TP Thematic Performance

Report: 8
Date: 5 February 2009
By: T/AC Territorial Policing on behalf of the Commissioner

Summary

This report provides an overview on top level key performance areas at a London Wide and Borough level. Additional details are provided on Blunt 2, a key MPS operation tackling knife crime.

A. Recommendation

That members are asked to note the report.

B. Supporting information

Performance – Critical Performance Areas

Summary

1. Ten 'critical performance areas' (CPAs) were identified in the 2008/09 Policing Plan. Appendix 1 shows the latest performance figures for each of these measures.

2. There has been good performance in crime reduction for 2008/09 to date, with offence numbers for all types of serious acquisitive crime falling. Residential burglary has been identified by the TP command team as the most vulnerable of the crime types, with a reduction to date of 2.5%, and figures in December which were slightly higher than those for December 2007. Domestic burglary is proving the main area of concern in relation to serious acquisitive crime for a number of forces across the country. For example, of the other three forces in the MPS’s most similar forces group on iQuanta (the Home Office application for comparing the performance of different police forces), one has a year to date reduction of -4%, which is similar to MPS performance, whilst the other two are recording increases of over 12%.

3. In order to maintain the focus on reducing and detecting burglaries, Operation Spotlight has been planned and put into action from January. There will be particular concentration on maximising forensic opportunities, enforcing outstanding warrants, and allocating pan-London units to boroughs for anti-burglary operations. Operation Spotlight will neither deflect attention nor take resources from Operation Blunt 2 (knife crime), nor any of the other activities aimed at preventing, reducing and detecting violent crime, particularly youth violence. Performance in this area to date has been good. Blunt 2 is discussed in detail in this report.

4. Sanction detection rates for serious acquisitive crime in 08/09 to date have improved compared with last year, although residential burglary (13.4%) is some way off the demanding 16% target. Activity under Operation Spotlight will assist in improving detection performance.

5. Public confidence in - and satisfaction with - policing in London will be explored in detail in the next three series of Crime Control Strategy Meetings (CCSMs). Boroughs and business groups will come together to discuss the “Policing Pledge”, “the MPS Model of Confidence in Policing” and “Neighbourhood policing”. The purpose is to share ideas and good practice aimed at enhancing the service delivered to the public and improving confidence in policing.

6. Public order does not feature in any of the CPAs. However, the requirement to supply officers from boroughs and central units for public order events should be considered when assessing overall performance, particularly as the current performance year has seen a heavy demand. For example, the Climate Rush and third runway protests at Heathrow have demanded a substantial and prolonged policing commitment, as have the recent protests at the Israeli Embassy.

Critical Performance Areas

7. Exception reporting is based on current trends and comparison between the performance year to date (PYTD) (2008/2009) compared with the same period last year (2007/2008). Where weekly data is available, the period of comparison is from 1 April to 28 December. Monthly data is from 1 April to 30 November, with the exception of survey data, which is based on surveys to the end of September 2008.

8. At the end of the financial year, the crime data is reviewed to ensure that crimes have been properly recorded, classified and counted. The current figures are therefore not final until this process has been completed.

CPA 1: Improve user satisfaction with our overall service

(SPI 1.1: Victim satisfaction with the overall service provided)

9. The MPS is currently achieving 77% victim satisfaction against a target of 79%. During the past two years this overall level of satisfaction has remained static. Of the four “driver areas of overall satisfaction” (ease of contact, police actions, police follow-up, police treatment), “police actions” is the strongest.

10. Appendix 3 shows the trend at borough level. Richmond upon Thames has the highest level of victim satisfaction at 83% followed by Harrow, Kensington and Chelsea and Kingston upon Thames at 81%. Tower Hamlets has the lowest level of victim satisfaction at 71% followed by Lambeth at 73%.

