Minutes

Minutes of the Strategic and Operational Policing Committee of the Metropolitan Police Authority held on 5 February 2009 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, London SW1H 0NY.

Present

Members

• Reshard Auladin (Chairman)
• Chris Boothman
• James Cleverly
• Toby Harris (Vice Chair)
• Jenny Jones
• Caroline Pidgeon

MPA officers

• Catherine Crawford (Chief Executive)
• Jane Harwood (Assistant Chief Executive)
• Ken Hunt (Treasurer)
• Ruth Hastings Iqball (Committee Officer)

MPS officers

• Darren Bird (Assistant Director, HR Services)
• Andy Campbell (Det Superintendent, Directorate Professional Standards (DPS))
• David Chinchin (Ch Supt, TPHQ), Rose Fitzpatrick (T/AC Territorial Policing)
• Rod Jarman (Cdr, Safer Neighbourhood Teams)
• Margaret Kelly, (A/Head, HR ET Unit)
• Anne McMeel (Director, Resources)
• Paul Minton (Cdr, Organisational Capability and Criminal Justice Reform)
• Eleanor Ryan (Director, Employee Relations, Health and Well Being)
• Moir Stewart (Cdr, DPS)

Also present: Derek Bradon, Regional Director, London and South East IPCC and Kathie Cashell, Project Manager, IPCC Performance Management Framework.

51. Apologies for absence

(Agenda item 1)

Apologies for absence were received from Jennette Arnold, Cindy Butts, Neil Johnson, Kit Malthouse, Joanne McCartney, and Steve O’Connell.

52. Declarations of interests

(Agenda item 2)

No declarations of interest were made

53. Minutes: Strategic and Operational Policing Committee  – 8 January 2009 (part 1)

(Agenda item 3)

The Committee considered the minutes of the meeting (part 1) held on 8 January 2009 (Part 1). Caroline Pidgeon stated that her suggestion concerning an addition of a further recommendation be added about minutes under MPS Historical Collection Business Case (item 12) had not been recorded. Ratification of the minutes of the meeting was deferred to the next meeting.

In relation to item on Forensic Medical Examiners (FMEs) (item 13), the Cdr, Organisational Capacity and Criminal Justice Reform informed members stated that since the last meeting 125 FMEs had signed the new contract. The MPS had found that there had been limits to the services provided by the outsourced providers which had led to difficulties in some boroughs, although this was now being resolved.

Resolved – That the minutes of the Strategic and Operational Policing Committee (Part 1) held on 8 January 2008 be considered at the next meeting.

54. IPCC performance management framework

(Agenda item 4)

The Chair welcomed colleagues from the Independent Police Complaints Commissions (IPCC) to the meeting. The Cdr, Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) introduced a report on partnership work with key stakeholders to design a Performance Management Framework (PMF) for the police complaints system. The Project Manager, IPCC, thanked the MPS for making the pilot a success. The Chair added that the MPA would be having tripartite meeting with the MPS and IPCC, and that in May the committee would receive the IPCC's annual report and its report on deaths in custody.

Resolved – That

1. the work undertaken by the MPS in support of the IPCC Performance Management Framework be noted; and
2. it be noted that the IPCC Performance Management Framework would eventually replace the Professional Standards Performance Indicators currently reported to the Committee.

55. Professional Standards performance indicators

(Agenda item 5)

A report was received providing details of the Professional Standards indicators for a 12 month period until December 2008, the piloting of the IPCC Performance Management Framework and, following the introduction of the Taylor recommendations, details of how the MPS were developing methods to monitor the benefits arising from the change in legislation.

Members queried the wording of paragraph 3 third bullet point, the Det Supt, DPS, explained that accounting methods had changed. The Chair added that the target had originally been 140 days, but the former Professional Standards and Complaints Committee (PSCC) had reduced the target to 90 days. It was agreed that the wording of the relevant paragraph of the report should be made clearer.

Resolved – That the current performance and areas of exception, risk or good practice and potential issues as outlined in the report be noted.

