Reports from committees

Report: 7
Date: 28 July 2011
By: Chief Executive

Summary

At each meeting of the Authority members will receive a report from committees that have meet in recent weeks.

This report from the Authority’s committees provides members with details of the key items considered at each of the committees and their sub-committees.

This report covers the following meetings:

• Strategic and Operational Policing Committee – 16 June 2011
• Finance and Resources Committee – 23 June 2011
• Communities, Equalities and People Committee – 7 July 2011

Strategic and Operational Policing Committee – 16 June 2011

Members present: Reshard Auladin (Chairman), Tony Arbour, Chris Boothman, Jennette Arnold, Cindy Butts, Jenny Jones, Joanne McCartney, Caroline Pidgeon, and Valerie Brasse.

Update on virtual courts

The MPS informed Members that significant headway had been made, including the roll-out of fixed time slots and extended virtual court sittings. The termination of contract with Collaboration Space has generated savings of £35,000 to the MPS per month. Virtual courts is now being rolled-out over three court buildings in London – in Westminster and Bromley, to supplement the existing court in Camberwell.

Members were told that the project had produced a number of incidental benefits including the ‘Live Link Courts’ pilot, enabling officers (and perhaps, in the future, witnesses) to give evidence from their home stations at 20 minutes notice. The MPS concluded that areas of real potential savings would be in the creation of electronic case file documentation and through longer prison and court operating hours (enabling arrest, sentence and incarceration to occur quickly). MPS costs to date have been £3.5 million, with capital costs at 15 sites. Last year’s capital costs had been reduced to £136,000 and revenue costs to £700,000. This project is currently funded to March 2012.

The MPS noted that, whilst it is a challenge to quantify the benefits, costs of bail have been reduced by a total of £2.2 million as more suspects are sentenced within a matter of hours rather than weeks. However, it is costing more to process each case at this time. The report on the first pilot suggested that full benefit realization may not occur until after seven years.

Members noted with interest that the use of virtual courts seemed to elicit a greater number of guilty pleas. The MPS suggested that this may be an effect of not having an opportunity to talk to friends and relatives prior to a hearing. The Chair noted that studies had suggested that people feel their guilt more keenly at arrest and are therefore more likely to plead guilty if a hearing follows in close proximity.

Update on the MPS Safer Neighbourhoods Review

The MPS introduced this report, noting its synergy with the findings of the MPA Safer Neighbourhoods scrutiny. They stated that both followed the themes of increasing flexibility, the promotion of good practice in SNTs, and the need to consider community priorities in policing. The review encompassed engagement with borough commanders, staff panels and an online survey which attracted over 12000 responses. 82% of respondents identified that SNTs should operate during evenings, 73% suggested that priorities should be set in consultation with local communities, and 85% and 81% stated that SNTs should tackle crime and anti-social behaviour respectively.

The MPS argued that Safer Neighbourhoods has transformed the way policing and confidence is delivered across London and that this success should be built upon. As such, wards are proposed to remain the default geographical model, teams will continue to work on the basis of intelligence led community priorities, and will continue to work in partnerships to manage offenders. Borough Commanders will retain the operation lead on SNTs and TPHQ will only be involved on issues of essential policy.

One area of change identified by the review is the reduction of 150 Sergeants. Where these reductions fall will be calculated on the basis of ward demand and risk. Whilst flexible deployment across wards will be encouraged, a minimum team strength of one PC and one PCSO is guaranteed. This model is built upon a recognition that Borough Commanders and Inspectors are already deploying assets flexibly and that regularity and accountability to ward panels should be built into this. TPHQ will recommend actions to Borough Commanders, but they will have ultimate responsibility to implement these changes in a way that is responsive to local needs. Whilst local control is maintained, crime reduction and anti-social behaviour will become explicit objectives.

Members requested that this report be considered at the next meeting of the Full Authority on Thursday 30 June 2011. The Chair agreed, suggesting that Members ask questions at present and that the MPS provides responses prior to that meeting, in order to inform a full debate. Members agreed to this course of action and posed a number of questions accordingly.

Resolved – That the report be resubmitted for decision at the Full Authority meeting of 30 June 2011.

Finance and Resources Committee - 23 June 2011

Members present: Faith Boardman (Vice Chair in the Chair), Reshard Auladin, John Biggs, Chris Boothman,Dee Doocey, Amanda Sater, Valerie Shawcross and Graham Speed

Revenue and capital budget monitoring

The report provided information on the provisional outturn for 2010/11. The revenue budget is underspent by £5.6m (0.2% of budget) which takes account of proposed transfers to earmarked reserves as part of the year-end process of £45.5m. The provisional outturn for the Capital Programme is £188.2m, which is £88.1m (31.9%) below the revised budget of £276.3m.

Treasury management financial review

The Annual Review of Treasury Management for the 12 month period ended 31 March 2011 was considered The report had previously been considered at the Resources and Productivity Sub-Committee where the external Treasury Management adviser had attended.

It accordance with CIPFA guidance the report is now submitted to today’s meeting of the full Authority for consideration with the advice from the Finance and Resources Committee that the recommendations should be adopted.

