MPA Crime Data Recording Scrutiny - update

Report: 8
Date: 5 March 2009
By: Acting Assistant Commissioner Territorial Policing on behalf of the Commissioner

Summary

This report provides an update on progress towards the 11 recommendations contained within the MPA Crime Data Recording Scrutiny.

A. Recommendation

That

1. members note the report;
2. support is given to continued work on the implementation and embedding of recommendations of the MPA Crime Data Recording Scrutiny; and
3. recommendations 9 and 10 are signed of as complete.

B. Supporting information

1. This report sets out the current position with regard to the recommendations contained within the MPA Crime Data Recording Scrutiny. Full details of activity are shown at Appendix 1.

2. There has been a significant change to the governance arrangements in relation to crime and incident recording. This has enabled the Strategic Crime and Incident Recording Group (SCIRG) to maintain a strategic focus, whilst devolving tactical decision making to an appropriate level through the Crime and Incident Recording Oversight Group (CIROG).

3. SCIRG is also the vehicle for driving change through the Crime and Incident Data Quality Improvement Programme (CIDQIP). This provides a platform to drive through changes likely to provide a high degree of leverage in improving data quality improvement.

4. The recent NPIA baseline review of the National Standard of Incident Recording compliance has been another major driver in relation to the full implementation of NSIR.

C. Legal implications

Non apparent.

D. Race and equality impact

All aspects of policy and guidance produced by the MPS are automatically subject to Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) processes where these issues are picked up and recorded. This ensures that final outcomes are responsive to identified equality issues. A full EIA will be carried out on all Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) arising from this activity.

E. Financial implications

1. In response to the Audit Commission Review and MPA scrutiny of the Crime Management Unit and the Telephone Investigation Bureau, proposals to merge these teams are being considered. Investment of £750k has been provided within the Service Improvement Fund to support the review to consider new ways to investigate and record crime. That investment is currently expected to cover:

• developing and testing a proof of concept for the brigading of CMU/TIB functions (£200k)
•  design and technical build costs relating to those changes necessary to implement NSIR (£550k)

2. Any additional costs required to take these proposals forward will be met within TP’s approved budgets.

3. The MPS currently trains 40 staff per year for deployment in Borough CMUs. This is run over four courses per year by Directorate of Information with an overall cost of £20,000 which is incorporated within the current training budget for each of the 32 boroughs.

F. Background papers

• MPA Crime Data recording Scrutiny.
• MPS Response to MPA Crime Data Recording Scrutiny.
• Terms of reference-SCIRG
• Terms of reference-CIROG
• Crime and Incident Data quality Improvement Programme (CIDQIP).
• NPIA Baseline Review of NSIR.
• Management Board paper - NSIR Implementation for the MPS.

G. Contact details

Report author: DCS Peter Barron, MPS

For information contact:

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

Appendix 1

Recommendation 1

The MPA and MPS need to prioritise their focus on the improvement of basic data quality and ensure that officer and staff training adequately addresses the needs of the system. The need for data accuracy should not focus solely on compliance with external standards.

The strategic intention set out for the Crime and Incident Data Quality Improvement Programme (CIDQIP) is focused on having good quality information for action to enable/improved public confidence and satisfaction; efficiency and effectiveness; and public, police officer/staff safety.

TP Emerald, within the Organisational Capability and Criminal Justice Reform portfolio of Territorial Policing are mapping crime/incident reporting/recording processes end to end. This will form the basis of a training needs analysis (TNA).

Process mapping has been undertaken with regard to the reporting, recording and investigation of crime. This has enabled the production of updated current policies and standard operating procedures for the reporting of crime, the recording of crime on the Crime Reporting Information System CRIS system, and the investigation of crime, which was published in May 2008. The TNA has been reviewed and the relevant investigative courses and CMU and CRIS courses have been or are in the process of being updated.

Research is being conducted into the practicality of delivering a performance with integrity course aimed at various levels of practitioners with the relevant processes. This will lay the foundations to a changed approach, whereby crime-recording focuses on accuracy and the benefits derived from this approach, rather than compliance and external inspections.

An input is now given at each advanced CID course, by TP Emerald staff for Detective Inspectors, on data accuracy and compliance with the Home Office Counting Rules HOCR. Arrangements have been made with the Crime Academy for this to be incorporated into the Initial CID course aimed at trainee/Detective Constables and the Intermediate CID course for Detective Sergeants.

A successful CRIS training pilot has been completed at Sunbury Training Centre that incorporated CRIS investigations into the foundation Initial Police Learning and Development Programme (IPLDP) course. This CRIS training pilot has been used for new recruits going to the Boroughs of Twickenham, Kingston, Richmond, Hammersmith and Fulham, Hounslow and Sutton. The feedback from all of the Boroughs receiving the new staff has been encouraging with a direct improvement in better data quality. This can be implemented for all MPS IPLDP training once the results of evaluation are completed and the training package is formally approved.

