Minutes

Minutes of the Planning, Performance & Review Committee of the Metropolitan Police Authority held on 24 April 2006 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, London, SW1H 0NY.

Present

Members

• Richard Sumray (Chair)
• Reshard Auladin
• Dee Doocey (item 1-10)
• Karim Murji (Deputy Chair).

MPA officers

• Annabel Adams (Deputy Treasurer)
• Siobhan Coldwell (Head of Scrutiny and Review)
• David Riddle (Deputy Chief Executive and Deputy Clerk)
• Jane Owen (Head of Planning and Performance)
• Ruth Hastings Iqball (Committee Officer)

MPS officers

• Richard Bryan (DAC, Central Operations)
• Simon Foy (Commander, Performance Directorate)
• Tarique Ghaffur (AC, Specialist Crime)
• Alfred Hitchcock (Commander, Territorial Policing)

Also in attendance:

• George Clarke (OCU Commander, Operation Emerald - MPS) (item 4)
• Lawrence Morris (Strategic Advisor, Performance Management - MPS) (item 5)
• Mick Debens (Head of Corporate Planning - MPS), (item 6)
• Anna Aquilina (Strategy Adviser, Specialist Crime Directorate - MPS) (item 7 and 9)
• Malcolm Tullyer (Superintendent, Custody Directorate - MPS) (item 10)
• Marilyn Standley (Director of Facilities Management, Property Services) and Adam Loxley (Supt, SO16) (agenda item 11) - MPS
• David Miveld (Det Superintendent, PNC Bureau - MPS) (item 13)

58. Apologies for absence

(Agenda item 1)

Apologies for absence were received from Richard Barnes (member).

59. Declarations of interests

(Agenda item 2)

No declarations of interest were received.

60. Minutes of the joint meeting of Finance and Planning Performance and Review Committees - 13 February 2006

(Agenda item 3)

Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting held on 13 February 2006 were confirmed and signed as a correct record.

61. Criminal Justice update

(Agenda item 4)

The Committee received a report providing an update on the work being carried out by the Department of Criminal Justice with the aim of bringing more offences to justice. The Chair thanked the report author for addressing the questions asked at the last Committee meeting. The report stated that preparation was continuing for the planned rollout of the NSPIS Custody and Case Preparation IT programme across the MPS, subject to Government funding being confirmed on Friday. The Chair asked what would happen if funding was not confirmed. He was told there were two options, both of which would be at considerable cost to the MPS.

Members asked questions about the joint letter from the Head of the London CPS and AC Godwin to Lord Justice Thomas, Senior Presiding Judge for London, supporting an initiative to reduce the number of people signing on bail at police stations by suggesting that more stringent and powerful bail conditions were set instead. The MPS had as yet been unable to confirm that a response had been received from Lord Justice Thomas. However, the Committee's view was that if it was not a useful bail condition and was a poor use of police time, it should be dealt with sooner than later.

The MPS’s failure to meet its persistent young offender (PYO) targets was noted. One of the reasons suggested was the tardiness of tracking leading to the production of out-of-date or inaccurate figures. The figures would be improved if the OCJR recognised that names were put on before charge leading to an extended timescale.

It was noted that only Waltham Forest and Hackney Boroughs had been approached for a view on how relationships were developing between local Borough Criminal Justice Groups and Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships. It was felt a wider sample of boroughs should have been selected. The Chair stated that he had met the Chief Executive of the London Criminal Justice Board on this subject.

The Chair requested continuing reporting on statutory charging. He also felt there was a need to see a continuing improvement in both ineffective and effective trials.

Resolved - That the report be noted.

62. Corporate performance report: financial year; April 2005 to February 2006

(Agenda item 5)

A report was received providing an overview of MPS performance for the period April 2005 to February 2006. The report structure was aligned with the performance headings set out in the Policing Performance and Assessment Framework (PPAF). A revised version of the second page of the appendix, the ‘summary of performance against targets’, was circulated providing information for the 2005/06 financial year, which had been unavailable when the agenda was prepared. The Chair noted that this still contained ‘amber traffic lights’. The ‘traffic lights’ should be either red or green, as targets were either met or not met at the year-end.

