Issue - meetings
Enforcement
Meeting: 17/10/2012 - Standards Advisory Committee (Item 4)
Additional documents:
- 8.1a Enforcement report, item 4 PDF 398 KB
- 8.1b App1 - Summary of Prosecutions and Outcomes, item 4 PDF 85 KB
- 8.1c App2 - Publicity of Enforcement Action, item 4 PDF 76 KB
- 8.1d App3a - LBTH Enforcement Policy 031012, item 4 PDF 137 KB
- 8.1e App3b - RIPA Policy - Covert Surveillance 031012, item 4 PDF 94 KB
- 8.1f App3c - RIPA Policy - Use of a CHIS 031012, item 4 PDF 101 KB
Minutes:
Ms Isabella Freeman, Assistant Chief Executive (Legal Services) introduced the report concerning the council-wide enforcement policy as agreed by Cabinet on 3 October 2012. She commented that the Council carried out prosecutions for offences that have a direct impact on the lives of residents, as the level of these offences was such that the Crown Prosecution Service did not have the resources to pursue..
In reply to queries from Members, Ms Freeman indicated that:
- The Council’s Prosecutions Team was dealing with an increasing number of cases, in liaison with Tower Hamlets Enforcement Officers (THEOs).
- There were now more THEOs on the streets and, due to the multi-functional training for their work, they were dealing with a variety of offences.
- When fines were imposed by the Courts, the collection was also by the Courts although this process was much slower than the Council’s. The Council also had to decide on whether prosecution action was proportionate and could be justified.
- Much information was shared with the Police to analyse trends for offences of different types in different parts of the Borough, so as to work towards more preventative action on an intelligence-led basis.
With regard to comments by a Member, Ms Freeman confirmed that the number of premises licences suspended by the Licensing Sub-Committee would be included in further enforcement reports.
RESOLVED
That, subject to the aforementioned point, the report be noted.
At this point, the Chair indicated that agenda item 4.4 would be considered as next business, owing to its related nature to 4.3. However, the minutes remain in the original order for ease of reference.