Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Mark Boleat, Simon Duckworth, Alderman Ian Luder and Deputy Keith Knowles.

Deputy Richard Regan declared a non-pecuniary interest in respect if Item 11, Police Property Act Fund due to being Vice Chair of the City of London Academy Islington.

Matters Arising

The Chairman discussed if additional Member workshops/information sessions in 2014 would be useful, on the topics of the Force’s social media strategy, Action Fraud, the Public Protection Unit, Bishopsgate custody suite visit and a meeting with the Independent Advisory Group. The Town Clerk undertook to consult Members on which topics and times would be preferred.

Social Media Report and Workshops

The Chairman asked that Members inform the Town Clerk of any additional workshop topics, and a Member suggested that information on the Force’s Special Constables could be presented.

Equality Diversity and Human Rights (EDHR) Update

The Chairman noted that the Women’s Network event was well attended and looked forward to next year’s event and hoped to have the involvement of more City businesses.

Matters Arising

Item 5 (National Policing Model Integrity Code)

The Chairman of the Professional Standards and Integrity Sub-Committee informed Members that the Sub-Committee had made a number of queries and suggestions, which had been taken on board by the Force and incorporated in the integrity model.

·         Item 7 (Human Resources – Monitoring Information April 2013 – November 2013) -the number of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) and females in senior posts would be presented in more detail in future reports of Human Resources – monitoring information.

·         Item 8 (Internal Audit Update Report) - the Chamberlain’s reassurance that 125 monitoring audit days would be completed for 2013-14 would be explicitly noted.

Report of the Town Clerk.

Integrity Dashboard

The Commissioner advised the integrity monitoring report being presented to this meeting of the Committee included a delivery action plan.

Road Safety Update

The Commissioner updated Members that the Force was preparing a comprehensive update that would be brought to the Committee as a joint report in February 2014 with the City’s Department of Built Environment. The Chairman noted this was an important report and a Member advised that monthly meetings were underway to complete the Road Safety Reduction Plan. The Chairman stated that additional reports could be requested following from the presentation of the February report.

Licensed Premises Saturation Update

It was noted the saturation of licensed premises was an update that would be provided through the Town Clerk’s Department.

Independent Advisory Group Recruitment Update

It was noted the recruitment of the Independent Advisory Group Member was done through the City of London Corporation and the Town Clerk would undertake to provide an update to Members.

Upgrade of IT services

The Commissioner noted that the report presented in January would include discussion of the Force’s Athena consortium. The Director of Corporate Services added that IT workshops were being conducted throughout the Force with efforts being made to digitize work streams.

To consider a report of the Town Clerk.

The Committee considered a report of the Town Clerk which sought approval for the terms of reference of the Police Committee and the frequency of meetings.

RESOLVED – That,

a)    The terms of reference be approved for submission to the Court subject to an amendment to the terms of reference under 3.b) to note the Force’s national role as follows –

                              i.   3.b) - person be amended to persons

                             ii.   3.b) – “securing an efficient and effective police service in the City of London” be amended to read “securing an efficient and effective police service in the City of London and nationally”

                            iii.   3.g) - the title of the Professional Standards and Complaints Sub-Committee be corrected to read, the Professional Standards and Integrity Sub-Committee

To receive a report of the Commissioner of Police.

The Committee received a report of the Commissioner of Police which updated members on recent community engagement activities, community priorities and forthcoming events.

The Commander of Operations noted that the Victim Support Service was succeeding in providing increased capacity to support victims of crime. A full evaluation of the process would be completed in March 2014.

To receive a verbal update of the Equalities, Diversity and Human Rights Manager.

The Town Clerk provided an update on behalf of the Equality and Diversity Manager that outlined the following –

·         The International Day of Persons with Disabilities had been well attended, with 40 people at each session. Further evaluation would be conducted in advance of next year’s event.

·         Work was underway to meet the annual equality duty data update deadline of 31^st January.

·         The Equality and Diversity Manager had attended a conference on human rights training for public and civil services. Subject to agreement internally, would be included in Force training and service delivery and reported to the Committee when implemented.

There were no other updates.

To receive a report of the Commissioner of Police.

The Committee received a report which updated Members as to the financial position of the Force as of the 7^th October 2013.

The Director of Corporate Services informed Members that there had been two changes to the report originally included as part of the agenda that had been re-circulated in advance of the meeting.

The 2013/14 year end forecast for the revenue budget was an over spend of £0.4m, an improvement of £1.7m when compared to the original budget which had assumed a contribution from general reserves of £2.1m. The improved position was due to an increase from the Government grant for Dedicated Security Posts of £3.4m, which the Force had expected to be reduced to £5m. The risk of this reduction remained in the future going forward.

The Chairman noted that Appendix C (Grant Schedule) of the report was very useful in outlining the funding purpose and status of various Force projects and programmes.

The Commissioner explained that the Force had forecast the use of spend reserves would be required from the loss of the Corporate Social Responsibility budget and more Police Officer leavers than estimated.

To receive a report of the Commissioner of Police.

The Committee received a report of the Commissioner of Police which provided Members with information on the Force’s Medium Term Financial Plan for the period 2013-17.

Members were informed that a number of risks had been built into the budgets, which included a reduction in Dedicated Security Posts/Capital City funding, revenue contributions towards the financing of capital expenditure and the assumption that there would be no increase in the Business Rate Premium. If these risks were to materialise, and there were no measures implemented to mitigate the budget deficits, the Force’s General Reserve would move from £15.3m in hand at 1 April 2013 to an overdrawn position of £7.9m by 31 March 2017

It was noted that this would be contrary to the current Court of Common Council arrangements which require the Force to have a balance in its Reserves of no less than £4m.

