Community reassurance post 11 September 2001

Report: 8
Date: 15 November 2001
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report updates Members on the action taken by the Metropolitan Police Service to reassure communities in London since 11 September 2001.

A. Recommendation

Members are asked to note the contents of this report.

B. Supporting information

1. Immediately following the atrocities in the USA on 11 September the MPS implemented a strategy for community reassurance. This was to be delivered by a mix of centrally co-ordinated activity and locally delivered borough-based initiatives.

2. Boroughs were immediately contacted by e-mail and tasked with:

• Nominating a member of the Senior Management Team to co-ordinate and lead on borough responses.
• Identifying significant communities within the borough
• Initiating lines of communication with key community figures
• Monitoring community fears and tensions
• Providing the centre with details of local incidents and local initiatives introduced

3. To enable monitoring a unique computer tag was introduced to signify any crime/incident which was believed to be motivated by events on 11 September; e.g. reprisal attacks on Muslims or those taken to be Muslim, Muslim premises or (more latterly) attacks on Britons or Americans for reprisal action taken against Afghanistan.

4. Monitoring of all such tagged crimes has continued throughout with composite pan London daily bulletins compiled centrally and sent to all boroughs as well as key central departments. Through this monitoring vulnerable buildings (such as Mosques and other premises with Islamic activities, for instance Muslim schools and community centres) and vulnerable communities are identified enabling police attention to be directed accordingly.

5. Pan London reserves under central control have been increased for deployment in key locations as identified through intelligence and incident monitoring. An early decision was taken to increase the number of uniformed officers available for patrol. Consequently an additional 1500 officers have been deployed on high visibility patrols such deployment being influenced by an assessment of the most vulnerable locations and communities.

6. The statistical analysis of related incidents shows the perception of threat and increased tension not to be borne out by the reality.

7. As at 22nd October 2001, 790 USA tagged incidents have been recorded since 11th September. The statistical breakdown is as follows:

• Week 1: 127 (not complete week)
• Week 2: 185 (45% increase)
• Week 3: 125 (32% decrease)
• Week 4: 128 (2% increase)
• Week 5: 114 (11% decrease)
• Week 6: 115 (static)

8. Breakdowns of crimes reported with the USA tag show

• 22% Criminal damage (including graffiti)
• 17% Public order (insulting words and behaviour)
• 16% Violence against the person (majority common assault)
• 10% Hate mail
• 7% Bomb Hoax

9. The vast majority of incidents reported do not result in any form of attack or bodily injury. Serious assault (GBH) accounts for less than 1% of reported incidents.

10. All boroughs now notify the centre on a weekly basis with a summary of initiatives undertaken. There has been an immediate and sustained response to provide reassurance to communities including enhanced highly visible patrols in vicinity of mosques etc, giving of crime prevention advice and advice on how to deal with hate mail received.

11. The range of borough initiatives include such measures as:

• Formation of local ‘Gold’ groups including key community contacts and involving local independent advisors.
• Regular contact and visits to Mosques, Synagogues, Muslim and Jewish faith centres and schools etc. and community centres
• Using sector officers to regularly visit (perceived) vulnerable groups
• 3rd party reporting centres including 3rd party reporting forms given to mosques.
• Monitoring behaviour in schools through enhanced schools liaison
• Critical incident approaches revisited
• Prompt investigation of racist incidents
• Public meetings convened

12. To reassure communities of this position and the MPS response local community figures are regularly appraised and at New Scotland Yard regular meetings are now held with identified community representatives from Muslim, Sikh and Jewish communities as well as the Independent Advisory Group and the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Advisory Group. The business community, including US businesses, have received a series of appropriate lectures and a seminar is being convened for representatives from diplomatic missions of Islamic countries.

13. A community reassurance steering group meets weekly and an appropriate communications strategy is in place using national, local and minority media to inform communities of the MPS response. Measures to date include placing of adverts encouraging victims of hate crimes to report such incidents to police, these adverts being placed in various minority ethnic press in various languages as advised by Muslim and Sikh community representatives. Similar radio adverts have been broadcast in appropriate languages on radio stations likely to reach Muslim and Asian listeners. The Commissioner assisted by his Assistant Commissioners apprised 21 editors of minority ethnic press of MPS responses on 16.10.01 encouraging reassurance messages to be printed in their publications. Reassurance messages are now available on the MPS internet site and a link page is being created for one of the Sikh community web sites.

C. Financial implications

The financial implication of the programme is being closely monitored. It will come under the auspice of Operation Calm and, as of yet, financial figures are not available.

D. Background papers

None.

E. Contact details

The author of this report is Stephen Lovelock, MPS Diversity Directorate.

For information contact:

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

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