Public Protection update 2011 – Operation Jigsaw

Report: 9
Date: 13 October 2011
By: Assistant Commissioner Territorial Policing on behalf of the Commissioner

Summary

This report provides an update on the activity conducted by Operation Jigsaw and the 32 Boroughs in relation to Registered Sex and Serious Violent Offenders.

A. Recommendation

That Members note the content of this report.

B. Supporting information

MAPPA

1. MPA members have requested an update the activity conducted by Operations Jigsaw and Compass in the 32 Boroughs. Operation Compass will be subject of a separate report.

2. Sections 325 to 327 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 and Part 2 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 places a duty on the Responsible Authorities who are Police, Probation and Prison Services, to risk assess and manage the risks posed by specified sexual and violent offenders in a way which best protects the public from serious harm. This is known as the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA). MAPPA is also made up of ‘duty to co operate’ agencies (as defined under S.325 (6) Criminal Justice Act). This group will normally consist of further representatives from Local Housing Authorities, Health Authorities, Social Services, Local Education Authorities, Electronic monitoring service providers, Primary Care Trusts, and/or National Health Service Trusts and since July 2011 it also includes UKBA.

3. Section 327 Criminal Justice Act defines a relevant sexual offender (Category 1) or violent offender (Category 2). However the Responsible Authority is also required to manage ‘other persons who by reason of offences committed by them (wherever committed), are considered by the responsible authority to be persons who may cause serious harm to the public’. This is the third category of offenders referred to as Category 3.

4. There are three levels of management:

Level 1 – ordinary single agency management

Level 2 – active multi agency management

Level 3 - active multi agency management requiring ongoing senior management supervision and use of specialist resources.

ViSOR

5. ViSOR (Violent and Sexual Offender Register) is a national Multi-Agency application used by the police, probation, and prison services to assist in the management of Registered Sex Offenders, Violent Offenders on Probation licence and ‘Other Dangerous Offenders’ who are monitored within the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA). It is owned and maintained by the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA).

6. The ViSOR Central Point of Contact for the MPS is a member of police staff within Central Jigsaw who is responsible for the physical security of ViSOR throughout the MPS, a DOI requirement, and the quality assurance of ViSOR records. Central Jigsaw’s ViSOR team manages a ViSOR helpdesk for all MPS ViSOR users of which there are in excess of 750, using 371 ViSOR terminals spread across 78 sites.

7. There are currently 8731 ViSOR records owned by the MPS which is made up of 6451 live records and 2281 archived records. Since ViSOR was introduced into the MPS in 2005 there has been an average yearly increase in records held of nearly 11%, largely due to the number of RSO’s registered for a fixed period which will not plateau until May 2014 and the number registered indefinitely will not plateau until 2023. The number of MPS held ViSOR records will further increase due to the introduction of Violent Offender Orders (VOO’s), Registered Terrorist Offenders (RTO’s), managed by SO15, and Potentially Dangerous Persons. The number of Visor records owned by the MPS is 12% of the national total. The second largest number held by any force is 5% which are owned by West Midlands Police.

8. Due to the volume of records owned and managed by the MPS the ViSOR CPC has considerable influence at regional and national level to affect change whilst ensuring any decisions do not impact disproportionately on the MPS due it size and complex structure in comparison to other police services.

BOCU Jigsaw Teams

9. The 32 BOCU’s in the MPS each has a Jigsaw Team whose officers and staff undertake the Police functions as a responsible authority for MAPPA. BOCU Commanders are responsible for ensuring Jigsaw Teams have sufficient and appropriately trained staff and resources to enable their borough to comply with the MPS SOP. Central Jigsaw Team supports the borough Jigsaw teams and is responsible for ensuring SOP compliance and quality assurance, although operational responsibility and accountability remains devolved to Borough Commanders.