There is current training for new CMU staff, police officers and police staff, and CRIS supervisors run by the TP CMU. There are also refresher-training days run every quarter for CMU supervisors. In respect of work with CCC staff, see also Recommendation 7 below.

There are guidance documents and process maps to assist all MP staff on the primary and secondary investigation of crime. These include the supervision of crime, minimum standards of investigation for all offences, serious violence and assaults, the investigation of robbery, the investigation of burglary and hate crime. These provide comprehensive instruction on considerations and procedures.

From April 2008 the DoI have produced monthly data relating to the accurate completion of data fields within CRIS. This data is communicated to all BOCU commanders and is rehearsed at Strategic Crime and Incident Recording Group (SCIRG) and the TP Strategic Tasking Meeting. All indicators are now showing a constant trend of improvement.

BOCU Commanders Development Programme will include emphasis on ensuring that the operational necessity for good data quality is understood as it underpins both strategic and tactical decision-making. This is supported by an explanation of all TP Performance products, an illustration of how good quality data supports MPS values by combining performance with integrity, and workable strategies for using information for action to improve BOCU performance.

Recommendation 2

The DAT and the FCR’s lines of accountability should be changed to ensure both greater independence and higher-level management input. CMU line management should be made independent of BOCU line management.

DAC (TP) Capability and Reform has, since 1 April 2008, taken overall responsibility for crime recording and data accuracy. Reporting will be to the MPS Performance Board and quarterly, or otherwise as required, to MPA Strategic Operational Policing Committee.

A Commander was appointed to head the Organisational Capability & Criminal Justice Reform portfolio on 7 April 2008. The portfolio has been organised into two Commands, Emerald and Performance. Performance encompasses chief officer responsibility for the Force Incident Registrar (FIR) and the Force Crime Registrar (FCR) roles. The line of accountability, through DAC Capability and Reform, provides the level of independence recommended and is separate from accountability for performance delivery within TP.

The long-term TP ambition for crime recording and investigation in the MPS remains the same, i.e., to establish a centralised Crime Recording Investigation Bureau (CRIB); a ‘one-stop’ crime recording function for the public, based at CCC that would also include a level of crime management functionality. The development of a CRIB presents real opportunities for cost savings in the long term and for improved performance, data quality and victim satisfaction.

Several options to develop a Centralised Crime Recording and Investigation Bureau (CCRIB) have been set out in some detail by the CCRIB project team during 2008, and it had been the team’s intention to present these for MPS decision-making in December 2008. However, the shortfall in the MPS capital budget announced towards the end of 2008 caused the MPS to significantly revise the CCRIB timeline, in particular, its plans for activity during 2009/10. In the short and medium term our focus will be on a set of activities designed to improve Telephone Investigation Bureau (TIB) performance under the current operational model, i.e.: a comprehensive review of TIB processes; a new TIB standard operating procedure; the opening of the CHS/TIB Portal by which crimes suitable for telephone investigation are passed to TIBs; together with a project to centralise very specific CMU functionality.

Centralising certain pinch-point decisions currently undertaken by CMUs offers a range of benefits, including the removal of any local influence in relation to how a crime should be classified and/or confirmed together with the validation of detections. This will directly address the second element of this recommendation and is likely to make information for action more accurate and improve strategic and tactical decision-making. A decision in principle has been taken to centralise key crime functions, a costed proposal and option for change is now being prepared.

Recommendation 3

The MPS should fully implement the NSIR and the NICL codes.

The MPS will implement the National Standard for Incident Recording (NSIR) and the National Incident Classification List (NICL) in full. The newly reconfigured Emerald Command will take the lead role in implementing this project. Commander Organisational Capability and Criminal Justice Reform provides the necessary governance for the implementation as the Senior Responsible Officer.

Technical updates to IT systems to facilitate implementation of this project are currently being finalised prior to being implemented and trialled. Full implementation of NSIR and the NICL work is scheduled for August 2009.

Alongside work on implementation, work is ongoing to focus on ensuring the accuracy of ‘information for action’ rather than strict adherence to a particular standard. This has resulted in the production of an ‘Aide Memoir’ for IBO/CCC staff in relation to improving public/officer safety, delivering the ‘Pledge’, crime recording and anti social behaviour. This is to be augmented by a guide for supervisors encouraging them to take a risk-based approach to supervision, by identifying those incidents that have the potential to be inappropriately resolved and/or be pre-cursor to something more serious.

Recommendation 4

The MPA and MPS should work with the Home Office to facilitate a full review of the Notifiable Offences List (NOL) and NCRS.

