22 March (Part 3) - Crime and Disorder at Bexley Civic Centre
The Crime and Disorder Committee met last night chaired by councillor Alan
Downing. There were eight people there apart from councillors, staff and guest
speakers, and two of them were the bouncers hired in by Bexley council to keep
the other six in check. The guests were two young people from the Youth Council
and the Borough Commanders of both Fire and Police, although CS Stringer had
fielded his new deputy, CI Tony Gowen. As is the norm with Downing’s meetings
the guests were not welcomed, not even the young people to whom you may have thought he
would want to set a good example of polite and civil behaviour. Probably he does
not know what that is as will be confirmed if you read to the end of this report.
For the public, Agendas had been supplied, just three copies and in black and
white only. The councillors’ copies were in colour and the monochrome made
nonsense of some of the graphs. All part of the ‘keep the public in the dark’
policy of Bexley council no doubt.
The meeting lasted some 160 minutes so it is not possible to report it in
enormous detail and the following is highlights only.
The first insight into councillors’ states of mind came from Don
Massey. In connection with achievements and targets he asked whether a
reducing number of young people receiving custodial sentences was a good thing
or a bad thing. The council officer, Linda Tottman, said it was a good thing.
Massey told her he thought she was wrong. CI Tony Gowen for Bexleyheath police
said it was definitely a good thing, “the fewer the better”, he said. Massey said
he didn’t agree. I suppose that is to be expected from a Bexley Magistrate but
worrying that the police and Massey are pulling in different directions. In
Massey’s own words, “I may be thick”.
Incidentally, every “Key Indicator” in the Agenda had been missed.
Councillor Philip Read asked for an explanation of some of the figures provided
by Ms. Tottman, Bexley’s Deputy Director of Youth and Inclusion. “Did the 0·86
and 0·69 targets for reoffending and custody mean percentages?”, he asked. “No”
said Tottman, “they are not percentages” and proceeded to explain why they were
not. After the third failed attempt she gave up. “I’ll tell you what, I’ll give
you an example.” She then gave two figures and said that one was divided into
the other and it came to the decimal number in the targets table. I took a note
of the numbers and a quick division showed that the 0·69 was indeed representing
69%. Did Tottman have a sick note when percentages were taught at her
school? How is it that we are paying Deputy Director salaries to someone who
doesn’t know anything about percentages? Should
an Antonia Ainge style question
be asked?
Tottman failed to answer any of the following questions either and eventually
councillor Chris Ball was moved to say “Confidence in the data has dipped. If we
don’t quite get what we are looking for…” at this point his delivery raced ahead
of my scribbling skills but I think he went on to say “they aren’t very useful”.
Or maybe Tottman isn’t very useful - I’m not sure. Good point though.
Councillor
Alex Sawyer asked several questions that revealed him to be a good
Conservative. That is intended to be a compliment but given the calamity that
the party is under Cameron some may not think so. But Alex remains the sort of
Conservative politician one might wish for. His questions revealed a no nonsense
approach to drug abusing benefit claimants and their parents and a little later
on he had his say on the advisability of funding local groups who should be
attempting to fund themselves. It is perhaps worth noting that Linda Tottman
was unable to answer Mr. Sawyer’s drug related question. It is probably
not worth noting that one of my colleagues can’t stop himself from ‘admiring’
Mrs. Sawyer.
The highlight of the evening is usually FIre Commander Cyril O’Brien’s report and
last night was no exception. Generally Bexley’s fire problems are few. We have
some arsonists with a fondness for rubbish bins but the worst of them was
recently caught. A man, not a youth, from outside the borough with a grudge
against Bexley. With Bexley’s reputation world-wide
that could have been almost anyone. I suppose in view of the wild imaginations,
low intellect and spiteful nature of council leader Teresa O’Neill and Chief
Executive Will Tuckley, I must add that I strongly disapprove of arson.
Councillors
Philip Read and John Wilkinson were both interested in ease of access to
premises by fire appliances; they knew of some places inaccessible due to
inconsiderate parking. What does the Fire Service do in such circumstances?
