Minutes

Notes of the inquorate Community Engagement Committee held on 14 October 2004 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, London, SW1H 0NY.

Present

Members

• Abdal Ullah (Chair)
• Kirsten Hearn (items 1 to 8, 12 and 15)
• Damian Hockney (items 5 to 9 and 11 to 16)
• John Roberts

MPA officers

• Chris Calnan (Community Engagement Unit)
• Ken Hunt (Deputy Treasurer)
• John May (Community Engagement Unit)
• Tim Rees (Head of Community Engagement Unit)
• David Riddle (Deputy Clerk)
• Ruth Hastings Iqball (Committee Services)

MPS officers

• Chas Bailey (Superintendent, Consultation Manager)
• Richard Bryan (DAC, Planning and Performance)
• James Smith (Commander, Reassurance and Community Safety Partnership)
• Jane Wilkin (Consultation Officer)

Also present

• Mick Farrant, Camden ICVP (item 6)
• Ian Smith, Executive Director, ICV Association (item 5)
• Martin Stevens
• David Palmer, MPS (item 7)

Part 1

1. Apologies for absence

(Agenda item 1)

Apologies for absence were received from Aneeta Prem (Deputy Chair) Nicky Gavron, and Jenny Jones (Members).

The meeting was inquorate for items 1, 2, 4, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14 and 16. It was noted that whilst the meeting was inquorate only recommendations, not resolutions could be made.

2. Declarations of interest

(Agenda item 2)

No interests were declared.

3. Minutes of the Consultation Committee – 26 July 2004

(Agenda item 3)

The Committee considered the minutes of the meeting held on 26 July 2004, whilst inquorate. They were agreed later when the meeting was quorate.

Resolved - That the minutes of the meeting held on 26 July be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

4. Chair’s, Members’ and Clerk’s update (oral report)

(Agenda item 4)

Kirsten Hearn reported that she had attended the MPS’s Disability Conference, which had considered a workplan for policing of the disabled community and employment of the disabled staff and officers by the MPS. She thanked the MPS staff involved in the event. John Roberts informed members that he was pleased to have been asked to be a facilitator at this event. Abdal Ullah thanked Peter Day for representing the MPA at a meeting concerning section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000.

Members were informed that this could possibly be the last meeting to be attended by Supt Chas Bailey, as he was awaiting a transfer to a borough.

Recommended - That the oral report be received.

5. Review of the Independent Custody Visiting Scheme (oral report by Ian Smith, Executive Director, ICV Association)

(Agenda item 5)

Ian Smith, Executive Director of the ICV Association gave an oral report accompanied by PowerPoint slides on his review of Independent Custody Visiting in London. The report covered the responsibilities of the MPA concerning ICVPs and the methodology of his review. The final report would be completed by November 2004. Ian Smith informed members that computer programmes, training literature, recruiting material and money for conferences were all available for use by the MPA in its role in relation to ICVPs, but was not at present being utilised. David Riddle informed members that in addition to these resources, a bid for £75,000 was being made on the 2005/6 MPA budget, to carry out any recommendations received.

Resolved - That the oral report be received.

6. Independent Custody Visiting Panel (ICVP) - emerging issues (oral report by Mick Farrant, Camden ICVP)

(Agenda item 6)

Mick Farrant from Camden ICVP gave an oral report on the work he believed needed to be undertaken by the MPA to develop a stronger and more productive relationship with ICVPs, in accordance with its statutory duty. He made it clear that being a ICVP member was not the pleasantest task to volunteer for, and that in the MPS area there were over 1000 cells in almost 100 buildings, which housed some 300,000 people in 2003. This number is estimated to increase to 360,000 this year. Key issues facing those who worked in custody suites were immigration detainees and detainees with drink, drug or psychiatric problems. Also of concern was the lack of appropriate adults, which meant juveniles were often detained longer than adults. He recommmended that the MPA should ask for regular reports on matters of concern to ICVPs. Members noted that custody issues would be considered by the joint MPA/Health Service Review into policing for people with mental health problems.

Resolved - That the oral report be received.

7. Community engagement within the safer neighbourhoods initiative (oral report by Martin Stevens and David Palmer, MPS)

(Agenda item 7)

Members received a presentation with PowerPoint slides on community engagement within the Safer Neighbourhoods initiative. In response to public demand, the Safer Neighbourhoods initiative was providing community focused policing with dedicated neighbourhood teams, which worked with the community and local authorities to reduce crime and disorder and deal with the local issues that most affected people's quality of life. Areas where the Safer Neighbourhoods initiative was in operation had seen reduced crime and antisocial behaviour.

Safer Neighbourhoods teams had engaged with the public by such mechanisms as household surveys, ‘Have A Say’ days, questionnaires to schools, junior citizen events, questionnaires to community groups, engaging with existing groups (like Neighbourhood Watch), and holding ward surgeries. Leafleting, newsletters and articles in local newspapers had been used to inform residents of what was happening. Members were also given examples of initiatives used by teams to stop antisocial behaviour.

