Policing priorities 2002/03

Report: 08
Date: 25 October 2001
By: Commissioner

Summary

The report proposes MPA policing priorities for 2002/03. 

A. Recommendations

That

1. members consider the priorities and objectives proposed by MPS Management Board and feedback views on their format, number, content and wording; and
2. the objectives are used to justify the budget submission to the mayor.

B. Supporting information

Background

1. The Police Act 1996 requires the Commissioner to prepare a draft annual policing plan for consideration by members. This report summarises the work undertaken to develop policing priorities for 2002/03 and presents the MPS's proposals.

2. Given the requirement to integrate the processes to prepare a budget and to set priorities, it is recognised that a list of priorities is needed to inform the budgetary submission made to the mayor on 26 October. However, the deadline for budget submission is before all of the priority information is available. (The key missing piece is the Ministerial Priorities, expected November). The priorities will therefore have to be reviewed once all of the relevant data are available. The decisions made should hence be regarded as provisional until then.

Priority development process

3. An objective assessment form (Appendix 1) was constructed for each of the 33 existing objectives and 6 potential new ones. These forms detailed such issues as: performance data, views of BOCUs/OCUs, results of public consultation and emerging issues raised through environmental scanning. [A set of the completed forms is available from the MPA secretariat, if required].

4. In proposing 2002/03 priorities, management board (building on meetings with senior managers and reflecting views expressed by FPBV committee) adopted the following principles:

• There should be a small number of priorities, objectives and targets. This will allow the MPS to focus on the key issues of concern.
• The existing (2001/02) objectives should form the basis for selection of those for 2002/03. Further ones to be included only if there are compelling reasons to do so.
• Internal developmental objectives should not be included since there should be an emphasis on those issues of direct relevance to the public. Overall, such objectives will be better placed in the longer-term corporate strategy, rather than the annual plan.
• Sustained activities (such as investigating homicide) should not be included. The MPS performs many 'business as usual' activities and just because they are not priorities does not mean that the activity will be discontinued. It was felt that a prologue to the annual plan could explain this to readers.
• Terrorism should be a 2002/03 priority, as the atrocities in America on 11 September have increased the risk of attacks on London. The current world prominence of terrorism means that an increased MPS focus is required.

5. The Planning Panel chaired by Graham Tope met on three occasions during the development process (on 30 August, 17 September and 11 October) to share their views with the MPS on emerging priorities and objectives. The following definitions were agreed by the Panel and used to guide the development of priorities, objectives and targets:

• Designating a service as a priority means that it is an issue singled out to receive additional managerial focus, work-effort and/or resources to bring about a change and/or improvement.
• Each issue selected as a priority will have at least one objective describing how the priority is to be addressed (i.e. what will actually be done in practice). For example, the objective 'To ensure operational officers are given appropriate briefing and training on terrorism' could be regarded as one of the ways in which the priority "To increase the security of the capital" is actually delivered. Each objective will be SMART (i.e. specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-based).
• A target is the intended degree of change expected for each objective within the 2002/03 financial year.

6. The objectives shown under each priority were identified at a senior management seminar on 4 October.

Priority and objective proposals

7. Following due consideration of all the relevant information, MPS management board proposes the following four priorities:

• To increase the security of the capital.
• To create safer communities for Londoners.
• To improve the police response to vulnerable victims.
• To tackle youth offending.

8. Work to develop appropriate objectives for each priority is currently ongoing, so those shown in Appendix 2 should be viewed as provisional. After the planning panel on 11 October, a related set of proposals for priorities and objectives were circulated to MPA Members by Derrick Norton to allow members the full opportunity to consider them in depth.

Target setting

9. Following agreement on priorities and supporting objectives, work will continue to develop appropriate performance indicators, base line data (including trend analysis) and targets for each. This may ultimately influence the final wording of the objectives. For example, if analysis indicates that a reversal in the upward trend in street crime is unrealistic, then the objective may be "To restrict the rise in street crime to (say) 10%". The political ramifications of setting realistic targets for objectives will need to be considered before each are finalised. There will also be a need to address the implications of implementation of the proposed national crime reporting standards.

