National crime recording standard update

Report: 12
Date: 24 April 2006
By: Commissioner

Summary

Since the 2004 Audit Commission (AC) grading of red (poor) in relation compliance with the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) for the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), a plan to improve compliance has been implemented. Through a program of frequent review and audit, the plan has been developed to ensure that it continues to meet the need for the MPS to progress towards achieving the required standard alongside the other significant change programs currently being undertaken within the organisation. This report provides information about the development of the plan, barriers that have been encountered and progress towards full compliance with the NCRS and Home Office Counting Rules for Recorded Crime (HOCR).

A. Recommendation

That Members note the report.

B. Supporting information

1. In 2003 the Audit Commission (AC) commenced a three-year national audit program of police forces in relation to compliance with NCRS and HOCR. From the nine tests or ‘investigations’ covering the entire range of incident and crime recording procedures, the AC publish an audit program of selected investigations each year. The 2004/5 audit, known as ‘year two’, consisted of Investigation 1 (to determine whether reports of crime related incidents resulted in crime reports and if not, whether they contained the necessary information to support the decision to not record a crime) and Investigation 5 (to consider whether a recorded crime has been classified as ‘no crime’ in accordance with HOCR). Additionally, ‘management arrangements’ for crime recording practices were considered.

2. Within the MPS, incidents are generally recorded on the Computer Aided Despatch (CAD) system and crimes are recorded on the Crime Report Information System (CRIS). Hence investigation 1 is often referred to as ‘CAD to CRIS’.

3. In respect of both investigation 1 and investigation 5, the MPS were graded as red (poor). Management arrangements were also criticised. It was apparent that administrative mistakes, poor understanding of the rules and conflicting pressures in other areas of business were amongst the issues affecting the grading. Accordingly, an action plan was developed. This was originally a 30-point plan but since its inception has been refined and focused to a ten-point plan that is in place today. The plan has been subject to external scrutiny in two respects. The Policing Standards Unit (PSU) at the Home Office has been widely consulted and has accepted the plan. It has also been referred to the Force Crime Registrar of another force for review in order to consider whether achievement of the ten goals would be likely to lead to greater NCRS/HOCR compliance, with a positive outcome. The plan seeks to achieve compliance through reinforcement of the changes in the rules, staff development and changes to the organisational culture rather than through a scheme intervention and correction of the databases. Regular audit forms an important part of the process.

4. An experienced project manager has been appointed to oversee progress of the plan. An additional member of staff has been recruited to the Data Accuracy Team. A published plan of internal audit has been developed in order to assess progress. Changes to the functionality of CRIS introduced in October have assisted by ensuring that only appropriately trained and experienced staff can make certain changes to crime records, eliminating some potential for error. Examples include the crime type classification can now only be confirmed by a Crime Management Unit (CMU) supervisor and staff with the highest access authority now have the ability to ‘lock’ the classification to prevent erroneous alterations.

5. Changes have also been made to the functionality of CAD and a series of pre-formatted messages are now automatically generated upon inputting data to the system. This has the effect of prompting the recording of a crime or the recording of a correct rationale for not recording as a crime and so impacts significantly on our results within investigation 1. A team has been set up to manage the changes as a result of the introduction of the National Standard for Incident Recording (NSIR). Delivery of training to the staff who input incidents to the CAD system is amongst their functions and this is also likely to positively impact upon the results of investigation 1.

6. Some of the functions of the 32 borough based crime management units have been centralised within a territorial policing CMU (TP CMU) and a serious crime/specialist operations CMU (SCD/SO CMU). For example, update seminars are now hosted quarterly for all CMU supervisors, aiming to ensure that relevant information is passed on and that all staff receive the same facility with consistency of interpretation. It is also proposed that SCD/SO CMU take over responsibility for classification and confirmation of crimes that fall to them for investigation from April 2006.

7. Blockages to progress have been identified in three main areas; communication, cultural and the drive for performance.

8. Communication: There are more than 540 CMU staff across the MPS located within the 32 boroughs. Additionally there are 270 Designated Decision Makers (DDM) dealing with detection decisions. NCRS and HOCR can never cover every eventuality and therefore a certain amount of interpretation of the rules is necessary. The communication blockage arises in trying to ensure that there is one MPS interpretation rather than 32 (or more) borough interpretations. Additionally, communication of the fact that the corporate MPS position is one of total compliance with NCRS/HOCR appears to have been slow to filter down to practitioner level. This may be due to dilution of the message through the additional levels of management in place within the MPS when compared to other forces but may also be due to NCRS/HOCR being seen as one of many recent changes and being viewed as less important than others such as the C3i communications project, safer neighbourhoods, service modernisation, changes in police powers and the increased security arrangements.

9. Cultural: Historically, crime was recorded if evidence existed to support the fact that a crime had occurred. The change as a result of NCRS/HOCR is to a victim-based approach where if a victim reports an incident and the circumstances, as reported, amount to a crime, then a crime is recorded unless there is credible evidence to the contrary. This change in emphasis has caused difficulty in some cases, for example where there is conflict between the CPS Directors Guidance on Charging and the NCRS/HOCR regarding assaults.

10. Drive for performance: Performance against targets that are quantity-based provides a focus on one aspect of compliance with NCRS/HOCR and may detract from compliance in other areas such as overall accuracy of data. For example, where the focus is on achieving detections, audit reveals that the parts of the CRIS report dealing with that aspect are completed in accordance with the rules, but the CRIS report may fail audit as a result of other aspects such as errors in classification of crime or victim details.

11. In terms of anticipated results from recent audits the MPS is showing clear signs of significant improvement in compliance with NCRS/HOCR. The audit commission (AC) have recently conducted investigation 1. The provisional results are that the MPS has achieved a 89.63% compliance rating moving the organisation from ‘poor’ to ‘fair’ but bordering on ‘good’ (90%). This result may be slightly improved after consultation with the AC but cannot be any worse.

12. Investigation 9 is due to be conducted in April and consists of a review of crimes that have been reclassified (75%) and no crimes (25%). All reclassification of crime is completed within the Data Accuracy Team (DAT) on behalf of the Force Crime Registrar. All changes to CRIS reports that result in a crime being reclassified as no crime are completed by staff with CMU supervisor status in line with the October CRIS functionality changes. As the staff responsible for these changes are all highly trained and experienced practitioners it is anticipated that results within test 9 will be similarly improved. Recent DAT audit of no classification changes to no crime indicate an 85% compliance rate.

13. Additional CRIS functionality changes are planned in the future with a view to eliminating further administrative errors. For example, to enable the correction of the database when additional victims are identified for a previously recorded crime. In conjunction with the continual work within the NCRS action plan, it is anticipated that further improvements will be made in compliance with the standard.

Abbreviations

AC

Audit Commission

CAD

Computer Aided Despatch

CRIS

Crime Report Information System

DAT

Data Accuracy Team

HOCR

Home Office Counting Rules for Recorded Crime

DDM

Designated Decision Makers

NCRS

National Crime Recording Standard

PSU

Policing Standards Unit

C. Race and equality impact

The MPS recognises that there is under-reporting of crime from disadvantaged groups and that any perceived barriers to the reporting of crime may have a disproportionate effect. Removal of potential barriers through NCRS/HOCR compliance is therefore likely to have a positive impact on race and diversity issues.

D. Financial implications

All costs will be met from existing MPS budgets.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: David Imroth, Detective Superintendent, MPS Force Crime Registrar, MPS

For more information contact:

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

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