Update on the implementation of NCRS in the MPS

Report: 17
Date: 11 December 2003
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report has been provided to inform members of the progress made by the MPS in implementing the National Crime Recording Standards (NCRS), and to report on the actions taken since the Audit Commission’s Review of Crime Recording 2003.

A. Recommendations

That the progress and the commitment of the MPS to ensuring full compliance with NCRS be noted.

B. Supporting information

Implementation of NCRS within the MPS

1. NCRS has two aims. The first is improving crime-recording consistency between forces. Lack of consistency has made comparative assessment of crime fighting ability analysis ineffective.

2. The second aim is a more victim-oriented approach. A crime must now be recorded on the balance of probability following a report from a victim, witness or third party where the circumstances amount to an offence, and where there is no credible evidence to the contrary.

3. NCRS introduced a new role of Force Crime Registrar (FCR) whose responsibility is to ensure NCRS compliance within their own force and to influence its development nationally through the Home Office.

4. Initially the MPS split this role and NCRS implementation, between the Performance Information Bureau (PIB) who monitor, record and produce MPS statistics, and the Inspectorate who examine and report upon areas of concern for the MPS.

5. By early 2003 it was recognised that this was not the required focus. It was decided to create a new post of MPS Crime Registrar, with a small team, to drive NCRS forward internally and to represent the MPS nationally in developing NCRS and Home Office Counting Rules (HOCR). To clearly demonstrate the commitment to integrity in crime reporting a senior detective was appointed in March 2003 and the Crime Integrity Team (CIT) formed in April 2003. This coincided with the Audit Commission’s inspection of the MPS.

6. Early liaison with the Home Office’s NCRS team, the Police Standards Unit (PSU) and the Audit Commission inspectors allowed the new Crime Registrar to draft an initial business plan for the Crime Integrity Team. The 2003/2004 Plan has five primary aims, divided into individual work elements. The primary aims are:

• To improve MPS knowledge and understanding of NCRS
• To provide a robust auditing system for NCRS
• To disseminate learning and best practice in crime recording
• To impact nationally and regionally on crime recording issues
• To establish the Crime Integrity Team as a centre of excellence

7. Overarching aims ensure that the principles of the Diversity Strategy are reflected in all activity, and that effective risk assessment and management ensure compliance with Health and Safety regulations.

8. Initially the CIT helped the Audit Commission to resolve anomalies in the data under examination. This linked crime related incidents and crime reports where inaccurate crime numbers, or no crime numbers, had been entered thereby initially failing to show the required audit trial. This directly improved results preventing the MPS receiving gradings that inaccurately reflected performance.

9. Other early tasks included aiding the Home Office development of Crime Registrar training and providing input on the necessary structure to manage the ongoing development of both NCRS and HOCR. As a result the MPS is now represented on the listed national groups ensuring that NCRS and HOCR changes reflect MPS viewpoints.

Impact of NCRS on crime reporting levels

10. The Home Office recognised that NCRS could result in increased crime figures that did not accurately reflect crime trends. They have now informed forces that monitoring of the NCRS effect is not required, as the impact is believed to have worked its way through all Force systems.

11. Based on data supplied to them during the monitoring process they estimated the overall NCRS effect on MPS figures for 2002/2003 as a 12% increase. The main increase was found in the reporting of violence against the person offences with an increase in the ratio of offences reported per incident in accordance with NCRS requirements.

12. Although NCRS was formally adopted nationally in April 2002 the MPS had already started moving towards compliance. Positive reporting policies in respect of Domestic Violence and Hate Crime offences already accorded with NCRS principles.

Actions taken since the Audit Commission Report

13. All of the issues identified by the auditors were easily encompassed into work elements already in the Crime Integrity Team Business Plan.

High priorities

14. Crime Audit: The Audit Commission report stated, ‘the key measure of (NCRS) compliance is the recording error measured through the crime data audit.’ The MPS received an AMBER grade for overall crime data results.

15. The data audit consisted of two investigations. The first examined crime related incidents resulted on the CAD incident handling system with a non-crime code. Potentially this could indicate a failure to recognise and report crime. In this examination the MPS only received an AMBER grading.

16. The second investigation checked that where an incident was resulted as a crime a corresponding entry appeared on the CRIS crime reporting system. Potentially this could indicate that crimes were failing to be passed for investigation. In this examination the MPS was graded GREEN with an accuracy rate of 99.2%.

17. It was identified that the poor result in Investigation 1 was due to insufficient detail being recorded to justify a non-crime code rather than indicative of incorrect decision- making or police action.

18. The MPS received RED gradings in three other areas:

• Policy and Administration: The auditors reported that there was a clear crime recording policy but inconsistent implementation detrimentally affecting overall performance.
• Staff Training and awareness: The audit revealed that there was a widespread lack of knowledge about NCRS across the MPS. This encompassed operational officers, control room staff and supervisors.
• Quality of Service: The auditors identified areas for improvement in crime related documentation which was non-NCRS compliant and recommended that the MPS should consider amending customer satisfaction surveys to include crime recording processes and practices.

19. It was identified that the general lack of knowledge identified by the auditors was the most important factor in causing the poor performance identified in the above paragraphs. Improving this level of knowledge was seen as absolutely critical in improving both our general NCRS compliance levels and addressing specific areas such as those identified under ‘Quality of Service.’ The following paragraphs identify the steps taken by the Crime Integrity Team to achieve improvement.

20. Training: An examination has revealed that only CAD operators currently receive formal NCRS training in the MPS. NCRS has not been included in national recruit training by Centrex and overcrowded training schedules make inclusion in other courses unlikely in the foreseeable future.