10. The process of setting bespoke targets for BOCUs is being piloted in the MPS in 2002/03 on key crime objectives, prior to being implemented fully in 2003/04. Boroughs will have different targets against certain objectives, based upon their differing local pressures (statistical crime profiles, content of local crime and disorder strategy, etc). The 'menu of indicator options' being considered by each borough under priority 2 (see Appendix 2) will be part of this process.

Member considerations

11. As indicated in the paper previously circulated to members by Derrick Norton, prior to agreeing the 2002/03 priorities and emerging objectives, members may wish to consider:

• Whether or not priority 2 should be "To create safer neighbourhoods for Londoners" rather than "To create safer communities for Londoners". The former would reflect better the intended geographic focus of the priority.
• Whether or not any priorities (with supporting objectives) should be merged or split.
• Whether or not there should be fewer objectives (in line with principles agreed by FPBV Committee). If so, which objectives should not be used?
• Whether or not the wording of objectives could be made more specific to help develop appropriate performance measures and related targets.
• Whether or not the objectives are challenging and realistic.

C Financial implications

The proposed objectives for 2002/03 can be used to justify and prioritise the growth bids received from various MPS units in the budget submission to the mayor.

D. Background papers

Selection of objectives for 2002/03 - Objective assessment forms

Report 6 of FPBV Committee 19 July 2001 - Planning Process for 2002/03 Policing and Performance Plan

Report 5 of FPBV Committee 4 October 2001 - Policing Priorities 2002/03

E. Contact details

The author of this report is Sarah Hedgcock, MPS Corporate Development Group.

For information contact:

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

Appendix 1: Objective assessment form

Appendix 2: Priorities and objectives proposed by the MPS

Work to develop appropriate objectives for each priority is ongoing and so the objectives shown under each heading below should be viewed as purely provisional. The overall number of objectives may need to be reduced to attain the agreed aim of a smaller number of priorities, objectives and targets compared to 2000/01.

Priority 1: To increase the security of the capital

Increase the security of the capital against terrorism

1. To ensure operational officers are given appropriate briefing and training on terrorism
2. To achieve an efficient response to suspected and actual improvised explosive devices

Enhance our visible patrol service for London's communities

3. To increase the public's satisfaction with visible police presence
4. To increase the number of police volunteers (MSC and others)
5. To introduce the police wardens schemes

Priority 2: To create safer communities for Londoners

This will include a 'bottom up' approach to setting bespoke targets negotiated with partners within local crime and disorder strategies.

6. To reduce the fear of crime
7. To focus the effort of Community Safety Partnerships on reducing the incidence of crime and disorder in the most troubled locations in each neighbourhood*.
8. To improve safety on London's transport routes

*Note: Boroughs would be asked to identify the geographic areas in their communities that pose the greatest challenges and where they could really 'make a difference'. They would then be asked to select indicators from a menu, which may include:

• To reduce violent crime in which offensive weapons or bladed instruments are involved
• To reverse the trend in gun related violent crime
• To reverse the trend in assaults in the streets
• To reverse the trend in street crime
• To disrupt street markets for supply of Class A and Class B drugs
• To continue our commitment to introduce users to effective treatment
• To work with partners to reduce the harm caused by drugs in our communities

The measures of success for this objective would include:

1. People perception surveys
2. Visual audits
3. Actual crime numbers for the crimes that the Boroughs have selected as being their local priorities from the menu of options.

Priority 3: To improve the police response to vulnerable victims

1. Respond positively to/deliver recommendations from HMI and Ministerial Inquiry into child protection issues
2. To investigate racist incidents and racist crimes to the satisfaction of victims (includes faith groups)
3. To investigate homophobic crimes to the satisfaction of victims
4. To investigate domestic violence to the satisfaction of victims
5. To improve victim care and investigation in cases of rape

Priority 4: To tackle youth offending

Work in partnership to reduce the number of crimes committed by youths

6. To improve confidence of youths to report victimisation
7. To contribute to early intervention schemes to reduce youth entry into criminality
8. To reduce re-offending by Persistent Young Offenders

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