Minutes

15 January 2002

Minutes of the meeting of the Consultation, Diversity and Outreach Committee held at Avenue House, 15 –17 East End Road, Barnet, N3 3QE.

Present

Members

• R. David Muir (Chair)
• Cindy Butts (Deputy Chair)
• Abdal Ullah (Deputy Chair)
• Jenny Jones
• Nicholas Long (items 6 to 14)
• Cecile Lothian

Also present: Peter Herbert (MPA link member for Barnet) (items 10 to 14).

MPA staff:

• Catherine Crawford (Clerk)
• Julia Smith (Policy Officer, CDO)

MPS staff:

• Sue Akers (Borough Commander, Barnet)
• Steve Lovelock (Det Ch Supt – Diversity Directorate)
• Michael Todd (Assistant Commissioner – Territorial Policing)

In addition approximately 20 members of the press/public and other Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) / Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) staff were present.

Part 1

48. Welcome to the meeting

(Agenda item 1)

The Chair welcomed members of the public to the meeting and provided a brief outline of the work of the MPA.

49. Apologies for absence

(Agenda item 2)

Apologies for absence were received from Jennette Arnold and Abdal Ullah.

50. Minutes of the meeting held on 15 November 2001

(Agenda item 3)

The minutes of the meeting held on 15 November 2001 were agreed and signed as a correct record. It was clarified (minute 39) that Cindy Butts was a member of the Diversity Training Sub Group, formed by the Metropolitan Police Service’s (MPS) Diversity Directorate.

Resolved - That the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 15 November 2001 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

51. Chair and Link Members' update

(Agenda item 4)

The Chair reported the Virdi Inquiry had been completed and a report published. He had met with several borough commanders in relation to the work of the Lawrence Steering Group, and the MPS’s Independent Advisory Group. Cecile Lothian had attended a conference for Independent Custody Visitors in Scotland. Jenny Jones had visited the Road Safety Unit in Havering and Cindy Butts was progressing the independent evaluation of Community Race Relation (CRR) training. 

Resolved - That the Chair and Members update be noted.

52. MPS Diversity strategy action plan - progress report

(Agenda item 5)

On 4 December 2001, the MPS’s Diversity Strategy Board approved a draft Diversity Strategy Action Plan. The plan had received favourable comment, in particular from the Commission for Racial Equality. The Diversity Strategy Monitoring Unit was now formalising systems to ensure the action plan would be monitored effectively. The Unit was undertaking a ‘scoping’ study to identify how each command unit was contributing to the strategy. 

Resolved - That the report be noted.

53. Race Relations (Amendment) Act - work in progress

(Agenda item 6)

A report was received outlining work in progress towards preparing the MPA’s race equality scheme. Members asked about this work in relation to other police authorities and functional bodies, and were informed that the MPA’s and MPS’s work was more advanced than most. 

Resolved - That the report be noted.

54. Draft Consultation, Diversity and Outreach (CDO) work programme 2002 – 2004

(Agenda item 7)

Members received a report that outlined a draft work programme for the MPA’s CDO Unit. The work programme gave key work areas for which the CDO Committee has responsibility, and considered some key priorities to be addressed during the remaining term of the Authority. In considering the programme, Members noted the need for clear prioritisation of work and inclusion of a monitoring process with timescales. It was also felt there was a need to urgently review current and past work before embarking on a new programme. The Clerk informed Members that it was proposed to review the MPA's present Committee structure, and the next CDO would include a report proposing future arrangements for this Committee.

Resolved - That

1. the content of the draft work programme be confirmed;
2. the staffing proposals made to the Coordination and Urgency Committee to support the work programme be noted;
3. the Chair and Deputy Chairs of the CDO Committee take lead responsibility for working with the MPA to finalise the work programme that would be presented to the full Authority; and
4. the work programme be presented to the March meeting of the full Authority.

55. Internal Audit review of financial management by Community and Policing Consultative Groups And Independent Custody Visiting Panels

(Agenda item 8)

Members received a report informing them that the MPA has a responsibility for ensuring that funds allocated to Community and Policing Consultative Groups (CPCGs) and Independent Custody Visiting Panels (ICVPs) were used in an appropriate manner. The Authority would be conducting a systems audit to review the adequacy of the financial control framework within these groups. The findings of the review will be reported to the MPA Treasurer at the end of March 2002. Members were assured that CPCGs and ICVPs were aware of the proposed audit.

Resolved - That

1. the commencement of the Internal Audit Review be noted; and 
2. that CPCGs, ICVPs and MPA Link Members would be informed of the terms of reference for the review.

56. MPA independent evaluation of MPS diversity training

(Agenda item 9)

The CDO Performance Sub Group had proposed that urgent action be taken to pursue the independent evaluation of MPS diversity training. A sub committee, chaired by Cindy Butts, had considered the initial draft proposal. Members received a report informing them of the work in progress.

