Integrated hate crime strategy review

Report: 7
Date: 27 March 2008
By: Assistant Commissioner Territorial Policing on behalf of the Commissioner

Summary

This report provides an overview of the current integrated MPS strategic and tactical approach to hate crime in response to the request of Full Authority on 31 January 2008 and the processes of Equality Impact Assessment and Community Impact Assessment. It demonstrates how MPS action to tackle hate crime is positioned explicitly within the MPS Serious Violence Strategy and within the MPS Equalities Scheme.

The MPS has integrated Hate Crime within these corporate strategies and through local strategies at BOCU level. During the negotiation of Local Area Agreements the MPS has sought to negotiate the inclusion of Most Serious Violence, which, where appropriate locally, includes hate crime.

This paper details the development of these strategies and the overarching strategic governance arrangements delivered through existing corporate. Hate crime performance is monitored by MPS Performance Board, including public confidence. It is also measured within the TP performance regime from the BOCU level to corporate level and through monitoring community tensions in respect of hate crime.

The paper details systems and processes for the tactical delivery of hate crime performance in daily MPS business and partnerships. It also provides examples of training, cross business group work and operational delivery.

A. Recommendation

That the report be noted.

B. Supporting information

Background

1. The MPS definition of a Hate Incident is “Any incident that is perceived by the victim, or any other person to be racist, homophobic, transphobic or due to a persons religion, belief, gender identify or disability”.

2. The strategic objective of the MPS remains building and increasing trust and confidence with the communities affected by Hate Crime. From this we anticipate increased levels of reporting upon which to build our intelligence systems and develop an operational response, which focuses upon offenders and reducing victims, in particular repeat victimisation.

3. The MPS recognises that the effects of Hate Crime upon the intended victim and communities often far outweighs the specific crime itself. We recognise that an attack on a person because of their race, beliefs, sexual orientation or disability is an attack against all. Every hate crime has the very real potential to be a critical incident.

4. The MPS Equalities Scheme provides a framework for the processes of monitoring, consulting, engaging and reviewing all our policies, procedures and practices, whether they relate to the Corporate or Local level across all strands of diversity (age, disability, gender (including marital status) race, religious belief or faith and sexual orientation). It sets out the activities that are common to all strands as will as what is specifically required in respect of each area.

5. The MPS Diversity and Citizen Focus Directorate (DCFD) and Territorial Policing (TP) are the two principal leads in delivering the MPS Equalities Scheme and Hate Crime Response. The TP Violent Crime Directorate (VCD) is charged with the responsibility of overseeing the implementation of Hate Crime Standard Operating Procedures and the monitoring of Hate Crime Investigations through a Corporate Daily Management Meeting but also providing assistance to Boroughs where necessary.

MPS Equalities Scheme (ES) 2006 - 20010

6. Developed in consultation with the MPA Equal Opportunities and Diversity Board (EODB), the MPS ES is subject to further report at EODB on 3rd April 2008. The scheme was presented to EODB on 18th January 2007, the gender element and action plan in May 2007 whilst the race, age and sexual orientation elements and action plans were added later in 2007. The remaining faith and belief element is subject to consultation and feedback and will be implemented during 2008 subject to presentation to EODB.

7. The MPS ES Programme Board inaugural meeting occurs on 18th March 2008. Governance arrangements for this scheme in terms of committees were described to EODB on 7th February 2008. These included an overview of the ES Programme Board, Performance Management, Consultation Review, Organisational Learning and human face elements of the process as well as details of strand specific work groups and the monitoring accountability and role of business groups in progressing different elements of the scheme.

8. The Diversity and Citizen Focus Advisors (DCFA) assist the Diversity Strand Teams and others within DCFD in developing plans to deliver the objectives within the scheme. They are responsible for assisting other Business Groups in delivering ES objectives. The DCFAs are a direct link to BOCUs and units and provide advice and support for local delivery. This is developed by the formation of local diversity strategies, local action plans and targets reflecting the local ES. They are also assisting in the establishment and/or development of local diversity forums.

