Criminal justice update

Report: 4
Date: 9 November 2006
By: Assistant Commissioner Territorial Policing on behalf of the Commissioner

Summary

This report provides an update on the work being carried out by the Department of Criminal Justice with the ultimate aim of bringing more offences to justice.

A. Recommendation

That Members note the contents of the report.

B. Supporting information

National Strategy for Police Information Services Custody and Case Preparation (NSPIS CuCP)

1. Waltham Forest went live with NSPIS CuCP on 10 October 2006 and will be the first borough on which the application has been deployed as part of the full MPS roll out programme utilising the new Data Centres.

2. Processes are well advanced with boroughs scheduled to go live through to April 2007.

3. In order to provide an electronic link between NSPIS Case Preparation and magistrates courts (other than those served by the Thames Magistrates Court server) there is a reliance on the introduction of the new Libra magistrates court system. The roll out of Libra is significantly delayed and current indications are that full roll out across London may not recommence until May 2007 at the earliest. This may impact on the ability to roll out the full NSPIS CuCP application across London, as intended, by 31 March 2008. In view of this, the MPS NSPIS team is reviewing options for the deployment of NSPIS CuCP in the event that the Libra system is not available by April 2007 when all boroughs served by the Thames Magistrates Court server will have gone live with NSPIS CuCP.

Performance

OBTJ target setting 2007/08

4. Nationally, the OCJR is in the process of calculating offences brought to justice (OBTJ) targets for local criminal justice boards (LCJBs) for 2007/08. The London CJB has been consulted on the full range of targets against which they manage performance and a meeting is to be held by the London Performance Team to finalise a proposal for the London CJB and individual BCJG targets for the forthcoming year.

5. In addition to asking local boards to sustain current levels of performance, the OCJR will also be asking them to develop a focus within the existing performance regime on improving success in bringing more serious offences to justice. This complements the proposals for new sanction detection and OBTJ indicators in the Policing Performance Assessment Framework (PPAF) from April 2007.

Sanction detections

6. The overall Sanction Detection rate for the performance year to date (April Aug 2006) is 20.1% against the target of 20%.

• In April 06 the sanction detection rate was 17%
• In May 06 it was 19%
• In June 06 it was 21.4%
• In July 06 it was 20.9%
• In August it was 22%

Offences Brought to Justice (OBTJ)

7. The OBTJ target for 2006/7 for London is 185,000. The MPS contribution has been agreed at 181,212

• London (including British Transport Police and City of London Police) has achieved 82,594 for the performance Year to date (April-06 to August-06). This is 5,511 ahead of the target for this period.
• The MPS had 16,330 OBTJ in June 06 (monthly target 15,101), which gives 79,337 OBTJ for the PYTD. This is 3,872 ahead of the target for this period.

These are broken down as follows for the performance year to date:

Appendix 1 a to c shows a chart demonstrating OBTJ breakdown

Persistent Young Offenders (PYO)

8. The target is to deal with PYOs through the Courts from arrest to sentence in 71 days

• Current MPS 3-month average performance between March and May 2006 was 81 days.

Current trial management performance (August 2006) target

9. The current trial performance data is as follows:

• Ineffective Trials Magistrates’ Court 18.7% 20%
• Effective Trials Magistrates’ Court 46.0% Not set
• Ineffective Trials Crown Court 15.9% 16%
• Effective Trial Crown Court 56.0% Not set
• Charts detailing this information are available in Appendix 2 [1]

Emerald Warrants Management System (EWMS)

10. The MPS has already reached the 2006/07 target for reducing Fail to Appear (FTA) warrants to 8500. The MPS currently holds 7848 FTA warrants which is a reduction of 16 % from 1 April 2006. (Performance to the end of August is shown in the graph below)

11. Continuing efforts to improve the quality of bail management appears to be working with the number of FTA Warrants issued each month falling from 2000 to 1800. This is undoubtedly contributing to this downward trend.

Chart 2: Total number of FTA warrants outstanding (see supporting material)

12. Assistant Commissioner Godwin is the current chair of the LCJB. An area of particular focus is ‘Enforcement’, both FTA warrants and Community Order Breach warrants. To this end, two multi-agency teams have been formed to tackle these issues. An enforcement sub-group has also been formed which reports directly to the LCJB.

National Enforcement Service

13. The NES is a proposed solution to the problem of unpaid fines and failure to complete community service orders. The NES will initially compose of representatives from the police and courts. It is planned to commence work in April 2007. The group will be supplemented by representation from other agencies such as Probation, CPS, and NOMS as required.

