Complaints management information

Report: 4
Date: 16 June 2003
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report illustrates data for the period November 2002 to April 2003. It focuses on the key changes or exceptions within the data as the nature of the figures and emerging trends are slow to change.

There have been further reductions in the percentage of public complaint investigations over 120-days old, from 40% in November 2002 to 29% in April 2003.

Between 1 January 2003 and 13 May 2003 the average time taken for those cases received for consideration of misconduct issues to reaching a misconduct hearing was 40 days.

A. Recommendation

That Members note the report.

B. Supporting information

1. The summary of DPS performance indicators is attached at Appendix 1 and focuses on timeliness, quality and outcomes.

2. The diversity information is attached at Appendix 2.

Key Performance Indicators

3. This report focuses on the key changes or exceptions within the data as the nature of the figures and trends are slow to emerge.

4. The data provided in appendices is initially collated to inform the DPS Monthly Management Report (MMR). This is an agenda item at the monthly DPS senior management meeting. Due to the different timings required by the MPS & MPA secretariats for the preparation of the paper for the Professional Standards and Complaints Committee the data may appear dated by the time it is discussed.

Complaints reduction

Public complaints (BVPI 21) – row 1 Appendix 1

5. A revised reduction target for 2003/04 has been set for the monthly average of public complaint allegations recorded. With effect from April 2003 the monthly-recorded figures should be compared against the new target of 359.

6. The number of public complaint allegations recorded continues to reduce when compared with the previous year. The monthly-recorded figures between November 2002 and March 2003 have consistently exceeded the 2002/03 target of 412.

7. The number of allegations recorded in April 2003 has just met the revised 2003/04 target of 359.

Service confidence – row 6 Appendix 1

8. The data definition has changed to reflect the number of employees ‘currently’ the subject of service confidence procedures rather than a total for the financial year.

Public complaints finalised – row 9 Appendix 1

9. By comparing the totals in row 1 Appendix 1 with row 9 Appendix 1 it can be seen that, at the end of April 2003, 354 allegations were recorded but 288 were finalised. Although, for April, this equates to finalising less than received the trend indicates that overall the opposite is true.

10. The number of ‘live’ cases under investigation at row 10 Appendix 1 shows that overall the number of public complaint cases under investigation has dropped by 6% from 633 cases in November 2002 to 592 cases in April 2003.

11. The figures at row 10 Appendix 1 show a reduction in the number of current internal investigations over the same period from 140 to 122, a reduction of 13%.

Timeliness – rows 10/11 Appendix 1

12. Over the period November 2002 to April 2003 there have been further reductions in the percentage of public complaint investigations over 120-days old, from 40% to 29%.

13. The average number of days taken to informally resolve a complaint in April 2003 was exceptionally high. Further research indicates that there were two cases finalised where there were exceptional circumstances, one requiring protracted negotiations with the complainant and the second where there were delays in the service of papers. The delays in finalising these cases have significantly skewed the average for this month.

14. The reduction in the number of cases under investigation and the improvement in timelines have allowed the move of released resources into the ‘proactive’ investigation of corruption and unethical behaviour.

CPS decisions – row 14 Appendix 1

15. The average number of days taken for the CPS to reach a decision from receipt of the report has remained between 61 and 65 days over the period November 2002 to April 2003.

PCA decisions – row 15 Appendix 1

16. The average number of days taken for the PCA to reach a decision in regard to the granting of a ‘dispensation’ has varied between 36 and 43 days over the period November 2002 to April 2003.

17. As detailed in earlier reports the significant rise in the average number of days taken by the PCA to make a decision in regard to an investigation continues. Over the period November 2002 to April 2003 in particular it rose from 80 days to 89 days.

Suspended officers – row 4 Appendix 1

18. These figures illustrate the number of officers currently suspended at the end of each period. The diversity information presented at row 7 Appendix 2 shows the number of officers suspended during the period together with their ethnicity and sex.

19. Over the period November 2002 to April 2003 the number of officers currently suspended has reduced from a peak of 47, during January and February, to 43 in April 2003. The overall trend in the number of officers suspended is downward.

Misconduct decisions – row 12 Appendix 1

20. The percentage of misconduct decisions made within 20 working days has generally exceeded the target in the period November 2002 to April 2003 the exception being March 2003.

Misconduct hearings – row 13 Appendix 1

21. The improved performance evident in February 2003 is attributed to the fact that the majority of misconduct hearings held in that month were cases being dealt with under ‘Code 8’ of the Police (Conduct) Regulations 1999. This code allows for officers convicted of a criminal offence to appear before a misconduct hearing whereby they have already been found guilty and the papers served on them.

22. Further research concluded that between 1 January 2003 and 13 May 2003, there were a total of 47 cases allocated for consideration of misconduct issues of which 6 had reached a misconduct hearing in the same period. The average time taken for these 6 cases to reach a misconduct hearing, following receipt of the case, was 40 days. [The longest took 116 days and the shortest 8 days].

DPS staff vacancies – row 16 Appendix 1

23. The percentage of Police vacancies within DPS had further reduced from 2.6% in September 2002 to 2% at the end of April 2003.

24. Likewise, there has been a further reduction in the number of civil staff vacancies within the Directorate from 15% in November 2002 to 8% in April 2003.

C. Equality and diversity implications

1. The data provided in Appendix 2 outlines the equality and diversity issues related to the equality and diversity implications work of the Directorate of Professional Standards. As mentioned in previous reports this data has been subject to separate analysis to ascertain the actual areas of disproportionality as opposed to the apparent levels.

2. The table at Appendix 2 has been expanded to present three full financial years of data plus the rolling 12-months to the end April 2003.

3. In the rolling 12-months, May 2002 to April 2003, there has been a slight reduction in the overall number of police officers. This is due to there being no intake of new officers in April 2003 to offset the natural wastage in that month.

4. In a number of categories there are no longer any ethnic minority officers represented. The categories where they are absent tend to be those where the actual numbers are small. This highlights some of the difficulties in identifying trends and patterns where the data is small.

5. An addition piece of work is currently underway to further analyse the disproportionality amongst black complainants where they represent over 30% of all complainants.

D. Financial implications

1. As mentioned in previous reports, the second DPS initiative to reduce the number of cases over 120-days old between 1 February and 31 March 2003, was a success. The final costs of £11,427 was met from approved budgets.

2. The initiative saw the number of public complaints cases reduce further from 154 cases to 104 (32%. Likewise, regarding internal investigations, the target of 20% was surpassed with a reduction of 29% achieved reducing from 115 cases to 82.

E. Background papers

None.

F. Contact details

Report author: Michael Clark and Chris Ramsay, MPS.

For more information contact:

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

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