CPA 2: Improve equality of user satisfaction with our service

(SPI 1.2: Comparison of satisfaction of white and BME users, with respect to overall service)

11. There has been no significant change in MPS performance comparing satisfaction of white and BME users as a whole, with the gap of 5.2% points on weighted data.

CPA 3: Deal with local concerns

(SPI 2.3: Confidence in local policing: % of people who think their local police do a good job using the British Crime Survey data)

12. Public confidence in local policing is measured by both the British Crime Survey (BCS) and the Public Attitude Survey (PAS). The latest BCS data (the official basis for the CPA) is for the rolling twelve months to June 2008 and gives a figure of 53.7% for the MPS, placing it 2nd best (out of 4) in its most similar forces group in iQuanta, and 18th best of the 42 police force areas.

Source: iQuanta

13. The latest Public Attitude Survey (PAS) data is for the rolling twelve months to the end of September 2008. Although this is not the official measure, it is based on more recent interaction with the public and gives an indication of the direction in which public confidence is travelling. Using this measure, confidence in local policing has increased over the last twelve months and now stands at 68% compared with 58% in 2007. MPS research suggests that this increase is due to improvements in community focus such as ‘understanding local issues’, ‘dealing with things that matter in the community’ and people agreeing that the ‘local police are helpful’.

14. Appendix 4 shows the trend using the PSA at borough level. There is a disparity in performance, ranging from a high level of confidence in Wandsworth and Camden (86%) to a very low level in Islington (29%). Since the beginning of 2007, there has been a steady and consistent improvement at Camden, Greenwich, Hackney, Harrow, Havering and Hounslow.

15. On the other hand, during the same period confidence in local policing has been consistently in decline at Kensington & Chelsea reducing from 77% to 47% and Islington reducing from 43% to 29%.

CPA 4: Tackle serious acquisitive crime

(SPI 5.2: Serious acquisitive crime rate) and (SPI 6.2 proxy measure: sanction detection rate)

16. Serious Acquisitive Crime (SAC) consists of residential burglary, robbery (of business and personal property), theft/taking of vehicles and theft from vehicles.

17. SAC is down –7.5% PYTD which is above the MPS target of a 4% reduction.

18. The sanction detection (SD) rate for SAC is 10.7%. This is a slight improvement on the comparative figure for last year (10.0%), but below the target of 11.8%. The robbery SD rate is exceeding target, and the vehicle crime SD rate is slightly below target. The SAC SD rate target can still be achieved by the end of the year.

Robbery

19. Robberies declined at the start of summer of 2007, and have stayed at lower levels since then. The current PYTD change is –15%, against a target of a reduction of 2.4%. It is likely that a second successive year of substantial reduction will have been recorded by the end of the performance year.

20. Camden (-34%), Haringey (-26%), Kensington & Chelsea (-26%) and Lewisham (-23%) are seeing substantial reductions in robbery for the second year in succession.

21. Westminster (+8%) and Redbridge (+11%) have suffered increases this year, although Redbridge’s 07/08 robbery figure was low compared with previous years.

22. The MPS robbery SD rate is 17.9%, exceeding the 17% target. Performance ranges from 42% at Haringey, to 9% at Bexley.

Residential burglary

23. The current PYTD change is –2.6% against a target of –4.5%. Additional activity from January 2009 to the end of the performance year has been planned and commissioned by the TP Command Team to support ongoing efforts to improve both crime reduction and detection. There will be particular concentration on maximising forensic opportunities and enforcing outstanding warrants.

24. Tower Hamlets (-26%) has seen a downward trend in weekly figures over the 08/09 year to date. Since August, weekly residential burglaries have usually been in the 10-20 range, whereas previously 20-30 was the norm. Southwark (-23%) has also seen a sharp downward trend since the beginning of August.

25. Enfield (+31%) and Redbridge (+27%) are the significant volume contributors to MPS burglary which have suffered large increases this year. Enfield has the highest number of burglaries in the MPS so far in this performance year.