10. Borough Jigsaw officers are responsible for the day to day management of RSO’s ensuring notification takes place upon conviction or release from sentence, conducting RSO home visits and any other pro-active police activity deemed necessary to manage the risk presented. They also instigate and collate information sharing within MAPPA, formulate risk assessments and risk management plans; trace, arrest and process RSO’s for breaches of Notification Requirements. Borough Jigsaw officers also have responsibility to make disclosures of RSO’s previous offending to members of the public where appropriate, obtain and enforce Court Orders e.g. Sexual Offending Prevention Orders (SOPOs), Foreign Travel Orders (FTOs) and Risk of Sexual Harm Orders (RoSHOs). They must ensure each offender’s ViSOR record is up to-date and also jointly manage Category 2 and 3 offenders in partnership with Probation/ Mental Health/ Youth Offending Teams.

Central Jigsaw Team

11. Central Jigsaw manage MPS policy on MAPPA / ViSOR and quality assure SOP compliance and offender management across the MPS. The unit also produces performance data to the London MAPPA Strategic Management Board (SMB), Borough crime managers and Area Commanders to highlight areas of risk and good practice but have no accountability for MPS resources or performance concerning MAPPA. The Central team attend those Level 3 cases that are high profile or particularly complex and will also attend at the request of the Chair any other cases where it is felt the team can add value through their expertise. The team also attend the monthly meetings at each of the 8 London prisons where MAPPA offenders are discussed pre release. This is a Central Jigsaw responsibility as Jigsaw teams covering the boroughs where prisons are located do not necessarily have ownership of any of the offenders in the prison.

12. Central Jigsaw represent the MPS at Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) meetings and ACPO sub groups on managing MAPPA offenders providing a London perspective which is unique due to the large volume of cases and the challenges and complexities of the MPS structure. Similarly Central Jigsaw represent the MPS at the London MAPPA Strategic Management Board (SMB) meetings and sub-groups.

13. A key operational Central Jigsaw role is the obtaining of Notification Orders for UK nationals returning to the UK after conviction abroad for offences that if committed in the UK would render them subject to notification requirements. The MPS has taken on this national responsibility as in most cases the person arrives in the UK via Heathrow Airport and it is usually unknown on arrival, where such a person intends to reside.

14. Central Jigsaw officers seek a Notification Order to make a sexual offender subject to MAPPA management, as they would be, if they had been convicted in the UK. Officers meet the offender at the airport upon their return to the UK and serve on them a notification summons. The officers also conduct an intelligence debrief which assists in identifying where the offender intends to reside in the UK and identifying any risk and possible actions that may be taken. The offender is then passed to the relevant Public Protection Unit nationally to be managed.

15. In some circumstances it may also be appropriate for Central Jigsaw officers to seek a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) or Foreign Travel Order (FTO) against such an offender. Both are civil preventative orders containing prohibitions that are aimed to prevent the offender from causing sexual harm either in the UK (in the case of the SOPO) or overseas (in the case of the FTO). Such individuals would also become eligible for management under the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA).

16. If the individual is not convicted of an offence that would make them subject to a Notification Order and management under MAPPA, they may be identified for management by police as a Potentially Dangerous Person (PDP). Part of such management as a PDP may involve trying to seek a Risk of Sexual Harm Order (RoSHO), a civil preventative order that places restrictions upon the individual who must be over 18 years, to protect persons under 16 years from sexual harm by the offender. If breached the offender can be convicted of a criminal offence and will then be made subject to notification requirements.

17. Central Jigsaw are made aware of sexual or violent offenders who are being returned to the UK by a notification from the consulate/embassy in that country. The notification is made to the MPS routed via the Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) as a single point of contact. Most embassies provide such prisoners with information on Prisoners Abroad which is a charity that supports offenders who have been convicted abroad in their repatriation to the UK. Central Jigsaw work closely with Prisoners Abroad in the resettlement of offenders.

18. Violent Offenders returning to the UK from abroad do not qualify as a Category 2 offender, which relates to Violent Offenders who are under statutory supervision i.e. prison licence. However they may, depending on their offending history, qualify for management as a Category 3 (other dangerous offender) under MAPPA. Category 3 offenders may only be managed at Level 2/3 - active multi-agency management.

