Counter terrorism: The London debate

Report: 5
Date: 4 September 2008
By: Assistant Commissioner Specialist Operations on behalf of the Commissioner

Summary

The Authority received the London Debate report in February 2007. The MPS initial response was provided in June 2007. Further reports have been provided thereafter. This report outlines the implementation to date, providing a final summary for presentation to the Authority.

A. Recommendations

That members note the MPS updated responses to the 46 recommendations for the MPS contained in the London Debate Report.

B. Supporting information

1. 'Counter Terrorism: The London Debate' was a report presented to the Authority in its February 2007 meeting. It was based on the MPA consultation with over 1000 Londoners. The Commissioner welcomed the report and the MPS responded more fully to the Recommendations at the June 2007 meeting of the Authority. It was agreed at that meeting that the MPS would report to the Authority on a six monthly basis. In addition, updates would be given quarterly to Reshard Auladin, Cindy Butts and Toby Harris. The first such update was given in October 2007. The last full update was provided to the full Authority in January 2008. Members welcomed this report and acknowledged the work undertaken so far. A small number of comments and suggestions were made. The MPS have responded to all of these.

2. The first, and perhaps most high profile recommendation was Recommendation 1, which related to Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000. The MPS presented a comprehensive response to this at the Full Authority meeting in May 2007. The MPA currently receives periodic updates in relation to Section 44 at the Stop and Search Review Board, the Equal Opportunities and Diversity Board and the Planning and Performance Review Committee.

3. Of the other recommendations, most complemented work already underway in the MPS. Many also overlap with recommendations in other reports such as the IPCC report on Forest Gate and the MPA Scrutiny of MPS Media and Communications. They also applied to other parts of policing beyond Counter Terrorism. Some, although referring primarily to the MPS, also applied to other agencies.

4. Further to this, a number of the Recommendations, 1, 2, 9, 13, 14, 16, 27 and 42 have been agreed at previous Authority updates as work complete and are therefore not covered in this report.

5. The MPS appointed a senior person to lead the development of each of the recommendations and to report back. Deputy Assistant Commissioner (DAC) Cressida Dick has undertaken the co-ordination of responses and developments within the MPS.

6. There has been a considerable amount of activity and achievement since June 2007. The report below gives an overall update on the recommendations, together with, where appropriate, examples of practice.

7. Since the last report to the Authority in January 2008, there have been a number of developments in the MPS approach, which have built the issues in the London Debate into mainstream work. In particular, the MPS has invested heavily in resources to deliver PREVENT activity in local partnerships. This was described in the report to full Authority on 24 July 2008. Secondly, the MPS Counter Terrorism Strategy, led by Assistant Commissioner Specialist Operations (ACSO), now has leads for PROTECT, PURSUE, PREVENT and PREPARE. MPS performance in delivering and developing the strategy is reported regularly to MPS Performance Board and to the Authority. A CT Partnership Oversight Board has been established involving statutory partners and a number of events have taken place to support the strategy – involving Borough Commanders and local partners. These developments were also reported to full Authority on 24 July 2008. Thirdly, Commander Steve Allen and his team in Territorial Policing (TP) have led Delphinus 2 (launched in October 2007). This has led to sustained improvement in the volume and quality of Borough work involved in countering terrorism.

8. The current responses to the recommendations for the MPS are outlined below under headings. As a number of acronyms and technical terms are used throughout the text, there is a glossary attached.

Counter Terrorism Command

Recommendation 3

Accept and apply to current counter-terrorist activity the learning from previous terrorist campaigns.

Recommendation 5

Provide the public, the business community and those working in other public services with more guidance as to what activity might reasonably be considered suspicious in a terrorism context.

Recommendation 6

Explain to the public what to do with information of use in countering terrorism.

Recommendation 45

Improve business preparedness for terrorist attack by:

• Publicising the ‘London Prepared’ website to businesses.
• Safer Neighbourhoods teams issuing small businesses with counter-terrorism guidance.
• Convening local business fora to draw up integrated private sector contingency plans.

9. The Organisational Learning Unit in SO15 is now up to strength with an experienced skills profile, including ex specialist firearms officers, contingency planners and investigators.