Resolved - That

1. work to progress be noted; and 
2. the budget implications of the review, and proposal for securing the staffing and budget to undertake the evaluation be noted.

57. MPS response to Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report recommendations

(Agenda item 10)

The Chair agreed to receive a report outlining work in progress by the MPS in meeting the recommendations set out in the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry report. This report was considered urgent because Members needed to be informed before the Stephen Lawrence steering Group met. 

Members asked for an update on recommendation 61, concerning police ‘stops’ and ‘stops and searches’. They were informed that the Home Secretary’s steering group met bi-monthly to discuss this issue. It was still not clear if national guidance would be given, however the MPS had produced its own guidance, and officers were undertaking training which consisted of a half day course. Details of this training would be circulated to Members.

Resolved –the contents of the report and the progress being made by the MPS to meet the recommendations not yet completed be noted.

58. Race Relations (Amendment) Act – work in progress by the MPS

(Agenda item 11)

The Chair agreed to receive a report outlining work in progress by the MPS towards preparing the MPS’s Race Equality Scheme. This report was considered urgent because Members needed to be informed of the latest information. 

Resolved –progress towards preparing the MPS’s Race Equality Scheme be noted.

59. HMIC reports – winning the race and winning consent part 1

(Agenda item 12)

The Chair agreed to receive this report, which was considered urgent because Members needed to be informed of the latest information. 

The report informed Members of the work that had been undertaken within the MPS since Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) published the reports Winning Consent on 10 January 2000 and Winning the Race: Embracing Diversity on 18 January 2001. For completeness, the recommendations from Winning the Race: Policing Plural Communities (1997) and Winning the Race: Revisited (1998) were also included. 

The Clerk noted that there had been insufficient time for the MPA to add comments in the ‘MPA monitoring, performance indicators and outcomes column’ in the appendices of the report. In some recommendations the MPA had no role, in others it had acted, but not yet concluded some actions. Whilst the report was a welcome starting point, Members felt the ‘Timetable for Action’ column should be completed, and include an indication of timetables. 

Members discussed the role of school liaison officers, and in particular contact with primary schools. It was agreed that there should be contact with primary schools, but this was limited due to current resource restraints. It was noted that the MPS was reviewing its youth crime strategy and would be producing a strategy for schools. Members requested that the Authority be involved in this work. 

Resolved –the contents of the report and its appendices be noted.

60. Presentation by Alison Kira

(Agenda item 13)

Alison Kira, Project Manager for “Barnet Action 4 Youth” gave a presentation on young people and crime and the activities of Barnet Action 4 Youth. She outlined diversionary activities for young people, such as SPLASH, Youth Action Plus and the Barnet Youth Forum, and illustrated the benefit of such activities by a case study. 

Resolved - That the presentation be received.

61. Questions and comments from the public

(Agenda item 14)

These are contained in appendix 1.

The meeting finished at 8.00 p.m.

Appendix 1 - Questions and comments from the public

(i) Why were not all reports available on the website before the meeting?

The Clerk apologised, and explained that the MPA had experienced some technical problems with its web site.

(ii) Why had not Barnet received the number of officers indicated in an early draft of the Resource Allocation Formula?

(iii) How many officers were Barnet going to receive following the finalisation of the Resource Allocation Formula?

The Borough Commander stated that she was disappointed that she was now getting 535 officers, not the envisaged 542. However, Barnet was more fortunate than many boroughs in that with 517 officers it was almost at full strength. She was looking to use these resources more effectively, and had proposed a revised shift pattern that, if agreed, would ensure officers were available when they were most needed. 

(iv) Lack of beat officers and problems like graffiti.

The Borough Commander stated local consultation had shown that ‘quality of life issues’ were important in Barnet. She was formulating a community safety strategy, which would ensure that beat officers were in post, and involved in the community. 

(v) Issues around officer retirement after 30 years service and the cost of police pensions.

The Clerk stated that the government, which had produced a white paper on police reform, regulated police pensions. The MPA had been disappointed to find that no changes to pension regulations had been included, and would include this in its response. It did however welcome the greater flexibility proposed, and would request that the MPS be a pilot site.

(vi) Why, when there appeared to be budgets available for consultation, were the budgets for PCCGs fixed?

The sums mentioned in the reports were already in existing budgets, it was a redistribution of these budgets that had been proposed. At this time of budgetary constraints for the MPA, any further funding was being aimed at front line policing. However, if the position changed PCCGs would be considered.

(vii) 350 traffic officers were being deployed to combat street crime, why were none coming to Barnet?

Mike Todd stated that the MPS had not wanted to take officers from their valuable traffic work. This was only a short-term initiative concentrated in the eight boroughs with the largest volume of street crime, these did not include Barnet.

(viii) Why was not more information supplied by the MPA in foreign languages, and how were the residents of Barnet informed about this meeting? Why were not these meetings advertised further in advance?

Invitations were sent to 300 local groups via PCCGs. Information was also sent to the local chief executive. The point about languages was noted.

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