19. If an offender has committed a qualifying offence - wounding, manslaughter, attempted murder, soliciting murder or a conspiracy to commit murder - and has received a sentence of 12 months or more, then they may qualify for a Violent Offender Order (VOO). It must also be demonstrated that since the qualifying offence, the individual has acted in a way that indicates they pose a risk of serious violent harm. The VOO can place restrictions upon the offender in relation to certain people, places or events and can last for 2-5 years. The individual also becomes subject to notification requirements, similar to those for RSO’s.

Performance Monitoring and Evaluation

20. The MPS as a Responsible Authority (RA) is required to demonstrate through monitoring and evaluation of performance, how it fulfils its legal obligations under MAPPA and how it works with other agencies in achieving comprehensive risk assessments. This allows for some bench marking and the opportunity for timely intervention where issues are identified. It is the remit of Central Jigsaw, to quality assure the work conducted by Borough Jigsaw Teams. This is both quantitative and qualitative some examples are:

Wanted/missing registered sex offenders (RSO’s)

21. As of 01/09/2011 there were 135 wanted/missing RSOs within the MPS. This figure has remained fairly consistent over the last 3 years despite an annual increase in the number of sex offenders registered of approximately 11%. Almost without exception they are wanted for notification offences and it should be noted that at least 45 offenders of the 135 are believed to be residing outside of the UK. However they will remain circulated as wanted on the Police National Computer to enable arrest should they attempt to return to the UK.

22. Central Jigsaw are informed of all new wanted/missing RSO’s, to ensure the risk is being managed and all actions to locate and arrest offenders is being conducted. In addition, a number of cases (approx.10% of the MPS total) are selected each month and subjected to in-depth scrutiny from when the offender was first circulated as wanted. This enables an independent review to ensure all appropriate actions have been conducted, good practice is disseminated and consistency is achieved, with specific issues being highlighted with the offender manager and an appropriate entry placed on the ViSOR record.

23. In addition Monthly statistics are provided by Central Jigsaw to PIB and include the number of wanted/missing RSOs broken down into risk levels on a borough by borough basis, which is forwarded to Borough Commanders to take what action they deem appropriate.

ViSOR Quality Assurance

24. All ViSOR users should adhere to NPIA ViSOR Standards and in order to comply with the ViSOR Standard Operating procedures (SOP) and ViSOR User Security Operating Procedures (SyOPS). Central Jigsaw conducts monthly quality assurance checks and monitors working practices to ensure consistency across the 32 BOCU Jigsaw Teams. Checks are carried out remotely by dip sampling identified borough Jigsaw Teams. Any non-compliance identified by the Central Jigsaw Team is addressed with the relevant Borough Senior Management Team. Activity Logs are also examined to ensure any information contained within the body is entered into the correct attachment.

25. The MPS Central Jigsaw Team collects additional statistics manually on a monthly basis. This information is data required by the Secretary of State in order to complete data for the MAPPA annual report.

Serious Further Offending

26. Sec 4.6.2. of ACPO 2007 Guidance on Protecting the Public: Managing Sexual and Violent Offenders, first introduced the requirement for Forces ‘to have processes in place to ensure that if a MAPPA offender commits a serious offence of murder, manslaughter, rape, or an attempt to commit any of the above offences a review of the police role in the case will take place.

27. If an offender is being managed only by police a Police Internal Management Review (PIMR) is completed to look at whether the management of the offender met the required standards and whether the police did all that they could reasonably have done to reduce the risk of further offending. In the MPS PIMR’s are peer reviewed which ensures greater transparency and objectivity. Central Jigsaw manage the allocation process, ensuring fairness of workload and quality assure completed PIMR’s identifying any learning requiring action of further dissemination. Jigsaw supervisors completing Peer PIMR’s gain a better insight into how different Jigsaw teams operate. Importantly Peer PIMR’s meet inspection/audit standards.