The Home Office have declined to review the Notifiable Offences List (NOL); however, the MPS is currently awaiting the findings resulting from the four-force pilot in relation to an alternative approach to dealing with minor/local crimes. The emphasis within these forces relates to the way in which officers resolve crimes rather than how crimes are recorded. This initiative has not relaxed compliance to the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS). Potential new ‘methods’ of recording crime relate to the use of technical devices such as Personal Data Assistants (PDAs). The long-term outcome of these discussions is awaited.

Tier 1 Offences and Offences Brought to Justice

Although not directly considered as part of the MPA scrutiny, there are other developments taking place nationally that are relevant to improving public confidence in, and the relevance of key data. The National Prosecution Team have initiated a project to explore whether more alignment could be achieved between recorded crime definitions and CPS charging standards, in relation to Tier 1 – the Serious Violence category and in particular Wounding/GBH without intent which comprises nearly 30,000 of the 46,000 recorded offences in this Tier. HOCR guidelines contains provision for re-classification of crimes when further information or evidence is obtained – the application of this rule could usefully be informed with information at point of charge when either a police officer or a duty prosecutor were making the charging decision.

The Project Team will run a test in London and Thames Valley to institute a business process change to ensure that active consideration is given to the information supporting the charging decision, where this differs from the crime originally recorded. The test would capture data to assess:

•  The numbers of Wounding/GBH without intent that are reclassified based on the above rule.
•  The administrative burden on both police and CPS
•  The impact on the publication of future Crime figures and OBTJ figures if this was to be adopted nationally.

Recommendation 5

The supervision of crime recording processes should be strengthened and the CROG should be either independently chaired or report regularly to the MPA lead member for data quality.

MPS Performance Board has oversight of performance and progress in relation to crime/incident recording and related data quality issues. The MPS will report regularly to SOP, recognising the MPA is itself held to account for data quality. There has been a significant change to the governance arrangements in relation to crime and incident recording with the formation of two separate forums to replace the Crime Recording Oversight Group (CROG). The Strategic Crime and Incident Recording Group (SCIRG), chaired by Cdr Organisational Capability and Criminal Justice Reform, has been established to ensure a strategic focus. This has enabled tactical decision making to be devolved to an appropriate level through the Crime and Incident Recording Oversight Group (CIROG) chaired by the OCU Commander for Emerald. The line of accountability passing through DAC Organisational Capability achieves Independence.

CIRG is also the vehicle for driving change through the Crime and Incident Data Quality Improvement Programme (CIDQIP). This provides a platform to drive through changes likely to provide a high degree of leverage in improving data quality improvement. The CIDQIP includes activities such as: implementing NSIR; centralising CMU functions; and developing the peer review and audit programmes.

The TP Performance Command will work with the Directorate of Information (DoI) to redesign the presentation of performance data with the intention of quantitative data sitting alongside qualitative data within the same document. In the medium term, it is intended that performance data and its quality are integral in their presentation. The quality of supervision of crime recording processes will therefore increasingly become part of the performance management framework.

Recommendation 6

A robust, risk-based crime recording audit system should be developed and maintained with appropriate resource support.

A Risk Register relating to the risks presented by inaccurate incident and crime recording has been produced. This is monitored via the SCIRG meetings and is used to identify and ‘design-out’ the potential causes of these risks together with appropriate mitigation.

The second round of Peer Review audits is due to begin in April. The learning from the first round has been incorporated into this second iteration and baseline performance, arising out of the reviews, will be fed back to Borough Commanders.

The crime data audit function carried out by the Data Accuracy Team (DAT) has been impacted by data concerns arising from changes and clarification to Home Office definitions as reported to PPRC in 2008 and SOP on 8 January 2009. Urgent work has been necessary to review the accuracy of Assault with Injury (AWI) and Most Serious Violence (MSV). The review of AWI/MSV is vital to ensure an accurate baseline is achieved. 2008/9 is a baseline year (APACS) against which all future (MSV) reduction targets will be agreed. Once the ASWI/MSV work is complete, the more routine DAT crime Audit will recommence at the earliest opportunity.

Following the NPIA Baseline Review of NSIR, the DAT has developed a robust risk-based audit programme that examines incidents as they progress from ‘cradle-to-grave’. This includes daily fast-time feedback to BOCUs and CCC re: instances of the inappropriate closure of incidents’ this is proving valuable in improving both NSIR and NCRS performance. This learning has been evidenced (January 2009) with an audit of 1000 incidents, tracked with the assistance and oversight of HMIC, from the point a call was made (including listening to the recording of each call) to when the incident was finally resolved. This has enabled a better understanding of those elements that cause NCRS and/or NSIR failure.