The Commander, Performance Directorate, praised and thanked his staff for their work during the year. He noted that the Chair of the Authority had asked for a report on performance at the full Authority. The Commissioner would give some key messages in relation to the performance figures:

• overall crime was down - though it was admitted there had been some rises,
• the detection rate was improving and was at an historic all time high,
• the murder rate was down, and
• the satisfaction rate for policing was improving, although there were no grounds for complaisancy.

The Chair stated that he was pleased by the success in meeting the citizen focus targets.

Members asked about how the effect of Safer Neighbourhood Teams would be measured when all boroughs had Safer Neighbourhood Teams. It was noted that the MPS had failed to meet the 29% target for the proportion of recruits from black and minority ethnic groups. A briefing note for members was requested on this. AC, Specialist Crime stated, in relation to the falling murder rate, that this was due to the impact of the MPS Domestic Violence Units, the 24 hour a day 7 days a week approach to threats to kill and robust detection. He added that London was a very safe conurbation.

Resolved – That

1. the report be noted; and
2. a briefing note be provided to members on the MPS’s failure to meet the target for the proportion of recruits from black and minority ethnic groups.

63. Policing London strategy and plan update

(Agenda item 6)

A report was received updating members on the publication of the Policing London Strategy and Annual Policing Plan, the latest position on the PPAF local domain, reducing crime in the most challenging wards and providing an update on the development activity on the planning process timetable for 2007/08. Members were informed that the MPS’s Management Board would be discussing next year’s strategic priorities on 6 June. A report would be made to this Committee in June on the subject. The Chair stated that the Finance Committee had requested that the report ‘Revised financial planning framework’ be rewritten, as it did not take account of strategic planning. The revised report would be submitted to the Strategy and Policing Committee for approval. He added that the planning process had a long way to go. It needed to start earlier next year, as this year’s process had been worse than the previous years.

Members were informed that the 14 high level indicators would be the backdrop to the MPS’s future performance. It was also noted that the MPA would like a local domain indicator to be about terrorism although it may take time to develop.

Resolved - That the reports proposals be supported.

64. Briefing on the criminal networks priority

(Agenda item 7)

Members received a report providing information around the Criminal Networks priority in the MPS Corporate Strategy. It provided an outline of ongoing development work in the area of criminal networks, identified the development of targets and a performance regime and highlighted issues causing the MPS concern. The Chair welcomed the report.

He asked for a briefing paper on last year’s achievements in respect of criminal networks in terms of the number of arrests and the seizure of assets. Questions were asked about the definition of criminal networks, to prevent officers disrupting only easy targets to maintain performance figures. Members were informed that there were strict definitions and that a manual would be produced shortly explaining these.

Members asked how informers were encouraged and were told that there was an engagement strategy that included the use of Safer Neighbourhood Teams. The AC, Specialist Crime described how he had worked with the Albanian High Commission on combating crime.

The Chair asked about the Serious Crime Directorate’s relationship with the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA). Members were informed that standard operating procedures had been drawn up, but had yet to be tested as the SOCA had only just come into existence. A report was requested for the September meeting on the relationship between the SOCA and MPS and how the MPS was working with different communities in relation to the disruption of criminal networks.

Resolved - That

1. members agree the new approach and next steps for tackling criminal networks – as outlined in the Policing Plan – subject to ongoing review and specific briefings as requested;
2. members help coordinate and integrate this approach across the MPS;
3. a briefing paper on last year’s achievements in respect of criminal networks in terms of the number of arrests and the seizure of assets be provided to members; and
4. a report be provided to the September meeting on the relationship between the SOCA and MPS and how the MPS was working with different communities in relation to the disruption of criminal networks.

65. Central Operations Directorate management information

(Agenda item 8)

This report provided members with management information on the Central Operation Command’s performance against its objectives and targets for the period 1 April 2005 to 29 February 2006. A summary of operational highlights was also included. As the report had been circulated to members with less than five clear working days’ notice, however the Chair agreed to receive it as an urgent item under the provisions of section 100B (4b) of the Local Government Act 1972 because a delay in the monitoring of Central Operations performance would have rendered the report out of date.

After introducing the report the DAC, Central Operations, stated that in the next year the Directorate would be taking forward it’s capital city policing role, looking at how its disparate Units could work together to obtain effective outcomes and refining it’s approach to tasking. Members felt it was an interesting report and it was noted that the MPA would be working with the Directorate in developing performance targets.

