11 July - Radical developments
Deputy Director Toni Ainge gave
another of her slide presentations to a Scrutiny Committee on Monday this time
concentrating on Community Safety.
She said there were four key areas; Serious Violence, Anti-Social Behaviour,
High Risk Individuals and Domestic Abuse.
Committee Members watch Ms. Ainge’s slide show.
There is a multi-agency panel to deal with the first
of those but only “the most serious violence that there is” has been eligible
for consideration, however it will soon “encompass knife crime, gangs and organised crime.”
Another panel liaises with the Probation Service.
An anti-social behaviour prevention panel has one officer to deal with ASB in the
north of the borough and another in the centre and south. “They are visible and
out a lot trouble shooting so that it does not escalate.”
Warnings are issued before any court action.
High Risk Individuals include those who might be radicalised, “the numbers of
which are low but they are there”. The Youth Service “is being remodelled”. It
will involve the voluntary sector.
Councillor Sybil Camsey (Conservative, Crook Log) asked how referrals for possible radicalisation are made and
by whom. She was particularly concerned about the home educated being radicalised.
She was told that “any professional can refer to the panel, it could be a social
worker, school teacher” etc. The subject of the referral must agree to the
referral. “It has to be at their own will.” The home education problem “is being looked at nationally”.
Councillor Alan Downing (Conservative, St. Mary’s & St. James) was concerned about the elderly and the lonely who were
worried about their safety. He was told “there was a collaborative endeavour” between the agencies.
The answer seemed to be a little sparse on detail.
Councillor Richard Diment (Conservative, Sidcup) said that Bexley was now the borough with the 18th
fastest rate of population change in the country and asked for more detail. That
detail was said to be far too complicated to be easily summarised but clearly it was
linked to immigration and ethnicity.
And with that Mr. Rowbotham was invited to launch
his Health based slide show.