26. The MPS residential burglary SD rate is 13.7%, below the 16% target. Performance ranges from 31% at Camden (well above the next best borough at 23%), to rates below 7% at Hillingdon (6.5%) and Lambeth (6.7%)

Taking of vehicle

27. This year (a decrease of 12% PYTD) has seen a continuation of the long term downward trend for theft of vehicles.

28. Twenty-nine boroughs are showing a decrease, with only three registering small increases.

Theft from vehicle

29. Theft from vehicle offences have continued to decline for the third year running. The PYTD comparison is down 5%.

30. Camden (-32%), Hammersmith & Fulham (-27%), Islington (-24%), and Brent (-23%) are performing well this year compared with last year. Islington is heading for a third successive year of substantial reduction.

31. Bromley (+19%), Croydon (+19%), and Lewisham (+23%) are suffering substantial increases this year compared with last year.

Vehicle crime SD rate

32. SD rates for taking of vehicle and theft from vehicle are combined into one total. Theft from vehicle accounts for about 70% of the overall total. The MPS rate of 7.0% this year to date is a slight improvement on the 6.8% comparable figure last year to date, but is still not meeting the 8% target. Only six boroughs have double digit SD rates, the best being 21% at Haringey, well ahead of the next best (16%). Haringey has a particularly strong success rate for theft from vehicle compared with the other boroughs. Ten boroughs have SD rates of between 3% and 4%.

CPA 6: Tackle Serious Violence

(SPI 5.1 Number of most serious violence violent crimes per 1,000 population)

33. “Most serious violence” is a new category for measuring crime in 2008/09, incorporating a range of offences, the overwhelming majority of which consists of (1) grievous bodily harm and (2) wounding or other act endangering life. As this is a baseline year for most serious violence, there is no target and it is important to ensure that the figures are accurate. Crimes involving assault are being reviewed centrally to ensure that they have been accurately classified under the new arrangements (e.g. as common assault or aggravated bodily harm or grievous bodily harm). This work will be completed by the end of the performance year, at which time figures will be published for this performance indicator.

34. Based on the current crime data provided monthly to the Home Office and published on iQuanta, the MPS figure is 0.164 most serious violence crimes per 1,000 population, with an SD rate of 40.6%. This figure may be affected by the review work mentioned in the previous paragraph. Comparative figures with most similar forces are:

Source: iQuanta 15 Dec 08

Source: iQuanta 15 Dec 08

Sanction detection rate for serious sexual assaults

35. The MPS SD rate is 27.6%. Borough figures for this year are in Appendix 5. Camden (49%) and Bexley (48%) are performing markedly better than other boroughs. The boroughs which are noticeably lower than the others are Barking & Dagenham (18%), Croydon (17%), Merton (17%), Kensington & Chelsea (16%). However, percentage variation can be volatile in this area because of the relatively small volume, and borough performance is also affected in part by the success rate of Specialist Crime Directorate units which are responsible for investigating some of these crimes.

(SPI 5.5 Reduction in Gun Crime)

36. The MPS is reporting a 30.9% reduction in gun crime against a target of -4.5%. The table in Appendix 6 shows borough performance.

CPA 7: Increase the Domestic Violence Arrest Rate

(% of domestic violence offences where an arrest was made related to the offence)

37. The current rate of 71% for the MPS is exceeding the target of 67%. The table in Appendix 7 shows borough performance. Only six boroughs are failing to achieve the target (67%), and the lowest figure is 62% (Hillingdon).

CPA 8: Reduce Serious Youth Violence

(% change in the number of under 20 year olds becoming victims of Youth Violence (MSV, Weapon Enabled Crime, ABH)

38. “Serious youth violence” is another new category for measuring crime in 2008/09, and which is also affected by the matters discussed above under “most serious violence”. For this baseline year, the MPS is using a proxy measure (“youth violence”) which also includes ABH offences. The latest figures (Appendix 8) show a reduction in youth violence for the MPS of –9.4% against a target of –6.1%.

