Agenda and minutes

Alderman Alison Gowman was in the Chair.

Apologies were received from Nick Bensted-Smith.

Deputy James Thomson declared a non-pecuniary interest in Item 12 (City of London Police Reserve) as his Livery Company, the Worshipful Company of Grocers’, has provided support to the City of London Police Cadets.

To receive the Order of the Court of Common Council dated 16 July 2020 appointing the City of London Police Authority Board until the first meeting of the Court in April 2021.

RESOLVED, that the Court Order appointing the City of London Police Authority Board for the ensuing year be received.

To elect a Chairman in line with Standing Order 29 of the Court of Common Council.

An election of Chairman was held in line with Standing Order 29 and, being the only Member willing to serve, Deputy James Thomson was elected Chairman for the ensuing year.

On taking the Chair, the Chairman thanked Alderman Gowman for chairing the meeting up until that point and welcomed Caroline Addy, Munsur Ali, Alderman Tim Hailes and Dawn Wright to their first meeting of the Board.

The Chairman placed on record on behalf of the Board its thanks to its four Members who had left the Board since the last meeting. These included Simon Duckworth and Deputy Henry Pollard, both past Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen of the Board, with the Mr Duckworth serving for 18 years on the Board, including as past Chairman of the Economic Crime Committee, Member of the Board of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners since 2012, active in the Association of Police Authorities since 2006, serving as chairman of the National Olympics Security Oversight Group, member of the Home Office Olympic Security Board and having received an OBE for services to policing.

Mr Pollard had served on the Board for 14 years, and as well as serving and Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the Board had also served on its Economic Crime Committee, Performance and Resource Management Committee, and Professional Standards and Integrity Committee alongside serving as Special Interest Area Lead for Strategic Policing and chairing the Safer City Partnership.

Alderman Luder had served on the Board for 18 years, including serving as Special Interest Area Lead for the Force’s City First Programme and the inaugural chairman of the City of London Police Pensions Board.

The Chairman concluded by noting the Board’s thanks to Sheriff Chris Hayward for his 4 years of service on the Board.

To elect a Deputy Chairman in line with Standing Order 30 of the Court of Common Council.

An election of Deputy Chairman was held in line with Standing Order 30 and, exercising his right as immediate past Chairman, Doug Barrow was elected Deputy Chairman for the ensuing year.

To agree the minutes and non-public summary of the meeting held on 22 June 2020.

RESOLVED, that the public minutes and non-public summary of the meeting held on 22 June 2020 be approved.

Joint report of the Town Clerk and Commissioner.

Members considered a joint report of the Town Clerk and Commissioner regarding outstanding references and the following points were made.

30/2019/P – CyberGriffin Evaluation Report

·         The Town Clerk noted that this would be submitted to the September 2020 meeting.

31/2019/P – Cycling Enforcement Figures in the Road Danger Reduction Plan

·         Members noted that the Road Danger Reduction Plan featured later in the agenda.

RESOLVED, that the report be received.

Report of the Town Clerk.

Members considered a report of the Town Clerk regarding the City of London Police Authority Board and its Committees 2020/21 and the following points were made.

·         Members agreed that it would be appropriate to maintain an increased tempo of meetings, as outlined at Appendix 1.

·         Members agreed that it would be appropriate for the City of London Police Authority Team to refresh job descriptions and person specifications for Member roles on the Board and its Committees.

·         Members noted the supporting statements from candidates for co-option to the Board’s Committees that had been circulated outside of the meeting.

·         A ballot was conducted via Microsoft Forms for co-option to the Economic Crime Committee:

·         On the basis of the supporting statements circulated outside of the meeting, Members agreed that Helen Fentimen OBE JP and Graham Packham should be appointed to the Performance and Resource Management Committee.

·         Members noted the likely forthcoming bifurcation of the terms of reference of the Performance and Resource Management Committee in 2021/22  between (1) Policing Plan and performance and (2) finance and asset management.

·         On reviewing the terms of reference of the Professional Standards and Integrity Committee, Members agreed that the power to make a determination on reviews of complaints should lie with a Review Panel rather than the Review Panel’s Chair.

·         Members agreed that the number of Board Members appointed to the Professional Standards and Integrity Committee should be increased from five to six and the number of co-optees from two to three.

·         A ballot was conducted via Microsoft Forms for co-option on to the Professional Standards and Integrity Committee:

Report of the Town Clerk.

Members considered a report of the Town Clerk regarding the Special Interest Area Scheme 2020/21 and the following points were made.

·         A Member requested that, once appointments were made, the City of London Police Authority Team prepare a note on how it was envisaged the Special Interest Area roles should operate in practice and report back to the Board.

·         A Member noted that, provided regular Special Interest Area updates were provided to the Board, an annual report would prove to be a duplication of work and could potentially  be discontinued.

