The Police and Justice Act 2006 requires Local Authorities to establish a Crime and Disorder Scrutiny Committee, this was brought into effect in Wales from 1 October 2009.
The Policy and Resources Scrutiny Committee has been given responsibility for this function and will hold two Crime and Disorder Scrutiny Committee meetings per annum.
The terms of reference of the Crime and Disorder Scrutiny Committee is to scrutinise the work of the Safer Caerphilly Community Safety Partnership (SCCSP) and the partners ("responsible" authorities") who comprise it 'insofar as their activities relate to the partnership itself'. In other words, Members scrutiny role relates only to the work done by the SCCSP.
The Crime and Disorder Scrutiny Committee does not have statutory powers to scrutinise SCCSP partners beyond their role within the partnership. Therole of the Crime and Disorder Scrutiny Committee is to scrutinise the Safer Caerphilly Community Safety Partnership (SCCSP). The responsible authorities of the Safer Caerphilly Community Safety Partnership are:
- The Local Authority – Caerphilly County Borough Council
- The Police Authority – Gwent Police Authority
- The Police Force – Gwent Police
- The Fire and Rescue Authority – South Wales Fire and Rescue Authority
- The Local Health Board – Aneurin Bevan Health Board
- Probation Service – Wales Probation Trust
Councillor Call for Action (CCfA)
The Crime and Disorder Scrutiny Committee also has the responsibility to hear Councillor Calls for Action.
CCfA gives any Councillor the right to raise matters of local concern with the Crime and Disorder Scrutiny Committee. A Councillor can act as a champion for their local area to highlight issues that have not been resolved through usual processes.
The CCfA must concern a local crime and disorder matter and may include anti-social behaviour or other behaviour adversely affecting the local environment such as the misuse of drugs, alcohol or other substances and it must affect all or part of the electoral area for which the councillor is elected or any person who lives or works in that area.
For further information please download Welsh Government's Guidance Document.
Guidance for the Scrutiny of Crime and Disorder Matters – Wales (PDF 1.65mb)
In effect the CCfA procedure is one of a last resort where a local community continues to be affected by a problem regardless of the issue being raised with the appropriate public services.
Members of the public interested in the CCfA procedure can either contact their local ward member using our Find Your Councillor facility or email Jonathan Jones Scrutiny and Members Services Manager or call him on 01443 864242.