Gun Crime Scrutiny Update

Report: 9
Date: 30 September 2004
By: Clerk and Commissioner

Summary

This report updates members on progress towards implementation of recommendations arising from the gun crime scrutiny, as well as developments in any other firearms related areas.

A. Recommendation

That members note the report.

B. Supporting information

1. Co-ordination and Policing Committee approved the recommendations arising from the gun crime scrutiny in February 2004, shortly before the final report was considered by full authority. The last recommendation from the scrutiny was that members should receive a report covering the implementation of the scrutiny, as well as other current issues around firearms every six months. The scrutiny report anticipated that updates would be provided in areas such as the GLA education initiative, the MPS gun crime strategy and work with Communities that Care and potential changes to legislation. This is the first six monthly update report.

Progress on MPA recommendations

2. The scrutiny recommendations fell to officers from both the MPA and MPS to complete. The MPA was responsible for lobbying the Government to take action in a number of areas including providing alternative role models for young people, publicising the new minimum sentence and calling for an outright ban on replica weapons.

3. In May 2004 the Government invited feedback on its approach to firearms legislation, particularly in respect of young people, unlicensed guns and imitations, licensing, trade and ammunition. The MPA responded to the Home Office consultation with the findings of the scrutiny and called for action in the three areas previously identified. The actions expected of the MPA under recommendations 9, 12 and 14 can be considered complete as shown in Appendix 1. Any changes to legislation proposed as a result of the consultation exercise will be reported back to a subsequent meeting.

4. Scrutiny recommendation 10 called for the introduction of a national body to share best practice, advise on funding and collate performance information at a local level, as well as involving key stakeholders nationally. In January 2004 the Government held a conference called ‘Connected’, which ‘aimed to identify what further action needs to be taken by Government, public service agencies and community groups to tackle gun crime’. The conference supported the findings of the scrutiny in terms of the need for a central co-coordinating body but saw this as a role for the Home Office, rather than the Disarm Trust, as suggested by the scrutiny panel. In May the Connected Fund was launched by the Government. It is supported by a website. The website is designed to provide a central knowledge base of information about gun crime including contact details of organisations working in the area, a searchable database of current projects, access to funding and links to best practice. The MPA has not been approached by Disarm for the potential resources offered in the scrutiny report. The MPS is also represented on a national group, chaired by Leigh Lewis, Permanent Under Secretary at the Home Office, who has national responsibility for gun enabled crime.

Progress on MPS recommendations

5. Progress on the MPS recommendations are shown at Appendix 1. The MPS responded to the emerging findings of the scrutiny and several of the recommendations (such as 1, 5, 8 and 15) were well progressed before the scrutiny was published.

6. Partly as a result of scrutiny recommendation 1 the MPS response to gun crime is now very much clearer and better coordinated. The Specialist Crime Directorate, Specialist Operations and Territorial Policing work very closely together in responding to gun crime both reactively and proactively. They are well supported by the Directorate of Public Affairs and support departments such as Information and Technology. Operational activity is coordinated through the Tasking and Coordinating processes. Effort has been focussed on the high gun crime Boroughs and developments are driven through meetings chaired by DAC Steve House and attended by other business groups. This extra focus and coordination is reflected in the continuing improvements in performance.

7. Perhaps the most controversial recommendation was that the MPS should consider expanding Trident to other communities. The MPS will keep this proposal constantly under review, but at present the feedback suggests now is not the time to take such action. The effect of gun crime on London’s black communities is still highly disproportionate. Such a change is thought likely to ‘dilute’ Trident, reduce community confidence and therefore Trident’s effectiveness. Meanwhile shootings in other communities have been reducing significantly in the last year and the MPS regards its response to gun crime in other communities to be improving without being absorbed into Trident. The learning from Trident has been, and will be used, in reducing gun crime in other communities, as evidenced by the recent announcement of the south Asian organised crime project.

8. Three recommendations (6, 7 and 8) related to the links between drugs and guns. Although the precise nature of these links is still inadequately understood everywhere, the MPS recognises the importance of tackling the issues together. Hence, for example, the two OCU’s with prime responsibility for tackling serious gun crime and gun supply (SCD 7 and 8) also tackle Level Two drug supply. The focus desks for gun and drug crime work very closely together in SCD and on many Boroughs there is one desk for both issues.

9. Three recommendations had a deadline of June 2004. These have been met although, recommendation 11, the formation of a pan – London working group is not regarded as fully complete and further progress will be reported in six months time. Of the remainder of the recommendations all deadlines are expected to be met

GLA education initiative

10. Working Links in partnership with From Boyhood to Manhood were appointed earlier this year to design and implement the GOL funded GLA anti-gun crime education package. Lesson plans have been designed around six themes and eighteen life skills. The lesson plans have been developed with input from DfES and are now being tested and further developed with young people in six boroughs. Local stakeholders and ongoing local initiatives are being consulted and included in the process. The piloting of the lesson plans will take place during the Autumn term and the final product will be launched in the Spring. A website and manual are also being developed for the lesson plans to be accessible electronically when complete. Alongside the design and implementation process an independent evaluation of the pilot is being carried out.