RESOLVED, that Members

·         Agree the Special Interest Area Scheme 2020/21;

·         Note the achievements of the Scheme during 2019/20;

·         Appoint the following Special Interest Area Scheme Members for 2020/21:

The Chairman to be heard.

The Chairman provided the following updates in public session.

City of London Police Authority Member Briefings

·         The Chairman noted that he was pleased with the high level of engagement by wider Members of the City of London Police Authority with the recent round of Member Briefings. 58 Members had attended the two briefings on equality and engagement, and 44 Members had attended the briefing on the National Lead Force function. A further briefing would be convened on a date in September 2020 covering counterterrorism and protective security.

Association of Police and Crime Commissioners

·         The Chairman noted that he had been engaging with colleagues on the APCC, particularly in the area of fraud and cybercrime.

The Commissioner and Chief Officers to be heard.

The Commissioner and Chief Officers provided the following updates in public session.

City of London Police Authority Member Briefings

·         The Commissioner noted that he had found the recent round of Member briefings to be constructive and assured Members that work continued apace within the Force to refresh the approach to equality and inclusion issues.

City of London Police Passing Out Parade

·         The Commissioner thanked Members for their engagement with the Passing Out Parade on 17 July 2020, noting that he had since received extremely positive feedback on the parade and its format.

Operations and Security

·         The T/Commander (Operations and Security) noted that the COVID-19 infection rate within the Force was low compared to the rate of infection in London. 70 licensed premises were open within the City. The Force continued to liaise with the Department of the Built Environment with regards to changes to use of public realm including the use of e-scooters.

·         A Member noted the issues of Stop and Search and the enforcement of COVID-19 Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) that were raised by Members at the recent Member Briefings and suggested that the issue be discussed in greater detail by the Professional Standards and Integrity Committee.

Report of the Commissioner.

Members considered a report of the Commissioner regarding the City of London Police Reserve – Strength and Composition. The Town Clerk noted that the accompanying appendix, previously published on the non-public side of the agenda at item 20, could now be considered public and taken alongside this item.

·         The Chairman welcomed the report although noted that he had envisaged greater detail within it on how the Reserve was utilised and requested a further report for submission to the September 2020 meeting accordingly.

·         The Assistant Commissioner noted the Chairman’s comments and assured Members that a review had been conducted on how best Reserve officers could be deployed across all of the Force’s Directorates.

·         Members commented that the Reserve, including Cadets, was an excellent means through which to recruit from minorities and reach communities that might otherwise not consider a career with the police.

·         The Assistant Commissioner agreed, noting that 65% of City of London Police cadets were from a BAME background, and the Force had recently inducted its first constable who had volunteered as a cadet. The Force was liaising with the Authority’s Human Resources Department to formalise this recruitment pathway.

RESOLVED, that the report be received.

To receive the non-public appendix to Item 12 (City of London Police Reserve – Strength and Composition).

The Town Clerk noted that the Appendix to Item 12 (City of London Police Reserve) was now a public document and could be taken next.

RESOLVED, that the appendix be received.

Joint report of the Director of the Built Environment and the Commissioner.

Members considered a joint report of the Director of the Built Environment and the Commissioner regarding the Road Danger Reduction & Active Travel Plan 2020/21-2022/23 and the following points were made.

·         A Member commented that there was a disjoint in underlying data due to the fact separate datasets were used that varied between data collected over the course of a calendar year and data collected over a financial year.

·         The Director of the Built Environment acknowledged the Member’s point regarding the data underpinning the figures within the report and noted that officers had sought to be cautious with the figures until such time they had a firm understanding of statistical variations at the local level. The Director hoped to be able to provide more definitive detail at a future meeting.

·         The T/Commander (Operations and Security) noted that the HMICFRS report Roads Policing: Not optional published on 15 July 2020 had recommended an improvement in the analytical capability underpinning roads policing.

·         In response to a question regarding persons less able to navigate the City’s streets, the Director of the Built Environment confirmed that an Equalities Impact Assessment had been carried out for both Phases 1 and 2 of the Plan, and officers had also consulted with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).

·         The Chairman noted that an Action Plan was due in the Autumn and requested that the Plan dealt with the issue regarding underlying statistics, alongside providing an update on the Force’s response to the HMICFRS Roads Policing: Not optional  report.

RESOLVED, that the report be received.

Report of the Commissioner.

Members considered a Quarterly Community Engagement Update report of the Commissioner and the following points were made.

·         In terms of Prevention of Fraud and Cyber Crime, the T/Commander (Operations and Security) noted that there had been good feedback received on the online Cyber Griffin courses delivered during the COVID-19 period.