10. SO15 take part in the National CT Organisational Learning and Development Group to develop links in relation to information sharing and learning practices. It has also developed good links with Office for Security and Counter Terrorism (OSCT) at the Home Office, the Royal United Institute of Defence and Security Studies (RUSI), Cranfield University and Chatham House.

11. The National Coordinator of Terrorist Investigations seminars continue and feed the organisational learning cycle.

12. SO15 is integrating well with the new National CT Exercise Programme in OSCT with common working practices being adopted.

13. The Counter Terrorist Security Advisors (CTSA) are allocated geographical responsibility across the MPS, reflecting the Counter Terrorism Intelligence Officer (CTIO) remits. The CTSAs forge links with business, local authorities and the security industry, and are establishing strong links in relation to the 2012 Olympics.

14. ‘Argus Retail’ has developed and generated more bespoke specialist themes including ‘Argus Professional’ (Architects and planners), ‘Argus Night-time Economy’ (pubs and clubs), ‘Argus Ports’ (London’s piers and moorings) and ‘Argus Airports’. Since the beginning of July, nine events have been held attended by 300 businesses. This brings the total events held since January 2008 to 111 attended by 2998 businesses.

15. Griffin continues to be supported by the MPS in a variety of ways, mostly by way of Borough contacts, through the CT Focus Desks. SO15 CTSAs provide a weekly intelligence and information update direct to businesses via a conference call facility.

16. From 25 February 2008, for five weeks, there was a national campaign, the key message of this being ‘If you suspect it, report it’. London was one of the regions being targeted for this campaign, which also included national and local interest media e.g. Middle East Times and Ealing Times. This campaign resulted in a 69% increase in calls to the hotline against the previous five weeks and a further 10% the following five weeks, with information provided being assessed and referred for development where necessary.

17. The CTIO network has continued to expand. Specific examples of activity include CTIO involvement in the compilation of a briefing DVD intended for local authority employees engaged in roles that bring them into regular contact with communities. CTIOs and Muslim Contact Unit (MCU) officers are actively engaged in supporting PREVENT activity across the BOCUs. Examples of this work include MCU engagement with initiatives such as the Hounslow African and Asian Youth Association, the Muslim Youth Voice and pan London Youth Offender Teams. These officers have contributed greatly to the local level of understanding of the issues associated with radicalisation, including the processes used and apparent relevant indicators.

Knowledge Management Centre

Recommendation 15

Strengthen information management systems so that senior officers have up-to-date, accurate information on terrorist and counter-terrorist incidents.

18. The work of the Knowledge Management Centre (KMC) is ongoing. The aim of the KMC is at a time of crisis to become a single repository for organisational knowledge. It ensures that Gold and the management team have access to timely and accurate information. This will ensure that the MPS provides accurate, auditable and consistent information. The work of the KMC has been inspected by HMIC and a copy of the report submitted to the Authority in January 2008. Since the last update, presentations on the work of the KMC have been completed to the Public Order Cadre. A meeting was held with the Joint Intelligence Group representative to share good practice. In February, an exercise to familiarise new staff and test new processes was successfully run and subsequently debriefed and a further staff training day completed. Further enhanced staff training is scheduled to include bespoke CRIMINT plus, development and assessment of staff in key roles, and further staff exercising. The ACPO on-call responsibility now incorporates the KMC. A Service Level Agreement (SLA) has been written and agreed between the DPA and KMC. A presentation to Management Board has been put together and will be delivered in early September. Further presentations on the work of the KMC are scheduled to various audiences. An Instruction Manual is in its final stages of writing.

Diversity within SO and SO15

Recommendation 41

Diversify the workforce in Specialist Operations and particularly in the Counter-Terrorist Command.

19. Specialist Operations Careers Consultancy has held and will continue to hold careers events nationally to recruit police staff and police officers for both SO and ACPO (TAM). An SO representative periodically reports to the MPS Diversity Board.

20. Specialist Operations Careers Consultancy is planning an SO Open Day this coming October. It has also arranged a series of SO Lunchtime Roadshows during which it is available to provide informal careers information, assisted by SO15 officers.