Operation Blunt 2

39. Performance reports to SOP will not normally go into great detail about operational activity. However, on this occasion, Operation Blunt 2 is described in some detail in the following paragraphs, as requested in the commissioning brief for this particular report to SOP.

40. Operation Blunt 2 is driving enforcement activity across business groups addressing the continuing risk of serious youth violence, including youth homicide.

41. The operation commenced on 19 May 2008. On 5 July 2008, the operation was further enhanced through the addition of a central Task Force comprising uniform and detective officers. The operation has a command structure with the strategic lead at Deputy Assistant Commissioner level.

42. This is a pan-London operation involving all MPS business groups and Borough Commands

Strategic Intention

43. Operation Blunt 2 has the following strategic intention:

• To stop the killing of young people on the streets of London;
• To reduce serious violence involving young people as victims and offenders;
• To reduce the carrying of weapons by young people on the streets of London;
• To maintain the support of communities and young people for police action to reduce youth violence.

Strategic approach

44. The strategic approach continues to be an intelligence-led focus upon dangerous places and dangerous people who represent greater risk of serious youth violence. The approach is intended to:

• create and maintain an environment that is hostile to the routine acquisition, carriage and use of lethal weapons in public space;
• arrest, prosecute and convict individuals who commit violent crime, whether as individuals or as part of groups (gangs);
• lead on enforcement, ensuring that tactics recognise and respond to the concerns and expectations of the community, including young people.

Tactical delivery

45. Tactical delivery comprises:

• Increased fixed and flexible search deployments and security measures to restrict knife carriage – educational establishments, entertainment and leisure venues, transport infrastructure and public space events;
• Intelligence led stop and search operations targeting specific individuals, groups and areas;
• Targeted enforcement operations to disrupt and prevent violence perpetrated by violent individuals and groups (gangs);
• Disruption of knife supply through intelligence-led neighbourhood weapon sweeps and enforcement of existing retail sale supply legislation.

Performance

46. The MPS has seen a continuing decline in recorded knife crime this year with an improvement in the level of detection. Knife crime has shown a 12.6% reduction between April and December 2008 compared with the previous year (10,664 to 9,316). The sanction detection rate stands at 26.7% compared with 21.2% at this point last year.

47. Knife crimes involving youths are showing greater reductions. Knife crime involving youth victims shows a 22.1% reduction between April and November 2008 compared with the previous year (3,345 to 2,841). The number of youth victims of violence has declined by 9.5% between April and December 2008 compared with the previous year (17,132 to 15,671).

48. Knife crime comprises mainly assaults and personal robbery. The charge rate for knife possession now sits above 90% in the MPS sending a message that if found with a knife people can expect to appear in court. Youth homicide for 2008 exceeded that for 2007 by one incident. All efforts continue to prevent these fatal assaults in the coming months by a continuing focus on lethal weaponry and the small minority that engage in serious violence.

Operational response – dangerous places

49. The operational deployments are delivered through Borough command structures with close and ongoing engagement with communities and CDRPs. This remains a key element of the operation that ensures ongoing community support for tactics that are controlled and based upon good and improving intelligence.

50. Deployments are made by Borough Commands with central support provided by Central Operations (mainly TSG) and the Blunt 2 Task Force. A central Co-ordination Group operates two-weekly and a Daily Management Meeting ensures immediate review and adjustment of deployments across the MPS based upon current intelligence. Operational phases have been planned across the calendar in line with profiles indicating periods of higher risk for serious youth violence. Deployments covering the autumn half term, Halloween and bonfire celebrations have been particularly effective in preventing the growth in youth violence seen in previous years during this period.

51. The post-school patrolling in the period between 3.00pm and 6.00pm each weekday during term time is a significant element in the response. This seeks to protect young people and target the minority who see opportunities for personal robbery and violence. Deployments have been sustained and were enhanced from the 12 January 2009 to prevent the growth of youth-related robbery seen in previous years during this period.

