Minutes

Minutes of the Planning, Performance & Review Committee of the Metropolitan Police Authority held on 12 February 2004 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, London, SW1H 0NY.

Present

Members:

• Richard Sumray (Chair)
• Reshard Auladin (Deputy Chair)
• Lynne Featherstone
• Tony Arbour
• Elizabeth Howlett
• Sir John Quinton

MPA Officers:

• David Riddle (Deputy Clerk)
• Elizabeth Turner (Treasury)
• Jane Owen (Head of Planning and Performance)
• Sally Palmer (Scrutiny and Review)
• Yvonne Peart (Committee Officer)

MPS Officers:

• AC Tarique Ghaffur (Specialist Crime)
• DAC Richard Bryan (Planning and Performance)
• DAC Brian Paddick (Territorial Policing Support)
• Cmdr Alfred Hitchcock (Specialist Crime)
• T/Cmdr Simon Bray (Specialist Crime)
• Lawrence Morris (Corporate Performance Analysis Unit)
• Mark Heath (Head of Criminal Justice)
• John Zlotnicki (Head of Corporate Planning)

Also present representatives from the Immigration Service.

Part 1

58. Apologies for absence

(Agenda item 1)

None received.

Members welcomed DAC Brian Paddick to the meeting and congratulated him on his recent promotion.

59. Declarations of interest

(Agenda item 2)

No interests were declared.

60. Minutes

(Agenda item 3)

Resolved – That the minutes of the Planning, Performance and Review Committee held on 11 December 2003 be agreed and signed as a correct record.

61. Policing and Performance Plan 2004/05

(Agenda item 4a and 4b)

The Committee received a report that set out a number of draft targets to be considered for inclusion in the 2004/05 Policing & Performance Plan.

This report was circulated with less than five working days notice, under the provisions of Section 100B 4b) of the Local Government Act 1972. The Chair acknowledged that the report had not been circulated within statutory timescales but agreed to accept the report as urgent as relevant information within it was only recently received and he considered it necessary for members to consider this information as part of the report.

The MPS reported that changes to the measures as requested at the last full Authority are being drafted and the child protection measures are now presented separately.

The Chair asked the MPS to bring to the attention of senior officers the Committees dissatisfaction with the target set for objective 2. He said that the Authority could not endorse the targets, which are set lower than the current and previous year. He also thought that objective 3 and 5 should be more clearly defined.

The Chair requested that a meeting of the Planning Panel take place before the next full Authority. This would enable the panel to deal with the issues arising from this report, particularly with regards to the definitions and baseline setting of targets before ratification at full Authority on 26 February 2004.

Members did not agree recommendation 1 as outlined in the report, this would now be subject to further discussion at an additional meeting of the Planning Panel to be held before full Authority on 26 February 2004.

Resolved – That

1. the proposed draft targets and measures that will support the objectives in the plan be noted; and
2. the proposed content and format of the final version of the policing plan be noted.

62. 2002/2003 policing plan audit update

(Agenda item 5)

The Committee received a report that provided an update on the MPS action plan in response to the District Audit report and recommendations on the 2002/03 Policing and Performance Plan.

This report was circulated with less than five working days notice, under the provisions of Section 100B 4b) of the Local Government Act 1972. The Chair agreed to accept the report as urgent as the District Audit recommendations, which were fundamental to the report had only recently been received and assessed by the MPS.

Following discussions members could not support the proposed MPS action plan as the basis for the Authority’s formal response to the District Audit report and requested evidence to confirm that performance improvements arising from best value reviews are captured in the annual Policing and Performance Plan (recommendation 5).

Resolved – That the Committee could not at this point approve the MPS action plan as the basis for the Authority’s formal response to the District Audit. A revised action plan could be brought to the next meeting or if urgent approval be sought by the Chair.

63. Service improvement review of custody capacity

(Agenda item 6)

Members considered a report that outlined the Project Initiation Document (PID) for the Service Improvement Review of Custody Capacity.

Commenting on the PID, the Chair said that the scope should be more overt on health and safety issues. It was suggested that the MPS hold discussions with Health Services, particularly on the issues arising from the Restraint review. Concern was also expressed that the equality and diversity section did not include issues of equity.

Members asked the MPS to give further consideration to the issues around the availability and distribution of cells, staffing constraints and the length of time MPS cells are used by other agencies.

Resolved – That Project Initiation Document for the Service Improvement Review of Custody Capacity be approved subject to the comments made.

64. Best value review of managing demand

(Agenda item 7)

A report was received which outlined the process being used and progress made in respect of each recommendation from the managing demand best value review. It also provided an update on how the recommendations are being incorporated into C3i and identifies any barriers to the implementation of the recommendations.

