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 8 February 2007 at 10 Dean Farrar Street, London SW1H 0NY.

Present

Members

• Tony Arbour
• Elizabeth Howlett (Deputy Chair, in the Chair)
• Karim Murji
• Richard Sumray
• Rachel Whittaker

MPA officers

• Hamida Ali (Policy Development Officer, Race and Diversity Unit)
• Claire Lister (Professional Standards Officer)
• Ruth Hasting Iqball (Committee Services)

MPS officers

• Claire Appleby (Director, HR Services)
• Sue Akers (Commander, DPS)
• Greg Faulkner (Det Ch Superintendent, Directorate of Professional Standards)
• Paul McGregor (Superintendent, Directorate of Professional Standards)
• Eleanor Ryan (Assistant Director, HR Services)
• John Yates (Assistant Commissioner, DPS)

Also in attendance: Deborah Glass (Commissioner, IPCC)

63. Apologies

(Agenda item 1)

Apologies for absence were received from Reshard Auladin (Chair), Richard Barnes, Damian Hockney and Aneeta Prem (members) and David Riddle (Deputy Chief Executive, Deputy Clerk and Solicitor to the Authority). In the absence of Reshard Auladin, the Deputy Chair, Elizabeth Howlett, chaired the Committee.

64. Declarations of interests

(Agenda item 2)

No declarations of interests were received from members.

65. Minutes of Professional Standards and Complaints Committee (Part 1): 14 December 2006

(Agenda item 3)

Resolved – That the minutes of the Professional Standards and Complaints Committee (Part 1) meeting held on 14 December 2006 be agreed.

66. Minutes of Professional Standards cases Sub-committee (Part 1): 15 January 2007

(Agenda item 4)

Resolved – That the minutes of Professional Standards Cases Sub Committee (part 1): 15 January 2007 be noted.

67. Complaints management information

(Agenda item 5)

This report included data for the 12 months to December 2006 focusing on the key changes or exceptions within the data. It also provided information on ‘Tribune’, the new computer programme used to record information in relation to public complaints, conduct matters and any associated misconduct procedures.

In answer to questions, members were informed that figures appeared to have risen, when in fact they had gone down because they were averaged over a rolling 12 months. Members suggested that this needed to be made clearer in future reports.

The Commissioner of the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) stated that the IPCC was working with the Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) on joint reporting standards, in particular relating to appeals. She stated that she had previously promised to produce an annual report for the Professional Standards and Complaints Committee (PSCC) and that the next meeting, after the end of the financial year, would be an opportune time to do so. This would be accompanied by a presentation. She added that at the last meeting of the Committee Mehmuda Mian Pritchard, another IPCC Commissioner, had stated that IPCC had undertaken surveys and MORI polls and would provide these results to the Committee. The Commissioner of the IPCC had brought copies of Public Perception of the Police Complaints System published by the IPCC noting that it was also available on the IPCC website.

The appendices to the report gave professional standards data for group 2 boroughs (i.e. a group of outer London boroughs of a similar size, namely Bexley, Bromley, Havering, Kingston, Merton, Richmond and Sutton). Members were informed that boroughs were being visited and given presentations on core aspects of professional standards. As Kingston had more complaints that other boroughs in its group, with 70 allegations per 100 officers and eight officers on the complaints intervention scheme it had received special attention with bespoke training. This had been positively received. It was suggested that the number of complaints in Kingston stemmed from the number of public order problems relating to the area’s night-time economy and the comparative inexperience of its officers. Members suggested that it would be helpful if the statistics provided included the number of officers in a borough as well as percentages, as it would make the figures more meaningful.

In response to questions about computer misuse within the MPS, members noted that this was a threat across the MPS. In addition to a potential corrupt use of information, unauthorised use included surfing the net and sending of non business e-mails which slowed the network. It was noted that staff and officers needed to be aware of what use was and was not permissible.

