Agenda and draft minutes

Venue: Committee Room 4 - 2nd Floor West Wing, Guildhall. View directions

Contact: Alistair MacLellan
tel. no.: 020 7332 1416  Email: alistair.maclellan@cityoflondon.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies

Minutes:

Apologies were received from Doug Barrow, Deputy Keith Bottomley, Andrew Lentin and Caroline Mawhood.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 1.

2.

MEMBERS' DECLARATIONS UNDER THE CODE OF CONDUCT IN RESPECT OF ITEMS ON THE AGENDA

Minutes:

Tijs Broeke declared an interest in Item 19 (IT Modernisation and Transformation) given he was an employee of Hewlett-Packard.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.

3.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 104 KB

To agree the public minutes and summary of the meeting held on 29 June 2018.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 3.

Minutes:

RESOLVED, that the public minutes and non-public summary of the meeting held on 29 June 2018 be approved as a correct record.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

4.

Public Outstanding References pdf icon PDF 101 KB

Report of the Town Clerk.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 4.

Minutes:

Members considered a report regarding public outstanding references from previous meetings and the following points were made.

 

Reference (1) – Roadmap for delivery of IT Programme

 

·         The Chairman noted this reference was covered by Item 19 (IT Modernisation and Transformation).

 

Reference (2) – Corporate Audit (Police Accommodation)

 

·         The Chairman noted this reference was covered by Item 15 (Internal Audit of Police Accommodation Programme).

 

Reference (3) – Draft Workforce Plan

 

·         The Chairman noted that this reference was covered by Item 8 (Q2 Performance against Policing Plan 2018-21).

 

Reference (7) – Violent Crime Statistics

 

·         The Chairman noted this reference would be covered as part of Item 5 (HMICFRS Inspection Update).

 

Reference (8) – HMICFRS Stop and Search Training

 

·         The Chairman noted that this reference was covered by Item 5 (HMICFRS Inspection Update).

 

Reference (9) – Internal Audit Update – FOI Requests

 

·         The Chairman noted that this reference was covered by Item 7 (Internal Audit Update).

 

Reference (12) – HR Monitoring

 

·         The Chairman noted that this reference was covered by Item 6 (Human Resources Monitoring Information).

 

Reference (14) – Police Telephony

 

·         In response to a request from the Chairman, the Assistant Commissioner confirmed that the updated telephony system has gone live in September 2018. He agreed to circulate a briefing note regarding the delivery of the updated system to the Sub-Committee outside of the meeting and noted his thanks to colleagues in the City of London Corporation’s Information Technology Division for their assistance in project delivery.  

 

RESOLVED, that the report be received.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services Inspection Update pdf icon PDF 105 KB

Report of the Commissioner of Police.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 5.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members considered an update report of the Commissioner of Police regarding Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) Inspection and the following points were made.

 

·         The Assistant Commissioner reported that the City Police had made progress in reducing the number of outstanding recommendations from the recent HMICFRS Inspection from 34 down to 23.

 

·         In response to a question from the Chairman, the Commissioner of Police noted that the HMICFRS had not yet released the result of their national thematic fraud inspection report.

 

·         In response to a question, the Assistant Commissioner replied that the HMICFRS Inspectors had provided some initial feedback on their findings as a ‘hot debrief’. Overall the City Police had been graded Good with some areas where there was room for improvement.

 

·         A Member who chaired the Police Committee’s Economic Crime Board commented that the initial feedback on the City Police’s response to economic crime was that there was a good Force culture, and that there was room for improvement in the level of detail that was included in record keeping.

 

·         In response to a question from the Chairman regarding the recommendation regarding the flagging of hate crime, the Commissioner noted that there had been some slippage in addressing how hate crimes were flagged appropriately. The Commissioner agreed to provide a further update on how this recommendation was being addressed at the February 2019 meeting.

 

·         The Chairman noted that the Inspection had noted there was a similar issue in how consistently the City Police utilised the Home Office cyber-enabled flag.