21. As at June 2008, SO had 8.9% female officers compared with the MPS target of 23%. This is compared to 7.3% female officers in June 2006 and 8.2% in June 2007. For police staff, the total of 55% female staff exceeds the target of 50% an increase from June 2006 when females represented 52%. SO had 6.1% BME officers compared with the MPS target of 9.5%. For police staff, the total of BME staff is 19.4%. There is no longer a target for BME police staff for comparison. This is compared to 4.9% in June 2006 and 5.8% in June 2007 for police officers, and for police staff 16.2% in June 2006 and 17.2% in June 2007.

22. SO1 (Specialist Close Protection) has held female only open days for all of its recruitment posts.

23. SO14 (Royalty Protection) has recently run a recruiting campaign and this has included a ‘diversity’ statement. The advert also highlights the 12-hour shift system, which tends to be popular with working parents. SO14 Special Escort Group (SEG) has participated in a corporate female only open day for prospective motorcyclists earlier in the year.

24. SO15 has developed a Diversity Strategy, which is available on the MPS Intranet site. SO15, Counter Terrorist Command (CTC), has a nominated Diversity Coordinator and a Diversity Panel, which holds governance and oversight of this area of work within the Command. Each of the diversity strands has a nominated senior lead and a work stream of activity within that area. The Diversity Panel meets bi-monthly, with each of the strand leads presenting on progress on their action plans. Cutting across the strands are thematic programmes to look at selection, recruitment and progression. The Panel is undertaking a benchmarking diversity data programme and has identified areas within the Command with obvious under representation.

25. The SO15 Diversity Panel has been working closely with staff associations to ensure that its advertisements for roles within the Command are effectively targeted. An example of this is the work with the Disabled Staff Association regarding posts within the dedicated viewing team.

26. SO15 is running targeted focus groups with people who applied and were unsuccessful in the recent recruitment drive. The aim of these groups has been to look at barriers perceived or otherwise and also identify improvements to communication, enhance the working environment and share ideas for tackling under representation. It is planned to replicate this work across other diversity strands.

27. SO15 has taken part in a number of corporate recruitment events, including Association of Senior Women Officers (ASWO) and the SO Careers Fairs. Further to this, the Ports section of the Command has facilitated two ‘open days’ for MPS staff interested in career opportunities. The Command held a successful familiarisation event on 4 July with invited attendees who had expressed an interest in the work of the Command at recent SO Careers Fairs.

Warning and Informing the Public

Recommendation 11

During and after counter-terrorist operations, move quickly to issue accurate, safe information to local residents and business people.

Recommendation 12

In the event of a future attack, give clear and consistent messages to schools as to what to do with schoolchildren; provide clarity to employers as to whether to send their employees home; and appreciate the importance of the single ‘top CoP’ giving clear information and advice to the nation on television.

Recommendation 17

Communicate directly with Londoners, for example with Ringmaster, by Police Message Broadcast System or in person: do not rely upon the media.

Recommendation 44

Put more information into the public domain about what to do in the event of a terrorist attack.

28. All of the above recommendations are part of London Resilience, a multi-agency group of which the MPS are part, and the MPS Emergency Procedures Department (CO3) 'Warning and Informing' strategy. The full details of this can be found on the Cabinet Office’s UK Resilience and National Steering Committee website. The work of the London Resilience Task and Finish Group on Warning and Informing continues. The National Police Improvement Agency (NPIA) has developed a national police communications system for use by all forces to deliver information through a selection of electronic means (i.e. text, voice message, fax, email and pager). This is currently being piloted on behalf of the MPS at Bexley BOCU. If successful this will be rolled out across the MPS and, through the London Resilience Warning and Informing Group, made available to partners. Plans to pilot a system within the MPS with a private company faltered due to complications during the tender process. It is felt that the NPIA system is currently the best way forward. Further to this, the Cabinet Office has funded a piece of consultancy work looking at how best the resilience partnership and government can pre-educate the public. This work is nearing completion. Recommendations, once agreed, will be progressed via the London Resilience Warning and Informing Group.

Community Engagement

Recommendation 4

Work with partners to initiate more counter-radicalisation and de-radicalisation initiatives.

Recommendation 21

Demonstrate an appreciation of the level of fear amongst Londoners of both terrorist and counter-terrorist activity, and continue to seek to satisfy people that they are as safe as can be.

Recommendation 22

After high profile terrorist incidents and operations, give reassurance talks in schools and colleges, deploy high-visibility policing, but keep deployment of armed police to a minimum.