9. The Diversity Strategy and Coordination Unit having compiled the ES, then reports on the progress of the scheme also provides a core function in supporting the governance and monitoring of the ES. The Performance, Development and Monitoring Unit are responsible for assessing the realisation of the benefits from the delivery of the scheme.

10. The Diversity Learning and Development Branch (DLDB) has responsibility for the implementation of the Police Race and Diversity Learning and Development Programme.

11. The Communities Together Strategic Engagement Team (CTSET) established following 7 July 2005 provides a strategic role in progressing pan-London community engagement in support of local activities conducted by Borough and Neighbourhood Teams.

12. The team provides a source of independent advice to the MPS in response to major incidents or critical incidents. It is often a conduit for reassurance messages for a broad cross section of communities down to the individual level but also an effective mechanism for receiving community information and intelligence for analysis and distribution across the MPS in order to inform operations and policing strategies. The CTSET collates and produces the pan-London community tension returns, which is disseminated at Corporate and BOCU level.

13. A full update on the MPS Equalities Scheme will be tabled at Equal Opportunities and Diversity Board, 3 April 2008.

Serious Violence Strategy (SVC) 2008 - 2010

14. The MPS Serious Violence Strategy 2008 - 2010 has been developed alongside the Home Office ‘Saving Lives. Reducing Harm. Protecting the Public. An action plan for tackling violence 2008-11’.

15. During the public/partnership consultation phase, the MPS received representation, from a number of partners including MPA members, that Hate Crime should be a distinct strand within the SVC. This has now been agreed and hate crime is a distinct strand alongside domestic violence, homicide, serious youth violence, child abuse, grievous bodily harm, criminal networks, rape and serious sexual offences and sexual/violent offender management. The strategy is based upon a problems solving partnership approach and includes cross cutting themes of weapon-enabled crime, alcohol, mental health and drugs.

16. The MPS integrates the SVS strands through focusing upon victim, offender and location. The MPS seeks to develop capability to profile and manage violent offenders through Borough Intelligence Units, and through MIB but also to protect the most vulnerable victims (often repeat victims) and to police dangerous places. The quarterly SVS Strategy Board co-chaired by Commander VCD (TP) and Commander Organised Criminal Networks (SCD), monitors the delivery and integration of the action plans across Business Groups.

17. The MPS performance targets for most serious violence (2008/9) await ratification later this month. Performance Board will monitor Hate Crime in terms of the sanction detection rate for hate crime and repeat victimisation levels for hate crime.

18. Within TP the weekly performance regime the focus will be upon racist offences, racist sanction detection rate, homophobic offences and homophobic sanction detection rate. Monitoring of incidents and performance against hate crime in the domains of homicide, grievous bodily harm, weapon enabled crime and sexual offences hate crime will be focused upon by the Violent Crime Directorate.

19. Within the SVS and as part of Corporate Development there is a focus upon violence towards women, in particular domestic violence as well as within the specific categories of hate crime, rape and serious sexual offences. The MPA is sighted on the work of Operation Sapphire and recognition for work with the Havens.

20. Specific areas of hate crime in terms of young people, as victims of abuse will be progressed within SCD5 Child Abuse Investigation Command, at BOCU level and as perpetrators by Violent Crime Directorate.

21. The MPS Youth Strategy has been progressed with support of the MPA and includes the domain of serious youth violence identical to that within the SVS. It includes crime victims under 20 subject to homicide, attempted homicide, GBH, ABH, burglary and weapon enabled crime. This will also be monitored through the BOCU based Every Child Matters (ECM) focus desks (see below) where young victims/perpetrators of hate crime can be more readily identified and commensurate measures set in place to manage individuals through local authority and/or police interventions.

22. Domestic violence will be monitored at Performance Board in terms of arrest rate, sanction detection rate, homicide rate and repeat victimisation. Rape and serious sexual offences will also be monitored in terms of Offenders Brought to Justice Rate for serious sexual offences, sanction detection rate for serious sexual offences and sanction detection rate for rape. The MPS will also continue to work with the LCJB, London Domestic Violence Co-Ordinating Group, London Domestic Violence Steering Group and the MPS is also monitored regularly through the MPA Domestic Violence Board.

