Consultation

Consulting with the public and other key stakeholders is vital in the setting of local policing priorities by the Authority. Throughout the summer of 2007, the Force conducted a wide ranging survey of public perceptions in relation to crime and disorder issues. A team of researchers, along with local officers, PCSOs and Authority members, visited supermarkets across the Dyfed-Powys area and completed more than 500 face-to-face interviews with randomly identified members of the public. These interviews aimed to establish the public’s views of policing services and crime levels in this area, how their perceptions have changed since 2006 and priorities they felt the Authority should set for the Force for 2008/09. The results of this and other engagement activities identified in the comprehensive consultation plan agreed by the Authority, have been used, taking due cognisance of the new National Community Safety Plan and local strategic assessments conducted by the Force, to set priorities for the coming year. These local priorities are supported by challenging targets that will act as a driver for improvement and ensure that Chief Officers of the Force are held accountable for performance. One of the key strategic policing priorities set for the service by the Home Secretary for the coming year centres on increasing public confidence in and satisfaction with the police. On that basis, proactive consultation with the public will continue to be vital in informing the work of both the Force and Authority.

The key messages to emerge from the programme of face-to-face interviews were:

76% of respondents felt that crime and disorder levels in the Force were lower or much lower than the UK average, an increase on the 68% recorded in 2006. 3% of respondents felt that crime levels were much higher in this Force area, an identical proportion to that recorded 12 months earlier
50% of respondents felt that crime levels were about the same as 12 months ago (up from 46% a year earlier). 18% of people felt there was a little more crime (down from 26%) and 14% considered that there was a lot more crime (a 2% year on year reduction). In fact, during 2006/07, recorded crime in the Dyfed-Powys police area fell by 0.4%
Nearly three quarters of respondents (72%) said that they feel safe or very safe when walking around at night, an increase on the 65% recorded in 2006
95% of people interviewed across the Force said that the police in their area were doing an excellent, good or fair job. This was an increase on the 90% secured in 2006
37% of those interviewed were completely, very or fairly satisfied with the levels of foot patrol undertaken in their area. However, this rose significantly to 48% in relation to levels of vehicle patrol. Both these figures mark an increase in satisfaction compared to 2006, but the Force and Authority recognise that a more visible and accessible policing service is something that the public are keen to see. Significant work is being undertaken, including the provision of state of the art technology, to increase the proportion of police officer time spent out in local communities and away from stations. This is in line with the drive to reduce bureaucracy highlighted in the report produced by Sir Ronnie Flanagan, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary, in February 2008

The public’s key policing priorities, as identified through the survey, were:

Anti-social behaviour
More visible and accessible police
Drug/alcohol misuse

When questioned about issues they believed to be a significant problem in their local areas, respondents gave a range of responses. 32% felt people using or dealing drugs were a very or fairly big problem, with similar levels of concern being expressed regarding people being drunk or rowdy in public places (35%) and teenagers hanging around on the streets (34%). This tends to suggest that low level anti-social behaviour continues to cause people as much concern as more serious crime and consequently, the Authority has highlighted anti-social behaviour as an ongoing priority for 2008/09. Members of the public continue to overestimate their chances of becoming victims of crime. Just over a third were very or fairly worried about having their home broken into (although this was down from almost 50% in 2006), yet the number of burglaries in the home fell by 4% in 2006/07, with just over two such offences being committed across the length and breadth of the Force area every day.

The results of the interview programme broadly reflect those from the most recent British Crime Survey results (December 2007), which provides comparative data on a national basis. The key findings in relation to Dyfed-Powys Police were:

People surveyed in the Dyfed-Powys area feel that they are at the lowest risk of becoming a victim of crime in comparison to the whole of England and Wales
Of those interviewed, 6.7% felt at high risk of being a victim of burglary and 8.3% at high risk of being a victim of car crime. These levels are amongst the lowest recorded in England and Wales but remain unrepresentative of actual crime levels in our area. This is further reflected in the public’s perceptions of anti-social behaviour, where 8% of respondents felt that levels in the Force area were high, the third lowest in England and Wales
Only 3% of people felt they were at risk from becoming a victim of personal crime, again a level lower than anywhere else in England and Wales

These major consultation exercises are supported by our statutory consultation process, with more than 6,000 surveys being sent to victims of specific crimes or anti-social behaviour during the course of the year. As well as securing the views of victims around their experience of Dyfed-Powys Police, the consultation aims to get wider views on what the priorities for the Force should be in the future. More specifically, the views of these service users are secured on a number of issues, namely their:

Satisfaction with the ease of contacting the police
Satisfaction with the time taken to arrive at a scene
Satisfaction with the actions taken by the police
Satisfaction with how well they were kept informed by the police
Satisfaction with how well they were treated overall
Satisfaction with the experience as a whole
Views on policing priorities

During 2007/08, surveys were distributed to victims of racist incidents, violent crime, vehicle crime and burglary and those involved in road traffic collisions, as well as people reporting incidents of anti-social behaviour. Victims involved in a particularly sensitive incident would be ‘screened out’ and excluded from the survey process. This process means that officers performing well above or falling below the standards expected can be drawn to the attention of local managers and appropriate feedback provided. This is in line with the Force’s Local Policing Charter and Quality of Service Commitment Implementation Plan which aims to ensure that a citizen focused service is provided at all times by all members of staff across the Force.

