Petition

Report: 4
Date: 14 December 2000
By: Clerk

Summary

Bexley PCCG collected a 37,000 signature petition asking the Commissioner to increase significantly the number of police officers available to the London Borough of Bexley. The PCCG met with the MPA Chair on 3 November at Romney House to present the petition and state their case for more officers. The PCCG requested the opportunity to present their views to the MPA at its 14 December full meeting.

A. Supporting information

1. Bexley Police/Community Consultative Group acknowledges that the Metropolitan Police District is under-resourced. However, the PCCG states that the number of police officers in the 27 square miles of the Borough is just 12.5 per 10,000 of population. This, they say, is less than half the average of all London Boroughs and compares with 27.9 in neighbouring Greenwich and 15 in Bromley. They claim that Bexley has the lowest ratio of police officers of all 32 London boroughs.

2. On 10th November an all-party delegation from Bexley Council, local MP Sir Edward Heath and members of the PCCG, went to meet the Commissioner and Chair at New Scotland Yard to discuss the matter. MPA Independent Member R David Muir also attended as geographical link member for Bexley, as did Bexley Borough Commander Chief Supt Brian Younger.

3. The Bexley PCCG has written to the Home Secretary and the Mayor on this matter. Bexley PCCG Chair Mrs Val Clark and other members felt their replies were unsatisfactory and did not answer local concerns.

4. Bexley is 9th from bottom of the table of boroughs in terms of crime figures, but is at the bottom of the table in terms of police numbers, due to the complexity of the calculations used under the Resource Allocation Formula.

5. Up till September 2000 in Bexley there were 297 police officers in the Borough, which was 13 under strength. However, figures recently supplied by the Acting Borough Commander for Bexley, indicate that as of December 2000, police officer strength in the Borough of Bexley had risen to 310, which is 10 officers over the minimum. Civilian staff in Bexley remained at 71, which is 3 under strength.

6. Bexley PCCG says that these figures result in each officer being responsible for the safety and security of 800 residents. They say that on some shifts there are fewer than 20 officers to cover the Borough.

7. Following a proposal to the Finance, Planning and Best Value Committee at its meeting on 21 November 2000 it was agreed to set up a joint MPA/MPS review of the Resource Allocation Formula.

B. Recommendations

1. That the Authority notes Bexley PCCG’s concerns and keeps the group informed of developments.
2. That the Authority awaits the recommendations of the joint MPA/MPS Review of the Resource Allocation Formula before deciding on how to tackle the issues affecting Bexley and other London boroughs.

C. Financial implications

There are no immediately identifiable financial implications.

D. Review arrangements

If the above recommendations are accepted, it is suggested the position regarding Bexley and other London boroughs is considered following recommendations from the joint MPA/MPS Review of the Resource Allocation Formula.

E. Background papers

The following is a statutory list of background papers (under the Local Government Act 1972 S.100 D) which disclose facts or matters on which the report is based and which have been relied on to a material extent in preparing this report. They are available on request to either the contact officer listed above or to the Clerk to the Police Authority at the address indicated on the agenda.

None.

F. Contact details

The author of this report is Philip Powell.

For information contact:

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

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