Headline performance report for 2009/10

Report: 5
Date: 13 May 2010
By: Deputy Commissioner on behalf of the Commissioner

Summary

This paper reports on the 2009/10 performance of the Critical Performance Areas (CPAs) and other corporate measures against their end of year targets as outlined in the Policing London Business Plan 2009–12. This will be the final report to provide an overview of these 2009/10 indicators.

The next Headline Performance Report to be submitted for the June SOPC meeting will report on the progress of the new Key Performance Areas (KPIs) (these will replace the current CPAs) and other corporate measures for 2010/11.

A. Recommendation

That members note the 2009/10 performance of indicators shown in the Policing Plan against their targets and the MPS’s activity underway to improve outcomes.

B. Supporting information

1. This report provides an overview of how the MPS has performed in 2009/10 overall against the targets set in the MPA/MPS Policing London Business Plan 2009-12. Our Policing Plan highlights how we will deliver the two key outcomes of safety and public confidence (along with ensuring that we do so efficiently and with a clear focus on improvement). The Plan, underpinned by the 5Ps, has been developed to sustain the crime reduction that has been achieved over the last ten years and, at the same time, increase public trust and confidence in the MPS.

2. Our aim is to focus discussion on areas where we have not met our end of year targets and how they can be improved. The following paragraphs report performance by exception against those indicators where there is greatest need for action.

Report Structure

3. The report comprises two main sections:

• 'Critical Performance Areas' (CPAs) - the corporate ‘critical few’ measures highlighted in the Policing Plan (Appendix 1).
• Other Corporate Policing Plan Indicators – all non-CPA corporate measures (CMs) featured in the Policing Plan (Appendix 2).

4. This report provides data for the full financial year 2009/10 compared to 2008/09 unless otherwise stated. To ensure clarity around how the MPS is performing against their year end targets, the MPS has grouped the CPA indicators under 3 headings as follows:

• Indicators which have met their 2009/10 targets
• Indicators which are less than 10% off target
• Indicators which are more than 10% off target

While the bulk of the document is focussed on the CPAs, there is also brief commentary on the more significant instances where performance in CMs is not achieving the target.

Current performance focus

Confidence in local policing

5. The newly released British Crime Survey results now bring confidence in local policing to 53.1% for the year to December 2009. This is now meeting the end of year target of 51.4%. Although the final 2009/10 results are not due until the summer, it is likely that the year-end results will continue to meet its target if the steadily rising trend is maintained.

User Satisfaction

6. An early release of the latest quarter 4 User Satisfaction Survey results brings overall satisfaction with the service to 78.1% for the whole of 2009/10, thereby missing the 80% target. The satisfaction levels in the final quarter of 2009/10 is 78.8% and slightly down on quarter 3 (79.1%) but it is still the second best quarterly results for this indicator since Q1 2006/07.

Comparison of satisfaction of white and BME victims with respect to overall service

7. The full 2009/10 User Satisfaction Survey results show that the gap for the satisfaction of white and BME victim is now 4.9% pts. This is still short of the target gap of 3.8% points. Although the target is missed, satisfaction levels for White and BME users have both increased slightly compared to April to December 2009 results (White users up from 78.5% to 78.8% and BME users up from 73.7% to 73.9%). However, long-term trends show that there has been no significant change in this gap over the last 4 years. Any fluctuations in the gap have been an artefact of weighting.

People agree that the police would treat them with respect

8. This CPA is derived from the MPS’s survey of the public in London (PAS). The latest quarterly Public Attitude Survey results have now been released, showing that for 2009/10 overall, 78% of Londoners agree that police would treat them with respect. This stands just below the end of year target of 79% and is the same as levels in 2008/09.

Most serious violence (MSV)

9. Most serious violence ends 2009/10 with 559 fewer offences (-4.8%) than 2008/09, therefore meeting its –4.3% end of year reduction target. The FYTD levels of MSV have been dropping since December 2009. The last 3 months are down -16.7% compared to the same quarter in 2008/09, making it the third lowest quarterly results since this crime category was first recorded (April 2008).

10. The combined measure of MSV and Assault with Injury (AWI) is also down by 718 offences (-1.0%) over 2008/09. Historical trends show that MSV and AWI offences are at their lowest level in 2009/10 compared to all other financial years since at least 2005/06.

