Finance and Education Scrutiny Performance Panels be noted.
No changes to report.
The Chair introduced the agreed Work Programme to facilitate the Committee’s monitoring of all Scrutiny activity. Various information was provided to ensure progress could be reviewed with the agreed Programme. The main item(s) for the next Committee meeting on 13 May were: · Scrutiny of Swansea Public Services Board. · Compliance with Welsh Language Standards: - Welsh Language Standards Annual Report 2024/25; - Progress with Welsh Language Promotions Strategy 2024-29. · End of Year Review.
Scrutiny Letters were reported reflecting on recent Scrutiny activity: 1) Working Group – Public Engagement – 5 February – Letter to / from Cabinet Member for Economy, Finance & Strategy.
The date and time of upcoming Panel/Working Group/Regional Scrutiny Meetings was provided “For information”.
Councillors must say when they have a personal link to something being discussed, such as a job, a property or a family member. A prejudicial interest is one strong enough that the councillor usually leaves the room and takes no part.
Declarations are read from the minutes once they are published.
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