Annual report from the Co-ordination and Policing Committee

Report: 7
Date: 1 November 2007
By: the Chief Executive

Summary

This Annual Report summarises the key areas of activity of the Co-ordination and Policing Committee in the previous year.

A. Recommendations

That the work carried out by the Co-ordination and Policing Committee in pursuance of the authority’s oversight and governance responsibilities be noted.

B. Supporting information

1. The following paragraphs summarise the key areas of the Committee’s activities during the previous year, by reference to the main themes in its terms of reference.

Oversight and direction of major change programmes within the MPS.

2. The main focus has been on the change programmes embraced within the Met Modernisation Programme. The oversight group made up of members of the committee has met regularly in dialogue with the Director Strategy, Modernisation and Performance, to ensure that the programme momentum is being maintained, that the direction of travel accords with the corporate strategy, and that there are robust arrangements for benefits realisation.

3. As part of the MMP the committee has considered reports on the strengthening of Intelligence, Covert Policing and Tasking. It has also focussed, in conjunction with the Finance Committee, on the development of the Estates Strategy for the MPS, and the initiation of specific projects for Patrol Bases as a key feature of the Estates Strategy.

4. Progress on the implementation of recommendations from the Morris Inquiry has been monitored, showing substantial compliance by the MPS with the recommendations. The Committee has also satisfied itself that the thrust of Morris’ recommendations will be supported and taken forward as part of the reforms of police discipline procedures following the government’s acceptance of the Taylor Review.

HR Policy and Strategy

5. The detailed oversight of HR policy and implementation within the MPS has been carried out by the HR Portfolio Member and the HR Oversight Group. The committee has set down a framework for the governance of annual pay negotiations, and has considered the MPS Learning and Development Plan, and the programme for Initial Police Learning and Development (both of which are crucial to the objective of securing and maintaining a highly skilled police service). The committee has also approved changes in ACPO terms and conditions designed to ensure that the most senior officers in the Met are working to terms that reflect the current needs of the organisation.

Consultation and Community Engagement Strategy

6. The Community Engagement Strategy for the MPA and MPS, setting out the overall framework for transforming community engagement on policing, was approved as the basis for programme development. The committee also endorsed a strategy for growth in the funding for community engagement with a view to allocating £50,000 to each borough, over a period of time. A set of Standards for community Engagement Groups was approved, to guide funding decisions. The committee has restated the strategic objective of devolving funding and responsibility for borough level community engagement to local borough partnerships, over a period of time and in line with the expectations of the Government review of crime and disorder partnerships.

7. The Committee has endorsed the MPS proposals for Safer Neighbourhood Panels, as a vital element of the approach to neighbourhood policing and a strengthening of community engagement at the locality level.

8. The MPA inherited 32 borough based Independent Custody Visiting Panels. Following an independent review in 2005, the committee approved a change programme designed to enhance the support given to local panels of volunteers and to make the MPA governance of the scheme more effective, to comply with statutory duties, and it has received progress reports on implementation of those changes. The reforms have not been universally well received, but are on track, with a new enlarged staff team in place. With more resources allocated to custody visiting, a planned approach to improve recruitment and training of volunteers, and a new framework for engaging the volunteers in the development of the service, the committee expects that the reforms will provide the basis to take the London ICV Scheme to a level of excellence, reflecting the importance of the service carried out by independent volunteers as a key safeguard of the rights of detainees.

Operational Policing

9. The committee has maintained a close oversight of developments in operational policing, to satisfy itself that Londoner’s can continue to receive effective, efficient and responsive policing services. Scrutiny has covered Safer Neighbourhoods Police teams, the role and responsibilities of PCSO’s, Safer Transport Teams (a partnership with Transport for London), E-Crime, relations between the MPS and SOCA, and the use of TASER as a less lethal weapon.

10. Members have taken a close interest in the challenges for policing from Youth Crime, Gangs, Guns Knives and Weapons, and from Anti Social Behaviour, and will continue to monitor the effectiveness of the MPS response to these issues which are so important to Londoners.

11. The committee has also received informative reports on the work of the Directorate of Legal Services, reflecting positive developments from the new leadership of that service and showing a welcome openness and transparency.

Partnerships

12. The use of the MPA Partnership funding for local partnership work has been reviewed, and the committee has established a modest regional partnership fund to support significant regional partnership enterprise. A focus has been placed on MPS Partnership development, especially in the increasingly important context of LAA’s. This will continue to be an important theme, as new LAA’s and new performance measures begin to operate.

13. At a regional level, the Committee has supported the work of the London Community Safety Partnership, and has nominated the Chair to join that Partnership in recognition of its strategic potential.

MPA Scrutiny Programme

14. The Committee has taken forward a new strategic, risk based, approach to developing the MPA Scrutiny Programme. It endorsed two topics for scrutiny during 2007/08, namely Young People and Crime (with an expectation that there will be significant engagement with young people as part of the scrutiny) and Succession Planning and Talent Management in the MPS, looking at the arrangements to secure the strongest possible leadership in the service in the future.

15. The Committee itself carried out a major scrutiny of MPS Public Affairs functions, arising out of concerns expressed at the time of the Forest Gate counter terrorism operation. The scrutiny made recommendations to strengthen the MPS capacity to manage communications effectively during critical operations and to respond robustly to misleading or untrue reporting in the media. The recommendations include bringing all MPS media and communications activity under the professional leadership of the Director of Public Affairs, developing media monitoring in the MPS, and enhancing the application of MPS media policy at all levels of the organisation with sanctions for breaches.

MPA Operations and Budget

16. The committee maintained oversight of the MPA Improvement Programme, designed to reshape the organisation and its business processes to be more effective in delivering MPA corporate priorities, and to develop the culture and leadership of the organisation with a renewed focus on performance and internal partnership working.

17. The Committee has monitored the work done by the organisation to learn the lessons from a finding of discrimination against the MPA by an ET.

18. Following serious concern about the possible unauthorised disclosure of confidential information from the Authority, the committee received the report of an investigation and approved a new policy and standard operating procedure to govern confidential briefings to Members on police operational matters.

19. The committee has also reviewed the arrangements for designating Lead Members for certain service areas and themes, and revised the responsibilities of Lead Members to provide greater clarity and accountability.

C. Race and equality impact

There are no implications arising from this report. In carrying out its work, the Committee is fully mindful of the need for proposed policies or programmes to be effectively impact assessed.

D. Financial implications

There are no financial implications arising from this report.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: David Riddle, MPA

For more information contact:

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

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