Taken together, these surveys produced an overall satisfaction rate with the whole experience (to December 2007) of 85.4%. Levels of satisfaction ranged from 92.6% (in relation to how people felt they were treated) down to 73.9% (in relation to how people felt they were kept informed). Satisfaction levels recorded were generally higher than for comparable periods during 2006/07. Work is ongoing to further improve performance in this key area through a Professionalising Customer Services project and the establishment of a Citizen Focus Programme Board chaired by the Assistant Chief Constable.

During 2008, the Force will be changing the way in which user satisfaction surveys are conducted from postal questionnaires to telephone interviews. Research has suggested that this will improve public response rates and increase the reliability of the responses received. A team of two telephone researchers will split their time between the statutory user satisfaction surveys and gaining the views of the public on how well neighbourhood policing is being embedded within local communities. This will form part of the Force’s wider strategy for delivering a more visible service and ensuring that neighbourhood officers are meeting the reasonable expectations of local communities.

A similar approach was undertaken by the Police Authority through a survey of the 344 town and community councils across the Force area. They were asked to highlight the four key priorities for their communities in the coming year. The main areas identified through the survey in order of precedence were:

Anti-social behaviour/vandalism
More visible policing
Tackling drugs and alcohol
Speed enforcement

The Force’s four Confidence and Equality Groups have continued to yield important feedback from minority groups within our local communities. Their views are fed directly into the Force’s Confidence and Equality Board, chaired by the Assistant Chief Constable, so that issues with implications force wide can be addressed. These groups allow Community Safety Officers, senior managers and Authority members to meet regularly with representatives of groups who are traditionally missed by our traditional consultation mechanisms, such as young people, people with disabilities, people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender and people from visible minority ethnic communities. Representatives from other organisations such as Victim Support, Women’s Aid, Age Concern and the Muslim community are key attendees at these groups.

During the past 12 months, the fora have tackled a wide range of issues including hate crime, the Force’s Disability Equality Scheme and the True Vision initiative, which encourages the reporting of hate crime at non-police locations. From March 2008, the terms of reference for the divisional and force based groups have been revisited. The reporting arrangements between these bodies, however, remain the same.

For the second year running, the Force has used its on-line Virtual Focus Group to secure views on fear of crime and policing priorities. The opinions expressed by respondents were largely consistent with those identified through the consultation exercises outlined above, their three priority areas for the Force being:

Increasing visible and accessible policing
Anti-social behaviour
Drug and alcohol misuse

Establishing Citizens Panels throughout the Force has been a key objective for the Force and Authority. Panels have operated effectively in Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Powys, surveying a demographically representative body of the local population throughout the year. It is pleasing to note that in collaboration with the County Council, Local Health Board and Countryside Council for Wales, a Panel was formally established in Ceredigion in April 2008.

Over the past year, Panel members in the three counties currently operating have volunteered to partake in consultation on a range of topics, with results being fed back to the Panel’s funding bodies to inform policy formulation and resource allocation. Issues that the Force and Authority have consulted on through the Panels during 2007/08 included:

Fear of crime
Anti-social behaviour
Welsh Language Scheme
Hate crime
Communications Centre
Policing priorities

Panel members receive regular updates on the results of consultation undertaken and panels are ‘refreshed’ annually to avoid consultation fatigue and ensure that the sample group is representative. Further information on the Citizens Panels, the results of surveys or how to become a member can be found on the Force website at www.dyfed-powys.police.uk

Consultation in 2008/09

The second year of face-to-face interviews at supermarkets was again extremely successful, particularly with the involvement of local officers, PCSOs and Police Authority members. The programme for 2008 was finalised in May and incorporates supermarket locations where migrant worker communities tend to shop and a number of town centre areas.

As previously noted, the Force will change its approach to the gathering of user satisfaction data during 2008, turning to telephone interviews from postal questionnaires. As well as satisfying national guidance, the main reason for doing this is to enable consultation in respect of neighbourhood policing down to the lowest geographical level. This will allow senior managers to make a more informed judgment as to the embedding of neighbourhood teams in their localities and to take corrective action where necessary.

The network of Citizens Panels across the Force will continue to be an important feature of our consultation and engagement activity. With the establishment of a Panel within Ceredigion during 2008, all four of our divisional areas will be served by a Panel, with the Force now able to reach out to a demographically representative sample of some 4,000 people across the Force area up to three times a year. This is also a cost effective means of engagement as it is conducted on a collaborative basis with key partners.

If you would like to take part in any consultation work run by the Force and help to shape the future of policing in the Dyfed-Powys area, please contact the Corporate Services Department (see below) by ‘phone, email or in writing, providing your contact details and the type of consultation you are interested in. The views that you provide will impact on the way that we do business and the quality of service we deliver. Your opinions count so for more information or to start making your voice heard through our ongoing consultation work, please contact:

Corporate Services
Dyfed-Powys Police
Police Headquarters
Llangunnor
Carmarthen
SA31 2PF

Tel: 01267 226631

Email: corpserv@dyfed-powys.pnn.police.uk