·         The T/Commander (Operations and Security) noted that engagement with the Independent Advisory Scrutiny Group remained positive, with the group being represented at the Force’s COVID-19 Gold Group meetings, which had included engagement on the issue of COVID-19 Fixed Penalty Notices.

·         In response to a question regarding funding for Operation Luscombe, the T/Commander (Operations and Security) confirmed that the Force would continue to support those officers currently deployed on that initative.

RESOLVED, that the report be received.

Report of the Commissioner.

Members considered an Annual Report of the Commissioner regarding Professional Standards Activity 2019/20 and the following points were made.

·         The Assistant Commissioner noted that there had been a small increase in complaints and allegations between 2018/19 and 2019/20 due largely to the fact that the definition(s) now included expressions of dissatisfaction.

·         The Assistant Commissioner highlighted the changes to governance going forward, including the move towards a culture of performance and learning versus a focus on misconduct.

·         The Chair of the Professional Standards and Integrity Committee noted that it had been a useful year for the Committee, including a very informative site visit to the Professional Standards Directorate that took place in February 2020.  

·         In response to a question regarding an HMICFRS recommendation, the Assistant Commissioner confirmed that an anti-corruption officer had been recruited and was now in post. The Force was now reviewing the adoption of an appropriate online system to facilitate the reporting of suspected corruption.

RESOLVED, that the report be received.

Report of the Commissioner.

Members considered an Integrity and Code of Ethics Update report of the Commissioner.

RESOLVED, that the report be received.

There were no questions.

The Town Clerk noted that Item 33 (The City of London Community Trigger Recommendations) was now a public report and could be taken next.

Report of the Head of Community Safety.

Members considered a report of the Head of Community Safety regarding the City of London Community Trigger Recommendations January 2020: Update on Action Plan.

RESOLVED, that the report be received.

MOTION - That under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

RESOLVED, that under Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

To agree the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 22 June 2020.

RESOLVED, that the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 22 June 2020 be approved.

Joint Report of the Town Clerk and Commissioner.

Members considered a joint report of the Town Clerk and Commissioner regarding non-public outstanding references.

Report of the Commissioner.

Members agreed to vary the order of items on the agenda so that Item 28 (Policing the City Bridges – Funding) was taken next.

Members considered a report of the Commissioner regarding Policing the City Bridges -Funding.

The Chairman to be heard.

The Chairman noted that he had no update to provide in non-public session.

At this point of the meeting, two hours having elapsed, Members agreed to extend the meeting in line with Standing Order 40 of the Court of Common Council.

The Commissioner and Chief Officers to be heard.

The Commissioner and his Chief Officers were heard in non-public session.

The Commissioner and the Chief Executive to be heard.

Report of the Commissioner.

Members considered a report of the Commissioner providing a National Lead Force Update on Economic and Cyber Crime Portfolios.

Report of the Commissioner.

Members considered a report of the Commissioner regarding Next Generation Service, National Fraud and Cyber Crime Reporting & Analysis – Project Launch and Procurement Funding.

The Chief Executive and the Commissioner to be heard.

The Town Clerk noted that Item 26 (Shared Services) would now be considered in confidential session.

To receive a resolution of the Efficiency and Performance Sub (Finance) Committee regarding Shared Services dated 10 July 2020.

RESOLVED, that the resolution of the Efficiency and Performance (Finance) Committee regarding City of London Police – Shared Services be received.

Report of the Commissioner.

Members considered a report of the Commissioner regarding Financial Management Capability Review of the City of London Police – Draft Improvement Plan.

The Chairman to be heard.

The Chairman was heard regarding the Transform Programme.

Report of the Commissioner.

Members considered a report of the Commissioner regarding the London Bridge Inquest – Prevention of Future Deaths.

Report of the Commissioner.

Members considered a report of the Commissioner regarding the City of London Police – New Approach to Crime/Harm Reduction and Tasking.

Report of the Chamberlain.

Members considered a report of the Commissioner regarding the City of London Police Digital Interview Recording Project Lessons Learned.

Report of the City Surveyor.

Members considered a report of the City Surveyor regarding the City of London Police – Relocation from Wood Street Police Station.

Report of the Town Clerk.

Members considered a report of the Town Clerk regarding action taken since the last meeting.

There were no questions.

There were no non-public items of other business.

The Town Clerk noted that Item 26 (Shared Services) would be heard in confidential session, and a late report regarding the Force Chief Officer Team would also be heard in confidential session.

Members considered a confidential joint update report of the Commissioner and the Town Clerk regarding City of London Corporation and City of London Police Shared Services.

Members considered a confidential update report of the Commissioner regarding the Chief Officer Team, City of London Police.

To agree the confidential minutes of the meeting held on 22 June 2020.

RESOLVED, that the confidential minutes of the meeting held on 22 June 2020 be approved.