It was agreed that the Force would liaise with the Chamberlain to produce a report to be brought back to the Committee in July to agree timelines to mitigate risk and balance the budget over the four year period.

Members and officers discussed the assumption presented in the report that the business rate premium would not be increased and were advised that the meeting of the Resource Allocation Sub (Policy and Resources) Committee (RA Sub) on 12 December would be considering whether an increase in the premium from April 2014 should be recommended.

Members noted that this Committee was sighted on why an increase in the business rate premium is critical to the long term financial stability of the Force whereas other Members may be unaware of the pressure on, and complexity of, Force funding.  The Commissioner noted that at the last two annual consultation meetings with Business Ratepayers, warnings had been given of a

To receive a report of the Commissioner of Police.

The Committee considered an annual report of the Commissioner of Police on the review of charges for Bernard Morgan House and presented to Members the measures to mitigate the deficit and recommended the changes to pricing tariffs.

Members and officers discussed the increase to car-parking in line with City of London charges for residents, and the Director of Corporate Services undertook to check if the increase could be higher than 3.3%.The Director of Corporate Services confirmed that if for any legal or other reason the charges could not be increased as recommended in the report, he would inform Members accordingly.

RESOLVED – That,

a)    non-City of London Police Officer / support staff be charged by £5 per day with effect from 1^st April 2014; and

b)    all other charges except car-parking by 3.3% with effect from 1^st April 2014.

To receive a report of the Commissioner of Police.

The Committee received a report of the Force Strategic Risk Register which had been received at the last meeting of Performance and Resource Management Sub-Committee.

The Assistant Commissioner updated Members that some amendments had been made to the register as some had become historic. It was noted that the SR 15: Delivery of Information Assurance Maturity Model (IAMM) was a requirement by the Home Office and expected all police forces to achieve a certain level of IT security. The Deputy Chairman noted that the Force’s protection of its data was an area of strategic importance to the Force.

With regards to SR 14: IT Business Continuity, a report would be presented to the next meeting of the Committee on the Force’s IT strategy. The Force assured Members that the Force’s recent IT issues had been limited to the Outlook email system and had given the Force an opportunity to assess its business continuity programme.  

To receive a report of the Town Clerk.

The Committee considered an annual report of the Town Clerk which informed Members of applications and awards from the Police Property Act Fund during 2013 and asked the Committee to consider four further grants by individual Members.

The Chairman noted an additional grant would be considered for the City of London Academy – Islington (CC. Reg. No. 1121962) to fund a new cadet unit that was set up to give Academy students a structure in their lives. The grant would assist young people from deprived backgrounds to go to camp with adequate equipment.

In addition, Members suggested the Child Victims of Crime which helped children affected by criminality, the establishment of the National Police Arboretum Trust and the Sheriffs’ Recorder’s Fund. It was noted that if other academies had cadet programmes, they were welcome to be considered for a grant.

A Member queried what the policy was around the maintenance of reserves and it was agreed the Town Clerk would undertake to bring a report to the Committee which would review the fund’s investment policies and outline the aims of the Fund going forward. The Chairman suggested, and Members agreed charities would receive grants of £1,500 instead of £1,000 at this meeting.

RESOLVED – That,

a)    Members note the contents of the report;

b)    approve one-off grants of £1,000 to each of the following charities:-

i.              First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (CC Reg. 249360)

ii.             St John’s Ambulance (CC Reg. 1077265/1)

iii.            City of London Police Charity for Children (CC Reg. 294362)

iv.           The Hampstead Marie Curie Hospice (CC Reg. 207994)

v.            St Joseph’s Hospice, Hackney (CC Reg. 1113125)

vi.           Haven House Children’s Hospice, Essex (CC Reg. 1044296)

vii.          City of London Academy – Islington (CC  Reg. 11219862)

viii.         Child Victims of Crime (CC Reg.

ix.           National Police Arboretum Trust (CC

To receive a report of the Commissioner of Police.

The Committee received a report of the Commissioner of Police which informed Members of the Force’s development of an integrity statement forming pay of the City Futures transformational change programme, along with an integrity action plan and monitoring dashboard.

The Assistant Commissioner noted that the integrity dashboard had been presented to the Professional Standards and Integrity Sub (Police) Committee and more work was being done and would be presented to the next meeting of the Sub-Committee. He noted that an email had been sent to the Deputy Chairman which advised on the Force’s control of data given the recent media coverage police forces where there was concern over the standard of ethics and integrity. The Chairman requested that a report be presented to the Committee on the issues surrounding the role of the IPCC nationally, and how this could impact the Force.

The Assistant Commissioner also took the opportunity to thank the Chairman of the Sub-Committee for her support in the process of establishing these integrity monitoring processes.

To receive a report of the Commissioner of Police.

The Committee received a presentation of the City Futures Programme, and Members were informed of the programme’s aims and objectives.

Members expressed their support for the programme and applauded work programme. Members noted the Programme was providing an opportunity for many officers from many levels of the Force to provide feedback on initiatives the Force was implementing.

It was suggested that a report back be produced and it was agreed the Committee would receive an update in three to six months’ time.

Questions were raised as follows –

The Town Clerk undertook to circulate the date of the next Economic Crime and Fraud Training Academy Steering Group meeting to relevant Members.

There were no other items of urgent business.

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 the 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 1 of the Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

Item No                                   Exempt Paragraphs

17.a)                                        3

17.b)                                        1,2 & 5

18                                            3

The Commissioner of Police to be heard.

The Commissioner of Police was heard concerning on-going and successful operations undertaken by the City of London Police.

There were no questions.

There were no items of urgent business.