(Secretary’s note: Following the discussion by the Committee the following note was received from the MPS ‘The MPS continue to meet the target for the average number of days taken to complete a public complaint. The target has been revised from elapsed time to working days, which accords with the IPCC Guidance. Following comments by members at the Strategic and Operational Policing Committee on 05 February 2009 the actual detail of the target has been amended from 70 days to 64 days, which now more accurately reflects the actual number of working days. The IT software changes and alterations to the performance reports that underpin the move to 64 days, are now underway. As at the end of January 2009, the average number of days to taken to investigate a public complaint was 60 days, down from an average of 71 days in January 2008.’)

56. Woodhams investigation - update

(Agenda item 6)

At the full Authority meeting in May, representations had been received from members of Peter Woodhams family concerning the standard of a police investigation and the outcome of subsequent police discipline procedure and review. It had been agreed that the PSCC should receive a report on matters relating to the MPS investigation, officer disciplinary process and IPCC involvement. As that Committee was now defunct, a report was received by the Strategic and Operational Policing Committee (SOP). Representatives of Mr Woodhams's family were to have attended the meeting, but as additional material had been passed to legal representatives at short notice it had been agreed that the agenda item should be deferred to the next meeting.

Resolved – That the agenda item be deferred to the next meeting.

57. Update on the Policing London Business Plan

(Agenda item 7)

The Committee received a report providing members with a revised draft of the Policing London Business Plan 2009-12, detailing areas to be updated for the next (final) draft, and outlining the timetable. The Director of Resources stated that there were deliberate blanks in the ‘Policing London Business Plan’ where information, such as budget information, was not yet finalised. The Chair noted that the lack of some information presented problems in discussing the Plan. He added that there had been no response from members on the Plan following its previous submission to members, and urged members to pass any comments to the Head of Planning and Performance before its next submission to this committee and full Authority.

Resolved – That

1. progress on the development of the draft Policing London Business Plan 2009-12 be noted;
2. the draft Policing London Business Plan 2009-12 be commented upon; and
3. revised 2009/10 measures and targets, in particular the Critical Performance Area KPIs be commented upon, and the variable target setting (VTS) timetable noted.

58. TP thematic performance

(Agenda item 8)

The Committee considered a report providing an overview on top level key performance areas at a London wide and borough level and additional details on Blunt 2, a key MPS operation tackling knife crime.

Members felt that the success of Blunt 2 was not publicised enough and asked if there was a media strategy for Operation Blunt 2. T/AC, Territorial Policing (TP), and ‘Gold’ for the Operation said there were media strategies at borough and task force level. The Operation was a success and knife carrying by young people had reduced, however the MPS could not make the press take up particular stories. Members felt the Commissioner could do more to get the message home. The T/AC, TP, responded that the Commissioner had a personal interest in Operation Blunt 2 and youth violence was an MPS priority.

Members asked about stop and search tactic used by Operation Blunt 2. The T/AC, TP, said its use was regularly reviewed by the MPS, which had sought a community mandate for the tactic. The issue of the legality of the tactic was also raised. Members were assured that legal advice had been sought before embarking on Operation Blunt 2, and the MPS were very clear on the purpose of stop and search, standard operating procedures were reviewed regularly and all stops were intelligence led.

Members also asked for a breakdown of types of knife crime perpetrated and why public attitude survey figures were so volatile (appendix 4). They were informed that communication and information drove confidence figures.

Resolved - That the report be noted.

59. MPA strategic framework

(Agenda item 9)

Following a members’ away day, this report took forward the suggestion that the Authority should develop a strategic framework that would support the MPA in its role of oversight and scrutiny function of the MPS and ensure that key priorities are delivered.

Resolved – That the development of the strategic framework be agreed and the progress to date be noted.