28. When an offender of any category is being managed at levels 2 or 3 and fits the same offence criteria as that for a PIMR a Serious Case Review is completed. The aim of both an PIMR and an SCR is to establish if there are any lessons to be learnt, to identify clearly what those lessons are and how they will be acted upon and, as a consequence, to inform the future development of MAPPA policies and procedures in order to protect the public. It also provides an opportunity to identify areas of good practice.

29. Between 01/04/2010 and 31/03/2011, 8 RSO’s were charged with a serious further offence. Resulting in 6 PIMR’s and 1 MAPPA Serious Case Review.

MAPPA Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s)

30. London’s Strategic Management Board (SMB) monitors MAPPA KPI’s. The KPI’s measure inputs rather than outputs, and have been designed to ensure that the critical pre-conditions are in place for effective MAPPA operations (e.g. the right people, from the right agencies, meet at the right frequency). Compliance with the KPI’s is measured by borough, electronically on a monthly basis. The KPIs for which the MPS are accountable are:

1. 90% of level 3 MAPPA cases reviewed no less than once every 8 weeks.
2. 90 % of MAPPA level 2 cases reviewed no less than once every 16 weeks.
3. Disclosure to be considered and the decision to be recorded in the minutes at 100% of level 2 and 3 MAPP meetings.
4. 90% attendance by the appropriate grade from the police at each level 2 and 3 MAPP meeting. This is Inspector at level 2 and Superintendent (or equivalent) at level 3

31. During the first 3 quarters of the reporting year the appropriate grade of attendance was not always achieved by the police at Level 3 meetings. Following a review of performance and in light of National Offender Management Service’s national guidance the SMB agreed that the DCI rank in the MPS can be considered the appropriate grade for attendance where they have effective delegated authority rather than Superintendent. Central Jigsaw Team contacted boroughs to address the level of seniority required at meetings. 99% of MAPP meetings are now attended appropriately. The majority of Level 2 reviews took place within the 12 week target and nearly 100% of Level 3 cases are reviewed within 8 weeks. Disclosure is being considered and recorded in 100% of Level 2 and Level 3 cases.

32. The MAPPA Executive Office and the MPS Central Jigsaw Team aim to meet with MAPPA chairs where performance across any of the KPI’s has not been met for two consecutive quarters to discuss issues. Importantly, since April 2011, KPI returns require explanations at the time the data is submitted, which allows MAPPA Chairs to provide detail in terms of what the issues are that affect performance. They also allow good practice to be shared.

Headline Figures

Ratio of Offender Managers to Offenders Managed

33. A crucial factor determining whether Jigsaw Teams are able to complete their work effectively is the ratio of ‘Offender Managers’ to offenders managed. An ‘Offender Manager’ is a Constable, within a Jigsaw Team, who is assigned the management of specific MAPPA offenders and their ViSOR records. The MPS Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) recommends a maximum 40 offenders to each Offender Manager in order to achieve the minimum management standards.

34. As of 31/07/2011 there are116 Police Offender Managers across the MPS, who manage a total of 6764 Registered Sex Offenders as the lead agency and are partnered with 605 Violent Offenders, being managed by London Probation. Lewisham and Lambeth Jigsaw Teams are the largest Jigsaw Teams with 6 and 7 offender managers respectively and Harrow, Merton and Kingston each have 2 offender managers. The average number of ‘RSOs in the community’ managed by each BOCU Offender Manager is 39 (ranging from 17 to 71).

35. Central Jigsaw actively monitors any disparity in workloads; reports are sent to the borough Jigsaw’s SMT and an explanation for rises in ratios sought. If the situation persists over a 3 month period Commander Crime and Customer Focus is informed to highlight the situation directly with the borough’s SMT who are responsible for resourcing the team.

36. Most of the MAPPA offenders assigned to an Offender Manager are Registered Sex Offenders (RSOs - Cat.1 offenders), although a small, but significant number are ‘Other Dangerous Offenders’ (Cat.3 Offenders). Officers are also shown as ‘Partners’ to ViSOR records for ‘Violent Offenders’ (Cat.2) who are being managed at Level 2 or Level 3.