MPS gun crime strategy

11. The public document ‘Tackling Gun Crime in London 2004 – 2007’ is now available after very extensive consultation. Two thousand copies are being distributed across London. It is designed to explain the challenges of gun crime, the MPS objectives and the way in which it intends to meet them. In addition it seeks to engage public and partnership support for tackling gun crime.

12. Within the MPS gun crime is managed through the Gun- Enabled Crime Control Strategy. This is currently being reviewed and is monitored by a strategic group encompassing all business groups and including the MPS leads for Intelligence, Prevention and Enforcement.

Other issues

13. Robust enforcement continues to be a very important element of the MPS response and has resulted in increasing detection rates in all categories and recent exceptionally successful reactive and proactive operations. The importance of tackling dysfunctional role models and ‘source’ country capacity building is also not being overlooked. However the briefing note circulated to members in July concentrated on enforcement so what follows focuses more on prevention.

14. The MPS is hosting a gun crime conference on the 2 December. Delegates will include Borough Chief executives and other partners and the aim is to explain the MPS objectives and ways of working and to engage partners and communities in tackling gun crime. Confirmed speakers include Caroline Flint, Ken Livingstone and Sir John Stevens.

15. The results of the Communities that Care Research will be announced at the conference. Over 18000 surveys of young people in the Trident boroughs will have been analysed. This will give a picture of the protective and risk factors which help to prevent or lead to young people’s involvement in gun crime in London. Communities that Care will also suggest interventions which will begin to be undertaken in the Trident Boroughs.

16. The conference will provide a further opportunity to ensure that gun enabled crime is considered by Crime and Disorder Reduction and Local Strategic Partnerships. The MPS has been working with GOL and Community Safety Managers to try to ensure that gun enabled crime features in forthcoming crime and disorder audits.

17. The MPS has actively supported the production of the very high quality ‘Watch Over Me’ video. Negotiations are currently in hand with DfES to decide how it will be promoted within secondary schools. It is expected to be available in schools from January.

18. The MPS has been working with the Ascension Trust to support ‘Street Pastors’ in the Trident Boroughs. In particular Street Pastors have been enabled to take safe possession of firearms if they come across them on the street. They have been provided with basic training and equipment as part of a formal agreement with Ascension Trust.

19. The MPS is actively exploring the use of technology to prevent gun crime. Future anticipated purchases include a silver command vehicle to allow effective command of large scale firearms operations and the ‘Rapiscan’ machine which will allows fast and dignified ‘searching’ of individuals who may be in possession of firearms or other weapons.

20. ‘Raidcontrol’ is a package of measures designed to reduce the potential for commercial robberies at small businesses. It is relatively low cost (ca £1000 per business) and has been very successfully piloted in Croydon. It is now being rolled out across the Boroughs - seventeen have already begun to implement it.

21. A comprehensive manual ‘Tactical Options for Tackling Gun Crime’ is in its final draft. This has been written as a result of the extensive learning that has taken place in the last two years. It is designed for internal use only and will be available to staff charged with gun crime responsibilities within the next two months.

22. The MPS is an integral part of the ACPO Strategic Criminal Use of Firearms Group. This has resulted, for example, in the highly successful Operation Bembridge, which targeted those who had illegally bought firearms using the Internet. The manual at 15 above is likely to be adapted by ACPO for use by other services.

23. Operationally, the MPS is working ever more closely with other law enforcement nationally (notably with HM Customs and Excise, HM Immigration Service and the other police services with high gun crime), and internationally, in trying to prevent the supply of firearms and in tracking and, where possible, preventing the movement of gun criminals and those who support or control them.

C. Race and equality impact

The gun crime scrutiny found that although gun crime still disproportionately affects the black community, it is rising among other ethnic groups. The scrutiny sought to ensure that all minority communities would receive the appropriate level of focus in future. Recommendation 2 proposed an analysis of long term trends in firearm offences to pick up areas of growing concern in minority communities while recommendation 3 proposed a possible expansion of the remit of Operation Trident to the communities identified. Recommendation 5 was designed to ensure that the resources would be in place to support an expanded remit. Young people are more affected by gun crime than other parts of the community and the scrutiny contains several recommendations to address this, notably recommendations 9, 15 and 16. The scrutiny highlighted the unequal impact of gun crime on different parts of the community and developed recommendations aimed at reducing it.

D. Financial implications

There are no additional specific financial implications arising from the MPA recommendations which have been implemented to date. However, it should be noted that SCD is required to make substantial savings and cuts from its control budget for 2005/6 and this may have an impact on policing response to serious gun crime in London.

E. Background papers

• MPA Gun Crime Scrutiny report

F. Contact details

Report author: Sally Palmer and Commander Cressida Dick

For more information contact:

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

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