Action Note from Caithness Joint Wards Forum (Thurso, Wick and Landward Caithness) held on Monday 9th September 2013

Agenda

Present
 
Councillor Gail Ross (GR) - Chair
Councillor Bill Fernie (BF)
Councillor Neil Macdonald (NM)
Councillor Roger Saxon (RS)
Councillor Donnie Mackay (DM)
Councillor Alex Macleod (AM)
Councillor Gillian Coghill (GC)
Councillor Willie Mackay (WM)
Councillor David Bremner (DB)
Colin Mackintosh (CM) – Sinclair Bay Community Council
Niall Smith (NS) – The Royal Burgh of Wick Community Council
Neil Buchanan (NB) – Berriedale and Dunbeath Community Council
Donald Henderson (DH) – Tannach Community Council
Elizabeth Henderson (EH) – Tannach Community Council

 
In attendance
 
David Sutherland (DS) – Caithness Wards Manager
Chief Inspector Garry Cameron (GC) – Police Scotland (PS)
Inspector Nick Clasper (NC) – Police Scotland
Shane Spence (SS) – Police Scotland
Scott Hay (SH) – Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS)
Adrian Mantle (AdM) – Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
Alex Macmanus – Ward Managers Team (clerk)
 
14 members of the general public along with a local newspaper reporter.
 
Apologies
 
Councillor John Rosie
James Macdonald – Watten Community Council
Anne Alexander – Watten Community Council
Jean Lipa – Thurso Community Council

1. Welcome and introductions

Councillor Ross made the introductions of those at the main table.

2. Ward Policing Plans – Police Scotland Chief Inspector Garry Cameron (GC), Inspector Nick Clasper (NC) and Shane Spence. (SS)

SS – gave a brief overview on how this part of the agenda should roll out and noted the three like priorities that have been identified for the Caithness Wards.
Asking audience to think if these priorities are the true picture out in their Wards and ask themselves the following questions.

What do you think of the priorities?
Do they represent the community view in your Ward?
What if anything should change and any ideas you may have?

Any ideas forthcoming will be blended with intelligence already gathered by Police Scotland and the three priorities will then be advised to the Wards via the Highland Council.

GC - The three priorities identified in the Wards Policing Plan for the three Caithness Wards are

Antisocial behaviour
Drug and Alcohol abuse
Roadsafety                                                                                                                                                                       
Focus on these three, are they what the communities want and are they in order of priority? Crime detection will continue on a day to day basis as is. The priorities are an overview and will help with pointing police resources in the right direction. Police will have to deliver to these.

NC – Gave an overview of the works carried out by the local police to support the three priorities and this included

Vigorous curfew checks
High School and Primary School liaison officers
Partnership working with Highland Council
High visibility policing
License premises checks with Licensing Standards Officer.
Safe Highlander and Driving Ambitions events
Motor vehicle checks
Intelligence led stop and searches
Warrants for drug busts - again intelligence led.
Pubwatch assistance to group which will eventually be run by licensees.
Overnight anticrime patrols.
Speeding checks with outside schools being targeted and areas reported by Community Councils.

Police are very reliant on information being received from general public and would urge people to use Crimestoppers (0800555111) to report crime if they have any fear about repercussions to their actions.

Discussion points from audience included -

GC confirmed that he did not want police officers sitting in stations waiting for calls but rather they were out and about.

Bell at outside of Wick police station will be answered by someone in Inverness.

Perception that with police being very active in towns that prospective crime is being pushed out to Landward area.

Licensed premise checks are being carried out in Landward as are speeding checks which are at times requested by Community Councils.

Officers and Traffic Warden have been tasked with carrying out checks at Miller Academy.

Incidents with legal highs will be dealt with as they happen and will be part of normal police business.

Community Councils are now bringing up issues with their Community Liaison Officer.

Incidents logged are looked at on a daily basis and are acted on accordingly.
Police need witnesses and the communities need to stand up and be counted.

WM agree that police have their three priorities spot on.