37. On the 31/03/2011 in the MPS the total number of Cat 1 offenders at all MAPPA levels was 4651 offenders. This comprised of 4319 offenders managed at Level1, 318 offenders managed at Level 2 and 14 offenders managed at Level 3.

Travelling and Deported Sex Offenders

38. From 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011 Central Jigsaw have deployed on 48 separate occasions to Heathrow Airport and have obtained 34 Notification Orders, 2 SOPO’s and 4 FTO’s and conducted intelligence de-briefings in all cases.

39. The Child Sex Offender Disclosure Scheme went live in the MPS in April 2011. Members of the public can register a child protection interest in an identified individual who has access to or a connection with a particular child or children at any stage. If it is identified that the Person of Interest is being managed by an MPS Jigsaw team then borough Public Protection Desks must contact the Jigsaw team and the application details are conveyed to the team who will investigate and deal with the enquiry through the MAPPA process. The Jigsaw team will record and deal with all CSOD enquires relating to Registered Sex Offenders.

PND

40. PND is a new IT system that allows the police service to share, access and search local force information on a national basis. It provides forces with immediate access to up-to-date information drawn from local crime, custody, intelligence, child abuse and domestic abuse systems. The present release is still waiting to go live in the MPS. This phase will enable a search to be completed on a person’s Name, DOB and other descriptive person details. Once inside a person record other information and intelligence is available.

41. Within the MPS, Jigsaw Offender Managers have been identified as key users of PND and it will be an invaluable tool in managing offenders, informing the risk assessment processes and will be especially useful with offenders new to the register and those who frequently move across force boundaries. The information obtained will influence safeguarding actions and inform an offenders risk management plan (RMP).

42. The benefits of Release 1 of PND in terms of no delay in obtaining responses, will be further enhanced with Release 2 in 2012, when PND’s functionality will enable searches directly on objects, locations and policing events. Police Offender Managers will also be able to use in Release 2 the PND functions of schedule searches and alerts. These functions will ensure early notification of information concerning a MAPPA offender which could identify a change of circumstances e.g. the offender has a new partner, child protection or victim issues, job, address or behaviour, leading to a more timely review of an Offender’s RMP, which may be changed as a result of the new information.

43. Central Jigsaw successfully negotiated with the Met Intelligence Bureau (MIB) for additional PND licences to be provided to each Borough Jigsaw Team, in addition to their BOCU’s allocation.

F&Thompson

44. The 2010 Supreme Court Judgement in the case of F&Thompson declared that the existing registered Sex Offender lifetime notification requirements without the prospect of review are incompatible with Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (the right to family life).

45. The Home Office plans to implement a Remedial Order in early 2012 creating a process for individual sex offenders who are registered indefinitely to seek a review of their registration once they have completed a fixed period of time subject to the notification requirements (15 years from the point of first notification following release from custody for the index offence for adults and 8 years for juveniles).

46. A relevant offender will be able to seek a review by submitting an application to the chief officer of the police area in which he or she resides. The review will be completed by the police and will take into account a range of factors, including any information provided from agencies, which operate within MAPPA. Should the review be unsuccessful, under these proposals an offender will be entitled to seek new reviews every 8 years.

47. This remedial order may have significant long-term resource implications for Jigsaw Officers. There are currently (as of 22/08/11) a total of 5,988 sex offenders subject to registration in London (including offenders currently in custody). This total will be increasing until 2023. A large proportion of these offenders are registered indefinitely. For offenders who were convicted as adults, the earliest date on which any will be eligible to apply for a review will be 01/09/2012 (the first registrations were 15 years prior to this date). Each registration review process can take up to 24 weeks and each will require multi-agency research and evidenced responses.

Violent Offender Orders (VOO’s)

48. Murder is currently not a qualifying offence for VOO application as in the UK, the offender would be subject to life licence. However this poses an issue in relation to individuals convicted of murder abroad who return to the UK as they are not currently qualifying offenders. The national VOO Management Board, containing representatives from all relevant stakeholder agencies and the Home Office/MOJ are seeking to address this in further legislation. Consideration is also being given to including Aggravated GBH as a qualifying offences as well as Robbery and some Firearms offences (Firearms Act 1968 s.16, 16A, 17 & 18).