 

·         In response to a comment from the Chairman, the Assistant Commissioner confirmed that the City Police was responding to the HMICFRS recommendation regarding responses to drug dealing networks using ‘county lines’ by adopting a risk reduction strategy that would target drug supply in early 2019.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

6.

Human Resources Monitoring Information - 1st April 2018 - 30th September 2018 pdf icon PDF 619 KB

Report of the Commissioner of Police.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 6.

Minutes:

Members considered a report of the Commissioner of Police regarding Human Resources Monitoring Information 1 April 2018 – 30 September 2018 and the following points were made.

 

·         In response to questions from Members regarding reasons given for officers leaving the Force, and what factors were underpinning the uplift in rates of resignation, the Commissioner of Police replied that factors included the fact that the pension provision was no longer attractive as it once was and that skills attained through working in the Economic Crime Directorate meant highly-paid private sector roles were easily attainable. Nevertheless, it was common to see some officers return to the Force from private sector roles once they had gained relevant experience. Those officers were encouraged to communicate their experiences of the private sector to colleagues.

 

·         In response to a question from a Member, the Commissioner of Police agreed to provide the relevant recruitment strategy and action plan for boosting gender and Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) representation in the Force. The BAME action plan was currently under review at officer level and would likely feature a direct entry scheme, which past experience had shown was effective in attracting women candidates.

 

·         In response to a question from a Member, the Commissioner agreed to provide the action plan arising from the recent staff survey, once approved, and the headline messaging from the staff survey itself.

 

·         In response to a comment from a Member, the Commissioner of Police noted that they were confident the Force could achieve full establishment by the end of February 2019 given the recent positive recruitment campaign.

 

·         In response to a question from a Member, the Assistant Commissioner noted that the Direct Entry scheme was a national scheme, and he acknowledged that it had the potential to impact the morale of existing officers who would

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.

Internal Audit Update Report pdf icon PDF 105 KB

Report of the Head of Audit and Risk Management.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 7.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members considered an update report of the Head of Audit and Risk Management regarding internal audit and the following points were made.

 

·         The Head of Audit and Risk Management noted that the Internal Audit team was currently monitoring the reconciliation of police bank accounts and in particular the reconciliation between defendants’ funds for deposit and the amounts credited to the bank accounts. An update on implementation could be provided to Members in January 2019. The Head of Audit and Risk Management concluded by noting that the 2018/19 Internal Audit Workplan was currently under development.

 

·         In response to a request from a Member to see the minute of the Audit and Risk Management Committee meeting at which this report had been considered, another Member who was a member of that Committee noted that it had seen a different report to that before the Performance and Resource Management Sub-Committee, but nevertheless Audit and Risk Management Committee members had expressed concern at the evidence found by Internal Audit of weak internal  financial controls. Moreover, the Audit and Risk Management has expressed disappointment that the Commissioner of Police or a representative had been available to attend that meeting.

 

·         The Assistant Commissioner assured Members that a response had been provided by the Commissioner to the Audit and Risk Management Committee, and that on request the Force action plan for responding to the internal audit had been provided as well.

 

·         The Deputy Chamberlain noted, on behalf of the Police Authority, some concern that the weak financial controls identified in the internal audit were the same controls that had been identified as a problem at financial year-end.

 

·         The Deputy Chamberlain added that greater oversight of Police finance was now being provided on an interim basis by individuals in both the Chamberlain’s Department and the City of London

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

8.

Quarter 2 Performance against measures set out in the Policing Plan 2018-21 pdf icon PDF 110 KB

Report of the Commissioner of Police.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 8.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members considered a report of the Commissioner of Police regarding Quarter 2 performance against measures set out in the Policing Plan 2018-2021 and the following points were made.

 

·         The Assistant Commissioner provided Members with some context to the report, noting that the Force was dealing with a national increase in crime, which itself could be the result of improved processes for recording crime. The Force had recently appointed a Gold Commander to oversee crime reduction initiatives, and measures adopted to date had led to some signs of a decrease in the number of crimes reported.

