Agenda item

Motion 3 - Police Officer Numbers

Minutes:

It was moved by Councillor S Brockbank and seconded by Councillor L Bones that:

 

Since his election, the Prime Minister has forged ahead with his pledge to recruit more police officers, with an ambitious target of 20,000. Additionally, the Home Office has accepted the recommendations of an independent panel to increase the starting salary of the constables, to make the force an attractive career option.

 

During lockdown, we have seen reports from residents in North Tyneside relating to anti-social behaviour in a range of our communities, with the key question being asked: When will the PCC allocate more of the available resources to our non-urban policing priorities?

 

Keeping citizens safe is the first priority of government and ensuring residents get a good deal in North Tyneside, should be the first priority of this Council.

 

We call upon the Elected Mayor to write to the PCC and request, as a matter of urgency, that she allocated more constables to our area to meet the need which is clearly evident.

 

An amendment was moved by Councillor C Burdis and seconded by Councillor M Rankin as follows:

 

Delete the word ambitious in the first sentence and the wording:

 

“Additionally, the Home Office has accepted the recommendations of an independent panel to increase the starting salary of the constables, to make the force an attractive career option.

 

During lockdown, we have seen reports from residents in North Tyneside relating to anti-social behaviour in a range of our communities, with the key question being asked: When will the PCC allocate more of the available resources to our non-urban policing priorities? Keeping citizens safe is the first priority of government and ensuring residents get a good deal in North Tyneside, should be the first priority of this Council”.

 

and replace with

 

However this will only lead to the level of police officers being of a similar level to what they were at the end of the last Labour Government meaning the government has let North Tyneside residents down by under resourcing the police force for the past decade by way of example between 2010 and 2020 we lost 1142 officers and the Government cut almost a 1/3 of the police budget.

 

We note that Mayor Redfearn has made clear in her refreshed ‘ Our North Tyneside Plan’ is that a secure North Tyneside is a priority for the Mayor and Labour group and we will work with the police and the PCC to get the best deal for residents of North Tyneside.

We welcome the news from Kim McGuinness that Northumbria force is recruiting officers way beyond the government target using precept money to recruit even more officers as a direct result of listening to residents with her crime and police plan”.

 

Maintain the paragraph:

 

“We call upon the Elected Mayor to write to the PCC and request, as a matter of urgency, that she allocated more constables to our area to meet the need which is clearly evident”.

 

Add paragraph:

 

“We also call upon the Elected Mayor to write to the minister of state for crime and policing, Kit Malthouse and request that that the government increase officer numbers not only to the 2010 level but to surpass them in order to meet the challenges faced by Northumbria police force”.

 

A recorded vote on the amendment was requested by two Members present.

 

Votes for the amendment

N Redfearn, Elected Mayor and Councillors T Brady, B Burdis, C Burdis,

J Cassidy, N Craven, E Darke, L Darke, C Davis, S Day, D Drummond,

P Earley, S Graham, M Green, M Hall, J Harrison, John Hunter, C Johnson,

H Johnson, J Kirwin, F Lott, W Lott, G Madden, M Madden, A McMullen,

J Mole, J Montague, T Mulvenna, A Newman, P Oliver, J O’Shea, A Percy,

S Phillips, B Pickard, M Rankin, P Richardson, W Samuel, J Shaw, J Stirling, J Walker and M Wilson.

 

Votes against the amendment

Councillors L Arkley, K Barrie, L Bartoli, L Bones, S Brockbank, C Johnston,

P McIntyre, J Wallace and G Westwater.

 

The amendment, on being put to the meeting, was approved by 41 votes to 9 votes.

 

The motion, as amended, on being put to the meeting, was approved by 41 votes to 0 votes, with 8 abstentions.