21. Liaison with the MPS Training Standards Unit continues and a report is being prepared for MPS Management Board. Nationally the ACPO lead for NCRS is taking the matter forward with Centrex.

22. The CIT has however identified a short-term solution. A training package is being prepared, for local delivery, to meet specific MPS needs. TQMI, who deliver the national Crime Registrar training, and Lincolnshire Constabulary have agreed use of parts of their material and we await formal approval to reproduce this without cost. Other internal production and delivery costs are being researched. It is hoped that electronic delivery of the package will reduce printing costs to those manageable from local budget lines. The target date for delivery is February 2004.

23. Website: A user-friendly website has been opened on the MPS Intranet which is available to all staff. It aids understanding of NCRS and its interactive Forum allows discussion of issues. It also provides links to all relevant documents and direct access to CIT staff.

24. Help-Line: This gives all staff access to the CIT for emerging NCRS and HOCR issues. Recurring and unusual enquiries, and the advice given are posted on the website.

25. Seminars: The first of three seminars for Crime Management Unit (CMU) staff has been held. This gave up-to-date information on NCRS and HOCR interpretations and an open question session. Through attendance at TP Crime Managers Meetings the CIT helps resolve problems directly, and to identify good practice for circulation nationally and locally.

26. Special Police Notice: This will be published on the MPS Intranet. It will give an easy to read guide to NCRS and good-practice.

27. Publicity: An article about the CIT awaits publication in the ‘The Job’ newspaper. Posters highlighting the relationship between NCRS and integrity will shortly be distributed to Borough CMUs for display.

28. Audit: In October the CIT audited incidents closed on non-crime codes in the 16 BOCUs that failed the Audit Commission’s Investigation1. The data, from September’s incidents, is currently being analysed but will indicate room for further improvement. Individual BOCU Commanders will shortly be briefed upon their results.

29. Customer satisfaction: As internal knowledge of NCRS grows it will be appropriate to research customer satisfaction with crime recording practice. This will probably be best achieved by modifying current customer surveys and market place testing using ‘mystery shoppers.

Medium and low priorities

30. Linking the Incident Reporting System (CAD) and Crime Reporting System (CRIS): It is intended that future versions of CAD and CRIS will automatically link so that a crime related incident resulted as a crime, will automatically open a skeleton entry on CRIS. This will remove the possibility of a crime failing to be transferred from CAD to CRIS through human error or negligence.

31. Liaison continues with the CRIS Projects Team and the C3i Project Team but no timescale can be given to achieve this linkage. However, the Audit results showed an accuracy rate of 99.2% in this area.

32. Telephone Investigation Units: The auditors noted that recommendations in the Crime Best Value Review (2001) had not yet been implemented. An update report from Commander Yates (TP Crime) was sent to PPRC on 9th October 2003. A Police Notice issued in July 2003 clarified current instructions on telephone crime reporting.

33. Audit size: The auditors stated that the self-audited NCRS sample was low. Currently each BOCU samples 4 crimes from each of the 10 categories of crime each month for 10 months of the year. This sample (40 crimes per category) is the same size as that used by the Audit Commission. Increasing this sample will place extra demands on BOCUs. The CIT reviews and samples the self-audits providing a further quality control mechanism. Ongoing work is intended to re-focus the self-audit on areas for improvement. It is also intended that the CIT will thematically inspect crime categories, both upon ACPO instruction and self-initiated by the Crime Registrar. It is therefore not thought necessary, nor appropriate, to increase the basic sample size.

34. Future work: The above paragraphs give an indication of how the Crime Integrity Team is impacting upon NCRS compliance through its initial Business Plan for 2003/2004. As stated, knowledge building across the organisation has been given priority, the next steps will involve testing that knowledge through thematic inspections of specific crime recording issues and through “market place testing.” The team has built a good working relationship with both SC and TP management teams to ensure that the impact of its work receives appropriate support.

Barriers/difficulties

35. With the exception of the difficulty in introducing NCRS training into already over full training schedules, there have been no major difficulties encountered. The training issue has been reported above.

36. The concept of the Crime Integrity Team and Crime Registrar has been generally well received across the MPS and by the Home Office.

C. Equality and diversity implications

1. The victim oriented approach to crime recording is a positive step for vulnerable and minority groups. A crime will now be recorded if, on the balance of probability, it is likely that a crime has been committed. There must be credible evidence to the contrary for an allegation to be refused. This removes pressure for victims to prove a crime has taken place. Historically this has been a concern in vulnerable and minority groups and has made some victims reluctant to report crime.

2. NCRS also requires that a crime is recorded upon the first contact by a victim, witness, or person reasonably assumed to be acting on a victim’s behalf, whether in person or by telephone. This paves the way for easier third-party crime reporting and should reduce the apprehension of victims from minority or vulnerable groups. The MPS has, however, in recent years very much encouraged third party reporting of crime, particularly from minority and vulnerable groups. This now reinforces and legitimises that practice nationally.

3. NCRS will mean a more accurate recording of crime. This will give a better picture of where police resources need to be placed to protect the vulnerable and therefore ultimately lead to a safer London.

D. Financial implications

At this time the only possible financial implications relate to the production of a MPS specific training package for NCRS. No costings are currently available and it is hoped that electronic delivery of the package will result in any necessary printing costs being managed from local budget lines.

E. Background papers

None.

F. Contact details

Report author: Detective Chief Superintendent Stephen Condon, MPS.

For more information contact:

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

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