Members noted that a number of the recommendations have been delayed or discontinued due to C3i. However, they considered that there should be more clarity on the impact of C3i on the review in totality, when the recommendations have not been implemented as proposed. The Chair suggested that a future meeting be arranged to include himself, the Deputy Chair and Commander Broadhurst to discuss the implications of all the delayed recommendations.

Resolved – That the progress made with the Demand Management Best Value Review recommendations and their link to other MPS programmes be noted and a further update be brought to the committee.

65. December 2003 performance report

(Agenda item 8)

The Committee considered a report that outlined the MPS performance against policing plan objectives for 2003-4.

Members noted that the year to date offence figures for street crime, burglary and autocrime had shown a reduction.

In response to members’ questions, the MPS reported that Safer Streets phase 3 was targeted in order to encounter street crime at peak times and in key areas. This resulted in a limited increase in street crime and ensured that Safer Street phase 3 was significantly successful.

The Chair expressed concern that the figures provided on magistrate courts delays in sending paper-based results to the MPS are not up to date. He requested that this Committee be provided with accurate figures and asked the MPS to follow up this issue.

Resolved – That the report be noted.

66. Specialist Crime Directorate management information

(Agenda item 9)

Members received a report that summarised Specialist Crime Directorate’s performance against their key objectives from April to December 2003.

Members noted that there had been improvements in the detection and reduction of Trident related shootings and homicide clear up rates.

Commenting on child protection and the measurement of this target, the Chair expressed concern that dip sampling although providing representative data, would give cause for concern if any case was conducted without a supervisory officer.

Resolved – That the report be noted

67. National Mobile Phone Crime Unit

(Agenda item 10)

The Committee received a report that detailed how mobile phones feature in street crime in London and information on the new National Mobile Phone Crime Unit (NMPCU).

The MPS reported that mobile phone ownership has risen significantly in recent years; latest estimates suggest there have been further increases in sales. The establishment of the NMPCU is seen as a major unit to identify those stealing the phones and identifying if they are being exported.

The Chair requested that information on the performance of NMPCU be attached as an appendix to future reports on mobile phones.

Resolved – That the report be noted.

68. Organised immigration crime

(Agenda item 11)

The Committee received a report that provided an update on the MPS programme to counter organised immigration crime, which operates under the banner of Operation MAXIM. It has forged excellent links with its partner agencies, the UK Immigration and Passport Services.

The Immigration Service (IS) reported that they are supportive and committed to partnership under Operation MAXIM. They have a memorandum of understanding with the MPS and also have a number of police secondments within the IS. The IS are working towards less MPS involvement in level 1 activity. Joint working funding is received from REFLEX.

The MPS reported that work is continuing on Operation PALLADIN and Operation KONTIKI and this should enable the MPS to identify what is happening to unaccompanied minors after arrival in the UK. Operation PALLADIN is currently carrying out research on unaccompanied minors, the source countries, methods of operations, connections and what happens to them. The findings are expected to be available at the end of February 2004.

The Chair expressed the importance of being proactive when investigating organised immigration crime and the need to be prepared to deal with the emerging impact. He also stressed that effective partnerships are paramount in making a difference on what is happening and that the MPS has already established a partnership model with the Criminal Justice System, where joint working was developed to make the judicial process more effective. Closer working relationships between the MPS and the CPS has led to improvements in the judicial process and closer inter-agency co-operation, even bringing about a cultural change. The same needs to happen in respect of relations with the immigration and customs and excise services.

Resolved – That

1. the report be noted; and
2. a report on the findings from Operation PALLADIN research on unaccompanied minors be presented to a future committee.

69. Child protection – Lord Laming recommendations and Green Paper ‘Every Child Matters’.

(Agenda item 12)

The Committee considered a report that outlined the MPS progress on the Lord Laming recommendations and the changes in the approach to child protection following the publication of the Green paper ‘Every Child matters’.

The Chair expressed his gratitude for the vast contribution that former Detective Chief Superintendent Derek Kelleher has made to the improvement of child protection.

The MPS reported that 51% of the workforce within the child protection group (CPG) is female. Due to the nature of the investigations sickness levels are higher than would be expected in other Operational Command Units. Sickness and maternity leave currently accounts for 14% of abstractions in the CPG.

The Chair suggested that flexible Human Resources policies for this area of work need to be explored.

Resolved – That

1. the report be noted; and
2. different approaches that could address the imbalance of abstractions in the child protection group are passed to the Human Resources Committee for consideration.

70. MPS Drugs Strategy Action Plan 2003-2006

(Agenda item 13)

Members considered a report that provided an update on the implementation of the MPS Drugs Strategy 2003-2006, focussing on the Drugs Action Plan.

The Chair requested that future reports state clearly which priorities are the focus for this year and also include the local priorities. This would enable this Committee to continually monitor what is happening.

Resolved – That the report be noted.

71. Police Performance Assessment Framework

(Agenda item 14)

This report provides an update on the development of a Policing Performance Assessment Framework (PPAF) for England and Wales police forces.