External Partnerships and Internal Key Stakeholders

49. MAPPA is a multi agency response to managing offenders and strong working relationships have been formed with the other two responsible authorities, Probation and Prisons as well as the range of duty to co-operate agencies and the voluntary sector who are associated with supporting both victims and offenders, together with internal key stakeholders. Some examples of partnership relationships both internally and externally are:

SCD2 and SCD5 - Creation of ViSOR records

50. Central Jigsaw identified that some MAPPA eligible sex offenders were not having ViSOR records created upon conviction. Of particular concern was when Jigsaw teams were not being informed of a person subject to notification requirements receiving a non-custodial sentence or having been on remand and with time served, were released from custody at court. In these circumstances if the sex offender did not register within 3 days, they would be in breach of their registration requirements and could be a risk to the public.

51. To address this gap new guidance has been written ensuring SCD2 Sapphire, the OCU investigating serious sexual offences and SCD5, the Child Abuse Investigation Command ensure Jigsaw Teams create a ViSOR record for an offender at the point of charge for a relevant notifiable offence, which ensures the case is monitored and court results or case dismissals are known immediately. The added benefits of this guidance is that intelligence/information on ViSOR is available to all police forces at the earliest opportunity, and the investigating officer discussing the case with Jigsaw Officers at significant stages, encourages advice re the appropriateness, in relevant cases, of civil order applications to manage any risk posed by suspects e.g. RoSHO’s or SOPO’s. These orders provide a monitoring tool and if an offender is convicted of breaching a RoSHO they become subject to the notification requirements in Part 2 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (i.e. they become an RSO).

Met Intelligence Bureau (MIB)

52. In 2011 MIB’s Research Development Analysis Team created a sex offender priortisation matrix to identify the MPS’s most harmful sex offenders. Some of these offenders are under MAPPA management and MIB in liaison with the Jigsaw Offender Manager, look to develop the intelligence picture on an individual to identify and progress opportunities around reducing the risk associated with them e.g. behavioral orders, proactive operations, etc.

53. MIB also assist Jigsaw Teams trying to trace wanted missing Registered Sex Offenders by undertaking detailed intelligence checks.

Travelling Sex Offenders

54. The management of Registered Sex Offenders by police is a statutory requirement and preventing them traveling abroad to sexually abuse children in foreign countries is a key activity as well as enforcing any registration requirements or civil order prohibitions.

55. In March 2011 Project HAVEN a Europol initiative to counteract traveling sex offenders originating from the EU managed by the Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) Group at Europol took place at airports across the UK including, Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Manchester, Birmingham, Norwich and Glasgow. The Operation lead was UKBA, Central Jigsaw Team and officers from Hillingdon’s Jigsaw Team together with officers from SO18 at Heathrow, and SCD5’s Hi-Tech Unit, supported it under Operation Apprentice 5, targeting identified flights and registered sex offenders nationally, traveling into or from Heathrow on the day of the operation.

56. As a result of the positive feedback from Project Haven, Central Jigsaw officers together with SO18 officers and officers from UKBA committed to undertaking further joint operations. This resulted in a two day operation at Heathrow Airport in July 2011 under Operation Apprentice 6, targeting RSO’s, enforcing restrictions placed on them and obtaining intelligence re locations traveled and offender patterns.

Best Practice, Creative Initiatives and Projects:

Central Jigsaw training MAPPA Administrators

57. The MAPPA Executive Office identified that London Probation trainers did not have the level of MAPPA or ViSOR skills required to complete the training of the 32 Probation MAPPA Administrators. MPS ViSOR accredited trainers volunteered to train all MAPPA Administrators to ensure their prompt access to ViSOR. The added advantage was providing the Administrators with a better understanding of police procedures and the importance of working in partnership. The MPS has also undertaken the Administrators ViSOR refresher training.