Resolved – That

1. the report and the illustration of trends in the report and the borough performance information contained in Appendices 1 and 2 be noted; and
2. a report be received at the next PSCC from the IPCC.

68. Directorate of Professional Standards: strategic intelligence assessment

(Agenda item 6)

A report was submitted updating members on the key strategic issues that had arisen out of the DPS, Strategic Intelligence Assessment that had taken place in January 2007. It was to have been followed by a presentation in part 2 of the meeting.

The Assistant Commissioner, DPS, stated that the report should not be in the public domain. He was informed that reports could only be exempted by virtue of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) and that there was a protocol for removing reports from the website. Nevertheless, it was agreed to defer consideration of this report until part 2 of the meeting.

Resolved – That consideration of the report be deferred to part 2 of the meeting.

69. Disciplinary cases involving police staff (half yearly report – period 1 April – 30 November 2006)

(Agenda item 7)

Members received a report providing management information and statistical data in respect of police staff subject to disciplinary proceedings. It specifically addressed issues relating to diversity and the matter of proportionality, concentrating on discipline cases from April to November 2006 compared with the same period in 2005. A response to recommendations arising from the Morris Inquiry in relation to the police staff discipline procedure was also provided in the report.

Members were assured that there was no disproportionality in the number of disciplinary cases, however, members were concerned by the number of discipline cases involving Police Community Support Officers. They were assured all disciplinary action was validated, but it was acknowledged that it was sometimes difficult to see issues beyond the monitoring regime. The HR Directorate welcomed any MPA assistance in monitoring in this area.

Resolved – That the report be noted and that reports on disciplinary cases involving police staff be received bi-annually in June and December.

70. Progress on Strand 4 of the MPS Professional Standards Strategy

(Agenda item 8)

This strand of the Professional Standards Strategy was established to ensure that DPS activity was not undertaken in isolation but linked with and supported other corporate programmes, particularly Together and Diversity and Citizen Focus. Members received a report stating that the strand working group had made progress in coordinating and facilitating the corporate priorities. Links with other change programmes had been established and that there were regular meetings between DPS and the HR and Diversity and Citizen Focus Directorates. The Committee noted that if the DPS wanted the support of link members, they would need to be kept informed.

Resolved – That the report be noted.

71. Reform of police misconduct procedures – Taylor review

(Agenda item 9)

This report provided members with early notification of the implications to the MPS of the ‘Reform of Police Misconduct Procedures – Taylor Review’. Members hoped that the new procedures would speed the process up, especially where employment tribunals were involved.

Resolved – That the new regulations being introduced for Police Misconduct Procedures from 2008 and how the Directorate of Professional Standards will implement the changes on behalf of the MPS be noted.

72. MPA dip sampling of public complaints

(Agenda item 10)

At the last PSCC members received a report stating that the outcome of the MPA’s review of a further selection of complaints files would be presented at a future PSCC meeting. This report provided an update in respect of work undertaken by the MPA’s Professional Standards Officer since that meeting. Members were informed that contrary to the report (paragraph 3) details of the findings had not yet been shared with DPS. Members were informed that the MPA would review 50 case files of complaints resolved in Brent as part of the IPCC Local Resolution Project.

Resolved – That

1. the report be noted and that a further report be received by the PSCC detailing the outcome of the MPA’s review of a selection of public complaints files; and
2. the progress made in respect of the local resolution project, being undertaken in partnership with the IPCC, be noted and that a progress report be received at each PSCC meeting.

73. Case management protocol update

(Agenda item 11)

Members received a report providing them with an update on the application of the Case Management Protocol. The Protocol applied to ‘live’ investigations undertaken by the DPS into complaints or other allegations of misconduct against police officers with the purpose of enabling the PSCC to scrutinise cases that had exceeded the target time frame for completion and to place a requirement upon the DPS to justify the time taken to conduct an investigation and, if appropriate, to give reasons for the need for a continued investigation. The MPA’s Professional Standards Officer now had access to Tribune, however the cases investigated showed that the records it contained were not always up to date.