Safer London Foundation funding

Approval was given to one-off funding for 2011/12 of £0.5m to the Safer London Foundation (SLF) from the Police Property Act Fund. The funding is subject to (a) the SLF showing in their 2011/12 annual report how the funding was spent and (b) the Communities Equalities and People Committee being content on how the £0.5m grant in 2010/11 was spent.

Disposal of properties

There is a schedule of properties which have been identified for disposal in the current financial year. The Committee received a report in connection with the outcome of the disposal in respect of Oak House Enfield and approved the recommended bids which had been made following an open market tender

In addition the Committee agreed to the inclusion of four further properties on the disposal schedule for the current financial year. The receipts generated from these disposals will allocated to the 2011/12 capital programme.

Proposed refurbishment/ refresh of four sites

Approval was given to a proposal to undertake detailed design and costing works to ascertain the extent of refurbishment/refresh works that could be undertaken at Brixton, Colindale, Kingston and Walworth Police Stations building on existing facilities rather than demolition and rebuild. The aim is to enhance the operational capacity of each including existing custody facilities to provide an additional cell capacity.

Haringey office and custody facility

Approval was given, subject to planning consent, for the development of a 40 cell custody and office facility on the former police station site at Wood Green, Haringey in line with the approved strategy and corporate real estate principles The existing Wood Green police station has already closed pending re-development.

Jubilee House SW15

Approval was given to a full internal refurbishment of Jubilee House SW15. The proposal also includes the disposal of three properties.

Policing agreement at Westfield Stratford (exempt)

The Committee agreed that a Police Special Services Agreement be entered into with Westfield Shoppingtowns Limited for the supply of a dedicated policing team at Westfield Shopping Centre (Stratford)

Cost recovery at London’s airports (exempt)

Recommendations relating to entering into an agreement for the policing service provided at Heathrow Airport were agreed.

Communities, Equalities and People Committee - 7 July 2011

Members present: Faith Boardman, Victoria Borwick, Valerie Brasse, Kirsten Hearn and Clive Lawton

Safer London Foundation Report

The Committee received a report from the Safer London Foundation, which provided an overview of the projects developed by the Safer London Foundation (SLF). The SLF has grant funded 127 third sector crime reduction related projects over the last five years, and £1,300,000 funding has been raised in the last three months. SLF is currently concentrating on working with partners to coordinate delivery and support of diversionary activities, such as by assisting gang related projects to find employment opportunities for young people. Looking to future developments; SLF aims to continue to deliver projects in support of the MPS and the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime.

Witness Protection and response to ‘Stop Snitching Campaign’

The Committee received a report which provided an overview of the MPS Witness Protection management and the MPS response to the “Stop Snitching” campaign.

Members asked a number of questions relating to how the MPS budgets for this reactive activity and how it liaises with other partners to provide witness protection and anonymity and to maximise resources.

Borough Partnership Funds 2010-11

The Committee received a report which provided an overview of the end-of-year financial and operational performance of MPS boroughs in respect of the Basic Command Unit Fund (BCUF) of £8m and the MPA Partnership Fund of £1.6m. All projects which are supported by the MPS will be on Oracle by October 2011, with the GLA also inputting projects supported by the GLA family.

Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) initiative

The Committee received a report which provided an overview of the development of the MASH initiative, which enable partners to co-locate to a single secure location and improve information sharing capacity to enable partners to identify the best support which can be offered for individual cases. Fourteen boroughs have signed up to the London pilot scheme. The MPS has allocated £1m funding for the development of MASH across London.

Due to the wider implications of MASH across London, it was decided that a briefing meeting should be scheduled to inform all MPA members. This will take place on 22 September 2011.

Development of Metropolitan Special Constabulary by Territorial Policing

The Committee received a report which outlined the improved support and development opportunities for special constables. Whilst some special constables are permanently attached to work with specific teams in their boroughs, others are deployed to support teams as required.

Wastage rates for special constables have been monitored through exit interviews and leavers’ reports since July 2010 and these remain low. The primary reason for special constables leaving is that they are unable to meet the minimum time requirements. In order to address this; the recruitment information for special constables emphasises the requirement for specials to commit to16 hours per month.

Vetting in the MPS - Progress Report

The Committee received a report which outlined the developments which have been implemented to improve consistency and completion times in the vetting process. Members enquired whether a system had been put in place to identify MPS employees who joined prior to the implementation of the 1995 Vetting Police, and still require national security vetting. Although a system has been developed, which will also identify cases where vetting needs to be renewed; it is estimated that it will take approximately one year to populate with all the relevant employment data. The MPS reaffirmed that enhanced levels of vetting are conducted on all employees who transfer to new positions which require it, such as youth supervision posts.

Members enquired what action can be taken to improve completion times for individual vetting cases. Whilst the use of automated systems to process the cases would improve completion times; the MPS considers that in the current financial climate it is not feasible to justify the additional expense of implementing this system. Members acknowledged the issue of budgetary limitations, but noted that there is a business case for additional funding to improve the vetting systems.

• Full Authority: Nick Baker
• Finance & Resources Committee/Corporate Governance Committee: John Crompton
• Strategic and Operational Policing Committee: Thomas Foot
• Communities, Equalities and People Committee: Michael Taylor

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