Step Change Programme consultation update

Report: 6
Date: 13 November 2003
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report updates Members on progress on consultation to date by the Step Change Programme, which aims to deliver the joint MPS, MPA and Mayor of London’s vision for MPS growth towards 35,000 police officers and police community support officers, with the necessary associated growth in support and infrastructure.

A. Recommendation

That progress to date regarding consultation for the Step Change Programme be noted.

B. Supporting information

Introduction

1. The Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) and the Mayor of London, on the advice of the Commissioner, have indicated a wish to further increase officer numbers in order to achieve the vision of making London the safest major city in the world, with an emphasis on neighbourhood policing. This requires substantial investment through not only growth in police numbers, but also in additional resources for infrastructure and support. This will allow police officers and Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) to be ring-fenced for neighbourhood policing, while the existing high level of demand for other policing services continues to be met.

2. Public consultation and engagement is the foundation on which neighbourhood policing will be established. It is vital that the community and partners are fully consulted and engaged, both locally and London-wide, in the implementation and rollout of neighbourhood policing. Local police commanders will be required to use existing mechanisms, such as Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs), to this end, but also to develop new means of engagement appropriate to local circumstances.

Internal consultation

3. The Programme consists of a number of Strands or sub-programmes, with each MPS business group providing a lead with responsibility for delivery of their contribution to the Step Change Programme (SCP). These leads (or their representatives) sit on the SCP Programme Board (along with trades unions and staff association representatives).

4. Each business group lead has been assigned a liaison within the SCP Co-ordination Team, and it is through this bilateral relationship that business groups are consulted on the direction of the Programme and its development. Strand liaisons also engage with the MPS, MPA and GLA through a number of other forums, such as:

• MPS Business Managers’ Meeting
• MPS Change Co-ordination Committee
• MPS Reassurance Project Board
• MPS Resources Board
• MPS Civilianisation Gold Group
• MPS / MPA / GLA Officers working group

5. A Steering Group of MPS, MPA and GLA representatives oversee the SCP with periodic reports to Coordination and Policing Committee.

External consultation

6. External consultation can occur both at a London-wide level and at the local borough level and some of the mechanisms are outlined below.

London-wide consultation

7. The work of the programme has been informed by the results arising from previous consultation events, such as the MPS Public Attitude Survey and MPS Safest City Research. Qualitative research conducted by NFO World Group on behalf of the MPS undertaken in March 2003 asked Londoners across a number of boroughs about their views regarding neighbourhood policing. There was strong support for the concept of dedicated neighbourhood teams and there was a wish to see a substantial increase in street patrols and a greater visible presence of officers who are familiar with the needs and issues of specific local areas.

8. The MPS / MPA general consultation exercise, undertaken as part of the objective and priority setting process for 2004-2005, will continue to inform neighbourhood policing activity and the shape of neighbourhood policing. For example, in the first phase of MPS e-consultation on priorities for the 2004/05 Policing Plan, (111 community and local government organisations in London responded), there was strong support for a greater number of police on the beat to reduce fear of crime, discourage crime and to build relationships between police and communities.

Local borough-level consultation

9. Neighbourhood policing, as proposed by the MPS, seeks to respond to these concerns and tackle Londoners’ fear of crime. It will provide for sustained engagement and communication with Londoners and MPS partners.

10. Local operational commanders will be given maximum flexibility to determine the most appropriate deployment of their neighbourhood teams, in consultation with local community and agency partners and key stakeholders. This operational flexibility and local autonomy will function in a policy framework which ensures that the additional, dedicated community policing resources cannot be redirected to other modes of policing.

11. Good working relationships with local partners (including local authorities, registered social landlords, trading associations and community groups) will be necessary to the planning, implementation and ongoing delivery of neighbourhood policing. This will require the local agreement between agencies regarding resourcing, service delivery and information sharing. Both police and partners will identify local concerns and needs and deal with them through a joint problem-solving approach.

12. Community consultation and involvement will be critical to the success of neighbourhood policing. Neighbourhood teams of PCs and PCSOs will need to have consideration of local concerns and needs. Whilst this element of consultation is currently under development, it is envisaged that it may include the following:

• Local public perception survey
• Environmental visual audit
• Neighbourhood ‘People’s Panels’ along the lines of the Chicago Alternative Policing System (CAPS)
• Focus / stakeholder groups (which can be targeted at particular sections of the community)
• Consideration of local concerns, for example, through MP / Councillor letters, complaints by residents or businesses, media monitoring, information from public meetings and forums

It is expected that the results of this consultation will feed into BOCUs’ and CDRPs’ planning, and other local decision-making processes.

13. Neighbourhood policing is and integral driver for SCP. The National Reassurance Project is informing MPS implementation of neighbourhood policing. The MPS is engaged with other forces in the national project to develop processes and products to support the operational delivery of public reassurance through neighbourhood policing.

14. The Reassurance Project is currently being piloted at a number of sites within the MPS. The MPS Reassurance pilot sites have identified some early indicators of success through local public perception surveys. In Bexley for example, research has shown that over a period of 9 months the public’s perception within a pilot area has shifted from 24% feeling safe at night in the area to 93% in March 2003.

Next steps

15. The MPS will continue to seek opportunities to work with its partners (especially the MPA and GLA) to consult with Londoners on Step Change and neighbourhood policing. This may include the use of the MPA Citizen Panel and focus groups, GLA telephone polling and focus groups.

16. The SCP Co-ordination team has assisted the GLA in designing questions for its Annual London Survey 2003. Topline findings should be available from 15 December 2003 and the full report and full cross-breaks should be available by the beginning of January 2004. These questions will test the Step Change concept in the following areas:

• Satisfaction of policing in the local area
• Testing the importance of aspects of local neighbourhood policing:
  • Familiarity with the local police
  • Visibility of the local police
  • Accessibility of the local police / good community relations
  • Partnership-working
  • Local police knowledge about the area
  • Diversity of the police workforce
  • Public support for PCSOs
  • Policing priorities (in London as a whole and in local areas)

17. Local aspects of consultation and engagement will continue to be developed on conjunction with the MPS Reassurance Project.

C. Equality and diversity implications

The ongoing development of neighbourhood policing will draw from MPA consultations as outlined in ‘Outcomes of the MPS consultation on Policing Priorities’.

Local consultation will require the inclusion of ‘hard to hear’ groups often most in need of reassurance.

D. Financial implications

To date, the direct cost of consultation to the Step Change Programme has been £1000 for questions in the GLA Annual London Survey 2003 (£7000 market price).

E. Background papers

None.

F. Contact details

Report author: Ashton McGregor, Consultant, Step Change Programme Co-ordination Team, MPS.

For more information contact:

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

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