Borough Performance

Report: 6
Date:12 July 2004
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report provides an overview of key volume crime indicators in each borough for the financial year 2003-04.

A. Recommendations

That the report be noted.

B. Supporting information

1. Borough volume crime performance in 2003/04 is set against a general picture of improving performance over the last three years. This performance is also set against a continuing program of devolving control to OCUs, enhancing the profile of local policing issues and consequent development of variable targets for BOCUs.

Bespoke / variable performance

2. Territorial Policing’s (TP) approach to variable target setting has been enhanced from that taken in 2003/04. All TP crime targets are now based upon proposals from BOCUs and settled through renegotiation via link commanders. This approach to target setting increases BOCU ownership, raises the level of consultation within the target setting process and the involvement of partner agencies e.g. CDRPs.

Street crime

3. The MPS as a whole achieved a reduction of 4.2% against a target of a 10% decrease, with fifteen of the 32 boroughs recording a decrease. However, only ten boroughs reached their respective bespoke targets, leaving a total of 22 boroughs short of their target.

4. Eleven of the boroughs that experienced a decrease were designated Operation Safer Streets (OSS) boroughs of which eight met their target. Four OSS boroughs experienced increases in street crime.

5. The top three performers in terms of percentage reductions were Westminster (-27% on the previous year), Camden (-21%) and Ealing (-20%). Whilst the worst performing boroughs were Greenwich (with a 56% increase), Sutton (+28%) and Bromley (+24%). Please see Appendix 1.

6. The MPS achieved a judicial disposal (JD) rate of 8.5%, but there was a wide range of JD rates reported by individual boroughs. The lowest JD rate recorded was at Brent with 4.3%, whilst the highest was at Sutton with 21%. The average JD rate among Operation Safer Streets boroughs was 8.7% vs. 10.1% for non-OSS boroughs.

Burglary

7. The MPS as a whole exceeded its reduction target of 4% with a year-end decrease of 7.1%. This performance was fed by 24 boroughs achieving reductions, however, out of these only 16 exceeded their bespoke targets.

8. The largest percentage decreases were at Wandsworth (a reduction of 19% on the previous year), Westminster (-18%) and Camden (-18%). Conversely, Barking & Dagenham experienced the largest rise in burglary with an 11% increase, followed by Merton (+5%) and Brent (+5%). Please see Appendix 2.

9. Of the thirteen Operation Safer Homes (OSH) boroughs, nine had decreases but only five met their bespoke target.

10. The MPS as a whole achieved a burglary JD rate of 11.4%. There was wide variation between the boroughs with Westminster achieving a rate of 21% at the top end compared with Hackney’s 8%.

Autocrime

11. Last year the MPS set a target reduction of 7% for autocrime, which was achieved, fuelled by 24 boroughs recording decreases, although no borough bespoke targets were set for autocrime. Of the boroughs recording reductions, Richmond upon Thames was the most successful, reducing autocrime by over a quarter (-26%), closely followed by Hammersmith & Fulham (-22%) and Tower Hamlets (-20%).

12. Of the eight boroughs that saw increases, the largest rises occurred at Havering (+11%), Brent (+10%) and Barking & Dagenham (+9%). Please see Appendix 3.

13. JD rates ranged from 6.3% (Kingston) to 2.8% (Ealing), yielding an MPS rate of 4%.

Total notifable offences

14. There were no corporate or local targets set, but 18 boroughs recorded a decrease. Richmond, Westminster and Lambeth all saw TNOs fall by around 8% as compared to the MPS-wide reduction of 1.8%.

15. Kingston, Lewisham and Barking & Dagenham had the largest increases with rises of 14%, 10% and 9% respectively. Please see Appendix 4.

Additional information

16. Seven boroughs exceeded both their burglary and street crime bespoke targets; Westminster, Camden, Wandsworth, Lambeth, Hillingdon, Waltham Forest, Kingston upon Thames.

17. In addition, Ealing, Merton and Croydon exceeded their street crime bespoke, whilst Tower Hamlets, Haringey, Islington, Havering, Hammersmith, Southwark, Enfield, Richmond and Hackney all exceeded their bespoke burglary targets.

What worked well in 2003/04

18. The “Safer “ themed approach taken by TP has enhanced and targeted support and resources to the most challenged BOCUs. The framework of the “Safer” approach has now been successfully deployed against Street Crime, Burglary, and towards the end of the performance year was applied to vehicle crime. The learning from this approach is now informing our approach to reassurance (safer neighbourhoods) and the enhancement of MPS performance on detections.

19. Bexley has been a pilot site in the reassurance wards project. It selected four wards based on poor crime and satisfaction levels, each of which had a designated team of one sergeant and three PCs, supported with Police Community Support Officers. Early indications are that the deployment of these teams in these wards led to an increase in public satisfaction and reduction in crime levels. It is believed this was achieved through:

• targeted patrols in hotspots
• improved relations with businesses, through target hardening advice
• deployment of the Bobby van to victims of crime regardless of ability to pay
• visits to victims shortly after the occurrence of crime
• officers based locally within the ward. In East Wickham, we have based one in Welling School
• the formation of a People Panel. They select the priorities, which drives police activity taking the lead in the problem-solving process (with other agencies) to address all sorts of problems from youths and graffiti to other volume crime.

Why there were boroughs where performance was lower than expected

20. Several BOCUs were challenged with a shift in priorities during the year and as a result diverted resources away from volume crime. E.g.:

• Brent and Lewisham – Gun Crime (contributing to the overall achievement of that MPS policing plan objective)
• Richmond and Kingston upon Thames – Anti Social Behaviour
• All – Operational aid abstractions for counter terrorism patrols

21. Displacement has also contributed to increased street crime on some boroughs, as we focus more resource in high volume BOCUs, especially along transport networks. Redbridge and Barnet have noticed these trends.

Organisational learning

22. BOCUs are reviewing and developing their own performance review frameworks in response to developments within TPHQ. This is consistent with the concept of devolved responsibility and has allowed boroughs such as Brent, Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea to develop frameworks that involve partner agencies, as well as Bromley and Redbridge’s concentration on reporting structures. At the corporate level, the dissemination of good practice is promoted by the performance review team and the Inspectorate.

23. TP is building on its approach to planning in 2004/05 by amending the process it uses for each borough to review its policing plan each quarter. This process aims to build in greater accountability and focus where targets are not being met, and sharing of good practice where they are. The aim here is to generate more robust integrated systems for identifying good practice, its dissemination and feedback on resourcing issues to the NIM strategic assessment process.

Lessons learned

24. TP has adopted the organisational learning from a clear focus on priority crime and is transferring that focus to our newly acquired hate crime targets and work to improve detections.

25. This focus has identified performance issues for the MPS that are applicable more widely, for instance the focus on auto crime identified quality issues in our crime reporting administration, which have lead to improvements and generated learning that is being applied to address overall detections.

C. Race and equality impact

Although there were varying borough performances, the MPS remains committed to making the whole of London safer.

D. Financial implications

1. As mentioned earlier, the “Safer” approach to volume crime has allowed the targeting of resource and support to the most challenged BOCUs. This is enhanced through the work of the TP tasking and co-ordination group meeting.

2. TP has also employed a focused release of additional funding including GOL funding to target PSA crime.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report authors: Graeme Keeling, MPS Senior Performance Analyst
T/Supt. Steve Deehan – TP Strategic Development Unit
 

For more information contact:

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

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