Commander O’Brien looked around furtively to check that Bexley’s rule on no
recording was being observed and said… Well maybe I shouldn’t repeat what he
said but I’ll leave you with the thought that his appliances are a lot bigger and
heavier than a private car and if lives are at risk he would do what every
reader would want him to do.
Tony Gowen the police officer present didn’t have much to do but his presence
was invaluable because after chairman Alan Downing had told everyone that
domestic violence was increasing at a worrying rate. CI Gowen had to chip in and
tell him it is actually going down.
There has recently been a Crime Survey of residents in Bexley in which 1,141
people took part. The odd 1 was me but I took the precaution of entering a
false post code. The responsible council officer was Diane Krauss (it’s what it
sounded like, there was no name plate) and she had
commendably managed to increase the participation level four fold over the
previous survey. There was very little talk of what residents’ concerns were,
dog fouling got a mention, but there was a long discussion on how participation
levels can be improved further. It’s typical Bexley council; interested in
headline eye catching figures and hitting arbitrary targets but not so keen on tackling people’s
real concerns.
David Bryce-Smith, Bexley’s Deputy Director (Development,
Housing and Community Safety) was asked if there had been any dialogue with
respondents but reminded councillor Read that it was a confidential survey.
Councillor Kerry Allon asked Linda Tottman if the number at the foot of Page 58
of the Agenda was to be added to the number on Page 59 to get the true result or
whether one superseded the other. Tottman didn’t know. Sorry, Tottman not being
able to tot up may be getting a trifle repetitive so I’ll draw things to a conclusion.
Councillor Ball was interested in any measures in place for recording unrecorded
crime which sounds like a bit of an impossibility, though I accept it is
important to know. CI Gowen ran through a list of initiatives he was
implementing. CI Gowen was also questioned on the fact only 6% of burglaries resulted
in arrest. He conceded it was a weakness and said that the crooks are getting to
be very aware of forensics and how to circumvent it.
I have remarked before how difficult it can be to hear from the public area of
the council chamber and how some people are unable to speak into the microphone
but last night things were worse. Councillor Peter Craske was not activating his
microphone at all and mumbling in his usual way. He calls himself a Communications
Manager and should presumably know better, but last night he may just have been
forgetful. About a third of the way through the meeting an elderly gent in the
audience, about my age I would think, asked councillor Craske if he would kindly
switch on his microphone. He ignored him. The man repeated his request to
chairman Alan Downing explaining that he was very deaf. I do not recall seeing
an induction loop sign in the chamber.
Downing
said that “if you have personal problems then they are your problem” and
proceeded to say that “councillor Craske could choose whether to put his
microphone on or not”. The old man sat down. Craske must have had second
thoughts about the wisdom of insulting behaviour towards those disabled by
deafness because subsequently he switched his microphone on - not that he ever
remembered to speak into it or raise his voice above the usual Craske mumble.
As I went to leave the meeting soon after 10 p.m. I noticed the man with a
hearing problem approach chairman Downing and as far as I could ascertain he was
seeking an apology from Downing. Do you think he got one? “The meeting is over”
shouted Downing and refused to apologise. The man said that his deafness was
severe and it had been confirmed by his clinician. I wish I had had Olly’s video camera for
the next bit because Downing then accused the old fellow of pointing his finger
at Craske and all the while Downing was vigorously jabbing his pen toward his victim with
its end within inches of his eye. It was really most comical as well as
unedifying. I shall be looking out for a man with both a
trumpet and a white stick at the next meeting. It is unbelievable that a Bexley
councillor should refuse to direct the use of microphones and then take delight in
taunting a man about his affliction as he did at the end of the meeting. Maybe
not so unbelievable in Bexley though.
All of this took place before a chorus of jeering councillors, not all of them
of course, there must be a few decent ones there, but maybe not a lot. I left as
CI Gowen gently shepherded the man away with his arm around his waist before
Downing had a chance to humiliate him further. I guess
any decent person would have done the same.
I hurried out to the bus stop but next away was CI Gowen almost sprinting
back to his office, but not without time for a friendly word for a minute or
two. Maybe, just maybe, Bexleyheath’s police are beginning to see exactly why
Bexley council is widely seen as undemocratic and corrupt.