Recommendation 28

Explain to the Metropolitan Police Authority the Metropolitan Police Service’s proposal to brief and share intelligence with vetted community members prior to counter-terrorism operations. Include an update on progress made towards the realisation of this idea.

Recommendation 29

Work with the Metropolitan Police Authority to establish a clear strategy and policy framework for police community engagement to counter terrorism.

Recommendation 31

Provide evidence that the Metropolitan Police Service is engaging young people more in counter-terrorist efforts.

Recommendation 32

Provide evidence that the Metropolitan Police Service is engaging with women more in counter-terrorist efforts, for example through women’s sector second-tier organisations and umbrella bodies as well as groups that deal directly with female service users.

Recommendation 33

Ensure a diversity amongst the Muslims with whom the police engage in counter-terrorist efforts, e.g. Women, non-Asians, Ahmadis, Ismailies, etc.

Recommendation 34

Involve local councillors in police counter-terrorism work.

Recommendation 35

Support community activists in organising their own engagement events on counter-terrorism.

Recommendation 36

Replicate successful local models of community engagement.

Recommendation 37

Provide feedback to consultees on all consultation exercises.

Recommendation 38

Ensure that Local Safer Neighbourhoods teams build relationships with places of worship in their areas.

Recommendation 43

Draft and disseminate guidance for all Metropolitan Police Service staff on appropriate terminology concerning terrorism and counter-terrorism.

29. The greater emphasis on PREVENT and the Delphinus 2 programme has led in 2008 to significant investment in community engagement activity and community projects both by the MPS and by CDRPs and partners.

30. The MPS has been working closely with GoL and local authorities to review Pathfinder (PVE) projects and to spread good practice (from within London and beyond). It has also been working very closely with HMIC and ACPO as they seek to learn what works.

31. As a result of a successful bid to the Home Office for further CT Specific Grant over the Comprehensive Spending Review period (i.e. 2008/9 to 2010/11, PREVENT teams are being funded for four priority MPS boroughs, namely, Tower Hamlets, Newham, Waltham Forest and Hounslow. These teams will support all PREVENT activity and develop initiatives around engagement, partnership working and assist in mainstreaming of CT within Safer Neighbourhoods Teams. The MPS are establishing a PREVENT Programme Team, which will include the introduction of four PREVENT coordinators who will be chief inspectors. They will work with the geographic TP commanders to support PREVENT activity across the clusters. There will be further investment in PREVENT activity during 2009/10 and 2010/11.

32. The community tension monitoring system has been refreshed and training rolled out across the MPS to engage with borough partners. It is anticipated that this will allow a greater level of detail to be input into the process.

33. The MPS have an embedded youth worker in London Youth, which have designed an emergency communications plan that can be activated as required and uses youth clubs to deliver key messages. A women’s conference is planned for autumn 2008 for Muslim women’s groups to facilitate communications and issues from their perspective in order to develop this into work streams for action. The Muslim Contact Unit (MCU) continues to engage with all sections of the Muslim Community of all ethnic backgrounds including Sunni and Shia affiliations. As part of the CTC, it prioritises groups and areas that come to attention in the light of the Command’s work.

34. The Communities Together Strategic Engagement Team (CTSET) is working with TagMap, an innovative map-based engagement product to review how it may be adapted to MPS requirements and used for further engagement targeting.

35. The MPS CTSET is working with University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) to develop different styles of community engagement with key communities. The final draft report has been submitted and is currently under review in conjunction with Safer Neighbourhood Teams. PREVENT teams on the pilot sites will work locally to pick up this work. Further community engagement work will be developed with boroughs using CTSET and the MCU to develop an understanding of the engagement gaps, in order to build support for local groups.

36. CTSET host community consultation forums and always feedback to the groups through logged actions. The development of Equality Impact Assessments also involves consultation and engagement with relevant communities in relation to SO policies. The Rich Picture DVD is being rolled out across the MPS and includes a requirement to engage with places of worship. Safer Neighbourhood Teams are doing this.

37. During counter terrorism operations and incidents, BOCU Commanders provide up-to-date briefings to key partners and local councillors. Relevant Research Information and Communications Unit (RICU) documents are released to boroughs to ensure that key messages are broadly similar across the boroughs.

