Minutes - draft

Please note these minutes are currently draft and are subject to committee approval.

Minutes of the Professional Standards and Complaints Committee of the Metropolitan Police Authority held on 10 February 2005 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, London SW1H 0NY.

Present

Members

• Reshard Auladin (Chair)
• Jenny Jones
• Karim Murji (Deputy Chair)
• Richard Sumray

MPA officers

• David Riddle (Deputy Clerk)
• Claire Lister (Professional Standards Officer)
• Alan Johnson, (Head of Human Resources and Professional Standards)
• Nick Baker (Head of Committee Services)

MPS officers

• Commander Philip Hagon
• Steve Roberts (Director of Professional Standards)
• Carl Bussey (Directorate of Professional Standards)

Also present: Deborah Glass (IPCC) and John Roberts (item 6).

34. Apologies

(Agenda item 1)

Apologies for absence were received from Tony Arbour, Damian Hockney and Elizabeth Howlett

35. Declarations of interests from members of the committee

(Agenda item 2)

No declarations of interests were given by members.

36. Minutes

(Agenda item 3)

The Committee received the minutes of the Professional Standards and Complaints Committee meeting held on 9 December 2004 (Part 1).

The Committee also noted the minutes (Part 1) of the Senior Officers Conduct Sub-Committee meeting held on 13 January 2005.

Resolved – That the minutes of the Professional Standards and Complaints Committee meeting held on 7 October 2004 (Part 1) be agreed and signed as a correct record and that the minutes (Part 1) of the Senior Officers Conduct Sub-Committee meeting held on 13 January 2005 be noted.

37. Chair’s and Members’ update

(Agenda item 4)

The Chair reported that this would be the last meeting of both Commander Philip Hagon and Steve Roberts (Director of Professional Standards). The Committee thanks both officers for their work with the Committee and wished them well for the future.

Resolved – That the report be noted.

38. Complaints management information

(Agenda item 5)

The Committee received a report that gave data for the 12 months to December 2004, which focused on the key changes or exceptions within the data as trends are slow to change.

Members were informed that public complaints allegations had declined by approximately 1% in the rolling 12 months January 2004 to December 2004 compared to the rolling period of January 2003 to December 2003.

It was noted that 120-day public complaint investigations had reduced from 144 to 97. Members were informed of a 9% rise in the percentage of allegations locally (informally) Resolved from January 2004 to December 2004. It was reported that the average number of days between the decision to hold a misconduct hearing and the hearing itself had reduced by 29% from 180 days (in January 2004) to 127 days (in December 2004).

The Committee welcomed the amount of work had been undertaken to reduce these figures, but acknowledged that there was a need to continue to reduce them further.

Deborah Glass, (IPCC Commissioner) informed the Committee that the Commission were now working on ‘legacy work’ from the predecessor body the Police Complaints Authority and that this should be reflected in the future figures. However, she suggested that a reduction in the figures should not be taken as necessarily a positive thing. Whilst acknowledging the efforts that MPS have made in this area, it could be argued that these figures do not necessarily reflect the public’s confidence in complaining. She added that work being undertaken by the IPCC to make complaining easier could in fact see a rise in the figures and again, this shouldn’t be perceived as a negative thing.

The Chair of the Committee requested that its thanks to the MPS on the reduction below the 120 day target be formally noted.

Resolved – That members note the report and the illustration of trends given at Appendix 1 of the report.

39. MPS professional standards strategy progress on strand 4

(Agenda item 6)

Following the re-launch of the MPS Professional Standards Strategy, in August 2002, the Committee received a report on the progress relating to Strand 4 – Organisational and Individual Learning – of the Strategy.

The Committee were presented with an early draft of a proposed code of ethics which it is proposed would reinforce the integrity and reputation of the MPS and the ‘Together’ programme.

Members welcomed the draft code of ethics and suggested that it should encourage good behaviour, build upon the outcomes of the Morris Inquiry and to look at other organisations, such as the health service which have prepared a similar document.

The Committee were also updated on the progress on substance of misuse testing. It was noted that there was not legal requirement for the MPS to introduce a system of testing as yet (with the exception of pre-employment testing), but should the Police Regulations change a policy would be ready to be implemented.

Members felt that whilst a policy should be developed there was a need to ensure that all issues including costs should be considered. The MPS in noting this request invited John Roberts to be involved in the development of the policy.

Resolved – That members note the report and the progress on Strand 4 of the MPS Professional Standards Strategy - Organisational and Individual Learning

40. Formation of Directorate of Professional Standards Review Unit

(Agenda item 7)

The Committee received a report that outlined details of the formation of the Directorate of Professional Standards Review Unit

Resolved – That the report be received.

41. Exclusion of press and public

(Agenda item 8)

A resolution was put to exclude the press and public from the meeting during items 9 to 12 as it was likely to disclose exempt information as described in Schedule 12(a) (1 and 14) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).

Resolved – That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during discussion of agenda items 9 to 12.

Summary of exempt items

42. Summary of suspended police officers

(Agenda item 9)

Members considered a report on suspended police officers.

43. Legal proceedings following an inquest

(Agenda item 10)

The Committee received a report that outlined legal proceedings following an inquest

44. Summary of exceptional and significant cases

(Agenda item 11)

A report was received that summarised exceptional and significant results.

45. Minutes (Part 2)

Members received the minutes (Part 2) of the Committee meeting held on 9 December 2004 and noted the Senior Officers Conduct Sub-Committee minutes (Part 2) of the meeting held on 13 January 2005.

The Committee closed at 4:25 pm

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