23. To ensure that hate crime is fully embraced and integrated within MPS operations, in 2007 DAC TP, through the TP Crime Control Strategy Meeting (CCSM) process reviewed all 32 BOCUs approaches to Public Protection (PP) including hate crime. It was identified that greater focus was required in relation to rape and serious sexual assault as well as hate crime. DAC TP will review these areas and broader PP including preparedness for ECM again in April and May 2008.

Public Protection

24. The ‘HMIC Inspection: Protecting Vulnerable Persons 2007’ graded the MPS as ‘fair’ in terms of its performance in relation to Public Protection, which includes hate crime. It is anticipated that HMIC will return to inspect the MPS using the same methodology in Autumn 2008.

25. Key themes within the report were the differing levels of leadership, integration, awareness and monitoring of Public Protection (including hate crime) across the 32 London Boroughs ranging from excellent to fair. Areas for improvement in relation to the Corporate Performance Framework, Intelligence Sharing, Risk Assessment and Inspection/Review were also raised.

26. Since January 2008 Commander VCD has chaired the Public Protection Steering Group (attended by an MPA representative), which monitors the MPS developments in terms of Public Protection.

27. An integrated Public Protection Project Team (PPPT) has been formed comprising TP/CO/SCD and has worked to scope all 32 Boroughs preparedness and capability to deliver Public Protection/HMIC recommendations and SVS requirements. Work has included taking best practice from forces, meetings with SMT and individual Public Protection Unit elements (Sapphire, Compass, Jigsaw and Community Safety Units).

28. Following submissions from PPPT, it has been agreed, supported by BOCU Commanders, that all TP BOCUs will have integrated Public Protection Units with a completed roll out of June 2008.

29. The PPT has looked at the processes linking existing PP functions, with BIU processes and incorporates the establishment of an ECM desk within each BOCU with direct communication, through Merlin, with SCD5.

30. All hate crimes within a BOCU and other PP linked crimes will be monitored by a daily capture of all Public Protection crimes by the Integrated Borough Operations staff. An early morning search of CRIS/CRIMINT/PNC/CAD/Duty Officer & CID written handovers and where relevant open source searches will be conducted.

31. This standard search will apply to all across all 32 boroughs. Out with the initial operational response in the preceding 24 hours, each hate crime will therefore will be subject to consideration prior to and if appropriate within, the BOCU Daily Intelligence Meeting (DIM). Any local critical matters will be discussed at the BOCU Daily Management Meeting (DMM) and referred for necessary action or oversight e.g. Gold Groups or Local Management.

32. This will ensure that all hate crimes are subject to scrutiny to ensure a quality investigation and support to victims either by DI/DCI lead for PP and where relevant BOCU Cdr/Supt Operations. Potential critical incidents, perhaps not identified at first response, will be identified by this process and enable early and commensurate engagement with partners and local communities.

33. The Dedicated Service Delivery Team within VCD has responsibility of developing MPS Hate Crime Policy and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and works in support of boroughs both directly and through borough liaison officers. Tri-monthly visits occur where good practice, advice and useful contacts are promulgated and in turn shared across the MPS underpin these regular contacts. This is also augmented by CSU intranet site, CSU Managers Meetings, Borough Crime Control Strategy Meetings and through corporate structures such as the Crime Academy and Directorate of Public Affairs.

34. The TP Daily Management Meeting held within VCD reviews all Public Protection crimes/incidents within the previous day and further ensures a pan London integrated response to hate crime. Specialists across the spectrum of Public Protection review relevant crimes and where necessary/appropriate intervention is made in support of Boroughs and/or brought to the attention of Cmdr VCD for guidance or intervention.

35. The MIB Violence Desk also monitors serious violence across the MPS, which includes relevant hate crimes, which include serious violence, and continues to build the cross border strategic mechanism to monitor serious violent crime.

36. Chaired by DAC TP, the TP Tactical Tasking Co-ordinating Group (TPTTCG) provides the mechanism by which BOCUs can seek additional resource/asset in combating cross border hate crime, such as the Racial and Violent Crime Task Force (RVCTF).

