Reports from sub-committees

Report: 12
Date: 8 July 2010
By: Natasha Plummer on behalf of the Chief Executive

Summary

At each meeting of the committee members receive a report from the sub-committees and related forums that have met in recent weeks.

A. Recommendation

That Members note the report.

B. Supporting information

1. At each meeting of the committee members receive a report from the sub-committees and related forums that have met in recent weeks. This report provides members with details of the key items considered at the following meetings:

• Domestic and Sexual Violence Board (1 June 2010)
• Community Engagement and Citizen Focus sub-committee (21 June 2010)
• Hate Crime Forum (22 June 2010)

MPA Domestic and Sexual Violence Board (DSVB)

2. The DSVB met in June and received reports from Waltham Forest and Redbridge boroughs. Waltham Forest was praised for their Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence Strategy and Gender Equality Strategy for the borough, and the development of a domestic and sexual violence counselling programme and a range of community programmes. The borough Link Member for Waltham Forest, Jennette Arnold, was also present and noted the positive partnership working in the borough. They were asked to report back on referrals to support services and the development of an ‘honour’-based violence action plan.

3. Redbridge’s performance in relation to domestic violence sanction detection rates was praised by the DSVB as well as its single point of contact in the Community Safety Unit for vulnerable adults and plans for a one-stop-shop service to victims of domestic and sexual violence. The borough was asked to report back on gang –related sexual violence and the impact of its Victim/ Offender/ Location model on domestic and sexual violence.

4. The next meeting of the DSVB will be its annual thematic meeting on the 13th July from 10.00am - 1.00pm. The multi-agency panel will be discussing two reports from the Metropolitan Police exploring the service provided to victims of domestic and sexual violence through its call handling and first response officers and its front counters.

Community Engagement and Citizen Focus Sub-Committee

5. The meeting was concerned with matters related to the management of the sub-committee. Members received the annual report for 2009/10 and a report reviewing its terms of reference, which gave rise to a discussion about the division of work between committees across the MPA, which was referred to the Business Management Group of the Authority for further consideration. The Committee also re-appointed Richard Hunt of the London Communities Policing Partnership as a co-opted member of the committee.

Hate Crime Forum

6. The Hate Crime Forum met on 22 June and in line with its process of themed meetings, the focus on this occasion was race and faith hate crime. A comprehensive report was submitted by the MPS, which provided information on the changes to the processes for recording race and faith hate crimes, as well as details of the volume of offences and sanction detection rates.

7. There were a total of 9 417 Race hate offences, 683 Faith hate offences, 201 Anti-Semitic offences and 372 Islamophobic offences during 2009/10. The combined sanction detection rate for race and faith offences was 45.9% against a target of 41.7%, an increase of 417 sanction detections against the same period the previous year. The report also provided a breakdown of the number of offences across the major crime types, which identified that violence against the person as the highest volume offence.

8. The report also provided information on MPS officer training and organisational learning both internally and externally in making improvements following recommendations made to police services throughout the UK. A number of projects were highlighted as models of good practice.

9. The next Forum meeting takes place in 6 October 2010 with a focus on age-related hate crime.

C. Other organisational and community implications

1. Equalities Impact

Equalities and diversity are key issues for the Authority and considerations of such matters are central to the work of this committee and its sub-committees. As such, matters of equality and diversity are given full consideration in relation to the matters discussed at each meeting.

2. Met Forward

There are no Met Forward implications arising from this report.

3. Financial Implications

There are no financial implications arising from this report.

4. Legal Implications

There are no specific legal implications arising from this report.

5. Environmental Implications

There are no environmental implications arising from this report.

6. Risk Implications

There are no specific risk implications arising from this report.

D. Background papers

None

E. Contact details

Report authors: Natasha Plummer, MPA Engagement & Partnerships Manager

For information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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