Use of breathalyzer needs to be explained in Court by officers.
Problem addresses are monitored by police.
Need public to report crime which will allow police to build up profiles of areas and will allow tasking of resources.

The three priorities should be in place by start of next financial year.
Police have to work within the law and legal system and agree that their three priorities are correct.

Parental responsibility, or lack of it, is perhaps the one major factor associated with antisocial behaviour.
ANPR vehicle is in place but as yet no body cams.
Police agree that the three priorities do match from their own records, intelligence, etc.

Council support road safety through their involvement with Safe Highlander and Driving Ambitions.
Consensus of meeting is that the three priorities are correct for the three Caithness Wards.

3. Fire Plans – Colin Hay and Adrian Mantle, SFRS

S.F.R.S. Presentation - 09/09/2013

Aim of consultation is to obtain views on what the communities of Thurso, Wick and Landward Caithness Wards see as priorities and what they wish to see in the Local Fire Plan.
This was discussed in the context of how the SFRS deliver its activities through prevention and protection as well as response and resilience. The four key priorities for Thurso, Wick and Landward Caithness Wards are:

Accidental house fires
Deliberate fires (including those started with malicious intent)
Road traffic collisions
Unwanted fire alarm signals

999 calls from premises in Highland will continue to be handled through Inverness for the foreseeable future.

Recruitment is an ongoing issue. Wick and Thurso are fully staffed but day time cover can prove difficult with retained fire fighters full time work pattern. Two new staff members now at Dunbeath.

Home Fire Safety Visit (HFSV) requests are prioritised towards the most vulnerable in communities and individuals at risk from fire in their home. This includes the elderly and those with known health, drink and drug issues. HFSV are also promoted through partner groups and organisations working with vulnerable people. The SFRS encourages all partner groups and agencies to assist in the promotion of FREE HFSV as well as referring those in need to the SFRS.

Smoke alarms have a shelf life, when fitted new, up to a ten year life span.  It is important that they are tested weekly and if it does not work fit a new battery, where possible. However should any member of the community have any concerns or need for FREE home fire safety advice, please get in touch with the SFRS as soon as possible who will come to your home to assist you.

Discussion points from audience included –

Usual National Campaign will be launched to warn about Bonfire dangers.
Any queries over reliability of smoke detectors should be conveyed to the SFRS.
Assurances on equability of service in rural areas.
No plans to close station as SFRS are fully committed to front line services.

56 female fire officers in Highlands with 4 based in Thurso Station and a Highland wide complement of 647 fire fighters in total.
Training course can be taken out of towns and into the rural communities
Entry age for a fire fighter is 18.

Thurso figures high on the list for a new fire station.

Consensus of meeting is that the four priorities are correct for the three Caithness Wards.

Contact details for further comments or advice
SFRS (Highland Area) – 01463 227000
www.firescotland.gov.uk
www.facebook.com/ScottishFireAndRescueService
Twitter - @scotfire_north

4. A.O.B.

Questions submitted prior to the Forum

Q1. Has Caithness seen any benefit from the Community Challenge Fund?

A1. No groups have applied to date although all the information has been relayed to the local Community Councils. Ward 8 (Tain and Easter Ross) held a Ward Forum on this scheme and this may well be the next step for the Caithness Wards.

Q2. In what way will the new High School for Wick be a state of the art establishment?

A2. School will have Wi-Fi, enhanced IT, White Boards, new swimming pool to name but a few facilities. The local Members are more than happy with the progress being made with the new High School.

Q3. How is the Area Committee supporting the growth of tourism with particular reference to our archaeological heritage? (reference report no. CS-01-13 on 18th February 2013) /NR/rdonlyres/58F62353-A561-49AA-A981-33CF0D2408DB/0/Item3CS0113.pdf

A3. Local members continue to have regular dialogue with agencies involved in the tourism industry.
  
Q4. What steps if any are being taken to limit the pay increases to senior officers and councillors?

A4. All staff are at present on a wage freeze which includes Senior Officers. Councillor’s pay is controlled by the Scottish Government. Administration have committed to paying a living wage to all employees. The new Chief Executive will be carrying out a review of management services.