38. The MPS is committed to Operation Nicole and similar events. These are designed to improve community understanding of the police role in countering terrorism and also to give police officers a better understanding of community impact and perspective. Very successful events have so far involved the Boroughs of Newham, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest and Hackney. Schedules are currently being compiled for further events planned for later this year.

Partnership Working

Recommendation 7

Train parking attendants, traffic wardens, parks staff, neighbourhood wardens and city guardians in counter-terrorist awareness.

Recommendation 8

Find better ways for council employees to feed to the police 'soft' intelligence which they come across in the communities in which they work

Recommendation 24

Strengthen links between Specialist Operations and Borough Operational Command units when it comes to counter-terrorism by:

• Sharing more information on terrorism and counter-terrorism with frontline, borough-based officers, especially Safer Neighbourhoods officers and Police Community Support Officers.
• Ensuring that designated counter-terrorism leads on borough senior management teams are fully trained and competent to play that role.
• Increasing awareness of and compliance with Operation Delphinus (which provides structured guidance to borough police on counter-terrorism matters).
• Increasing awareness of and compliance with Operation Rainbow (which provides tactical options for a uniformed counter terrorist response).

39. The work of training partner agency’s staff in counter-terrorism awareness is incorporated into the Delphinus 2 plan and subsequently into the TP policy ‘BOCU contribution to Counter Terrorism’. BOCUs were required to commence work with local authorities to develop action plans by October 2007 and to also have processes in place to deliver briefings to local authority staff by March 2008, to include local processes to handle ‘feedback’ intelligence from local authority staff. In the TP Performance Unit inspection in April 2008, all BOCUs achieved the required performance level in respect of action plans, 26 had achieved the target in respect of local authority briefings with a further four having the work under development at that time and two about to commence the work.

40. A set of standard operating procedures has been drawn up and agreed between SO15 and TP regarding how community issues should be addressed before, during and after CT operations. The SOP is available to BOCU staff through the MPS intranet.

41. Under Delphinus 2, BOCUs were required to consider and record how they will communicate with all businesses, communities and community leaders following terrorist incidents. This process can also be used for counter-terrorist operations. In the recent TP performance inspection, 28 BOCUs had adequate processes in place and the remaining four are fast developing.

42. Every BOCU now has a security review meeting taking place monthly (or fortnightly if more appropriate for the BOCU). The meeting is attended by the CTIO who can share available intelligence, particularly Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) material, with BOCU staff. Local dissemination can then be directed by the BOCU CT lead.

43. A performance needs analysis completed in March 2008 indicated that 91% of BOCU CT leads have a very high or high level of CT awareness, and therefore no formal training is required. It has been identified that there is some work that can be done in order to introduce a basic introductory information package for new CT leads. This package will cover the remaining 9%, who are new to the role.

44. A performance review of the BOCU implementation of Delphinus 2 was carried out in April 2008. A compliance rate of 95% was achieved by BOCUs. This has been followed up by the inclusion of Counter Terrorism and Delphinus in the TP Crime Control Strategy Meetings during July 2008.

45. Counter Terrorism tactical options are considered regularly at the Security Review Committee (SRC) (chaired by DACSO), which covers the whole of the London.

Gangs and radicalisation

Recommendation 46

Explore how criminal gangs use discontent at counter-terrorism activity to recruit new members.

46. There is currently a great deal of work going on in the MPS, in Government and in academic institutions to assess the motivations of those who join gangs and the processes that lead to joining. Whilst acknowledging, in general terms, that concerns about policing may lead to a general sense of alienation, the MPS has not found any evidence to support the contention that ‘Criminal gangs use discontent at CT activity to recruit new members’.

47. However, the MPS now has a CT desk within the Serious and Organised Crime Unit. Staff will be further exploring the crossovers between serious and organised crime and potential terrorist activity. This work will inform the work on gangs across London as well as the Counter Terrorism work.

Public Information Sharing

Recommendation 9

Consider what it can say when it comes to counter-terrorism, not what it cannot: a different approach is needed.

Recommendation 10

Explain counter-terrorist terminology, such as ‘intelligence’ and ‘disruption’, to the public

Recommendation 13

Challenge misinformation in the public domain about terrorism and counter-terrorism

Recommendation 14

Enhance public confidence in counter-terrorist policing by being open and transparent about mistakes and by more proactively publicising successes.