11. One of the main contributors to driving down serious violence is Operation Verano. This is now mainstreamed into MIB and supported by their intelligence asset, allowing ongoing daily risk review and tasking into 2010/11 to tackle most serious violence. Verano currently deploys the Blunt 2 Task Force, elements of the Territorial Support Group and the CO19 Tactical Firearm Unit.

Blunt 2 is also preparing for the new financial year and has developed an operational plan for the first 6 months of 2010/11 to address risk and resource pressures, in particular to cover the May bank holidays, the World Cup and the Election.

12. A component of MSV is homicide. There were 38 (-24.5%) fewer homicides for the whole of 2009/10 compared to 2008/09, making 2009/10 the year with the fewest homicides since 1978.

Knife crime

13. Serious youth violence finishes 2009/10 with 105 more victims (+1.6%) than in 2008/09. This is the first time that the number of victims for this FYTD is higher than the same period last year. The trend has been deteriorating since December 2009 with the last 3 months showing a combined rise of 15.8% (248 victims) compared to the same quarter last year. On the other hand, youth violence is down by –1.2% or 239 victims overall in 2009/10 compared to 2008/09.

14. Knife crime is showing a slight increase of 266 offences (+2.2%) for 2009/10 overall compared to 2008/09, therefore missing its end of year reduction target of –5.6%. However, this is a stretching target and knife crime for 2009/10 is still -11.1% (1,581 offences) lower than 2007/08 levels. At its best this year, knife crime stood at –4.8% (FY to August 2009) and whilst this has since slowed, now is the first time this FYTD that knife crime is higher than its comparative period last year.

Death by sharp objects for the whole of 2009/10 is down by 26 deaths (76 to 50 deaths) compared to the previous year.

The MPS recognises that both knife crime and serious violence continues to be a threat to Londoners and plans are being put into place to tackle this. This includes the continued use of the Blunt 2 Taskforce to provide dynamic response to serious youth violence and knife crime. Following the recent high profile youth murders in Victoria and Hackney, additional assets from BTP, TSG and Blunt 2 Taskforce have been posted to affected schools and transport routes to prevent the reoccurrence of violence and to provide community reassurances. As mentioned earlier, Blunt 2 has developed an operational plan to cover risk periods in the first half of 2010/11 and is also responding to the growing threat around knife-enabled robberies.

Serious Acquisitive Crime

15. Serious acquisitive crime (robbery, motor vehicle crime and residential burglary) ends 2009/10 down by 6,919 offences / -3.5%, more than meeting its -2% reduction target.

16. The overall number of robberies for 2009/10 is up by 908 offences (+2.8%) compared to 2008/09. However, robberies offences this financial year is still at its second lowest level since 1999/00 and nearly 40% lower than when robberies were at their highest in 2001/02 (53.5k offences).

17. Motor vehicle crime ends this financial year with 9,517 fewer offences (-8.8%) compared to 2008/09, maintaining its status of having the lowest number of offences since at least 1998/99. However, the downward trend seen for much of this financial year reverses in March 2010 which has the second highest monthly volume of motor vehicle crimes this financial year.

18. For 2009/10, residential burglary offences stand at +2.9% (1,690 offences) higher than last year. However, this is a real success for the MPS considering the very significant rises in burglary seen in the early parts of the year (at its worst at +10.3% for the FY to October 2009).

Although the last 3 consecutive financial years all had fewer residential burglaries than this year, 2009/10 still has the fourth lowest level since at least 1998/99. Compared to when residential burglary was at its peak in 1999/00 (78.7K offences), 2009/10 levels have fallen by a significant -22.7% (17.8K offences). In contrast, the number of additional offences in 2009/10 against the average of the last 3 years when levels were at their lowest equates to just 2.0% or 1,213 offences.

Operation Bumblebee was launched in October 2009 to specifically tackle residential burglary and in December 2009, levels went down for the first time compared to its corresponding month in 2008 and have continued to drop. Bumblebee taskforces have been deployed to a number of boroughs in the MPS to support the existing assets. The following are the final results for some of these boroughs.