52. The Blunt 2 Task Force deploys a mobile capability comprising 50 uniformed officers each day between 3.00pm and 10.30pm. These officers are drawn from all Boroughs and directed in accordance with intelligence, including the live monitoring of calls relating to youth violence and weaponry. A central control for the Task Force and post-school patrols is established within the Special Operations Room at Central Command Complex (Lambeth). An officer of Chief Inspector rank is deployed daily as Silver commander to monitor and deploy support based upon actual and developing incidents of serious youth violence.

53. Safer Neighbourhood Teams are heavily involved in the delivery of neighbourhood weapon sweeps that continue to recover knives, firearms and other weapons concealed in public space. This is an effective preventative tactic that receives positive support from residents and normally involves local authority partners.

54. Operation Argon has previously focused upon gun-crime linked to late licensed premises. This year, the deployments over the Christmas and New Year period saw an increased emphasis upon knife carriage linked to late licensed premises. Officers from Clubs and Vice (CO14) have been deployed to covertly test search regimes at key venues. Failures are immediately drawn to the attention of the club management and licence review considered where appropriate. This tactic is judged to be a critical element in maintaining effective search regimes at these premises. In conjunction with this practice, screening arches have also been deployed frequently outside late licensed premises as a means of deterring detecting knife carriage.

55. A wide range of MPS units continue to deploy screening arches at key locations. This is providing a visible deterrent to knife carriage and continues to receive positive comment from a range of the public, including young people. More than 900 screening arch deployments have been made since the commencement of operation Blunt 2.

56. Stop and search, notably that utilising powers under Section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act, 1994, remains a central element of the operational response. The community concern regarding serious youth violence, including the use of knives is regularly assessed (Daily and Weekly) to ensure support for this tactic. The use of Section 60 and the Task Force remains intelligence-led with strong governance and oversight at senior management team level and a central command team.

Operational response – dangerous people

57. Building upon the learning from Operation Alliance in south east London, Operation Blunt 2 is targeting enforcement activity towards individuals and groups (gangs). Each Borough targets a number of individual offenders who are judged to represent the highest risk of involvement in serious youth violence. These individuals are actively targeted using a range of enforcement powers.

58. In addition to individuals, some 27 identified groupings (gangs) operating across 14 Boroughs have been subject to specific enforcement operations that commenced in November 2008. These operations and their impact are reviewed monthly to identify and continuously deploy effective tactics.

59. Current reviews show that these operations are focused upon 325 violent offenders. Some 46 arrests have been made for a variety of offences. Searches of addresses have recovered quantities of controlled drugs together with 40 rounds of ammunition. Specific operations targeting violent offenders involved in the street drug markets have been conducted in Southwark and Camden with a total of 18 arrests for supplying controlled drugs.

C. Race and equality impact

1. The MPS cannot reduce serious violence without the support of our communities and we are sensitive to the potential impact of Operation Blunt 2 on particular groups in relation to age, ethnicity and social/cultural background.

2. Community representatives have attended knife and firearms operations, observing stops and searches, and providing feedback which is then used when planning further activity.

3. Tactics are reviewed by senior officers to ensure that they are proportionate to the problems identified in individual locations, and also to ensure that they do not have an unjustified disproportionate impact on particular groups or communities.

4. Equality impact assessments for Blunt 2 have been written to inform planning and to keep these considerations at the forefront of the minds of police officers and staff.

D. Financial implications

£3.8m has been allocated to central support for Operation Blunt 2 in 008/09. This funding is allocated through the MPS tasking process and has been profiled to reflect the operational plan. Current expenditure is in line with the profile. An additional £850K has been allocated to the MPS from the Tackling Knives Action Programme (TKAP). This is allocated to enhanced post-school patrolling together with a number of preventative programmes and work to enhance data sharing with the health service.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: Commander Paul Minton, MPS

For information contact:

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

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