Policing and performance plan 2004/05 - proposed objectives, targets and measures

Report: 8
Date: 26 February 2004
By: Commissioner

Summary

The report sets out the proposed targets, objectives and measures to be considered for inclusion in the 2004/05 Policing & Performance Plan.

A. Recommendation

That

1. members agree the proposed targets and measures that will support the objectives in the plan; and
2. members note the bespoke target setting process undertaken by Territorial Policing.

B. Supporting information

Objectives and measures

1. The objectives and measures that will support the corporate priorities in the 2004/05 policing plan were agreed at January’s full Authority meeting subject to a few points around the wording of some measures for further amendment.

Targets

2. Following January’s full Authority endorsement of the objectives and measures, a further report, including final amendments agreed for the measures, containing a number of draft proposed targets, was submitted to Planning, Performance and Review Committee on 12 February. These were considered at this meeting and at a subsequent informal meeting of the planning committee on 16 February leading to the proposals in this report.

3. The development of appropriate targets that relate to each objective has proved a challenging process. This is due to a number of factors including:

• The lack of existing baseline data required to set a target.
• The need to establish definitions in new areas e.g. asset recovery
• The requirement to set targets that are consistent with the content of the National Policing Plan and the treasury led Public Service Agreement (PSA) targets
• Finding targets and measures that reflect what is trying to be achieved, rather than activities that are easily quantifiable
• The need to ensure that any targets and measures are set in the context of the MPS Strategic Plan.

4. After extended discussions and review of proposed targets, the refined proposals are submitted to the full Authority at Appendix 1. These proposed targets are provided with details of current performance or contextual background information to assist Members in their deliberations.

5. The MPS would like to draw Members’ attention to the following points:

1. Not all the objectives are easily ‘targettable’.
2. The objectives in this paper are numbered for ease of reference, however, it is intended that all reference to numbered objectives will be removed from the final document

6. Members are asked to agree the targets and measures as proposed.

Definitions - detection

7. Members have expressed some concern and confusion at the apparently differing use of the term ‘detection’ in a number of policing plan papers. A definitive Home Office corporate definition of ‘detection’ is currently being progressed by the PPAF working group, however a final decision will not be reached until after the publication of this policing plan.

8. The following conditions all have to be met before an offence can be claimed as a detection (under any of the rules);

• A notifiable offence must have been committed and recorded.
• A suspect has been identified and has been made aware that they will be recorded as being responsible for the crime.
• There must be sufficient evidence available to charge the suspect with the crime.
• One of the methods of detection (below) is applicable.

9. The MPS has been using different definitions to those used by the Home Office. The MPS has used the term ‘judicial disposal’ (JD) to focus MPS efforts towards methods of detection that we value the most. The MPS definition of ‘detection’ can therefore be defined as one of two possible types: as a judicial disposal (JD) or as a “clear up ”, which is made up of both JD clear ups and “other” clear ups.

10. Judicial disposals include:

1. Charging an offender
2. Issuing a summons to an offender
3. Having an offence taken into consideration at court
4. Fixed penalty notices for section 5 POA offences
5. Adult Cautions, Youth reprimands and Final Warnings

11. “Other” clear ups include:

6. The accused dies before proceedings can be started or completed.
7. The accused is ill and unlikely to recover, too senile, or too mentally ill for the proceedings to be started.
8. The complainant or an essential witness is dead and the proceeding cannot be pursued.
9. The guilt of the accused is clear but the victim refuses, or is permanently unable (or if a juvenile is not permitted) to give evidence.
10. It is established that an offence has been committed by a child under the age of criminal responsibility.
11. The CPS by virtue of their powers under the Criminal Justice Act 2003 decide not to prosecute
12. The police decide that no useful purpose would be served by proceeding with the charge

Bespoke target setting

12. Members have previously expressed an interest in understanding the process whereby Boroughs engage in a ‘bottom-up’ target setting process, which then feeds into the corporate Territorial Policing objectives. A short briefing note explaining this process and summarising the outcome is at Appendix 2.

13. Members have also expressed an interest in some of the business group level targets that are being set, where they relate to PSA or BVPI targets (now being incorporated into PPAF). Although these are not part of our priority objective setting and monitoring process, and thus not submitted for discussion and agreement today, they will be included for information in an annex in the full policing plan which will be submitted to COP on 5 March 2004.

C. Equality and diversity implications

Development of the MPS’s approach to diversity is included within objective 9 at Appendix 1.

D. Financial implications

There are no specific financial implications arising from these proposals, although the development of the objectives and targets will determine in broad terms how the MPS proposes to use its resources in the coming year.

E. Background papers

• Full Authority papers - 29 January 2004 - Agenda item 7 - Policing Plan Objectives and Measures

F. Contact details

Report author: John Zlotnicki and Ch Insp Paul Wilson, MPS.

For more information contact:

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

Appendix 2

Borough local objectives 2004/05

Background

In January 2004, Borough Operational Command Units (BOCUs) were asked to submit their local objectives for the 2004/05 planning process. Boroughs were encouraged to submit local objectives under two main areas:

• Neighbourhood Safety/Anti-social behaviour
• Any other objectives set locally (e.g., gun crime, terrorism, etc) that contributed to the overall MPS priorities (Reassurance, Serious Crime, Terrorism)

Boroughs were asked to provide their objectives, how they would measure each objective and a target for each objective for 2004/05. It should be noted that no specific guidance was provided to boroughs as to what their local objectives should be beyond the general headings above. It was expected that the borough’s NIM Control Strategy and CDRP should inform the local objectives set.

Rationale for objectives

1. Objectives set should be consistent with the borough’s NIM Strategic Assessment and Control Strategy and/or their CDRP
2. All objectives set should directly support either
   • The overarching priority objective of Neighbourhood Safety or Reducing Anti-Social Behaviour
   • SC and SOs priorities of Serious Crime or Terrorism
3. The range of local objectives set should not represent a risk to achievement of the corporate objectives set (regarding volume crime, rape/hate crime and criminal justice)

Borough local objectives

All boroughs submitted their proposed local objectives to TPHQ and a quality assurance process is in place to address issues of consistency, objective framing and target setting. Link Commanders have been provided with a summary briefing of issues raised as a result of an initial analysis of the proposed targets, along with copies of their boroughs submissions.

Separately, TPHQ has examined the issue of ‘gun enabled crime’ and ensured that all boroughs that we would expect to, have set an objective and target, that this is consistent with the approach of the Specialist Crime Directorate and consistent with the Gun Crime Strategy.

At present an analysis of the proposed local objectives would show that all boroughs have set objectives around anti social behaviour. The nature of these objectives differ due to local circumstances. Examples of these include objectives framed to address,

• Youth Disorder
• Violent Disorder
• Drugs supply / Crack Houses
• Graffiti
• Abandoned Vehicles
• Youth Offending
• Increasing ASBO’s
• Increasing ABC’s
• Rough Sleepers
• Beggars
• Increased Mediation Referrals

A full copy of the proposed local objectives (still subject to quality assurance) has been lodged in the member’s room.

Local targets

It is not possible to aggregate local targets to reflect a pan London view of this activity, specifically or in broad terms, because objectives are frame differently according to local circumstances in each borough.

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