Minutes

Minutes of the Equal Opportunity & Diversity Board held on 6 April 2006 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, SW1H 0NY.

Present

Members

• Kirsten Hearn (Chair)
• John Roberts (Deputy Chair)
• Cindy Butts
• Peter Herbert (for agenda items 1-7)
• Aneeta Prem

MPA officers

• Annabel Adams (Deputy Treasurer)
• Laurence Gouldbourne (Head of Race and Diversity)
• Hamida Ali (Policy Development Officer Race and Diversity Unit)
• Juliett Fear on-Knott (Policy Development Officer Race and Diversity Unit)
• Doug Lewins (Policy Development Officer Race and Diversity Unit)
• Gemma Walters Performance Analyst
• John Crompton (Committee Services)

MPS officers

• Deputy Assistant Commissioner Rose Fitzpatrick (Diversity and Citizen Focus)
• Deputy Assistant Commissioner Brian Paddick (Territorial Policing)
• Claire Appleby (Director, HR Services)
• Kevin Bowsher (Diversity and Citizen Focus)
• Shaun Kennedy, Head of Diversity Learning and Development Diversity and Citizen Focus Directorate
• Chief Superintendent Charles Griggs attended for agenda item 9

Also present:

• Lee Jasper
• Detective Sergeant Jim Wingrave, MPS
• Natalie Stewart, chair, Westminster Race Equality Council
• Ruth Bashall, co vice-chair, MPS Disability IAG
• Dee Caryl, LGBT Strand Lead, Diversity Central Team, Diversity & Citizen Focus, Directorate, MPS (tentative)
• Azad Ali, Chair, Muslim Safety Forum
• Austen Cutten, Regional Policy Officer, Independent Police Complaints Commission
• Jo Poole, Jewish Police Association
• Ann-Marie Spencer, London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority
• Alfred John, National BPA Cabinet Member, MetBPA
• Zenobia Cowan-Davies, General Secretary, MetBPA
• Patrick Jennings, Executive Committee Member, MPS Emerald Society Irish Staff Association
• Richard Hendron, Gay Police Association Force co-ordinator, MPS
• Amarjit Heir, MPSA
• Dave Turtle, Deputy Chair, Christian Police Association (London)
• Maureen Boyle, Association of Senior Police Officers and the Superintendents Association
• Ann Stuart, British Association for Women in Policing (BAWP)

54. Apologies for absence

(Agenda item 1)

An apology for absence was received from Damian Hockney. A number of apologies from members of the invited community organisations were also received.

55. Declarations of interests

(Agenda item 2)

No interests were declared.

56. Minutes of the meeting held on 2 February 2006

(Agenda item 3)

Resolved - That the minutes of the meeting held on 2 February 2006 be agreed and signed as a correct record.

57. Chair and Members’ update

(Agenda item 4)

No reports were given.

58. Follow up to previous meeting

(Agenda item 5)

The Board noted that there were two outstanding points where the MPS had yet to provide an answer to a point raised at the discussion at the previous meeting.

59. Focus item reports on Monitoring for equality

(Agenda items 6a and 6b)

A report was submitted presents the MPS position on using equalities based criteria for monitoring activity in respect of the employment, service delivery and community engagement functions. The report sets out to explain why the monitoring takes place, what criteria is used, and when is it applied. The report also identifies gaps in the arrangements and what the MPS proposes to do to address them. The concurrent report by the MPA outlined some of the key opportunities, challenges and concerns from a range of equality and diversity perspectives as it relates to monitoring for equality within the MPS.

60. Discussion on the focus item

(Agenda item 7)

Standing Orders were suspended for this item to enable contributions to be made from non-members.

Introduction

The Chair felt that the MPS was to be congratulated on producing a well researched and interesting report.

Reports from MPS and MPA

In introducing the MPS report, DAC Fitzpatrick (Diversity and Citizen Focus) said the objective of monitoring was to ensure as far as possible that the MPS had a representative workforce, which met the need of Londoners. She wished to stress however that contrary to reports which had appeared in the media there was no intention to have quotas for any group, and in any case this would not be legal.

The Head of Race and Diversity, MPA outlined the areas which the Authority had identified as being of special significance.

The MPS as employer

Lee Jasper referred to the credibility aspect and what plans there were to introduce bespoke and targeted recruitment drives as a result of any particular gaps that were revealed. Questions were also asked about the quality and reliability of the data collected.

The Director HR said although it was hoped that the new arrangements would provide a more accurate picture, the supply information was voluntary so it would probably take some time for sufficient data to be collected to enable this type of exercise. If it became apparent that certain groups were not supplying information then there it would be necessary to re-consider. DAC Paddick said that there had been a general improvement in the quality of data.

In reply to a question from Aneeta Prem, DAC Fitzpatrick said that the establishment of the Disabled Staff Association together with the Disability Independent Advisory Group had meant that far more was now known about the needs of the disabled employees and this could be offset against the traditional perceived culture of police employees having to be physically fit in order to progress.

Cindy Butts asked for further information on how the monitoring would be applied at borough level and any expectations of minimum standards. In reply, DAC Fitzpatrick confirmed that there were requirements concerning the collection of HR data and service delivery was monitored.

Dave Turtle, Deputy Chair MPS Christian Staff Association, said the present category of ‘Christian’ used for monitoring was too wide and would suggest that consideration be given to sub-dividing it further into Church of England, Roman Catholic etc.

Patrick Jennings, Executive Committee Member, MPS Emerald Society Irish Staff Association said that the MPS had made enormous strides in recent years and he felt that he was treated entirely fairly. Whilst he had no difficulty over giving personal information and would encourage others to do so it remained the case that some officers he spoke to questioned the worth of recording personal information.