Members noted the comments in the report relating to the lack of investment in the Dogs Section and lack of armed support for the Marine Support Unit. The DAC stated that that the report reflected the Units’ reaction to the result of the £6.7 million reduction in the business group’s budget. The reduction had led the Directorate to reconsider how it delivered its services. The Dog Unit and the Marine and Air Support Units all provided wide area search capability; was it necessary to have all three? One member of the Committee felt it needed to be made aware of the effect of the cuts agreed by the MPA, and that this information should be included in future reports. It was also requested that the ‘race and equality impact’ section of the report should be fuller and that some of the operational detail in the report be put in an appendix.

Resolved – That report be noted.

66. MPS position on drugs

(Agenda item 9)

This report provided members with an overview of the policing-related issues around the supply and use of drugs in London, and proposed a way forward for the MPS in line with the Corporate Strategic Assessment, the Corporate Strategy and wider government priorities. It recommended that drugs should be designated as a priority for the MPS in the context of understanding the drivers of crime. It was noted that the MPA’s planned Drugs Strategy Scrutiny would assist in the preparation of an action plan.

Resolved – That the report be noted and the proposed actions agreed:

• Action 1 - Reviewing those on the Prolific Priority Offender scheme and prioritising the problem drug users who are also the highest offenders for drug-motivated crime.
• Action 2 - Focusing intelligence, prevention and enforcement activity on the worst affected neighbourhoods.
• Action 3 - Developing performance information for drug-motivated offenders, pan- London and by Borough. Work will be carried out over the year to develop baselines and indicators that will inform the MPS Drugs Strategy and be subject to negotiation with both the MPA and related agencies.

67. Custody Capacity Service Improvement Review – progress against the improvement plan

(Agenda item 10)

Members received a report providing an update on the work of the Custody Directorate arising from the recommendations of the Custody Improvement Review. The Chair remarked that this had become an important and comprehensive report. Additionally, it illustrated the burden of governmental changes the Custody Directorate worked under. He added that the full Authority should have a report on the work of the Custody Directorate at some point. It was requested that when the next report on the Service Improvement Review of custody was received it be recommended whether some of the actions be signed off as completed.

Resolved - That

1. the report be noted, and
2. the full Authority receive a report on the work of the Custody Directorate at some point.

68. Service Improvement Review of Security Guarding – recommendations progress report

(Agenda item 11)

The Service Improvement Review of security guarding, concluded in July 2005, made a number of recommendations identifying key areas for improvement. This report provided an update on progress to date in implementing the recommendations. It was noted that the increased cost of guards, due to their licensing, might drive costs up and that an audit had taken place to ensure that security was only provided to buildings that needed it. Members noted that there were now no ‘red‘ indicators and felt the report was indicative of the good inter-departmental working practices that had been developed since the review had taken place. It was requested that when the next report on the Service Improvement Review of security guarding was received it be recommended that some of the actions be signed off as completed.

Resolved - That

1. the report be noted; and
2. when the next report on the Service Improvement Review of Security Guarding was received, it be recommended that some of the actions be signed off as completed.

69. National Crime Recording Standard update

(Agenda item 12)

Since the 2004 Audit Commission grading of the MPS as ‘poor’ in relation compliance with the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS), a plan to improve compliance had been implemented. Members received a report providing information about the development of the plan, barriers encountered and progress towards full compliance with the NCRS and Home Office Counting Rules for Recorded Crime. The Chair requested that members be informed of the Audit Commission’s investigation 1.

Resolved - That

1. the report be noted; and
2. members be informed of the results Audit investigation 1.

70. An action plan to improve PNC performance in the MPS

(Agenda item 13)

In February 2005, HMIC completed a Police National Computer (PNC) Compliance Inspection throughout the MPS and rated the MPS as ‘poor’. As a result, the MPS has produced a broad based action plan to address the HMIC’s concerns. Members received a report informing them that significant progress had been made in implementing the plan but sustainable improvement in performance was unlikely to be seen before May 2006.

Members were informed that the MPS would like to see the courts completing court results (as it was taking 56 days to validate a result that should take only three days) but had been unable to make progress on this. The MPA’s support would be welcomed. The Chair undertook to follow this up with the London Criminal Justice Board.

Resolved – That the attached action plan to improve PNC performance in the MPS be endorsed.

The meeting ended at 12.15 p.m.

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