Asset recovery

14. Her Majesty’s Courts Services (HMCS) and the CPS both collect data on asset recovery. There are four recognised targets:

• The volume of orders made. Target 2006/07 increase by 20% to 455. Current performance is 214 orders made. The LCJB equate this to ‘amber’ status.
• The value of orders made. Target 2006/07 to increase by 35% to £17m. Current performance is £9.4m confiscated. This equates to ‘green’ status.
• Reducing the collectable balance rate for orders made after the introduction of the Proceeds of Crimes Act (POCA). Target 2006/07 to reduce outstanding orders to 25%. This currently stands at 32%.
• Reducing the number of outstanding order made pre Proceeds of Crimes Act. Target 2006/07 to reduce outstanding orders by 35%. This currently stands at 12%.

15. Enforcement of orders that go to warrant are currently the responsibility of Civilian Enforcement Officers employed by HMCS. Many of the warrants are deemed high risk and therefore there has been a problem in enforcing them. A recent bid to the Proceeds of Crime Disbursement Panel for a small pan-London Police unit that can enforce these warrants was recently approved. The unit should be in place by January 2007.

Detections

Taken into Consideration (TICs)

16. Performance on TICs continues to show a substantial improvement, 3653 offences were Taken into Consideration during the months of July and August 2006. This was an increase of 45% on the total achieved throughout the first quarter of this performance year. Our current performance to date in this area stands at 8136 offences taken into consideration. The use of the 'Wipe the Slate Clean' tactics have contributed to this performance.

Cannabis warnings

17. A total of 11318 warnings have been issued since the beginning of the performance year (April-Aug). We are projected to reach a 28,000 yearly total.

Penalty Notices for Disorder (PNDs)

18. The use of PNDs continues to increase across the MPS. On the current data available (to end of Aug), 7977 PNDs have been issued.

Victim and witness care

19. Victim Focus Desks will be based within Borough Operational Command Units and will be staffed by Police Community Safety Officers. These desks will provide support and information to victims and witnesses in accordance with the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime, the Quality of Service Commitment and the Witness Charter. These desks will be in place from April 2007. Interim arrangements to assist police officers in discharging their obligations within the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime include employing one additional member of staff per BOCU. This member of staff will proactively support police officers in meeting their obligations until such time that Victim Focus Desks are established. It is anticipated these members of staff will be in place within a matter of weeks. Awareness raising and publicity material continues to be produced by Operation Emerald, together with liaison with all link officers on BOCUs to ensure the Code is promoted to frontline staff.

Integrated prosecution teams

20. Integrated Prosecution teams aim to decrease the remedial workload in CJUs, reduce duplication of effort between CPS and police staff and reduce inefficiencies in processes. This should all improve performance against criminal justice targets.

21. In the main, post charge CJU work involves gathering further evidence and statements from police and other witnesses. Much of this work could be obtained before the file is submitted to the CJU. In addition, both police and CPS staff request information from each other, this process can be laborious with repeated requests for the same information.

22. The intention is to co-locate MPS and CPS staff within Integrated Prosecution Teams to reduce inefficient processes and shorten communication links. CJU staff released by this process will be able to work alongside police officers in Case progression Units as Case Management Officers.

23. It is proposed to pilot the IPT in three boroughs (Waltham Forest, Tower Hamlets and Hackney) from December 2006. If successful full MPS rollout will commence in April 2007.

24. Providing right first time files will reduce the number of police staff required to perform traditional roles of Case Clerk and release these posts for savings or re-alignment.

25. In addition this will release officers to return to their primary role of patrol and investigation at an early stage, resulting in:

• Improved community confidence,
• Improved safety, security and reassurance,
• Reduced crime and disorder.

26. The project will support the following Policing Performance Assessment framework (PPAF) areas:

• Offences brought to justice 6b (delivery: poor)
• Citizens focus; Satisfaction with overall service 1e (delivery: poor).

27. The Integrated Criminal Justice Unit project directly supports the strategic outcomes in the policing London Strategy 2006-9. It reflects the following supporting elements of the strategy:

• A modern and diverse workforce
• Enabled staff
• Better use of resources
• Cohesive partnership working

Persistent Young Offenders (PYOs)

28. Enforcement’ and improvement of performance in relation to PYOs are areas of particular focus for the LCJB. Recent PNC data from April to June 2006 reveals that London is not meeting the arrest to sentence target of 71 days (currently 81 days). There is a greater political focus on London to contribute to improving national performance, with the Solicitor General engaging with the Chairs of Borough Criminal Justice Groups (BCJGs).

29. PYO data is now produced on a Borough basis by the LCJB Performance Team to enable BCJGs to analyse data and address performance more effectively.