Alfred John, National BPA Cabinet Member, MetBPA acknowledged that there had been some issues concerning the collection of data on ethnicity. The role of local management would be important in ensuring the success of the new arrangements.

MPS as service provider

Members asked for information about how the Territorial Support Group (TSG) was deployed and said the figures for stop and search for the TSG contained a considerable element of disproportionality.

DAC Paddick said that in the case of a planned operation in a borough, there would be briefing with senior Borough officers and this would include information on the profile of the borough including cultural considerations surrounding both the borough and the particular operation. There was an expectation that everybody participating in the operation would follow any guidance given on this aspect. Operation Emerald.

In reply to a question from Peter Herbert about the policy concerning the storage of DNA, DAC Paddick said that it was placed on the database.

Recording of faith during Stop and Searches

The Head of Race and Diversity MPA said that it remained the case that opinions were divided on the introduction of recording by faith especially for stop and search there were some indications that this was more relevant in some situations than monitoring by race. The Authority was therefore suggesting that a report be commissioned on the possible options and resource implications for faith monitoring in specific areas of service delivery and community engagement. Lee Jasper confirmed that the Muslim community continued to support the recording of faith.

DAC Paddick referred to research published by the Home Office, which indicated that the views of young Muslims were more diverse with some feeling that to have to declare their faith at the beginning of a search might mean that they would be treated less favourably during the rest of the encounter. At the moment, the MPS had no plans to record faith during stop and searches.

General points

Natalie Stewart, chair, Westminster Race Equality Council said that it was clearly the case that there had been enormous improvements in the way the police addressed diversity. However, many people in the community remained to be fully convinced that this was the case so she would urge the MPS to continue to publicly demonstrate the ways in which it had improved.

DAC Fitzpatrick said it has been a very useful discussion. The Chair thanked the representatives of the community organisations for attending and for their contributions. She suggested that in addition to the report key strategies to be employed to address responses of ‘Not Known’ or ‘Blank’ as and when they appear in data collection, further reports be commissioned on Territorial Support Group and DNA.

Resolved – That

1. the reports be noted;
2. the progress made in monitoring for equality across the six diversity strands be reviewed in the next committee cycle’
3. the MPS be asked to submit a report at the next EODB, which corporately outlines the key strategies to be employed to address responses of ‘Not Known’ or ‘Blank’ as and when they appear in data collection; and
4. reports be submitted to a future meeting on the possible options and resource implications for faith monitoring in specific areas of service delivery and community engagement and on the equalities issues concerning the Territorial Support Group and DNA.

61. MPS Progress on the implementation of the police Race and Diversity Learning and Development Programme

(Agenda item 8)

A report was submitted which provided details of implementation of the Police Race and Diversity Learning and Development Programme published by the Home Office, ACPO, and the APA in November 2004. The report also includes an update on MPS progress on the development of training on the Race Relations Amendment Act (2000). Cindy Butts requested that the MPA portfolio member for workforce modernisation be kept advised of developments.

Resolved – That the work in progress be noted.

62. Diversity issues within the Traffic Operational Command Unit

(Agenda item 9)

A report was submitted which outlined the work of the Traffic Operational Command Unit, provided details of its community engagement activities, examples of monitoring of enforcement activity with regard to disproportionality together with a breakdown of the OCU staff gender and ethnicity and work undertaken to decrease under-representation. Chief Superintendent Charles Griggs attended for consideration of this item and answered members’ questions.

The Chair requested that a report on the Transport OCU be commissioned for the July meeting. In reply to questions on the recording of data, Chief Supt Griggs said he had made some enquiries and it would appear that there was discretion for the data imputer as to how deal with cases where no information was provided. They could be recorded either as ‘not recorded’ or ‘blank’. There was clearly scope for greater clarity and consistency.

The Board noted that the point made about recording data had already been picked up in one of the recommendations in the MPA concurrent report on monitoring for equality.

Resolved – That the report work in progress be endorsed.

63. Reports on Disability Resilience Conference

(Agenda item 10)

A report was submitted which provided initial feedback from the London Emergency Planning Seminar held at City Hall on 17 March 2006. It was agreed that the Conference had been very worthwhile and there had been many learning points, which would help inform future work.

Resolved - That the report be noted and a more detailed report be submitted to the next meeting of the Board.

64. Reports on LGBT History Month and the Anti-Gun Crime Event

(Agenda item 11)

Report to follow

65. Reports from EODB sub-groups

(Agenda item 12)

The following oral reports were given:

Domestic Violence

Noted that the first meeting of the MPA Domestic Violence Board had been held on 5 April

Stop and Search

John Roberts as Chair of the Scrutiny Board undertook to provide a report following the meeting, this is attached as Appendix 1 to the minutes.

Race Hate Crime Forum

No report

Appendix 1

John Robert’s work on stop and search

• 01 Feb 07 - Tony and Rod Jarman "stop and search"
• 07 Feb 07 - Stop & Search Post briefing (Provisional)
• 09 Feb 07 - stop and search APA ( I am not sure John went to this event)
• 01 Mar 07 - S&S practioners network
• 07 Mar 07 - Meeting Adrian Lowes-Westminster video project
• 08 Mar 07 - Stop & Search Hendon Policing School, Queens Room
• 14 Mar 07 - Stop & Search Pre-Meeting
• 14 Mar 07 - S&S Community Monitoring Network
• 28 Mar 07 - Meeting with Rod Jarman and Tony Enoch to discuss the review of Stop and Search
• 30 Mar 07 - Stop & Search review Board Meeting

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