Warning: This is archived material and may be out of date. The Metropolitan Police Authority has been replaced by the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPC).
See the MOPC website for further information.
Performance monitoring report
Report: 3
Date: 29 August 2000
By: Commissioner
Summary
This report gives a commentary on MPS performance for July 2000 against key performance targets, and provides a full list of performance against the Policing Plan and Best Value performance indicators.
A. Supporting information
1. This commentary accompanies the Policing Plan and Best Value performance indicators for July 2000, which are attached as Appendix A (Policing Plan) and Appendix B (Best Value).
Performance Headlines - July 2000
Crime targets
| Target | Achievement | |
| July 2000 * | Rolling year Aug-99 to Jul-00** |
|
| To achieve zero growth in street crime | +12.0% | +32.3% |
| To achieve a street crime JD rate of 9% | 9.6% | 7.8% |
| To achieve a 2% reduction in burglary | -7.7% | +1.2% |
| To achieve a burglary JD rate of 10% | 11.1% | 9.8% |
| To achieve an 8% reduction in autocrime | -3.1% | +3.0% |
| To achieve an autocrime JD rate of 8% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| * compared with July 1999 where applicable ** compared with Aug-98 to Jul-99 where applicable |
||
Street crime - Crime reduction
2. In July 2000 there were 3,855 street crime offences compared with 3,441 in July 1999 and a monthly average of 3,575 in 1999/00. This is the first month that street crime has dropped below
4,000 offences since December 1999. (The July offence figure, however, remains higher than any month in 1999).
Street crime - Judicial disposal rate
3. Last month’s increase in the judicial disposal rate has been maintained, with the target rate of 9% being achieved in June (10.1%) and July (9.6%). This shows a considerable
improvement over the 1999/2000 rate of 7.7%.
Burglary - Crime reduction
4. There were 9,248 burglaries in July 2000 compared with 10,024 in July 1999 and a monthly average of 10,346 in 1999/00. The reduced level of burglary seen since April 2000 has
continued.
5. Residential burglary has fallen by 6.7% whilst non-residential burglary shows a reduction of 5.8% (year to date comparisons).
Burglary - Judicial disposal rate
6. The judicial disposal rate target of 10% has been reached in three out of four months in the current planning year, with the highest rate (11.1%) being achieved in July 2000. This
reflects a clear improvement against the 1999/2000 performance of 9.2%.
Autocrime - Crime reduction
7. There were 19,532 autocrime offences in July 2000 compared with 20,151 in July 1999 and an average of 19,909 in 1999/2000.
8. It is of note that, of the three main categories within autocrime, only one shows a planning year increase. Theft / taking of motor vehicles has risen by 6.7%, whilst both theft from, and criminal damage to motor vehicles have reduced by 2.3% and 0.1% respectively. Theft of motor vehicles represents around one quarter of all autocrime offences.
Autocrime - Judicial disposal rate
9. The judicial disposal rate for individual months has remained consistently below 5% in every month since at least April 1999.
Customer satisfaction
10. Performance against the BVPIs on public satisfaction (BVPI 23) are showing lower performance than in previous periods. The information which supports these PIs is taken from a series of
quarterly surveys which the MPS runs.
11. New questionnaires were introduced for the surveys in April 2000. Respondents are now asked their views on a 5-point scale (rather than the 4-point scale previously used). Results are now available for April-June. The % of customers “satisfied” or “very satisfied” has fallen. The MPS is examining the responses to try and establish whether the fall represents a real change in satisfaction, or is a feature of the new methodology. This issue will be discussed in more detail at the MPS Performance Review Committee in September.
Complaints
12. The following commentary relates to performance against Public Complaint related Best Value Performance Indicators to July 2000:
- The general picture on public complaints shows a decline in the number of allegations recorded of approximately 11% year on year between 1996/97 to 1998/9. The level of reduction across England and Wales*between 1996/97 and 1998/99 was approximately 14%.
- The rate of reduction levelled off at 8% comparing 1999/2000 with 1998/1999; this was largely attributable to a pronounced increase in allegations of Racially Discriminatory Behaviour and Failures in Duty (Home Office Allegations Types F and S) in the latter year.