Recommendation 18

Use community radio as an effective way to reach into the homes of black and minority ethnic Londoners and to reach relevant communities nationally and internationally.

Recommendation 25

Use local police, as opposed to central specialists, to perform public-facing roles in counter-terrorist operations wherever possible.

Recommendation 26

Empower local borough police to comment as Metropolitan Police Service spokespeople about counter-terrorist operations in their area.

48. The Directorate of Public Affairs (DPA) has developed an extensive strategy for communications during counter terrorist operations with the aim of greater information being made available earlier. The aim is to provide a strategic and co-ordinated communication approach for handling high profile counter terrorism operations and investigations. The objectives of the strategy are to protect the integrity of the counter terrorism investigation and support its aims and objectives. It is recognised that in the early stages of an incident the MPS will always try to utilise a Borough commander to address any community concerns. The MPS/DPA has a very proactive communication policy in place for dealing with counter terrorism operations, charges and subsequent court cases. The DPA has produced a court list that is openly disseminated to the media as a reference document, which is produced monthly or as appropriate according to trials running and has developed specific websites for the media to promote successful court cases. DPA produce and disseminate a comprehensive FAQ document on a regular basis, which includes details of successful CT cases and community engagement. This goes to SNT teams through Operation Delphinus. The DPA is also actively working with Research Information and Communications Unit (RICU) as part of the Government’s CONTEST strategy. An important part of their work is to publicise successes and to challenge misinformation.

49. The DPA has developed a means of collating communication activity data. This includes details of campaigns, leaflets and websites to promote successful CT Court Cases. The first in a series of CT Bulletins - within which information is provided about successful operations, community engagement and the development of the CT Strategy – was published and disseminated to the MPA, Home Office, to every borough CT lead to share with their stakeholders, to Project Argus and Griffin and for inclusion on the police counter terrorism (Rainbow) website. A further Bulletin is currently in the planning stages for publication.

50. The MPS is mindful of building further explanation into existing counter terrorism strategies and plans. It makes every effort to explain what is meant in greater detail, especially taking into account the needs and views of minority communities. The DPA ran a CT publicity campaign in March 2008 as part of a nationwide campaign. The focus of the campaign was to gather community intelligence.

51. During 2007, the DPA established a community press team to work more effectively with the specialist and minority ethnic media. This evolved due to a desire to understand and cater for the communication needs of London’s many diverse communities. A big part of this team’s work has been to involve specialist and minority ethnic journalists in ‘business as usual’ media activity, so they have a greater understanding about the work of the MPS and have the forum in which to raise requests for briefing opportunities on subjects of interest to them.

52. The team understands the resilience issues of these smaller media outlets – staffing, mobility, equipment, etc and therefore mindful in their dealings to address these restraints. For example, the team can provide photos and copy for a launch that a representative may not have had the time to attend but wished to report on.

53. This focus has led to a number of media facilities being offered, e.g. specialist and minority ethnic media visits to the Gravesend training facility (Taser launch), interviews in a Somali paper regarding what it is like to be an MPS PCSO, awareness raising around disability hate crime, promoting the MPS LGBT friendly policies.

Hate Crime

Recommendation 19

Emphasise that the Metropolitan Police Service takes hate crime – including persistent ‘low-level’ hate crime – seriously by investigating hate crimes, including incitement to hatred, as rigorously as possible, by further developing third party reporting schemes, and by publicising more heavily successes in hate crime investigations.

Recommendation 20

Improve data collection by flagging religious hate crime by religion more accurately and consistently.

54. The MPS investigates all allegations of hate crime seriously, whether the victim or any other person perceives those matters to be 'low level'. It is the MPS position that any form of hate crime is serious and will be investigated as such. Specially trained investigators investigate all hate crimes. The MPS and MPA continue to work with strategic partners in London Boroughs to further develop and publicise third party reporting sites, self and assisted reporting facilities to offer victims and witnesses the choice to report serious and sensitive crimes in a safe and confidential environment. The MPS has a third party reporting system through the ‘True Vision’ packs. These are managed through DCF and cover LGBT and Faith/Race crime. This matter is now monitored through the MPA Race Hate Crime Forum, which looks at individual BOCU performances.

