Issue - meetings

(A report by Emily Spicer, Assistant Director – Communities & Housing Services)

(A report by Emily Spicer, Assistant Director – Communities & Housing Services)

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Dale Broughton, presented a report by the Assistant Director – Communities & Housing Services, who was in attendance, which set out the refreshed South & East Lincolnshire Community Safety Strategy following a comprehensive strategic review undertaken across the South and East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership.

The Leader explained that the Strategy detailed how Boston Borough Council, South Holland District Council and East Lindsey District Council would continue to work collaboratively with key statutory partners, including Lincolnshire Police, Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue, public health bodies and the voluntary and community sector, to reduce crime, anti?social behaviour and the fear of crime across the sub?region.

Members were advised that the Strategy fulfilled the Partnership’s statutory responsibilities under Sections 5–7 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and complemented county?level activity delivered through the Safer Lincolnshire Partnership, which discharged several duties on behalf of responsible authorities, such as public consultation and domestic abuse?related death reviews.

The Leader highlighted that the Strategy had been developed using a wide evidence base, including police data, local health information, the Lincolnshire Strategic Needs Assessment, and findings from recent consultation and engagement exercises. This process identified four clear priorities for the Partnership:

1. Tackling anti?social behaviour, particularly neighbour?related issues;
2. Improving understanding of fear of crime and wider perceptions;
3. Supporting the Safer Lincolnshire Partnership’s place?based, project?driven approach; and
4. Encouraging increased reporting to strengthen the local intelligence picture.

The Leader further noted that the Strategy had been reviewed by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee as part of the annual Crime and Disorder review, receiving support for its aims, evidence base and alignment with local priorities.

During discussion, Members conveyed their best wishes to a colleague who was absent following a recent operation.

The meeting recognised the substantial contribution made by the Community Safety Officers since taking up their posts. It was noted that between August and December they had undertaken extensive patrols, during which 38 individuals had been approached for drinking alcohol within the Public Spaces Protection Order area, and 32 pieces of intelligence had been passed to Lincolnshire Police to support ongoing enforcement and problem?solving activity.

Members referred to recent information provided by the Chief Constable at the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, which indicated overall crime in Boston was down 1.7% year on year, with serious violence with injury down 13% and violence without injury down 13.3%. These figures were regarded as encouraging evidence of the impact of joint working and targeted activity.

The meeting further noted that the Community Safety Officers were regarded as approachable and visible within the community, regularly engaging with residents, local businesses and visitors to the town. Their work extended beyond the town centre, with patrols also taking place in surrounding neighbourhoods and parish areas, contributing to wider reassurance and early intervention.

Members discussed the importance of maintaining an intelligence?led approach to policing. It was emphasised that accurate and timely reporting of incidents by the public was essential, as failure to report concerns  ...  view the full minutes text for item 59

(A report by Emily Spicer, Assistant Director – Communities & Housing Services)

The Committee received the statutory annual Crime and Disorder report from the Safer Communities Manager, supported by Inspector Ian Cotton of Lincolnshire Police and other officers from the Safer Communities Team. The report provided a comprehensive overview of strategic developments, operational enforcement, partnership working, and future priorities across Boston Borough during the 2024/25 financial year.

Members were informed that Boston Borough Council operated under the South and East Lincolnshire Community Safety Partnership (SELCSP) and the Safer Lincolnshire Partnership (SLP). The report outlined the statutory duties discharged through both partnerships, including strategic assessments, public engagement, and domestic homicide reviews, , as set out in Appendix 1 – South and East Lincolnshire Community Safety Strategy 2025–28 and Appendix 6 – Safer Lincolnshire Partnership Strategy 2025–28 within the report.

The Committee noted that Boston Borough Council continued to deliver key operational services, including CCTV monitoring, Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) enforcement, Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) enforcement, and the Noxious Odours Procedure. These activities were aligned with the priorities and actions set out in Appendix 2 – Community Safety Strategy Action Plan 2024–25 within the report.

Details of enforcement activity were provided in Appendix 3 – Enforcement Action Taken by Boston Borough Council to Address Anti-Social Behaviour within the report.

The Committee was briefed on several initiatives delivered under Operation Plotting, including:

·       Deployment of Community Rangers, who undertook over 965 actions addressing ASB, supporting police operations, and engaging with the public.

·       Outreach work by the Community Engagement Officer, including engagement with ESOL students and diverse communities.

·       Environmental improvements such as planting schemes and hanging baskets, delivered in partnership with local groups and North Sea Camp.

·       Installation of interactive digital screens in Central Park and Market Place to promote safety messages.

·       Upgrades to CCTV infrastructure, with a further £150,000 investment committed for additional coverage.

The Committee also noted the impact of Hot Spot Policing, which resulted in:

·       6,000 additional patrol hours

·       169 stop and searches

·       72 uses of ASB powers

·       116 arreasts across Lincolnshire, with Boston Town Centre identified as a priority area

Annual campaigns supported by the partnership included:

·       ASB Awareness Week

·       Hate Crime Awareness Week

·       Scam Awareness Week

·       White Ribbon Day

The work of Domestic Abuse Officers was commended, with training delivered to staff and targeted awareness campaigns addressing coercive behaviour, male victims, and older victims.

The Committee reviewed enforcement data relating to the PSPO and Noxious Odours Procedure, noting a significant increase in PSPO enforcement attributed to the Community Rangers’ presence.

The CCTV performance report was presented by the CCTV Manager, highlighting incident categories including violent and sexual offences, criminal damage, and traffic offences. Over 100 incidents were recorded under “violent and sexual” categories, and members requested further breakdowns in future reports. Reference was made to Appendix 4 – CCTV Service Annual Statistical Report 2024–25 and Appendix 5 – Boston Borough Council CCTV Policy within the report.

The Committee was advised of the SLP’s revised strategic approach for 2025–2028, which now adopted a project-based model underpinned by regular data analysis. The SLP’s Annual  ...  view the full minutes text for item 37