- The annualised figure for the current year, based on the July 2000 figure for allegations recorded suggests that the overall rate of reductions in the current year will remain constant at 8% when compared with 1999/2000.
- This equates to 238.7 allegations per 1,000 officers (see BVPI 21).
- The ratio of public complaint allegations substantiated throughout the period has remained constant at 2.66% in 1997/98 to 2.46% in 1999/2000 (see BVPI 22).
- The percentage substantiated across England and Wales* in 1997/98 was 2.37%. The percentage of public complaint allegations informally resolved with the consent of the complainant currently equates to 28% of all allegations completed, based on the annualised figures for July 2000 (see BVPI 151). This represents a reduction compared with 1998/99 and 1999/2000 when the percentage informally resolved was 43% and 31% respectively. The percentage informally resolved across England and Wales* in 1998/99 was 35%.
13. The ratio for the current year must be treated with some caution due to the fact that there is a degree of fluidity within the data, caused by the current manual system of data capture between the local Police Stations receiving complaints, and the area based Complaint Units. This particularly impacts on the informal Resolution figures as the process can take up to 2 - 3 months to conclude and be recorded as such. Work is currently in hand to develop an electronic means of data capture direct from the local Police Stations which should substantially reduce the ‘delay factor’ and provide more stable data. *Data for England and Wales taken from Home Office Statistical Bulletin 17/99 (issued September 1999). Comparison of MPS statistics with those for England and Wales are not as relevant as comparisons with other metropolitan forces and further work will be carried out to provide the latter comparisons.
Current issues and developments
14. As part of an ongoing pilot ‘Best Value Review’ the existing Complaints Investigation Bureau and Area based Complaint Units will be brought together under a central command with effect from 1st October 2000. This will form a new Directorate of Professional Standards for the Metropolitan Police Service, providing an integrated approach to the investigation and prevention of:
- corruption & dishonesty
- complaints & discipline
- unprofessional & unethical behaviour
15. The Directorate of Professional Standards will provide greater cohesion and consistency of decision making, more accountability and transparency, using an integrated and intelligence led approach to target individuals of concern.
16. This new approach will be achieved in partnership with the Borough Commanders, together with the Metropolitan Police Authority, the Police Complaints Authority and the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure that the Directorate’s resources are focused on key priorities within a three year development plan.
17. The ‘Key Objectives’ of the Directorate of Professional Standards can be stated as follows:
- To reduce the incidents and seriousness of reports of corruption, dishonesty, unethical behaviour, indiscipline and complaints against MPS staff;
- To increase public and MPS staff’s confidence in the investigation of complaints and other allegations against MPS staff;
- To increase the fear of detection of MPS staff who consider acting corruptly, dishonestly, unethically or unprofessionally, and others who seek to corrupt MPS staff;
- To protect MPS staff from malicious and unfounded complaints and other allegations;
- To prevent harm or damage to MPS staff and their work;
- To improve the level of performance and professionalism within the directorate;
- To ensure Directorate structures support our objectives and purpose, staff development and encourage continuous improvement.
18. Work is currently underway to provide the 32 Borough Commanders with timely management information regarding public complaints affecting officers within their command. It is intended to harness the capability of the MPS intranet to disseminate this information throughout the Service, to facilitate early management intervention and assistance to develop complaint reduction strategies.
19. Work is also underway on the development of a fully integrated system, embracing the range of work undertaken within the Directorate which in longer term will provide, inter alia, improved communication, data capture and analytical capability within the command.
B. Recommendations
- Members are asked to note the report.
C. Financial implications
None.
D. Review arrangements
Performance information will be presented to the Full Authority meeting quarterly.
E. Background papers
The following is a statutory list of background papers (under the Local Government Act 1972 S.100 D) which disclose facts or matters on which the report is based and which have been relied on to a material extent in preparing this report. They are available on request to either the contact officer listed above or to the Clerk to the Police Authority at the address indicated on the agenda.
- Home Office Statistical Bulletin 17/99
F. Contact details
The author of this report is Cath Kitching, Corporate Performance Analysis Unit, MPS.
For information contact:
MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18
Send an e-mail linking to this page
Feedback