Resolved – That the report be received and the findings noted.

74. Exclusion of press and public

(Agenda item 12)

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

Resolved - That the press and public be excluded from the meeting during discussion of the remaining items on the agenda.

75. Minutes of Professional Standards and Complaints Committee (Part 1): 12 October 2006

(Agenda item 13)

Resolved – That the minutes of the Professional Standards and Complaints Committee (Part 2) meeting held on 14 December 2006 be agreed.

76. Minutes of Professional Standards Cases Sub Committee (Part 2): 15 January 2007 - To note

(Agenda item 14)

Resolved – That the minutes of Professional Standards Cases Sub Committee (part 2): 15 January 2007 be noted.

77. Directorate of Professional Standards: strategic intelligence assessment – paper and oral presentation

(Agenda item 15)

Members received a presentation in relation to the report received at agenda item 6. In line with the National Intelligence Model, the DPS undertook an annual Strategic Intelligence Assessment to identify current risks to the ethical health of the MPS and recommend control measures to address them. Risks were identified in relation to vetting and identification security, behaviour on and off duty, information leakage, computer misuse and outside business interests and debts of officers and police staff. Members commented that the report contained no indication of size of any of these risks.

Members were informed that random drug testing would shortly begin within the MPS. Officers and police staff that tested positive and were not already on a drug treatment programme would not be given the option of starting the programme.

PCSOs who came to the notice of the DPS had to be dealt with differently to police officers involved in the same incident as they were not employed under Police Regulations. Members were informed that this difficulty was sometimes aggravated by their line managers’ (a sergeant) uncertainty about how to deal with misconduct by PCSOs. Members were surprised by this as they had been repeatedly informed that all sergeants who had command of PCSOs had received training at the Leadership Academy in dealing with disciplinary matters concerning PCSOs.

Members were concerned that outside business interests, the granting of which had increased due to greater flexibility of shift patterns, was such a risk. They were informed that a report was being co authored by DPS and the HR Directorate and would be presented to a future meeting.

It was noted that a Domestic Incidents/Violence Project was specifically addressing the domestic incidents identified within ‘off duty’ behaviour. Members were informed that domestic violence was difficult to pursue if the victim was unwilling to make a complaint, however action was taken internally to reduce the risk to both the victim(s) and the reputation of the service. The MPA’s Policy Development Officer, Race and Diversity Unit, suggested that the MPA’s newly written policy on this subject might be reviewed by the MPA’s Domestic Violence Board.

Resolved – That

1. the content of the presentation describing the issues arising from the Strategic Intelligence Assessment and the control measures put in place to address them be noted; and
2. a report be received at a future PSCC on business interests.

78. MPA dip sampling of public complaints (exempt appendix)

(Agenda item 16)

The exempt appendix was noted.

79. Case management protocol update (exempt appendix)

(Agenda item 17)

It was noted that one case considered had been with the IPCC since May 2006, where nothing had happened until the preceding week. The Commissioner, IPCC, replied that initially case handling by the newly founded commission was not all that it could be, however new procedures were now in place.

80. Summary of suspended police officers as at 18 January 2007

(Agenda item 18)

This report contained details on all police officers and police staff suspended from duty as at 18 January 2007. In answer to questions members were informed those suspensions relating to criminal offences could become lengthy as internal disciplinary matters could not be dealt with until criminal charges had been dealt with. Suspended officers and staff remained on full pay.

Resolved – That the summary of information contained in the report be noted.

81. Application for funding for legal representation - officers A and B

(Agenda item 19)

The Authority had received a request for an extension of funding in respect of two officers to cover representation in judicial review proceedings.

Resolved – That the funding to cover the costs of legal representation at the judicial review, be authorised.

The meeting ended at 4.00 pm

Send an e-mail linking to this page

Feedback