Havering MAPPA Administrator

58. Havering Jigsaw Team obtained ‘MPS Contractor’ status for their MAPPA Administrator who is a probation employee and had them trained on all police intelligence systems. This has allowed for an easier cross-flow of information between probation and police (subject to MAPPA legislation) and should enable better and more fully informed Risk Management Plans to be developed. It also enables Probation to be made aware of any concerns regarding Violent Offenders that they currently manage at Level 1, and not just when the concerns have already raised the subject to Level 2 management status. As a result of this initiative all MAPPA Administrators employed by London Probation will now be offered MPS Contractor status.

ViSOR Pilot

59. With the introduction of Part 4 Notification Requirements of the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008 in October 2009, the ViSOR IT system was reconfigured to allow for the recording of Notifiable Terrorist Offenders (TACT). In 2010 a ViSOR pilot project was undertaken to review whether there were benefits in ViSOR records being created for terrorist offenders upon conviction for a TACT offence or terrorist related offences rather than at 6 months prior to release as is the current procedure.

60. Two pilot areas were identified and the pilot commenced September 2010 and terminated at the end of February 2011. The project was managed by the Senior Probation Officer for Extremism based within the Public Protection and Mental Health Group working closely with the NOMS ViSOR lead with regular updates to the NOMS ViSOR Business Board, NOMS Extremism Board and the Police led group on the Management of Terrorist Offenders in the Community.

61. The recommendation from the pilot was that the use of ViSOR for such offenders should be progressed further as it is currently the most effective tool that allows for efficient multi-agency information sharing enhancing existing processes and should ensure effective risk assessment and management of such offenders with the overall aim of reducing re-offending and protecting the public.

ViSOR Vetting Levels

62. The NPIA ViSOR Product and Management Unit circulated a draft report stating that ACPO National Vetting Working Group recommend that all ViSOR users must be vetted to MV clearance or non- police equivalent, NPPV 3. Central Jigsaw’s ViSOR CPC pointed out that ViSOR is a confidential system and MV clearance is for staff that regularly have access to Secret and occasional Top Secret information. The report was referred back to ACPO and was revised with vetting clearance appropriate to the access level of ViSOR. Due to the intervention of the MPS, 6 ViSOR users will require the higher clearance as appose to 165 under the initial proposal, a huge time cost saving.

O/S Recommendations from the MPA Audit of Operation Jigsaw

63. Operation Jigsaw was subject to an MPA Audit (Systems Supporting Shared Services) in 2009. Three recommendations remain outstanding:

64. Existing arrangements with the DTC agencies are reviewed and appropriate monitoring arrangements are introduced. - This is still being monitored by Central Jigsaw and a definitive response is currently being sought to conclude this recommendation

65. Review of MPS ViSOR SyOPS. - Following a meeting with the NPIA ViSOR Team, it is understood they are currently reviewing their ARMADS (National Security Document) and a draft document is in existence which is about to go out to consultation. As there is likely to be a number of changes it was agreed that the MPS would delay consultation on amended ViSOR SyOPS until the publication of the National Security document set.

66. Review resourcing and support of ViSOR - Under TP Development the number of staff supporting ViSOR in the MPS has not increased. However the member of Police staff’s role as ViSOR CPC was reviewed by the Hay Band Review Team and increased from a Band D to a Band C. the member of police staff had taken on the role of ViSOR Security Manager had strategic responsibility for ViSOR and their level of expertise, skills and responsibility significantly increased in terms of the volume of users and records to be managed.

TP Development and Central Jigsaw

67. Central Jigsaw resourcing levels have been reviewed under the TP Development Programme and staffing levels have been rationalised with the loss of 1 Detective Chief Inspector (DCI), 1 Detective Sergeant and 1 police staff position leaving a Detective Inspector, 2 Detective Sergeants, 6 Constables and 1 member of police staff. A single DCI now has responsibility for both Safeguarding and Dangerous Offenders.

