May 2004 Performance Report

Report: 15
Date:12 July 2004
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report examines performance from April to May 2004, compared with the same period last year. Accompanying this report is a report (attached at Appendix 2) that was tabled at full Authority on 29 April 2004, which summarises performance as the end of financial year 2003/4. Last year the MPS in conjunction with the MPA established two sets of objectives:

• Quantifiable targets, crime and performance related targets and
• General targets, which involved improvements being made to administrative processes

Of the former set of objectives:

• 26 met their target
• 8 did not meet their target but did experience an improvement on last year
• 5 did not meet their target and were worse than the previous year
• 5 objectives did not have a target set and were better than last year
• 8 did not have a set target and had a worse performance than the previous year

Therefore there were 13 areas where the MPS saw improvement, even though a target was not met or set. Of these, the most notable was street crime – down 4.2% after 16% reduction the year before. Further performance improvements continue in to the current year, with robbery offences reducing further in April and May (-12% compared with April – May 2003). A challenging policing plan target of 11% robbery reduction has been set. It should be noted that the MPS has adopted the Policing Performance Assessment Framework (PPAF) definition of robbery, rather than street crime, as an objective this year, so street crime and robbery data are not directly comparable.

It is important to note that, although some targets were not met, the MPS continued to provide high profile policing to major events. Last year just over 67,000 police officer days were used to police significant events. A significant event is determined by an internal measure of where an event required 500+ officers to be abstracted from boroughs. This is a rise from 54,000 officer days in 2002/3, and last year included the MPS securing events such as Stop the War marches and the visit of President Bush.

The MPS is continuing to build on last year’s successes. After achieving a 29 year low in burglary, the MPS is committed to Operation Safer Homes with residential burglary 8.6% down so far this year.

Operation Asgard, helped the MPS achieved the autocrime target towards then end of last year and also set standards for 2004/5. This could explain the good start to performance in reducing motor vehicle crime, which is approximately 5,000 offences lower than the same time last year.

It is accepted that much work needs to be done with regard to improving detections and this is being partially achieved through a co-ordinated action plan. At the end of last year, detections stood at 15%, compared with a current rate of 16.6% year to date.

A. Recommendations

That

1. Members are asked to note the report.

B. Supporting information

Preliminary Notes

1. The commissioning brief asks the MPS to inform the MPA of any discussions from the MPS Performance Review Committee. This meeting has now been superseded by the National Intelligence Model Corporate Tactical Tasking & Co-ordination Group Meeting (NIM CTTG). This is to align the MPS to national guidelines regarding the analysis of information and intelligence and the subsequent tasking that should occur as a result. This group meeting happens on a monthly basis.

Crime Rates

2. Residential burglary continues to fall after last year’s successes. Based on current performance, the MPS is shown to have had 19 burglaries per 1000 households over April and May 2004, compared to a rolling 12-month average of 22 burglaries per 1000 households.

3. Violent crime and robberies have stayed at around the same levels compared to their respective 12 month rolling averages but the vehicle crime rate has also improved from an average of 21 offences per 1000 population to a year-end estimate of 20 offences per 1000 population.

Investigating Crime

4. For the policing year 2004/5 the MPS is using the sanctioned detection and detection measures of disposal. Please see Appendix 1 for the definitions of these terms. The sanctioned detection rate for total notifiable offences (TNOs) currently stands at 12%, against a rolling year average of 13%.

5. The sanctioned detection rates for the main crime priorities of residential burglary (10%), robbery (12%) and vehicle crime (3%) have stayed relatively the same compared with the average rate.

Vulnerable Victims

6. The detection rate for domestic violence offences falls just short of the 40% level for the performance year to date. The target by year-end is to achieve a 19% detection rate. The detection rate for racist crimes is also ahead of its target with current performance at 24% against a target of 20%.

7. However, the MPS is not performing as well for rape offences. The detection rate for the year to date stands at 25%, which is short of the target of 28% and well below the rolling year’s performance of 33%.

Serious Crime

8. Although data is only available for April 2004, there have been some inroads made into disrupting organised crime. Some £4m worth of assets have been recovered by Economic & Specialist Crime Unit (SCD6), against a target of £8m by year end. (Data for the whole of the MPS is unavailable at this time).

9. The detection rate for intra-familial abuse stands at 25% (although data is only available for April 2004), which is lower than the target level of 35%.

10. Gun crime has risen by 3% for the year to date, whilst the target is to achieve a 4% reduction. Poor performance is further reflected in the detection rate, which at 18% is also lower then the target level of 20%.

11. By contrast, performance against the measure of ‘life threatening & gun crime per 1000 population’ is holding at the same level as the average for 2003/04.

Resource Use

12. Sickness levels for police officers, police staff, Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) and traffic wardens, have seen an improvement (based on April 2004 performance only) in comparison to the respective rolling 12 monthly averages.

13. Police sickness has recorded less working days lost than the target of 9 days per year, with just under 8 days projected for the year based on April 2004 performance.

C. Race and equality impact

Implications of performance against individual targets are considered in in-depth performance reports throughout the year. This report notes exceptions in strategic disproportional indicators (such as stop-search) where applicable.

D. Financial implications

None

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report Author: Vinay Bhardwaj, MPS Corporate Performance Analysis Unit

For more information contact:

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

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