The NPIA Baseline Review of NSIR estimated that at the time of their sample – taken from data in March 2008 – the MPS were under recording crime as a consequence of attrition between the new call handling system and CAD. Whilst the sample sizes and parameters were not identical – the most recent audit, involving HMIC, estimates under recording of crime in this sample – taken from October 2008 - to be significantly lower. The MPS/HMIC audit has been undertaken using a robust methodology with a large sample viewed in greater depth than the NPIA review. There is therefore good evidence of significant improvements in NCRS/NSIR compliance since the baseline review. The ‘Aide Memoir’ and NSIR Supervisors Guide described in Recommendation 3 builds upon and further develops this learning.

Recommendation 7

CCC targets and resource allocation should be reviewed to focus on quality of service provision.

Qualitative performance data for CCC is being developed and combined with other quantitative and qualitative measures within a redesigned TP Monthly Scorecard. The new scorecard directly links to the new Policing Pledge and the performance regime required around its introduction within the MPS. CCC is at the heart of achieving many of the measures contained within the Policing Pledge.

Resource allocation within CCC is planned on a daily basis based on projected demand and historical data with analysis. The resource is allocated on an hour-to-hour basis through every shift within a 24-hour period. This ensures that there are sufficient staff available to provide a quality service to the public at any time within a 24-hour period. The current IT and predictive analysis systems are due to be supported by the introduction of a new resource planning IT system called ‘My Planner'. This is due to ‘go-live’ in March 2009.

CCC is currently engaged in a review of its business support function. This is to ensure that the right structures are in place to support a quality service to the public. This includes the units involved in performance management, resource planning and communication.

Training and development material for CCC focuses heavily on the quality of interactions and the data arising from them. 60% of all CCC staff have now completed the NCALT training package. In addition, CCC has created an action plan in response to an NPIA report examining NSIR. Although the necessary IT changes to the Command and Control system will not be available until August 09, CCC is implementing some process and behavioural changes in order to address some of the fundamental weaknesses identified within the report. CCC has already introduced a Priority Quality Assurance process (PQA) that now provides a quality check on key crime types and incidents.

CCC is also currently undergoing a programme led by the Leadership Academy entitled Aspire +. The purpose of the programme is to provide staff with the ability to influence and engage with business improvement within the OCU, concentrating primarily on both processes and supervision.

All of the above activity is supported within CCC by regular briefings to staff by management, coaching and where available additional training.

Recommendation 8

The MPS should expedite the pilots into the centralisation of crime recording.

An update in respect of this recommendation is covered under Recommendation 2 above.

Recommendation 9

The MPS SMT should ensure that boroughs systematically inform the FCR of local policies before implementing them.

The TP Emerald Policy Unit has collated all local crime-recording instructions and ensured their NCRS compliance. It has been confirmed, via CIROG, that the TP Emerald Policy Unit will collate and review all future local crime recording instructions. These will then be passed to the FCR for approval before being certified as fit for purpose.

Where, in exceptional circumstances, BOCUs need to develop local crime recording instructions to meet local needs the TP Emerald Policy Unit will act as a clearing house ensuring there is no conflict with, and that they complement and enhance, corporate policy.

This will require ongoing monitoring by TP Emerald and Performance Command which is in place.

It is suggested that this recommendation is complete.

Recommendation 10

The MPS should conduct a review of Merlin to ensure there are no offences on the system that should be recorded as a crime on the Crime Report Information System.

When raised, the Data Accuracy Team and Child Abuse Investigation (SCD5) researched this issue. A non-compliance rate of less than 1% was identified and these deficiencies were corrected.

Training and inspection processes have been put in place to prevent further crimes being recorded on Merlin without being recorded on CRIS. These processes are being monitored by TP Performance Command to ensure efficacy and compliance.

It is suggested that this recommendation is complete.

Recommendation 11

It provision should be subject to further scrutiny. The MPS should ensure that its systems are allocated sufficient resources to meet both current needs and to ensure future needs.

The development of a new Crime Recording System will have considerable cost and resource implications for the MPS, which, in the current financial climate, will make its introduction prohibitive. In response to this DOI are in the very early stages of assessing the feasibility of introducing a Scalable Investigative Case Management IT system which will integrate with CRIS and enhance the capability to better manage lines of enquiry, actions and decisions, and with structured checklists to manage compliance. Work is ongoing to identify the business requirements for a future system.

A two day workshop organised by DOI and facilitated by SAP business software solutions and applications company was held. This was attended by representatives from all MPS Business Groups to develop process maps for a number of functions including investigation, detection, crime management, victim care, performance, wanted offender management and the searching of live text.

A further two day workshop is being run on 24 and 25 February primarily for DoI staff aimed at Improvement in Police Information. Licences have been purchased from SAP, however the funding for configuration is still being discussed. Further scoping is taking place on the viability of a joint intelligence and investigation system. There are visits planned to Hampshire Police to see how they use the Niche RMS, a similar system to SAP, Merseyside and South Yorkshire also use this.

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