HMIC inspection of Westminster Borough Command Unit

6 May 2009

Statement by Kit Malthouse:

The MPA’s job is to make sure the Metropolitan Police Service fights crime effectively, keeps London safe and that policing in London continuously improves.

Therefore we are very concerned that the HMIC Westminster Borough Command Unit (BCU) Inspection revealed significant questions about the service provided by the Met to the people who live and work in the borough.

The MPA remain committed to improving the Met’s performance. Since the inspection the Met has rightly worked hard to action the recommendations. The Authority will continue to work with the police and our partners in the borough to ensure this momentum is maintained and best practice is adopted from other boroughs.

I will be talking to the Commissioner at the earliest opportunity to discuss the report and to assure that an action plan to remedy the failures identified is being systematically implemented.

Met Forward, the MPA's strategic work programme for the Met for the next few years, will also introduce an assessment process that will review all Borough and Operational Command Units to ensure they are delivering targets and performance, with the successful units being awarded the Authority's mark of achievement, the 'Met Standard'

Additionally the Police Reform Act places the BCU at the forefront of community and neighbourhood policing and will increasingly make them directly accountable to local communities for service delivery. It is vital then to continue to scrutinise their performance, encourage and sustain continuous improvement across a range of performance areas, and identify those boroughs in danger of ‘failing’ in order to provide appropriate support and intervention.

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