Specialist Crime Directorate - future reporting

Report: 9
Date: 9 July 2009
By: T/AC Specialist Crime on behalf of the Commissioner

Summary

This report gives an overview of Specialist Crime Directorate’s reporting arrangements to future committee meetings.

A. Recommendation

That

1. members note the report; and
2. consider any additional performance information.

B. Supporting information

1. This report provides an overview to the committee on Specialist Crime Directorate’s (SCD) intended reporting arrangements for future committee meetings. It is proposed to report on our headline measures with one or two featured from our proposed list and others on an exception basis, whether we are under or over performing; projects or particular improvement work that is preparing us for the future; some examples of operational successes against serious and organised crime and especially where we have worked in partnership; occasional focus on units that provide specialist corporate support such as Forensics and Met Intelligence Bureau; updates on implementing efficiency savings; highlighting progress against our diversity strategy.

2. All crime data supplied would have been reconciled with Performance Information Bureau and where appropriate match that contained in any complementary corporate submission.

Headline measures

3. The corporate planning process identifies measures and targets where we have the lead or are a major contributor. The main source for these is the government’s national indicator set. They form the basis in our OCUs’ annual plans and are supplemented by key local indicators.

4. The table below features a proposed range of headline measures. It’s a combination of corporate and locally set measures and targets. Because we have complete ownership with some crime types it defaults to a corporate target.

5. In the first instance we intend to report on those measures where we are under or significantly over performing. Those measures not highlighted through exception reporting will be consciously introduced at some stage during the reporting year, probably on a rotational basis and selected from the table. Supporting commentary will accompany each measure.

6. The above is likely to be supplemented by measures associated with the investigation of rape and serious sexual offences, which SCD assume the resources and responsibilities for these in the autumn.

7. For instance if the present performance position remains unchanged we would report on two areas in November. The first is homicide where the detection rate is currently over 100%. The other is gun crime, which is seeing an actual increase in the number of offences when compared to last year, set against a 3% reduction target.

Projects and improvement

8. Throughout the directorate there are a number of ongoing projects or improvement initiatives being pursued at any one time. In future reports, it is expected that a summary will be provided as to progress of implementation and any emerging issues. We’ll try to include a mixture of those at the beginning, middle or close to the end of the lifecycle.

Operational successes

9. We will also regularly feature one or two instances of operational successes. Particularly from units that do not tend to attract a high profile, though not exclusively. A genuine illustration is:

‘Ten people, including a 16-year old, have been sentenced at Kingston Crown Court in connection with 25 cash-in-transit robberies. The value stolen totalled around £750k. The convictions were the culmination of an eleven-month operation by the Flying Squad at Barnes that began in October 2007. It followed the identification of a linked series of cash in transit robberies across south London in which firearms were often used. The gang would target cash-in-transit deliveries/collections and ATMs when they were being refilled. They would violently attack the guard using physical force, or threaten to shoot the guard in order to gain access to the cash machine or to steal the security box.’

Efficiency savings

10. Through the corporate planning process we have already identified our efficiency savings for 2009/10. Our carefully considered contribution to the overall savings target include:

• Review and improved management of forensic budgets
• Reduction in the number of police staff
• Reduction in the number of staff involved in the specialist crime review group
• Reduced support activity within the directorate

11. If there are any areas where we are experiencing difficulty in achieving the target saving, it will automatically be reported on. Otherwise a general summary will be provided if the outcome is proving straightforward and on-track.

Diversity

12. We developed a diversity strategy that was aimed at integrating diversity into our normal working practices. It supported the MPS mission of working together for a safer London and based around the MPS Equalities Scheme. The two major themes were ‘doing the right things – policy and performance’ and ‘making us a welcoming place to work – living the values’.

13. In the future we are going to align ourselves more closely with the developing MPS diversity strategy. It is due for publication soon. Our diversity coordinator will produce an associated action plan. Updates will be provided along with our progress against the following key measures:

• The percentage of black and minority ethnic police officers
• The percentage of female police officers
• The percentage of black and minority police staff
• The percentage of female police staff as a proportion of the SCD workforce and as a proportion of the overall MPS workforce.

14. Our first report in the revised structure is due in November. We hope that the outline provided meets the approval of committee members and will satisfy their reporting requirements.

C. Race and equality impact

There are no explicit equalities items addressed. The activities that form this report and the data content are arrived at with a regard to delivering Specialist Crime policing services tailored to the needs of individuals and communities. The contents of this performance report should fully comply with equal opportunities policies and associated MPA/MPS Diversity issues.

D. Financial implications

1. As per the London Policing Plan, the budget for 2009/10 is £390m with a workforce of 3,196 police officers and 2,774 police staff. All activities outlined above will be delivered within this funding envelope.

2. As noted in paragraph 6, we will be taking on the investigations of rape and serious sexual violence from Territorial Policing during 2009/10. The associated budget (£20.6m at 2008/09 prices) and staff (367 police officers, 3 police staff) will be transferring to us at that time.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: Raymond Marshall, Specialist Crime Directorate, Performance Improvement Unit, MPS

For information contact:

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

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