The MPS reported that PPAF attempts to provide a broad measure for comparative policing. Whilst some forces are similar they are not comparable. The MPS are making huge efforts to align its measures with other forces and have influenced the development of measures. However it is still a matter of concern that serious crime and terrorism are not included in the measures.

Commenting on the proposed measures, the Chair said that it is important that the confidence measures are broken down further to include per 1000 households in the data collection. It is essential that the MPA and MPS continue to be engaged in the developments.

Resolved – That the report be noted.

72. Response times

(Agenda item 15)

The Committee considered the report that provided information on response times and examined changes in response times and how the changes are being addressed.

Members discussed the report on response times and expressed disappointment that it highlighted a decline in performance. They considered that the general public would expect to see improvements, as a result of the recent increases in resources. Members were also concerned with the data on geographical distribution of response to calls and asked to receive an explanation for the reasons that some boroughs performed better than others. They thought that the increased numbers of probationers on the streets could also have contributed to the decline.

The Chair reported that he is aware that the MPS are carrying out further work on the issue of response times and stressed that it was important that evidence is presented to this Committee on the reasons for the decline and the disparity in performance between boroughs.

Resolved – That

1. the report be noted; and
2. a further substantive report be presented to a future committee that includes supporting evidence.

73. MPA partnership fund interim statement

(Agenda item 16)

The Committee received a report that provided an interim position statement on what each Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) has spent or plans to spend the £50,000 contribution given by the MPA in April 2003.

This report was circulated with less than five working days notice, under the provisions of Section 100B 4b) of the Local Government Act 1972. The Chair agreed to accept the report as urgent in order that the Committee could monitor how the CDRP’s have utilised the MPA contribution within the financial year of allocation.

Members reported that they are satisfied that boroughs are using the funds appropriately.

Resolved – That the report be noted.

74. Metropolitan Police detection rates

(Agenda item 17)

A report was considered that explained the decline in detection rates from 25% in 1997/98 to the current 14% and accounted for changes in crime detection rates since 1996.

The MPS reported that unlike other forces, it has focussed on judicial disposals rather than detections (which include administrative detections) and as a consequence the comparison with other forces is misleading. In future years the MPS will comply with national definitions in order to produce comparable data.

The Chair requested further information that would provide a logical explanation on what is happening with detection rates.

Resolved – That

1. the report be noted; and
2. a further report be presented to a future committee to provide a detailed explanation on what is happening with detection rates and information that would help to identify the correct method for the collection of data.

75. Domestic violence murders

(Agenda item 18)

The Committee received a report that provided an update on the ‘MPS findings of the multi-agency domestic violence murder reviews in London’.

The MPS reported that positive feedback has been received from the pilot in Lambeth and Southwark of a new domestic violence investigation / arrest form (Book 124D). The form assists police officers to carry out an effective risk assessment to enable them to refer victims and children to the appropriate agency. A meeting to agree a tiered rollout programme throughout the MPS is soon to be arranged.

Resolved – That the report be noted.

76. Update on addressing NCRS Audit Commission Issues

(Agenda item 19)

The Committee received a report that detailed the progress made by the MPS in implementing NCRS in the MPS. It specifically detailed the action plan and progress Issues for Action identified in the Audit Commission report, ‘Review of Crime Recording’ (May 2003).

The MPS reported that recommendations were welcomed by the MPS and provided an opportunity to influence National Training, increase NCRS knowledge and in turn improve compliance.

Commenting on the action plan, the Chair said that there is still a vast amount of work to done in the boroughs, he was concerned that little improvement was seen on a rerun of investigation 1, which concerned the closure of incidents on 16 boroughs that received RED grading.

Resolved – That the report be noted.

77. Skill shortages in Forensic Services

(Agenda item 20)

Members received a report that detailed the progress made in achieving the Budgeted Workforce Target (BWT) in 2004 and the issues highlighted with respect to the recruitment and retention of forensic staff in the MPS.

The MPS reported that the introduction of a Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners following the Royal Commission on Criminal Justice provides much needed recognition for this group of staff. The MPS speculated that soon it might be a requirement that all forensic professionals are registered before they give evidence.

Resolved – That the report be noted

78. Criminal Justice update

(Agenda item 21)

The MPS received a report that provided an update on the work being carried out by the department of Criminal Justice with the ultimate aim of bringing more offences to justice.

In response to members questions on street bail, the MPS reported that the new legislation provides the opportunity for them to deliver their business differently and to manage the demand on custody facilities. However, the MPS recognise that robust systems are required in order to effectively manage the use of street bail, not least to prevent it being used disproportionately.

The Chair requested that the MPA view the guidance before the implementation of this scheme and that the MPA be involved at each stage.

Resolved – That the report be noted

The meeting ended at 17.00 p.m.

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