37. Where any response is beyond the capability of TP matters can be referred to Corporate Tactical Tasking Co-ordinating Group (CTTCG), chaired by DAC SCD, for allocation of further corporate resources or joint business group operations. Equally, where MIB have identified cross border issues tasking can be made through MPS CCTCG and/or directly to TPTTCG as the Detective Chief Superintendent MIB is a member of each group.

Performance and operations

38. Performance Board monitors performance and sets the monthly policing priorities for CTTCG/TPTTCG.

Table 1: MPSHate crime performance financial year to date 2007/08 against 2006/07

SPI 3b Satisfaction White vs. BME Quarter 3 07/08 is 79% satisfied against 71% satisfied.

38. Operation Athena is activated twice yearly and will take place again in 2008. It focuses upon hate crime perpetrators across London. This co-ordinated and high profile media approach sends clear signals to offenders or those who have avoided court following charge.

39. On May 17 2007 (on International Day against Homophobia) there were 152 arrests for hate crime offences with 55 sanctioned detections (including DV). On 28 November 2007 (adjacent to International Day for the elimination of violence against women) there were 353 arrests for hate crime offences with 200 sanctioned detections (including DV).

Table 2: Hate crime offences 1997/98 to 2007/08

Figures taken from the Hate Crime tables on MetSTATS (correct at 17.03.08).
The ‘Faith/Hate’ flag on CRIS was only introduced in FY 05/06

Hate Crime Offences

40. These outcomes where offenders have been convicted, cautioned, charged or otherwise brought to justice are the highest recorded detection rates ever achieved by the MPS in tackling Hate Crime. The integrated corporate strategies provide an operational delivery that ensures hate crime perpetrators are more likely to be charged or otherwise brought to justice than at any other time in the history of the Metropolitan Police Service.

41. The current Hate Crime Policy and SOPS are being updated, with an Equalities Impact Assessment, following consultation with strategic partners and broader the MPS hate crime consultation corporately and locally. The new SOPs will incorporate the advances since the integration of hate crime within CSU/PP units, HMIC recommendations, organisational developments such ES and recommendations from MPA Race Hate Crime Forum presentations by BOCUs.

42. The MPS is committed to ensuring that communities have trust and confidence in its reporting procedures. The MPS takes meaningful action if a hate crime or hate incident is reported.

43. The MPS ensures that third party reporting, self and assisted reporting, forms an intrinsic element within all hate crime communications including planned operations e.g. Operation Athena. The MPS is committed to ensuring that communities have access to a number of different options to report hate crime in a safe and confidential way. This includes marketing/funding of True Vision and the development of a MPS on-line Hate Crime reporting portal after the closure of the Home Office funded National portal.

44. The MPS utilises a number of other facilities to promote its hate crime reporting and investigation services including its equalities strands’ liaison officers e.g. LGBT liaison officers, the London Wide Race Hate Crime Forum and the BOCU Hate Crime Coordinators.

45. The MPS believes strongly that its determined approach to hate crime perpetrators and positive arrest policy has had a major impact in reducing the numbers of hate crime victims. High profile operations, prosecutions and media campaigns have supported this. The MPS has worked corporately and locally to develop preventative initiatives and support to victims.

46. Even so the MPS remains determined to further reduce the number of victims and repeat victimisation. The MPS recognises the under reporting of hate crime and continues to work locally with communities and representative groups to build confidence and trust with communities and individuals subject to hate crime.

Training

47. The MPS Training School, Crime Academy and VCD Service Delivery Teams have worked to better integrate training and develop training products. The VCD has worked to develop products to train hate crime trainers (including homicide trainers), probationer trainers, local trainers, Safer Neighbourhood Teams and Crime Academy.

48. The VCD continually raises awareness through training. Examples include the review and updating of probationer training notes, and development/delivery of hate crime input within Phase 4 of Integrated Probationer Learning and Development Programme (IPLDP).

49. As part of the roll out of Every Child Matters all frontline officers and PCSOs will have received training on the requirements of ECM including the use of the Merlin system. Within that training a section has included renewed Public Protection awareness (including hate crime), which in turn has delivered one of the HMIC recommendations.