In answer to questions, members were informed that the initial Safer Neighbourhood areas were the most challenging in a borough; however borough commanders, in consultation with Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships, would select the next Safer Neighbourhoods areas.

Resolved - That the oral report be received.

8. Public attitude survey: update on emerging findings

(Agenda item 8)

Betsy Stanko introduced a report on the results of the 2003/4 Public Attitude Survey, supplemented by emerging findings from the first quarter results of the newly revised 2004/5 Public Attitude Survey and the Safer Neighbourhoods benchmarking exercise conducted from March – June 2004. In answer to a question about displacement, members were informed that it was difficult to evidence, but attempts were being made to do so. In answer to another question, she explained that the very nature of ‘random’ sampling made it difficult to ensure communities were reflected in numeric proportions, however random sampling was supplemented by focus groups. A further report was requested in due course.

Resolved - That the report be noted.

9. Citizen-focused policing project

(Agenda item 9)

This report (heard after report 15) provided an overview of the Citizen-Focused Policing Project. It was prepared following a recommendation (originating from a report to Planning Performance and Review Committee in September) ‘that the MPS, in consultation with officers of the MPA, report to the next meeting of the Community Engagement Committee on the action taken to embed a citizen focused approach to policing and the role of the Citizen Focus Champion’.

Recommended – That the report be noted.

10. Setting strategic priorities for community engagement and consultation

(Agenda item 10)

A report was received summarising the headlines from an analysis of several studies of policing priorities. It explored the implications of the way Londoners think about operational priorities and made recommendations for inclusion in the Community Engagement Strategy.

Recommended – That

1. the Community Engagement Strategy give due attention to each of the four different ways in which Londoners think about operational police priorities;
2. members scrutinise all community engagement and consultation regarding policing and community safety matters in London;
3. agencies commissioning consultation or community engagement work be asked to make explicit which one or more of the four sectors the piece of work is intended to address; and
4. the Community Engagement Strategy include a programme of work to identify best practice in citizen influence over policing.

11. Proposed MPS consultation and community engagement website

(Agenda item 11)

This report updated members on the MPS Consultation and Community Engagement website currently being developed by the MPS Strategic Consultation unit. The report outlined the proposed 5 phases of the website and activity carried out to date.

Recommended – That the plan of action outlined in the report be endorsed.

12. Disposition of MPA partnership funds at borough level

(Agenda item 12)

This report was considered after report 8. It provided a position statement, at the end of the financial year, on the way that each Borough OCU, in consultation with the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP), has utilised the £50,000 partnership fund provided by the MPA in April 2003. The report dealt specifically with the 2003/4 allocation, but where possible gave details of proposed projects for the underspend carried forward.

Commander Smith recognised the members’ concerns about how the funding was spend, but pointed out that it was spent with the agreements of CDRPs and link members. However, he stated that he would produce draft guidance, to be agreed with the MPA, for future expenditure and in future produce regular updates on the funding was being spent. The Deputy Clerk agreed that work needed doing before the next round of funding and the MPA need to be more assertive in this. A report would be produced for the Co-ordination and Policing Committee, which would link in with Cdr Smith’s proposals.

Resolved – That a report be made to Co-ordination and Policing Committee concerning the use of the funding, which would link the MPS’s proposals for systems to monitor the distribution of the fund in the next financial year.

13. Progress report on CPCG funding for 2004/05

(Agenda item 13)

The report summarised for members the progress being made on the implementation of funding arrangements for Community Police Consultative Groups (CPCGs) for 2004/05

Recommended – That

1. the progress being made on the implementation of funding arrangements for CPCGs for 2004/05 be noted;
2. officers continue the implementation of the funding arrangements within the Committee’s guidelines; and
3. any outstanding issues that could not be resolved at an officer level be referred to the Members' Panel for decision.

14. MPA support of community – police consultation arrangements in Greenwich

(Agenda item 14)

A report was received providing recommendations for supporting community police consultative arrangements in Greenwich.

Recommended – That the recommendation to undertake a two-year review and active research evaluation of the integrated, three-tier community police engagement process that is being established in Greenwich be adopted, subject to review after 1 year.

15. Priorities and work plan of Community Engagement Committee

(Agenda item 15)

This report, which was considered after report 12, proposed key strategic priorities and workplan objectives for the Community Engagement Committee for 2004-06. Members stated that it would be reassuring if the committee had an overarching aim, it was agreed this would be discussed further outside the meeting.

Resolved – That members consider the proposed priority areas and workplan of the Community Engagement Committee outside the meeting.

16. Lead member roles

(Agenda item 16)

Members received a report asking them to review and appoint their lead member positions, subject to confirmation by the full Authority at its October meeting. At the previous committee meeting, Aneeta Prem had indicated that she would be happy to be lead member for ICV matters. It was suggested the three-member CPCG funding appeals panel take on the role of lead members for CPCGs.

Recommended – That Aneeta Prem be proposed as lead member for ICV matters and the three-member CPCG funding appeals panel take on the role of lead members for CPCGs.

Meeting finished at 4.30 p.m.

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