Annual Report 2023- 2024 - Page 14

The Commissioner has a key role in the criminal justice and community safety landscape, and in leading ‘public health’ approaches to tackling the underlying causes of crime.

Through bringing together community safety and criminal justice partners, the Commissioner helps to ensure local priorities are joined up.

Serious Violence Duty

The Serious Violence Duty (the Duty) came into force on 31st January 2023 through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022.

The Duty ensures serious violence is a priority for Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) and requires Specified Authorities to collaborate to prevent and reduce serious violence.

The statutory guidance states Police and Crime Commissioners have an important role to play as lead convener for local partner agencies as they are responsible for the totality of policing in their area, as well as services for victims of crime.

The Home Office provided funding to Police and Crime Commissioner’s to support the delivery of the duty.

For 2023/2024 Lancashire received £345,603.43.

The Office developed Lancashire’s Response to the Serious Violence Duty – this proposal was signed off by all specified and relevant authorities in April 2023.

The OPCC Chief Executive chairs the Lancashire Serious Violence and Community Safety Board – the Commissioner’s convening forum. The inaugural meeting was held in December 2023.

Lancashire Violence Reduction Network (LVRN)

The Commissioner has continued to work closely with the Lancashire Violence Reduction Network (LVRN) which he secured ongoing funding for until 2025, aiming to prevent and reduce violent crime across Lancashire.

The LVRN brings together partners across policing, local government, education, health and a range of other organisations ensuring there is a joined-up approach to addressing violent crime, engaging in preventative work and also supporting Lancashire Constabulary in operational enforcement to address hot spots and put offenders behind bars.

We are about to enter the 5th year of our collaborative work on the Violence Reduction Network, and the end of our fifth year Strategy.

Some of the highlights of the last 12 months include the launch of the Champions mentorship programme which is now supporting children all over the county age 10-25 to divert them from crime and focus on their positive life chances. The Emergency Department Navigator service has been devolved to the local ownership of each hospital trust and we’ve developed a greater understanding of the health data which allows us to target unreported violent crime in hotspot locations.

Whilst we have much to celebrate in our joint work across communities and with our partners, there remain significant challenges with knife crime and violence. The LVRN now have a focus on the work of the specified and relevant authorities under the Serious Violence Duty.

As agencies named in the Duty, there is now a statutory responsibility to share information and work better together to tackle those social inequalities which we know drive violent crime in Lancashire.

LVRN in numbers

• Trauma Informed training delivered to over 5,100 professionals
• Support provided to 2,814 children and young people who were at risk or involved in violence
• Engaged with 127 people in prisons through educational workshops and training
• Funded almost 20,000 hours of additional policing activity in hotspot areas across Lancashire
• Recovered over 2,200 knives off the streets as part of work with Lancashire Constabulary for Operation Sceptre

Lancashire Criminal Justice Board (LCJB)

Deputy PCC Andy Pratt MBE continued his role as Chair of the Lancashire Criminal Justice Board, bringing together criminal justice organisations at police force area level to support joint working and improve services. The purpose and vision of the LCJB is to reduce crime, harm and risk by increasing the efficiency and credibility of the Criminal Justice System and therefore ensuring better outcomes for victims. In 2023 the LCJB worked with the Office to compile and share a stakeholder newsletter to increase knowledge and understanding of their work.

Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs)

The Office attends Community Safety Partnership (CSP) meetings across Lancashire to share intelligence and look at better ways of working together across a range of agencies to tackle local issues.

The Office chairs a monthly CSP tactical sub group which brings together all CSPs across Lancashire to discuss upcoming issues, identify opportunities to work collaboratively and share best practice.

Four CSPs have been funded through the Commissioner’s Safer Lancashire Neighbourhoods Fund in 2023/2024.

Crimestoppers

For 36 years, Crimestoppers have provided the public with an anonymous service to report crime, and over the past 12months, Lancashire continued to see record numbers of reports into the charity, thanks largely to high profile campaigns such as Op Warrior.

• Most ever reports from the North West Region 35,473
• 10.3% increase in reports in Lancashire compared to last year
• Record year for reports in Lancashire, first time over 8000
• Record year for website views in Lancashire
• Most ever views of the Fearless website and reports from Lancashire

Crimestoppers’ work is one of trust and partnership with the community, giving them the opportunity and a voice to help make their community safer, which has the Commissioner’s full support.

Pan Lancashire Drug and Alcohol Alliance

In July 2023, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Pratt MBE brought together the county’s three Combating Drugs Partnerships (CDPs) for the first meeting of a Lancashire wide alliance, in a boost for tackling substance misuse.

Discussions included how all partners and areas can work together to share expertise and best practice from the County Council and two unitary authorities, breaking up drug supply chains, improving support and challenging perceptions around drug use.

Our national 10-year Drugs Strategy: From Harm to Hope, set out an ambition to reduce drug-related crime, harms, deaths and use. Local Combating Drugs Partnerships are the engine rooms for delivering this on the ground and making a difference to individuals and communities.

Lancashire Police Museum

The Lancashire Police Museum is a partnership between Lancashire Constabulary, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and the Duchy of Lancaster.

In the last twelve months, over 25,000 people have visited the Police Museum, housed in a former prison wing at the historic Lancaster Castle.

This includes 1,860 being educational visitors, from nursery age children to adult groups such as the University of the Third Age. The Museum has an ever-growing repertoire of exhibits and continues to hold events for visitors, specifically with a focus on extra activities during school holidays such as craft workshops.

It is encouraging to see people of all ages exploring, learning and enjoying the history of policing in Lancashire. The museum remains a valuable tool in ongoing work to build public understanding, trust, and knowledge of the work of Lancashire Constabulary.

Due to the increasing demand and rise in popularity, the Museum was a finalist in the Lancashire Tourism Awards 2023 in the ‘Best Visitor Attraction’ category.

National Portfolio

As the national Lead Commissioner for Technology and Digital, working with the Home Office, National Police Chief’s Council and others, the Commissioner has worked to improve policing through better use of technology, digital capabilities and data.

The Commissioner is also Chair of the North West Cyber Resilience Centre, Director of the Police Digital Service and sits on key national bodies such as the Public Safety Commissioning Board and the Strategic Change and Investment Board at the Home Office.

These strategic roles ensure the Commissioner can bring best practice and knowledge back to Lancashire Constabulary, and policing across Lancashire.