Inverness West Ward Forum Action Note

Consultation for Local Police and Fire & Rescue Plans

Thursday 12 September 2013, Kinmylies Church of Scotland

Attendance:

Cllr Allan Duffy (Chair)   Highland Council
Provost Alex Graham   Highland Council  
Cllr Graham Ross    Highland Council
   
Scott Hay, Area Manager   Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
Graham Clark, Station Manager   Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
Chief Inspector Graeme Murdoch  Police Scotland
Stewart Wardlaw, Ward Manager  Highland Council

Jim Kidd (Chairman)   Muirtown CC
Ruth MacLeod (Secretary)   Muirtown CC

2 Support staff, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
1 Support staff, Police Scotland
4 Members of the Public
 

Actions

Welcome and Introductions

Cllr Duffy opened the Meeting

Fire and Rescue Service Plans

Area Manager Scott Hay and Inverness Station Manager Graham Clark updated the Forum on the services currently provided to the Ward.  Detailed information was presented on incident levels within the Ward (which were relatively low), priority areas of work and management according to levels of risk.

The Forum discussed future priority areas.  The discussion included training, equipment, speed of deployment, education (children and adults) and targeting high risk areas for prevention. 

A commitment was made to continue to improve performance standards.  Local priority areas included accidental house fires, deliberate fires, road traffic collisions and unwanted fire alarm signals.  Communication channels were highlighted (NB see below*) and further feedback was invited to inform future planning.

Ward Policing Plans

Chief Inspector Murdoch described the aims of the Police’s consultation, to capture the views of local councillors, community councils and interested members of the community in order to inform future policing priorities as outlined within the Local & Ward Policing Plans for 2014 to 2017.  The Chief Inspector’s presentation highlighted the context of current policing issues and priorities specifically relevant to Ward 14.

Attendees were asked to prioritise key areas of policing activity. Further discussion followed on future Policing and Community Safety priorities and this raised some areas of specific interest/concern:

• The community and community councils greatly value the contribution and relevance to local policing of the designated Community Beat Officers
• Call handling and provision of incident numbers is an area for improvement
• Cycling on pavements and safety issues presented by cyclists (a City-wide issue)
• General road safety issues, specifically mobile phone use, seatbelt offences and speeding (A request was made for a speed indicating device on Leachkin Road during the discussion on Road Safety.  The Ward Councillors agreed this would be beneficial, Stewart agreed to make arrangements with the Council’s TEC Services).
• Drugs activity at specific domestic addresses
• ASB associated with particular domestic addresses, with possible drugs/alcohol as contributory factors, sometimes involving young tenants
• Cyclical nature of youth disorder and offending

The broad priorities agreed for the Ward are:

• Road Safety
• Public Protection
• Antisocial Behaviour
• Drugs/alcohol misuse
• Crimes of Dishonesty

Cllr Duffy closed the Meeting at 9 p.m.

Notes

*Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Contact Details;

Telephone – 01463 227000
www.firescotland.gov.uk
www.facebook.com/ScottishFireAndRescueService
Twitter - @scotfire_north

Police Scotland Contact Details;

http://www.scotland.police.uk/
Ward Plan 2013 for Inverness West -
http://www.scotland.police.uk/your-community/highland-and-islands/inverness/inverness-west/