60. Organisational learning

(Agenda item 10)

The Cdr, DPS, introduced a report outlines the work being undertaken to deliver organisational learning in the MPS. The Chair was concerned that according to the model presented at appendix 1, learning remained at business group level. He felt there was need for a corporate memory overseen by the MPS’s Management Board. The Director of Resources noted that all large organisations grappled with this problem and said the MPS had an Audit and Inspection Strategy which was bringing recommendations together. The Chair asked when the Performance Management Framework would be ready and was told there would be a presentation to the Productivity and Performance Sub-committee on this. The Chair remained concerned that a portfolio lead for organisational learning had yet to be confirmed within the MPS.

Resolved – That the report be noted.

61. Proposed Home Office confidence target

(Agenda item 11)

he Policing Green Paper "From the neighbourhood to the national: policing our communities together", published July 2008, stated the Home Office’s intention to implement a measure of public confidence to assess whether people think that the police and their partners were dealing with the crime and anti-social behaviour issues that matter locally and proposing a target for the MPS of a 12% improvement in confidence in policing over a two year period. The MPA welcomed the move to focus on more than just crime and detection data to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of policing, however it felt there were a number of issues that MPA members should consider. These were described in this report.

Members felt the proposals could turn policing into a media operation and could skew the allocation of resources to areas where confidence could easily be improved to the detriment of other equally necessary activity. The Assistant Chief Executive added that Association of chief Police officers and the Association of Police Authorities were equally concerned about the proposals.

Resolved – That the issues raised in the report be noted and consideration be given to any additional work that might need to be commissioned from the MPS

62. Enhancing confidence in policing

(Agenda item 12)

This report provided an update on confidence in local policing covering:

•  how confidence in policing is measured and latest performance;
•  MPS research findings on the factors driving confidence;
•  the new single national performance measure and target proposed by the Home Office and the MPS response to Home Office consultation; and
•  MPS work to improve public confidence

A short presentation was also provided to members

A/AC, TP, said that that it was a challenge getting enhancing confidence in policing into Local Area Agreements, so far only 13 boroughs included it. She added that the MPS’s Pledge work would put the MPS ahead of other police services.

Members asked if this work replaced existing measures or run parallel to them. They were told that they would probably run side by side. Members again felt that the desire to enhance confidence would act as an incentive to skew policing activity to where enhanced confidence could be gained. . It was also noted that residents of different boroughs often had very different expectations about crime in their boroughs. The Chair requested further report was requested in three months

Resolved – That

1. the update on improving public confidence in policing be noted; and
2.  a further report be received in three months.

63. MPA response to the London Safeguarding Children’s Board  'Safeguarding children affected by gang activity and/or serious youth violence' draft consultation paper

(Agenda item 13)

Members considered a report on a proposed MPA response to the London Safeguarding Children’s Board consultation paper ‘Safeguarding Children Affected by Gang Activity and/or Serious Youth Violence.’ Members felt this was a good report. They asked for more details about the Board and its author undertook to send them the relevant link.

Resolved – The MPA response to the London Safeguarding Children’s Board consultation report be endorsed.

64. Crime Mapping

(Agenda item 14)

A report was received providing details of the update on the crime mapping website within the MPS, details of public feedback, Safer Neighbourhood Team usage of the sites and the timescales for the continuing upgrading of the websites. Members felt crime mapping was a great idea and a good way of focusing resources

Resolved - That the progress on the MPS crime mapping website be noted.

65. Police Authority inspection

(Agenda item 15)

During early spring 2009 legislation will come into force giving the Audit Commission the power to undertake inspections of police authorities. Members received a report on the progress being made to develop police authority inspections and were informed that an audit of the MPA was expected in autumn 2009.

Resolved – That the development of police authority inspections be noted.

66. Employment Tribunals

(Agenda item 16)

A report was received containing management information and performance analysis on employment tribunal (ET) claims brought against the Commissioner in the six-month period from April 2008 to September 2008 compared with the period April 2007 to September 2007. The Chair stated that six monthly reports on ETs would be provided to the Committee. A monthly update was provided to MPA officers and available to members providing details of high profile cases.

