Minutes

Minutes of the Professional Standards and Performance Monitoring Committee meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority held in AG23, Romney House, Westminster on Tuesday 12 December 2000.

Present

Members

Richard Sumray (Chair)
Elizabeth Howlett (Deputy Chair)
Anthony Arbour
Reshard Auladin
Roger Evans
Lynne Featherstone

MPA staff:

Ian Gaskell (Deputy Clerk)

MPS staff:

Ian Blair (Deputy Commissioner), A Hayman (Commander, Professional Standards), C Kitching (Corporate Performance Analysis Unit) and Barbara Riddell (Director of Corporate Development)

In addition, approximately seven members of the press/public and other MPA/MPS staff were present.

Part 1

35. Apologies

(Agenda item 1)

Apologies were received from R David Muir (Member) and Colin Balkman (Deputy Treasurer - MPA).

36. Notes: 14 November 2000

(Agenda item 2)

The notes of the last minutes, for which a full quorum of Members were not present, were ratified. As a result, the recommendations contained in the minutes became resolutions.

Resolved:
the notes of the meeting held on 14 November 2000 be agreed and signed as a correct record.

37. MPS Performance report – October 2000

(Agenda item 3)

Members received a report that gave an overview of MPS performance, and provided a full listing of policing plan and best value indicators. It was noted that the multi-colour tables accompanying the report that covered each of the boroughs were not in a form that could be circulated widely. It was agreed there was a need to look at this in the future.

Questions were asked about the numbers of recruits, and it was noted that there was an elapse of time between new recruits appearing in statistics, and becoming operational officers. The Deputy Commissioner stated that he had requested that sickness figures be broken down into long term, certificated and uncertificated sickness. It was noted that a high proportion of those taking sick leave were traffic wardens and it would be sensible to subdivide the sickness statistics to reflect this. It was felt the sickness issues should be referred to the Human Resources Committee.

On discussing figures relating to drug crime, Members were informed that that much drug related police activity was aimed at dealers operating in public as open dealing of drugs disturbed the public. This approach was endorsed by Members. Questions were asked about drug offender referral schemes. Cdr Hayman stated that established schemes were working well, but newer schemes lacked experience. He expected to see a levelling out over the next twelve months. He added that treatment was not always available. A six-month evaluation would be taking place in June, when performance in London could be mapped against that of the rest of the UK. The Committee requested information on drugs referral schemes in the report it was to receive in June.

It was noted that some boroughs had low street crime figures. The MPS undertook to look at these figures in more detail, and include any findings in the report to be received in February.

Resolved:

1. the contents of the MPS Performance Report – October 2000 be noted;
2. the MPS's approach to drug crime be endorsed;
3. the report, to be received by the PSPM Committee in February, on street crime would include any lessons to be learnt from BOCUs with low street crime figures;
4. the report, to be received by the PSPM Committee in June, on drugs would include information on the referral schemes;
5. issues around civil staff and traffic warden sickness would be referred to the Human Resources Committee; and
6. the format in which borough statistics were presented to be discussed by MPA Officers and the MPS at a future date.

38. Burglary and autocrime

(Agenda item 4)

Members received a report that gave an overview of burglary and autocrime, reviewing performance against targets and identifying a number of the issues being addressed by the MPS in these areas. It was agreed that the report provided a useful introduction to the subject covered, and was presented in a format acceptable to the Committee. The Deputy Commissioner stated that production of such reports was time consuming and it was proposed that the reports planned for the January meeting be discussed outside the meeting, as Christmas and New Year holidays would make production of the three proposed reports difficult (see Secretary's note below).

It was noted that burglary figures were decreasing, possibly because homes were becoming more secure. However, the decline in this intrusive crime was not matched by public perception. It was felt the next report on burglary, to be received in March, should explore the effect of DNA testing on burglary figures.

(Secretary's note – the report on diversity, planned for the January meeting will be deferred until the next quarter.)

Resolved:

1. the contents of the report be noted;
2. the format of report be endorsed; and
3. the report on burglary, to be received by the PSPM Committee in March, would include the impact of DNA clear ups.

39. Youth offending

(Agenda item 5)

Members received a report that gave an overview of youth offending, reviewed performance against targets, and identified a number of the issues being addressed by the MPS in this area. The report dealt particularly with the MPS's response to Government's commitment that the period between arrest and sentence for persistent young offenders be no longer that 71 days, and initiatives to deal with young offenders. It was agreed the next report on this subject should deal further with truancy. The Committee went on to consider the use of knives by young offenders. The MPS offered to include information on knives in the report on street crime due in February.

Resolved:

1. the contents of the report be noted;
2. the report on youth offending, to be received by the PSPM Committee in March, would note the suitability of performance indicators used, and include truancy initiatives; and
3. the report on street crime, to be received by the PSPM Committee in February, would include data about the use of knives.

40. Public attitude survey 2000

(Agenda item 6)

Members considered the MPS Public Attitude Survey 2000, which reported views from the London public about policing issues and priorities. The Deputy Commissioner stated that the views recorded in the report were encouraging; the public largely trusted the police force and were aware of the difficulties facing it. However, he noted that there was an ethnic disproportionality in those who distrusted the police. More information would be shed on the subject by the Nuffield Study (an independent study on the policing of London being sponsored by the Nuffield Foundation (amongst others) due be published in summer 2001).

Resolved:

1. the contents of the report be noted; and
2. the survey findings be considered in conjunction with other reports on MPS performance.

41. Arrangements for members to monitor complaints and discipline

(Agenda item 7)

Members considered a report that suggested options for Members of the PSPM Committee to monitor the investigation of complaints, internal investigations and discipline procedures. It was noted that Members' training would not be completed until February. It was agreed that option 2 be followed. One or more PSPM Members would be 'linked' to each of the five Borough Support Units (BSUs) and visit their linked BSU twice a year. All Members would visit the Internal Investigations Branch at least three times a year, thus fulfilling the MPA's statutory duty.

Resolved:

1. option 2 of proposed in the report be agreed; and
2. the monitoring process outlined in the report be agreed.

42. Integrity testing oversight panel

(Agenda item 8)

The Chair gave a verbal update on the Integrity Testing Oversight Panel. The terms of reference for the panel, which would oversee the MPS's integrity testing and quality assurance checks, had been circulated. It would be chaired by Elizabeth Howlett, Deputy Chair of the PSPM Committee, who would bring issues to this committee as appropriate.

Resolved:

1. a verbal report be received; and
2. reports and issues from the Integrity Testing Oversight Panel be forwarded to PSPM as appropriate.

43. Roger Sylvester case

(Agenda item 9)

Members received a report that explained that the Chair of the PSPM, Richard Sumray, would be undertaking a review of the complaints system processes used in the investigation into the death of Roger Sylvester. The Chair asked that it be made clear that he had volunteered for this role.

It was felt that the MPA needed a strategy on how to respond to high profile complaints and discipline cases. It was agreed this would be the subject of a report to be received by this committee in February.

It was noted that the Chair had asked that reports to come to the Committee following up the presentation given by Molly Meacher, Deputy Chair of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) and on the future of the PCA. Additionally, as a result of the Harry Stanley case, a report on police firearms would be received by the Chair's Coordination and Urgency Committee in January.

Resolved:

1. the report be noted;
2. a report would be prepared for the February PSPM proposing a strategy on how to respond to high profile complaints and discipline cases;
3. two reports would be presented to the PSPM in February on the PCA
4. a report would be presented to the Chair's Co-ordination and Urgency Committee in January on the use of firearms by the police.

The meeting finished at 4.30pm.

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