Borough visits

Report: 8
Date: 25 September 2003
By: Chair

Summary

This report looks back briefly to my programme of borough visits from October 2002 to May 2003. I am now about to start a third round of borough visits.

A. Recommendation

1. That Members note this report and that a further programme of borough visits will take place in 2003/04.

B. Supporting information

1. Between October 2002 and May 2003 I visited 30 boroughs to discuss policing issues with the borough police, the Council and other partners. For various reasons I did not visit Hammersmith & Fulham and Hillingdon – I hope to do so early in my third round of visits. I am very grateful to the Councils and the borough commanders for the welcome I received and to the Councils in particular for making the practical arrangements that made the meetings possible.

2. This time last year, I gave a fairly full summary of my first programme of borough visits in 2001/02. Most of the issues referred to in that report remain current so I do not propose to revisit them here. Some issues, however, have a growing profile. I was, for instance, interested to hear how police and local authorities were working together in many areas to make most effective use of police community support officers and local authority wardens. The growth in police and PCSO numbers is clearly putting pressure on borough accommodation in some areas. Another emerging theme which I will be interested in pursuing in the third round of visits is initiatives to improve the criminal justice system, for instance by the provision of CPS lawyers at the point of charge.

3. On the partnership front, much positive work is being done to develop multi – agency approaches to problems, particularly in terms of crime prevention and early intervention to divert youths from crime. Whilst partnership working can still be beset by the usual problems I was interested to see information sharing protocols being introduced and some increasing sophistication in the systems by which this information can be accessed. My sense also is that local authorities are finding a workable framework for the various partnerships, those which relate to our role being drugs and alcohol action teams, crime and disorder reduction partnerships (CDRPs), and the overarching local strategic partnerships.

4. The third round of borough visits is due to start next month. Because of the Greater London Authority elections I intend to complete the programme by the end of March, which will be a challenging target. I do hope that link members will attend the meetings in their boroughs, and indeed that other MPA members will attend when they can. As before, you will be informed in good time when these will be taking place. I intend this time to focus on some specific issues and to get a dialogue going with CDRP partners. The areas I plan to cover are attached in appendix 1 to this report.

C. Equality and diversity implications

Equalities and diversity issues figured large in many of the items discussed at these meetings and will continue to do so in the next programme of meetings.

D. Financial implications

No specific financial implications

E. Background papers

Notes of borough visits

F. Contact details

Report author: Chair, MPA.

For more information contact:

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

Appendix 1

Crime

• Local performance on crimes that concern the public, such as street crime, burglary, autocrime. If succeeding why? If not meeting targets what is being done to reverse the situation?
• What local initiatives are there to record and tackle race hate and other hate crimes? What is being done to encourage third party reporting?
• Are there any instances of strategic priorities being out of step with local concerns and priorities?

Community reassurance

• What are the police/CDRP partners doing to promote community reassurance? In particular what steps are being taken to reduce the fear of crime and move the perception of crime closer to the reality? Do the police and the CDRP have a joint media / communication strategy?
• How does the borough commander engage with the community, particularly with hard to hear groups?
• PCSOs / neighbourhood wardens – how are they are being deployed; local assessment of their value

Partnership

• How active is the CDRP? What success stories? What problems?
• How is the CDRP contributing to improving the criminal justice system? What links does it have with the London Criminal Justice Board? Is it working to the LCJB delivery plan?
• What use is the borough commander making of the £50K devolved budget for CDRP work?
• How can MPA membership best add value

The Step Change Programme

• Views on a move to community based policing. Does it make sense to use wards as the basic geographical unit on which to base teams of officers?

Review of the Resource Allocation Formula

• The RAF is to be reviewed for application in April 2005. The MPA will produce a report on the review timetable, to be included with agenda, to alert stakeholders to the process and when they will be consulted/invited to provide evidence

The MPA

• A report will be produced for the meetings setting out what the MPA has done up to now and what might be the priorities for it to address over its next four year term from July 2004
• What message should MPA take away from the meeting, to take into account when setting London-wide priorities and targets?

Send an e-mail linking to this page

Feedback