MPS Anti-Violence Strategy

68. The strategic leadership of the MPS remains fully committed to Public Protection as evidenced by the introduction and continuing development of the Anti-Violence Strategy. It is recognised that MAPPA is a key component of Public Protection and despite rationalising resources within TPHQ Community & Customer Service, focus remains very much on ensuring levels of performance are improved and support is provided to boroughs MPS wide in managing Sex Offenders and Violent Offenders.

C. Other organisational and community implications

Equality and Diversity Impact

1. The work of MAPPA is committed to equal access to services for all groups, particularly in relation to race, gender, age, religious belief, sexuality, sexual orientation and disability. This means all actions undertaken or recommended by MAPPA, and all policies and procedures, will be based on assessments of risks and needs. They will not draw on stereotypical assumptions about groups that will be discriminatory in outcome. In undertaking its work, MAPPA will be sensitive and responsive to people’s differences and needs. It will integrate this understanding into the delivery of its function to ensure that nobody is disadvantaged as a result of his or her belonging to a specific social group.

2. MAPPA is explicitly referenced in its Diversity Plans; all staff actively engaged in MAPPA work are trained in diversity. MAPPA data is recorded in relation to race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability and sexual orientation - this is done on an individual case-by-case basis and staff actively consider if any issues arise. However, overall diversity data is not easily retrievable and patterns/themes are not easy to identify (see para.37). MAPPA offenders have access to interpreting and translation services; MAPPA information and leaflets are produced in languages appropriate to the local population and; Diversity issues are always considered when any offender is referred to a Multi-Agency Public Protection Panel (MAPP Panel), both in terms of impact on the offender and on the staff who manage them. This is recorded within the minutes.

Consideration of MET Forward

3. The report sits under the Met Specialist, public protection strand of Met Forward. It demonstrates the activities and partnership working that are carried out by Operation Jigsaw staff across the MPS in relation to registered sex offenders and serious violent offenders. This includes the day to day management of RSOs on Boroughs ensuring that the risk is effectively managed.

Financial Implications

4. The 2010 Supreme Court Judgment in the case of F&Thompson declaring that the existing register Sex Offender lifetime notification requirements without the prospect of review are incompatible with Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (the right to family life). The Home Office plans to implement a Remedial Order creating a process for individual sex offenders who are registered indefinitely to seek review of their registration once they have completed a fixed period of time subject to notification requirements. The long term resource implications of this Remedial Order for the MPS and on Jigsaw Officers workload is under review and if necessary will be reflected in the MTFP process.

Legal Implications

5. The relevant statutory framework and case law is set out in the body to this report. No legal implications arise.

Environmental Implications

6. There are no environmental implications

Risk Implications

7. Learning from a PIMR and an SCR relates to the quality of intelligence checks at initial registration and review. All Jigsaw Officers have been reminded to conduct and record intelligence checks as per SOP’s and has been re-emphasised by the MPS trainers of the ViSOR and MOSAVO courses and should be addressed with the introduction of PND.

8. During of Op Apprentice 6 at Heathrow airport an RSO subject to a SOPO did not have the relevant marker on their PNC record, therefore their SOPO conditions were not known without accessing ViSOR. Enquiries were made with the Sex Offenders Registration Unit (SORU) at PNC Bureau, who confirmed that the court concerned had not sent a copy of the SOPO order to PNC, despite requests for this information. It was established that there were 50 cases, all in the MPS, dating back to 2004 which were not on PNC. Central Jigsaw contacted the head of Court Administration in each of the cases concerned. No one particular court was responsible and the main explanation given for the failings was workload. This is now being rectified by the courts directly with SORU, which Central Jigsaw will review in one month.

9. During Op Apprentice 6 photographs of some RSO’s recorded on ViSOR were no longer current, poorly focused, or omitted obvious facial details. Good quality photos were important when trying to identify offenders. As a result Central Jigsaw contacted all Jigsaw teams to remind offender managers of the correct procedures for recording images. The MPS ViSOR CPC has highlighted this concern to the National VISOR User Group.

D. Background papers

None

E. Contact details

Report author: Detective Inspector Audrey Teodorini, Central Jigsaw, MPS

For information contact:

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

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