Proposals for the MPA Hate Crime Forum

Report: 7
Date: 3 March 2011
By: Chief executive

Summary

This report considers the future of the MPA Hate Crime Forum (HCF) and explores the opportunities for taking this work forward in the future, with particular consideration for how the work will fit into the structure of the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPC).

A. Recommendation

That Members note the report and consider how they might envisage hate crime oversight being delivered in the future.

B. Supporting information

Background

1. The HCF has been in existence since 2009 and during that time has considered the MPS’ policing of hate crime across a range of protected characteristics, including age, disability and race and faith. The HCF has now completed its cycle of themed meetings, so it is now an appropriate time to consider the future delivery of MPA oversight of MPS performance in this important area.

2. There are a number of relevant factors to be considered as part of this debate, particularly the significant financial constraints facing the public sector and the government’s emphasis on delivering better for less through improved partnership working. The HCF has delivered its work through the consideration of single strands of hate crime at themed meetings and through this process it has become evident that attempts to discuss hate crime in this way implies a separation of the diversity issues, which is in effect artificial, and this would need to be addressed in any future work programme. A further issue for consideration is that the HCF has not been part of the MPA’s formal committee structure and while the work has been well supported by two officers (an inspector and a chief inspector) the level of engagement in the work of the HCF from the more senior ranks of the MPS has been minimal.

3. The abolition of police authorities and the introduction of the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPC) presents a further challenge to the MPA in terms of planning for future delivery. As such, it is not yet possible to formulate a new process for the delivery of oversight of the MPS in respect of hate crime. However, it is clear that hate crime continues to be a priority for the MPA/MPS, which has been included in the Policing London Business Plan, and will continue to be so under the MOPC. Members are therefore asked to consider the relevant issues and how they might envisage hate crime oversight being delivered in the future.

The need for a continued focus on hate crime

4. There is considerable evidence, which indicates that the incidence of hate crime increases during times of financial difficulty and recession as do the activities of extremist groups and these factors can have considerable impact on the confidence of diverse communities. While many reported hate crimes remain of the lower level harassment and bullying incidents, there have also been incidents of serious violence and murder.

5. A 2009 national disability survey found that poverty and discrimination experienced by disabled people was increasing and that one in ten disabled people surveyed had been a victim of hate crime. The survey results indicated that 90% of respondents believed that there was either a little or a lot of prejudice against disabled people in Britain today and 15% of respondents who had been a victim of crime believed that it has been motivated by their impairment. In addition, a recent YouGov poll commissioned by Stonewall found one in five lesbians, gay men and bisexuals had been a victim of a hate crime or incident in the past three years and that three in four victims in London did not report incidents to the police.

6. MPS data reveals that after a drop in offences in 2007/08 hate crime began to rise and reached a peak in 2009. Since then however, levels have begun to stabilise and year on year comparisons are showing a reduction in both homophobic and racist and religious hate crime.

7. The MPS has made improvements in a number of areas through working in partnership with the HCF. This has included:

• changes to the Standard Operating Procedures to ensure consistent and effective service delivery;
• improved officer training in responding to hate crimes has been developed, particularly in relation to disability hate crime;
• improvements to the crime recording system have been implemented so that hate crimes can be properly identified and monitored; and
• the HCF has also advised on the development of more effective targeted hate crime campaigns.

However, there is still a need to exercise continued oversight in this area to maintain and to reassure communities of our continued commitment.

8. In considering how to move this work forward in the future, the current HCF membership has been surveyed to ascertain their views on the achievements of the HCF over the past year and how the work might be more effectively delivered in future, including considerations of formal structure and membership. In addition to the survey, the HCF considered these issues at two separate meetings in January and February 2011. As a result of those discussions, the HCF membership has identified some key principles, which it believes are important in planning the future delivery of this area of work for the MPA and under MOPC.
These are that:

• the MPA/MOPC should retain a strategic, focussed, multi-agency board with the remit to oversee the MPS’ work in this area and that this should be integrated into the Authority’s formal structures;
• that the board should seek to work across and with other existing partnerships, such as the London Anti-Violence Partnership, and to also align its work to that of the London Crime Reduction Board and other partners across the criminal justice system;
• that there should be a renewed focus on borough delivery through direct engagement with Area Commanders (rather than individual boroughs);
• there should also be greater opportunities for direct engagement with members of the public and a wider breadth of organisations with community knowledge and experience of hate crime;
• the future work programme should therefore include a focus on partnership working, borough based scrutiny to support the monitoring of key performance areas including repeat victimisation, community confidence and engagement, including issues of under-reporting and the delivery of third party reporting sites, and the sharing of good practice.

C. Other organisational and community implications

Equality and Diversity Impact

1. The MPA and MPS recognise that hate crime continues to be a key concern for many of London’s communities and as such, it remains a key priority within the Policing London Business Plan. Continued delivery of focussed work in this area will ensure the MPA/MOPC continues to fulfil its duties under the Equality Act 2010. Whatever new structure is put in place must give due regard to all the diversity strands to ensure there is no perceived hierarchy of hate crime and that the multifaceted experiences of victims are recognised.

Consideration of MET Forward

2. The HCF is included in the Met Partners strand of Met Forward and is identified as the means to scrutinise MPS performance in this area, identify good practice and to ensure consistency of service and this work will continue to be a key issue in the next iteration of Met Forward.

Financial Implications

3. This work will continue to be delivered within existing resources.

Legal Implications

4. There are no specific legal implications arising from this report other than arising from the Authority’s duties under the Equality Act 2010.

Environmental Implications

5. There are no environmental implications arising from this report.

Risk Implications

6. There are no specific risks arising from this report.

D. Background papers

None

E. Contact details

Report authors: Bennett Obong, Hate Crime and Stop and Search Policy Officer, MPA

For information contact:

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

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