Proposed ministerial priorities 2002/03

Report: 8a
Date: 24 January 2002
By: Clerk

Summary

This report outlines the ministerial priorities for policing 2002/03 recently proposed by the Home Secretary.

A. Recommendations

1. That members consider the proposed priorities and indicate the degree to which the proposals are supported.
2. That the planning panel meeting on 7 February 2002 be given delegated authority to approve the formal response to the Association of Police Authorities.

B. Supporting information

1. Members will be aware that the Authority's annual policing and performance plan must include ministerial priorities and must not include other priorities or objectives that conflict with those set by the Home Secretary.

2. On 14 January 2002 the Home Secretary proposed policing priorities for 2002/03 and requested feedback from the APA and ACPO by 8 February 2002. In turn, the APA has requested views from police authorities by 6 February 2002. The proposal is attached at Appendix 1 together with an initial assessment of the implications.

3. The proposal has been released later than originally planned and this has reduced the period set by the Home Secretary for consultation. Consequently, members are asked to provide an initial response at the meeting but to delegate approval of the final response to the planning panel chaired by Graham Tope.

4. The planning panel next meets on 7 February 2002 and approving a response on that date would allow the MPS to assess the implications of the proposals on the priorities and objectives for 2002/03 as previously agreed by members (and listed at Appendix 2 of the Commissioner's report at agenda item 8 (b)). This approach would also allow time for members to provide individual feedback to the planning panel for consideration.

C. Financial implications

There are no immediate implications.

D. Background papers

None.

E. Contact details

Report author: Derrick Norton, Best Value Manager, MPA.

For information contact:

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

Appendix 1: Home Secretary's proposals and initial assessment

The Home Secretary has invited views from the APA and ACPO on the Ministerial Priorities for the police service in 2002/03. Last year two priorities were set:

• to reduce local problems of crime and disorder in partnership with local authorities, other local agencies and the public; and
• to increase trust and confidence in policing amongst minority ethnic communities.

For 2002/03 it is proposed to retain these two priorities but in a more focused form. They would accordingly read:

• to help create safe communities by reducing crime, anti-social behaviour and disorder through effective partnership working, including reducing the availability and use of Class A drugs; and

Initial assessment: Addressing this priority would seem to be possible by focusing actions related to the MPA objective 'To work with community safety partnerships to reduce the incidence of crime and disorder in the most troubled areas of each neighbourhood.'

• to reduce the fear of crime in all sections of the community and in particular to increase the trust and confidence in policing amongst minority ethnic communities and those experiencing repeat victimisation and persistent anti-social behaviour.

Initial assessment: Addressing this priority would seem to be possible by focusing actions related to the MPA objective 'To reduce the fear of crime.'

The Home Secretary also proposes a third priority to address the need to deliver, in partnership with other CJS agencies, on offenders brought to justice. This would read:

• to deliver justice more effectively by increasing the number and percentage of recorded crimes for which offenders, particularly persistent offenders, are caught and brought to justice, in partnership with other criminal justice agencies.

Initial assessment: Addressing this priority may require setting a new objective, measure and target linked to the MPA priority 'To create safer communities for Londoners'. The current emphasis is on 'persistent young offenders' rather than 'persistent offenders' and more work may be required to co-ordinate action across the criminal justice agencies.

These priorities reflect the Government's agenda to drive down crime, to provide public reassurance and to increase the number of offenders brought to justice, as set out in the recently published White Paper "Policing a new century: a blueprint for reform".

Feedback from both the APA and ACPO has been requested no later than 8 February 2002 prior to the Home Secretary's formal announcement.

Send an e-mail linking to this page

Feedback