Members asked on what criteria settlements were made. They were informed that there were no set criteria. Legal advice, life issues, employment and reputational risk to the service were all factors. Settlements were not always financial and every effort was made to get claimants back to work. The Chair noted that it was noted that such a large organisation only had a small number of ETs.

Resolved – That the report be noted.

67. Police Staff disciplinary report

(Agenda item 17)

This report primarily concentrated on police community support officers (PCSOs) discipline cases for the last financial year 2007 to 2008 and was supported by the findings of research activity conducted to explore why PCSOs featured highly in disciplinary cases. Additionally a cold case review had been conducted of all PCSOs dismissed from the MPS between December 2007 to December 2008. It was noted that the report had attracted press attention.

Members were told that as a result of the research, the MPS under Cdr, Safer Neighbourhood Teams, would look at the integration of the PCSO role and their first line supervision. The Chair welcomed the research, but reiterated the points he had made in relation to item 10, organisational learning. This trend had been apparent for over two years, but what had the MPS Management Board being doing about the issue? A/AC TP said there was increasing joint working between the Human Resources and Professional Standards Directorates and Territorial Policing and that learning from this research would be carried across to the employment of dedicated detention officers and custody nurses. The Chair requested that a further report be received in six months time on the outcomes from the research.

Resolved – That the report be noted.

68. Any other urgent business/operational matters

(Agenda item 18)

Snow, February 2009

This item was heard after item 3. The T/AC, Territorial Policing, stated that Cdr Simon O’Brien had been appointed ‘Gold’ Snow, and Operation Ringmain had been activated with the other ‘blue light’ services. The level of demand had been high and over a three hour period on 2 February Metcall had received 230 calls every 15 minutes, which had strained its capability. Staff and officers had responded to this demand and night duty staff and officers had remained on duty in the morning. The snow fall had also impacted upon courts, custody and the Prison Service. Prisoners had had to be remanded back to police cells. The cost of this would be recouped from the Home Office.

Members noted that it had been reported that TfL had said it had been advised by the police to keep its buses garaged. T/AC, TP, said such advice would not be given as each service made its own risk assessments. . The Chair requested that lines be given to the MPS press office on this. Members asked T/AC, TP, if she could comment on the gritting of roads. She responded by stating this was a matter for the London Resilience Forum.

Resolved – That the oral report be received.

69. Minutes of Sub-committees (part 1)

(Agenda item 19)

The Committee noted the following minutes (part 1) from Sub-committees:

•  Olympics / Paralympics Sub-committee - 20 November 2008
•  Counter-Terrorism and Protective Services Sub-committees – 27 November 2008
•  Professional Standards Cases Sub-committee - 17 November 2008 and 4 December 2008

Resolved – That the minutes from Sub-Committees (part 1) be noted.

70. Exclusion of press and public

(Agenda item 20)

A resolution was put to exclude the press and public from the meeting during remaining items on the agenda as they were likely to disclose exempt information as described in Schedule 12(a) of the Local Government Act 1972, paragraph 3.

Resolved - That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during discussion of the remaining items on the agenda

71. Employment Tribunals

(Agenda item 21)

The exempt appendix to report 16, employment Tribunals was considered.

72. Urgent actions and authorisation for funding of legal representatives/authorisation of request for settlement of civil claims

(Agenda item 22)

No urgent actions and requests for authorisation of funding were received.

73. Minutes: Strategic and Operational Policing Committee – 8 January 2009 (Part 2)

(Agenda item 23)

Resolved – That the minutes of the Strategic and Operational Policing Committee (Part 2) held on 8 January 2008 be considered at the next meeting.

74. Minutes of Sub-committees (part 2)

(Agenda item 24)

The Committee noted the following minutes (part 2) from Sub-Committee:

•  Counter-Terrorism and Protective Services Sub-Committee – 27 November 2008
•  Professional Standards Cases Sub-committee - 17 November 2008 and 4 December 2008

Resolved – That the minutes from Sub-Committees (part 2) be noted.

The meeting ended at 4.00 p.m.

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