Link member appointments

Report: 4 (AGM)
Date: 29 June 2006
By: Chief Executive and Clerk

Summary

This report asks the Authority to confirm or amend its borough link member appointments and to agree an approach to other link member appointments.

A. Recommendation

That

1. the Authority confirms or amends the current borough link member appointments (paras 1 and 2)
2. the Authority agrees the approach to other link member appointments contained in paras 3 to 5 of the report and specifically the process proposed in para 5.

B. Supporting information

Borough link member

1. The Authority has in place arrangements for its members to provide a link with the 32 London Boroughs. The minimum expectations of members acting in this role are:

1. “that they participate in their Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership(s), with MPA officer support as necessary;
2. maintaining regular contact with the borough commander. This should include: oversight of the Safer Neighbourhoods programme at borough level; and being consulted by the borough commander on the allocation of the £50,000 partnership funding supplied by the MPA;
3. that every six months they contribute to a report to the full Authority on the MPA’s work on CDRPs and issues/common themes that have been identified as part of this and borough link membership generally; and
4. That over and above this, the extent to which a member engages with local partners, CPCGs, safer neighbourhood forums, community groups etc should remain at their discretion. As a minimum, a member should be prepared to listen to local concerns (even if not actively seeking them out) and to represent them to the Authority in the most appropriate way.”

2. The current borough link member appointments are attached. There are vacancies, in Barking & Dagenham, Brent, Newham and Tower Hamlets. The Authority is asked whether it wishes to appoint to these vacancies at this stage. An Independent Member appointment is, of course, due to be made in September.

Other link member roles

3. The Authority has, via its committees, also appointed to a number of ‘lead’ roles to cover areas or issues of importance. These roles were due to be reviewed towards the end of 2005 but no appointments were made pending the review of the committee structure and the MPA’s business processes. There has also been some discussion of the possibility/feasibility of appointing link members for non-borough operational command units on a similar basis to borough link members.

4. It seems sensible to rationalise the position by renaming ‘lead’ members as ‘link’ members, whether linked to a borough, to another MPS OCU or acting as a link for a cross-cutting issue, such as drugs.

5. This lead member appointments made by committees are in need of review. For instance whilst some very specific areas are covered some major issues, such as immigration matters or the Transport Operational Command Unit, are not included. The full Authority meeting is not really an appropriate forum to consider what appointments should be made. It is therefore proposed:

• That all members be invited to propose link member roles in which they feel they could make a contribution. At the same time the MPS to be asked what areas of MPS service it feels would benefit from the appointment of a link member;
• At the same time that a description of the link member role be developed, taking account of the borough and non-borough role; and
• That the Co-ordination & Policing Committee be authorised to consider and appoint to the non-borough link roles once this exercise has been completed. The Committee will need to take account of the demands and expectations placed on members as a result of these appointments to ensure that they are realistic.

C. Race and equality impact

Link member roles provide an opportunity for the MPA to take a lead on specific equalities issues and these aspects will addressed when the link member appointments are proposed.

D. Financial implications

None

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: Simon Vile, MPA

For more information contact:

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

Appendix 1

Metropolitan Police Authority - Geographical Link Members

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