• Enfield - 2831 stops, 209 total arrests, 28 were for burglary offences of which 11 were charged. Out of the total 209 arrests 84 were charged with a further 65 still under investigation on police bail.
• Croydon - 598 stops, 137 total arrests, 46 were for burglary offences of which 27 were charged. Out of the total 137 arrests 46 were charged with a further 42 still under investigation on police bail.
• Ealing - 1085 stops, 130 total arrests, 15 were for burglary offences of which 3 were charged. Out of the total 130 arrests 27 were charged with 30 remaining on police bail.
• Wandsworth - 1240 stops, 113 total arrests, 33 were for burglary offences of which 9 were charged. Out of the 113 total arrests 29 were charged with a further 31 still under investigation on police bail.

Serious sexual offences sanction detection rate

19. The sanction detection rate (SD) for serious sexual offences is 22.8%, therefore missing its 31% end of year target by 8% points. The trend has been deteriorating with the SD rate for 2009/10 at its the worst since at least 2005/06. In terms of offences, the number of serious sexual offences for 2009/10 is at its highest since at least 2005/06.

20. Since September 2009 all serious sexual assault investigations have been dealt with by the new SCD2 Sapphire OCU rather than by the 32 boroughs. In the interest of greater consistency a central team took over responsibility from the boroughs for reviewing the classifications of serious sexual assaults in April 2009. These improvements are likely to have made a significant contribution to the rise in serious sexual offences and impacted on the SD rate for 2009/10 overall.

21. Recorded rapes for 2009/10 are also up by 682 (31.4%) offences over last year and the highest financial year total since at least 1998/99. As previously reported, the rise in the recorded rate may be in part a positive response by victims coming forward to report a crime that is very under-reported because of its sensitive and traumatic nature. There has been a high level of publicity this year about rape court cases and a Government review which may have lead to more victims being aware of the specialist services provided by the MPS and the Havens.

SCD2 is now concentrating on maximizing the number of serious sexual offence cases that result in charges and that then go on to reach trial. In pursuit of that objective, a new working group reporting to the London Criminal Justice [Board (LCJB) was held for the first time in February to improve the number of serious sexual offences proceeding to trial. SCD2 has also encouraged the CPS to form a central charging team which began its regional roll out on 1 March 2010.

Police officer recruits from minority ethnic groups

22. Following the recent intake of new recruits on 8 February and 15 March, the overall performance for 2009/10 is now 17.2%, an improvement on last year's 16.2% and the 2nd highest in our history. Although this does not meet the 20% target, the MPS recognised early on that the target would not be met because fewer officers were leaving the service than originally forecast and therefore there would be less chance than originally expected to recover the position in year.

Gun crime

23. Gun crime for 2009/10 is up 429 offences (+14.2%) compared to last year. In terms of severity, approximately 12% of all gun crime is actually intimated where the gun is not seen but the victim is convinced of its presence. Similarly, a firearm is discharged in only 21% of all gun crime offence cases. There were 16 deaths from shootings for 2009/10, 4 fewer than the same twelve months last year.

The current definition of gun crime was only introduced by the Home Office in April 2008. The table below uses a proxy definition of gun crime to compare gun crime for the period April to March over the last 6 years. Even though 2009/10 has over 474 more gun crimes than 2008/09, it is down compared to all the other years shown, making it the second lowest total for the last 6 financial years.

Proxy Gun Crime figures:

• 09/10: 2,614
• 08/09: 2,140
• 07/08: 2,905
• 06/07: 3,028
• 05/06: 3,447
• 04/05: 3,327

Assets recovered

24. The average value of assets recovered for the whole of 2009/10 was £39m against the target of £45m. However, the range varies considerably from £1.5 in August 2009 to £5.4m in June 2009. The MPS is currently awaiting Management Board decision around the future funding of POCA. As previously reported, new performance measures will be developed for 2010/11.

Class A drug trafficking SDs

25. The full 2009/10 results for total Class A, cocaine and heroin trafficking sanction detections show that the end of year SD targets have all been missed.

26. The Drug Strategy 2010/13 was approved by Performance Board on 26 January 2010 on behalf of the MPS and was presented to the SOP committee on 4 March 2010.

Delivery of net cashable, efficiency and productivity gains

27. The delivery of net cashable, efficiency and productivity gains is predicted to be right on target at £148.2m for the whole of 2009/10 but confirmation is not expected until the end of May 2010.