30. The work of the multi-agency PYO Steering Group is continuing, with ongoing analysis and challenging of individual long running cases, which adversely affect the PYO target at Crown Courts.

31. In relation to Magistrates’ Courts, Alice Poole from PA Consulting has been provided by the Office of Criminal Justice Reform (OCJR) as a support resource to conduct assessments at three courts, these are Thames, Newham and West London. Developing the use of the assessment checklist, members of the PYO Steering Group have assessed Camberwell Green, Barnet and Redbridge. These courts account for over 50% of the PYO impact on London.

32. Each BCJG has prepared an 'improvement action plan'. These are being collated and monitored by the LCJB.

33. A meeting has been held with the Director of Forensic Services in order that criminal justice time constraints can be included in contracts with the FSS.

34. Training of CPS lawyers has emphasised the need to solve evidential issues for PYOs within five days.

LCJB update

Virtual courts initiative

35. The purpose of this initiative is to allow speedy disposal of first court hearings, subsequent to guilty plea, and sentencing. The initial proposal is to install live video links between sixteen custody suites in police stations and their corresponding magistrate’s courts. This could deliver significant economies in court time due to the high proportion of defendants charged who plead guilty on first appearance.

36. The planned timescale is to commence with installations in April 2007, with remaining suites equipped by 1 April 2008. The scope of the initiative will be lower level offences in magistrates’ courts involving adult defendants only. The full business plan for video conferencing links will go to Ministers for funding agreement. This is a very significant initiative in terms of both its scale and innovation.

37. A feasibility study, undertaken in September 2006, revealed significant savings in both Court time and financially. Most of the financial savings coming from the reduced transport costs with in-custody prisoners no longer having to go to Court before transport to remand prisons.

38. The business case will be discussed at the next LCJB meeting prior to submission to Ministers. The initial rollout is still planned for 2007. A briefing on Virtual courts implementation is attached as Appendix 3.

Inside Justice Week

39. Inside Justice Week (IJW) is the OCJRs annual campaign to engage the public in the work of the Criminal Justice System through a series of coordinated national events. Representatives from criminal justice agencies, Victim Support London, the Legal Services Commission, Greater London Authority and the Independent Advisory Group put forward IJW ideas in support of London’s aim to lead the way.

40. Events include:

• Competitions – IJW poster and song writing competitions aimed at young people based on the theme 'report a crime-Support a victim'.
• Town hall talks – borough based events hosted by Mayors and BCJGs aimed at raising awareness of the CJS with older people and the young.
• BME Roundtable – chaired by David Scott with attendance by Gerry Sutcliffe, Home Office Minister, and Independent Advisory Group members. The event is aimed to increase BME confidence in the CJS.
• Museum of London – working with the Museum of London to raise awareness of CJS amongst young people this is aligned with their citizenship studies.
• Raising the profile of projects – launch of help desk at Camberwell Magistrates Court, the Local Crime/ Community Sentence project; launch of robbery and anti-bullying initiative in Croydon.
• Safer transport Initiative – Mayor and Chief Constable, British Transport Police, to launch project.
• CJS Muslim Careers Fair – This event will be covered by Islam TV and has been arranged through the Asian Muslim Lawyers Association and Ifath Nawaz from the IAG
• Court Open Day – planned at Stratford Magistrates Court, will include mock trails and roles of staff and volunteers.

41. There will be a particular emphasis on media coverage. This will include support from Uproar, a multi-cultural marketing agency that specialises in BME content for BME and mainstream media.

Abbreviations

BME

Black minority Ethnic

BOCU

Borough Operational Command Unit

BTP

British Transport Police

CJS

Criminal Justice System

CPS

Crown Prosecution Service

CuCP

Custody and Case Preparation

EWMS

Emerald Warrant Management System

FTA

Fail To Appear

HCMS

Her Majesty’s Court Service

IAG

Independent Advisory Group

IPC

Integrated Prosecution Team

IJW

Inside Justice Week

LCJB

London Criminal Justice Board

MPS

Metropolitan Police Service

NSPIS

National Strategy for Police Information Services

OBTJ

Offences Bought to Justice

OCJR

Office of Criminal Justice Reform

PTPM

Prosecution Team Performance Monitoring

PYO

Persistent Young Offender

SGV

SunGard Vivista

TIC

Taken into consideration

C. Race and equality impact

There are no new equality or diversity implications at this time.

D. Financial implications

There are currently no financial implications. However should the Libra application continue to be delayed this will have an adverse effect upon the rollout of NSPIS CuCP and may have financial implications for the MPS.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: Chief Superintendent George Clarke, Territorial Policing, MPS

For more information contact:

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

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