55. There will soon be changes to the CRIS system so that the MPS can better capture equalities data - including religious data. It is anticipated that the changes will be implemented in Autumn 2008. The delays in this are due to this being part of a significant project for the CRIS team.

Human Resources

Recommendation 39

Redouble efforts to recruit more Muslim police officers and officers from other minority ethnic and faith groups.

Recommendation 40

Continue to seek to recruit more Londoners as police officers.

Recommendation 42

Expand and enhance the diversity training, which police officers and Police Community Support Officers receive to ensure it is relevant to new and emerging challenges.

56. There have been significant increases in diversity with the MPS during the last 7-8 years. In 2000, black and minority ethnic (BME) accounted for 7.3% of the overall workforce and 3.9% of police officer strength. At the end of 07/08 BME strength has increased to 14.4% of the overall workforce and 8.2% of police officer strength. A similar trend is also evident for women, where in 2000 women accounted for 30% of the overall workforce (15.5% police officers) increasing to 33.1% (21.4% police officers). The proportion of women in police staff roles has remained relatively constant at circa 58% during the last 7-8 years. The increase has been concentrated upon police officer and police community support officer (PCSO) roles, suggesting a shift in perception about the engendered nature of policing roles. The PCSO and special constable roles currently have BME representation that exceeds 30% and the general BME population estimate in London. The rapid growth of emerging communities (e.g. Polish, Romanian and Russian) means that there is an added dimension to diversity with the scope of ethnicity encompassing these new, substantial communities. In 2007/08, 20% of new police joiners were from black and minority ethnic communities and 40.4% were female. Challenging recruitment and strength targets are in place to ensure that BME/female diversity are increased, particularly within police rank and file (i.e. Strength 9.5% BME and 23% female and recruitment 25% BME and 44% female) by the end of March 2009.

57. The MPS recognises the importance of nurturing community relationships to build trust and confidence, which are the foundations for gaining access to many communities, and making the MPS an employer of choice for all communities. The HR Directorate has begun to broaden the scope of recruitment to encompass proactive community engagement. The HR Community Engagement programme has already held preliminary focus groups with Somali, Polish, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Turkish groups, which highlighted the paramount importance of building and sustaining trust and confidence in order to recruit from these communities. The groups also highlighted the sensitivity of trust and confidence and how single incidents (e.g. Forest Gate) had a powerfully adverse effect upon perceptions of trust and confidence.

58. By improving access to a broader range of communities, the MPS needs to invest substantially in positive action, particularly within communities where English is not a first language; this group is particularly vulnerable during the National Recruiting Standards (NRS) style assessment centres. In order to help address this issue, the Recruitment Directorate has developed a partnership with Hackney Community College, London Employers’ Coalition and Jobcentre Plus to pilot a pre-employment course for groups whose first language is not English, which is likely to be rolled by the end of summer 08. Other colleges have shown an interest in the pilot.

59. The Recruitment Directorate has successfully implemented a programme of fast-track recruitment campaigns aimed at PCSO staff. Anecdotal evidence suggests that many people use the PCSO role to gain a perspective of the MPS as an employer, which then informs their decision to apply to become police officers.

60. Minority faith groups are also well represented in terms of applications submitted. For instance, 4% of new police officer applicants in 2007/08 declared their religion to be Islam, which can be compared to a figure of 5.6% for London’s economically active population. Similarly, 1% of police officer applications came from Sikh candidates and 1% from Hindu candidates compared to London’s economically active populations of 1.4% and 4.3% respectively. During the same period approximately 3% of police recruits were Muslim, 2% Sikh and 1% Hindu. Furthermore, 5% of PCSO applicants and 7% of those made an offer of employment were Muslim candidates, and 0.7% of applications and 1.5% of offers made were to Sikh candidates.

61. The recruitment campaigns undertaken by the MPS focus upon London. The method of recruitment used for new police officer recruits makes use of targeted events; during 07/08 there were approximately 56 recruitment events. A report was presented at the MPA’s Coordination and Policing Committee in July 08 providing a detailed analysis of MPS recruitment and retention during 07/08.

62. The diversity training for PCSOs was reviewed in February 2007 and has been enhanced as a consequence of forming a strong theme throughout the six weeks training. The training is pass/fail and diversity is one of the areas assessed. Diversity training is no longer a standalone module within recruit training, and has now been incorporated by specialists as a “golden thread” in every element of foundation training. This is further enhanced through the Initial Police Learning Development Programme (IPLDP), which is the future of recruit training and is almost completely rolled out across the MPS.

