MPS targets for drug crime and community and race relations (CRR) training

Report: 7
Date: 14 November 2000
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report summarises progress in delivering CRR training within the MPS. It recommends a change to the published target for delivery of training. It also recommends a change of focus in performance reporting for drugs offences.

A. Supporting information

MPS drugs crime targets

1. The MPS reported to the October meeting of the Professional Standards and Performance Monitoring Committee on the programme of MPS activity that supports the Government’s strategy “Tackling Drugs to Build a Better Britain”.

2. The Policing Plan for 2000/2001 includes two specific targets for drug crime:

To increase the number of judicial disposals for supply and possession with intent to supply by 10%, with particular focus on cocaine and heroin.

To refer 2,000 offenders into treatment from arrest referral schemes.

3. Performance against these two targets is shown in the September performance report.

4. In recognition of the “focus on cocaine and heroin” described above, and the emerging drugs priorities for next year, it is recommended that future reporting on JDs for drugs offences (supply and possession with intent to supply) should show performance against Class A drugs as well as the reported figure for total drugs.

Background to MPS CRR training and current activity

5. Community and race relations training is a key component of the MPS’s Diversity Strategy Protect and Respect and has been developed to meet the training recommendations of the Macpherson Report.

6. The MPS roll-out of the programme, after its initial pilot on Hammersmith Division (in 1997), commenced in Lambeth Borough and was extended to Greenwich, Hounslow and Tower Hamlets during 1999.

7. The boroughs of Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, Brent and Lewisham went live in January 2000 and will have completed their training by December 2000 (Westminster will have completed the training programme by March 2001).

8. In November 2000, CRR Training to SMTs will commence in Ealing, Haringey, Hackney, Southwark, Wandsworth, and Merton (training to staff will commence in January 2001).

9. Training to the remaining 18 boroughs will be completed by December 2002.

20. The programme currently consists of a two-day package aimed at all police officers and front line civil staff. The programme has been designed to meet the following objectives:

• To increase the trust and confidence in policing among ethnic minority communities;
• To develop a wider understanding of individuals’ and groups’ different cultural and religious values and beliefs;
• To develop skills in communicating with individuals and cultural groups by challenging barriers to communication;
• To recognise the make up of local communities and the need for an appropriate policing style;
• To respect difference and identify flexibility in policing practices (while maintaining service goals);
• Recognise the links between diversity and service delivery.

11. The programme is delivered by teams of police trainers and associate trainers; the latter generally recruited from community groups within a local borough. All police trainers and associate trainers receive comprehensive CRR training and advanced facilitation skills.

12. The Directorate of Training and Development’s Diversity Training and Support Unit is responsible for managing and co-ordinating the programme. DCI Terry Devoil is the programme manager.

Training targets

13. The information included in this update is based on the following present criteria:

• The two-day CRR training package will be borough based, conducted at non-police locations and will include a community interface. The two-day programme will be delivered to all police officers and ‘front-line’ civil staff.
• The programme will be delivered by nine Trainer Teams: Level 5 Police Trainers in partnership with Associate Trainers (recruited from local communities) and supported by Level 4 Borough-based Police Trainers (See Annex 1 for the five Levels of CRR Training Model).
• The training will be completed by 31 December 2002.

A summary of the current position is given in Annex 1

Performance indicators

20. The current performance indicator (contained in the Policing Plan 2000) is:

“The percentage of London Boroughs which have received borough-based CRR training: (Target date: 50 per cent trained by 31 March 2001).”

Progress in achieving target

15. By 31 March 2001 the two-day programme will have been delivered to 28 per cent of boroughs (although 47 per cent will have commenced training and 41 per cent of staff will have received the training).

16. By 31 December 2001 the two-day programme will have been delivered to 50 per cent of boroughs (with 75 per cent of boroughs having commenced training and 71 per cent of staff trained).

17. By 31 March 2002 training will have commenced in 88 per cent of boroughs with 81 per cent of staff trained.

18. All training will have been completed by 31 December 2002.

Future performance indicators

19. The current performance indicator: “The percentage of London Boroughs will have received borough-based CRR training” does not reflect the training provided to staff from Business Groups, Special Operations and non-borough-based support units.

20. A more accurate indicator would be:

“The percentage of identified MPS staff that have received community and race relations training”

21. The MPS Performance Review Committee accepted a recommendation that this should be adopted for all future performance assessments.

B. Recommendations

1. Future reporting on performance against drugs targets should be for Class A drugs as well as all drugs.
2. PSPM is asked to agree that the MPS delivery of CRR training should be monitored on the percentage of identified staff who have been trained. If agreed, it is recommended that this issue be referred to the Chairs’ Co-ordination and Urgency Committee, to seek agreement from CDO, HR and FPBV.
3. It is recommended that PSPM receive information on the percentage of staff trained, with a target of 40 per cent of staff to have been trained by 31 March 2001, and 80 per cent staff by 31 March 2002. The programme should be completed by 31 December 2002. This monitoring should be in place of, or in addition to the existing reports on the number of boroughs on which CRR training has been delivered.

C. Financial implications

None.

D. Review arrangements

Drug Crime and CRR Training will continue to be monitored through the regular performance reports to the Professional Standards and Performance Monitoring Committee.

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 either to the contact officer listed below or to the Clerk to the Police Authority at the address indicated on the agenda.

None.

F. Contact details

The authors of this report are Shaun Kennedy, Head of Diversity Training and Cath Kitching, Corporate Performance Analysis Unit.

For information contact:

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

Annex 1

Summary of CRR Training programme roll-out (October 2000)

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