Corporate Measure Targets

28. The MPS is particularly pleased that it has been able to consistently meet all its targets around counter terrorism throughout 2009/10. In addition, the MPS performances around emergency and non-emergency call handing is also worthy of note, both having achieved their targets of 90% for the last 7 consecutive months at least.

Below is a list of some of the more significant instances where corporate measure targets have not been achieved for 2009/10.

1. People who have heard of their SNT – a range of SNT communication activities are being co-ordinated by the central SN media and communications team, DPA, TP press office and boroughs.
2. Victims updated - The 100% target represents the stretching ambition documented in the Policing Pledge. Performance has improved by 25% points to 89% since the start of 2009/10 (64%).
3. Asset seizure cases – Performance for 2008/09 was higher than anticipated and so the 10% increase target is a greater challenge than originally expected. Since 2006/07 there has been a large increase in new cases. Cases take around 3 years to conclude with the result that there is a levelling off of new cases that can be undertaken within current resources.
4. PURE - "2" is defined as 'adequate' but the Audit Commission has said that the 2008/09 assessment was much harder than previously since organisations had to show improved performance to maintain current scores. Consequently the MPA/MPS' s 2 represents a real improvement. It also stated that the national trend for PURE was downward. To ensure continued improvement, the MPS aims to achieve a score of “3” in 2010/11.
5. Sickness for officers, staff, PCSOs and traffic wardens – A number of measures has been put into place to help minimise sickness levels including ongoing monitoring of hot spotting of problem areas/cases and the implementation of a 5 point Health and Well Being promotion expected for the new financial year.

This is the last paper to report on the 2009/10 Critical Performance Areas as listed in the Policing Plan 2009-12. The next Headline Performance Report to be submitted to the Committee meeting in June will instead start to monitor the progress of the new 2010/11 Key Performance Areas (KPIs) and other corporate measures.

C. Race and equality impact

1. There are no direct race and equality implications arising from this report. However, some of the critical performance areas monitored in this report, which may pose a risk to disporportionality, include our activities around youth violence, knife crime, serious sexual offences and BME recruitment. The MPS seeks to address this risk through actions informed by in-depth performance reports.

2. Results published under the British Crime Survey, User Satisfaction Survey and Public Attitude Survey are also used by the MPS to monitor our performance against levels of confidence and satisfaction of our diverse communities. The results of these surveys are published on a quarterly basis and reported regularly in this report.

D. Financial implications

1. All costs associated with the activities outlined above are covered within existing budgets.

E. Legal implications

1. There are no direct legal implications arising, as this is a performance monitoring report.

2. The MPA has a duty to secure the maintenance of an efficient and effective police force for its area and a duty to hold the chief officer of police of the force to account for the exercise of his functions and those persons under his direction and control, under s6 of the Police Act 1996.

3. The MPA also have a specific duty to monitor the MPS’s performance against the Policing Plan under s6ZA of the Police Act 1996, as inserted by paragraph 8, Schedule 2 of the Police & Justice Act 2006 and the Police Authorities (Particular Functions & Transitional Provisions) Order 2008.

4. The Committee is the relevant committee to receive the report as its terms of reference set out it is responsible for considering and maintaining police performance against the Policing Plan targets and any performance indicators set locally or by external organisations.

F. Background papers

None

G. Contact details

Report author: Ann Lieu, MPS Strategy and Improvement Department

For information contact:

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

Acronym List

ASB

Anti Social Behaviour

AWI

Assault with Injury

BCS

British Crime Survey

BME

Black and Minority Ethnic

CM

Corporate Measure

CPAs

Critical Performance Areas

CPS

Crown Prosecution Service

LCJB

London Criminal Justice Board

MPA

Metropolitan Police Authority

MPS

Metropolitan Police Service

MSF

Most Similar Forces - Home Office group of similar forces - MPS, West Midlands, West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester

MSV

Most Serious Violence

OBTJ

Offences Brought To Justice

OCU

Operational Command Unit

PAS

MPS Public attitude Survey

PURE

Police Use Of Resources Evaluation

SAC

Serious Acquisitive Crime

SCD

Specialist Crime Directorate

SD

Sanction Detection Rate

SNT

Safer Neighbourhood Team

SOP

Strategic and Operational Policing

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