63. The Director of Training and Development presented a report to the MPA’s Equal Opportunities and Diversity Board on 6 December 2007, which highlighted the steps that have been taken to develop the organisational culture to embed diversity and equality within the workplace as well as the opportunities that exist to level the playing field.

64. The Career Management Unit, in partnership with staff support associations, has reviewed the context and delivery for promotion and progression.

65. The new MPS talent framework includes a programme (Equip to Achieve) to develop the brightest and best BME officers to level the playing field and ensure that there is a more representative pipeline of talent across the organisation. The ‘Equip to Achieve’ programme will target BME constables, sergeants, inspectors and chief inspectors. The overarching objective is to develop effective leaders and managers from minority groups, currently under-represented in the leadership and management levels of the MPS.

Conclusion

66. The London Debate is a highly influential and important report, which has contributed to significant changes in the MPS approach to countering terrorism implemented over the last eighteen months. All the recommendations have been taken very seriously. Given the speed and depth of the implementation and that all recommendations are either fully implemented or part of other projects, which are regularly reported to the Authority, it is suggested that this should be the final ‘London Debate’ report from the MPS.

Glossary

ACPO (TAM)

Association of Chief Police Officers (Terrorism and Allied Matters)

ACSO

Assistant Commissioner Specialist Operations

ASWO

Association of Senior Women Officers

BME

Black and Minority Ethnic

BOCU

Borough Operational Command Unit

CONTEST

Government long-term strategy for countering international terrorism

CRIS

Crime Reporting System used by the MPS

CTC (SO15)

Counter Terrorism Command

CTIO

Counter Terrorism Intelligence Officer

CTSA

 Counter Terrorism Security Advisor

CTSET

Communities Together Strategic Engagement Team

DAC

Deputy Assistant Commissioner

DCF

Diversity and Citizen Focus Directorate

Delphiniums

Introduction of Counter Terrorism to all Borough Operational Command Units (BOCUs) in a structured format, and to provoke guidance as to the activities that should be undertaken

DPA

Directorate of Public Affairs

GoL

Government Office for London

HMIC

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabularies

IPCC

Independent Police Complaints Commission

JTAC

Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre

KMC

Knowledge Management Centre

LGBT

Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender

MCU

Muslim Contact Unit

NPIA

National Police Improvement Agency

OSCT

Office for Security and Counter Terrorism (Home Office)

PREVENT

Strand of CONTEST to prevent violent extremism.

PROTECT

Strand of CONTEST to reduce the vulnerability of the UK and UK interests overseas to terrorist attack.

PREPARE

Strand of CONTEST to ensure that the UK is as ready as it can be for the consequences of a terrorist attack

PURSUE

Strand of CONTEST to reduce the terrorist threat to the UK or UK interests overseas

Project Argus

Series of exercises with local authorities and businesses re Terrorism incidents

Project Griffin

Engagement with businesses regarding Counter Terrorism issues

RICU

Research Information and Communications Unit

RUSI

Royal United Services Institute

SEG

Special Escort Group

SLA

Service Level Agreement

SOP

Standard Operating Procedures

SNT

Safer Neighbourhood Teams

UCLAN

University of Central Lancashire

C. Race and equality impact

Terrorism affects all Londoners and those to whom we provide a policing service. It has the potential to affect community cohesion severely. Counter terrorism operations have the potential to impact on some localities, faith groups and minority ethnic communities more than others. The Authority has extensively considered the equality and diversity implications of the London Debate report previously. These recommendations are designed to ensure that the potential for unfair and disproportionate impact is minimised and that operations are carried out sensitively and communicated effectively so that trust and confidence in the police and in counter terrorist efforts generally is increased.

D. Financial implications

1. There are no additional financial implications identified at this stage. The Home Office has allocated additional CT Specific Grant to the MPS over the Comprehensive Spending Review period from 2008/9 to 2010/11. This follows the submission of a comprehensive national bid for additional CT resources across all criminal justice agencies.

2. The additional elements of CT grant are included within the MPS Business Plan for 2009/10 and 2010/11.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author(s): Cressida Dick (MPS)

For more information contact:

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

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