50. In developing and delivering training the VCD has worked with agencies and partners. Out with the invaluable input from Specialist/ Community advisors this has included London Probation Service, CPS, District Judges, National Forum of People with Learning Difficulties in Disability Targeted Hate Crime.

51. All of the above is in addition to and support of the irreplaceable local BOCU/ward awareness and interactions. This often includes local training focusing upon local communities affected by hate crime. Across London local training regularly receives input/advice from local communities.

52. Management of local critical incidents of hate crime routinely involves contact with and often inclusion of relevant communities in the management of the incident and ensuring reassurance and awareness. This is a mainstay of community engagement and reassurance and delivered through corporate approaches such as Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships, Community Police Consultative Groups and Independent Advisory Groups but also local initiatives through SNTs, Safer Schools Partnerships and work with the voluntary sector.

Equalities Impact assessment and Community Impact assessment

53. The Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, Equality Act 2006, MPS Equalities Scheme and the Equalities Framework collectively seek to eliminate discrimination and promote equality of opportunity, good relations between groups, involvement in public life and positive attitudes towards others.

54. An Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) is a ten-stage process, which seeks to measure the adverse and positive impact of policing proposals on communities through a structured and transparent process. Proposals include corporate and local policies, corporate change, policing and business plans; this is not an exhaustive list.

55. It is important to recognise that the EIA is an on-going process of engagement, decision-making and risk assessment. It must be started early and continue throughout the development of proposals. Aside form the legal implications of failing to assess, there are sound operational reasons why we need to deliver our services using an approach which is citizen focussed.

56. The differences between a Community Impact Assessment (CIA) and an Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) are that a CIA is conducted in response to a specific incident or event whilst an EIA is conducted as part of the planning process for a proposal or response. There maybe occasions when both EIA and CIA are required.

57. Each BOCU provides the DCFD’s Communities Together Team with a detailed weekly update concerning community tensions authorised for dissemination by the superintendent or chief inspector partnership. Each report is accompanied by an action plan with control measures to manage the outcome of the assessment process.

58. During pan London critical incidents, e.g. July 7 bomb attacks, BOCU daily community tension returns are required in order that a daily picture can be developed of the community impact of the incident, and an assessment conducted of the accompanying management plan’s effectiveness. These processes are interwoven into all that the MPS does and also reflects the importance and impact that community consultation and citizen focus has on driving decision-making within the MPS.

Acronyms and Abbreviations:

CIA

Community Impact Assessment

CTTCG

Corporate Tactical Tasking Co-ordinating Group

CTSET

Communities Together Strategic Engagement Team

DMM

Daily Management Meeting

DCFA

Diversity and Citizen Focus Advisors

DCFD

Diversity Citizen Focus Directorate

EIA

Equalities Impact Assessment

ES

Equalities Scheme

IPLDP

Integrated Probationer Learning and Development Programme

EODB

MPA Equal Opportunities and Diversity Board

PP

Public Protection

PPPT

Public Protection Project Team

SOP

Standard Operating Procedures

TPTTCG

TP Tactical Tasking Co-ordinating Group

VCD

Violent Crime Directorate

C. Race and equality impact

1. Hate Crime, by definition, has an equalities dimension in which race, disability, age, faith, gender, sexual orientation and compound difference play an integral part. Recognition of the importance of effective equalities impact assessment in tackling hate crime and the effective practice adopted by the MPS, is set out in this paper itself.

2. Equality impact assessments are being developed for the revised Hate Crime Strand within the Serious Violence Strategy and associated Standard Operating Procedures.

D. Financial implications

1. There are no additional financial costs identified within this report, which is produced at the request of the Authority for information only.

2. The work undertaken in support of the MPS approach to Hate Crime and related Strategies is undertaken in accordance with the MPA/MPS decision making process and new initiatives are dealt with through the budget and business plan process.

E. Legal Implications

There are no legal implications within this paper.

F. Background papers

None

G. Contact details

Report author: Commander Shaun Sawyer, MPS

For more information contact:

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

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