 

·         In response to a comment from the Chairman, the Assistant Commissioner agreed to review how descriptors for performance measures could be improved to make it easier for Members to scrutinise the Force assessment of those measures and their trends.

 

·         In response to a question from a Member regarding Measure 1 (Number of crimes committed in the City) and the charge rate for robbery, the Assistant Commissioner noted that the Chairman had been provided with a granular breakdown of data which could be shared with Members. He acknowledged that the Force could improve its rates of detection.

 

·         In response to a request from the Chairman regarding Measure 5 (Capability and Impact the Force is having against countering fraud), the Assistant Commissioner agreed to provide data on long term trends at a future meeting.

 

·         In response to a question from a Member regarding Measure 6 (Capability and Impact the Force is having against countering violent crime) and whether the Night Time Economy (NTE) could be looked at as a theme in countering violent crime, the Assistant Commissioner agreed that a briefing note could be given to Members of the Police Committee on steps the Force was taking to tackle crime associated with the NTE. He added that

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

9.

Quarter 2 Revenue and Capital Budget Monitoring pdf icon PDF 149 KB

Report of the Commissioner of Police. TO FOLLOW.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 9.

Minutes:

Members considered a report of the Commissioner of Police regarding Revenue Budget Monitoring to September 2018 and the following points were made.

 

·         The Deputy Chamberlain noted that the emerging overspend on payroll had not been clear from the actuals recorded in previous financial forecasts. Work was required to understand how the resulting overspend would affect the Medium Term Financial Plan.

 

·         The double-counting of £4.5m of funding from the National & International Capital City grant had given rise the risk that spending commitments had been made on the basis of incorrect assumptions of income. Overall, there was a significant structural deficit in the budget.

 

·         A Member welcomed the report and requested future iterations include more tabular information. He felt that the point regarding reserves within the report was well made. Overall, he observed that the situation described had significant implications for the Police Five Year Plan.

 

·         In response to a comment from a Member, the Deputy Chamberlain noted that the situation outlined within the report also demonstrated that there was a gap between Revenue Budgets and the Police Workforce Plan.

 

·         The Assistant Commissioner noted that measures to address the identified overspend would be considered at officer level in late November 2018. They could include a freeze on existing spending, overtime allowances and recruitment.

 

RESOLVED, that the report be received.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

10.

Questions on matters relating to the work of the Committee

Minutes:

There were no questions.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

11.

Any other business that the Chairman considers urgent

Minutes:

There was no other business.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

12.

Exclusion of the Public

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.

 

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 12.

Minutes:

RESOLVED, that under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

13.

Non-Public Minutes

To agree the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 29 June 2018.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 13.

Minutes:

RESOLVED, that the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 29 June 2018 be approved as a correct record.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

14.

Non-Public Outstanding References

Report of the Town Clerk.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 14.

Minutes:

Governors considered a report of the Town Clerk regarding non-public outstanding references from previous meetings.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.

15.

Internal Audit of City of London Police Accommodation Programme

Report of the Head of Audit and Risk Management.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 15.

Minutes:

Members considered a report of the Head of Audit and Risk Management regarding the internal audit of the City of London Police Accommodation Programme.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.

16.

IT Modernisation and Transformation

Report of the Chamberlain. TO FOLLOW.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 16.

Minutes:

Governors agreed to vary the order of items on the agenda so Item 19 (IT Modernisation and Transformation/City of London Police IT Modernisation Portfolio Blueprint) was considered next.

 

At this point of the meeting, two hours having elapsed, and in line with Standing Order 40 of the Court of Common Council, Members agreed to extend the meeting until business on the agenda had been concluded.

 

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 16.

17.

Presentation on City of London Police Transform

The Commissioner of Police to be heard.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 17.

Minutes:

The Commissioner of Police was heard regarding the City of London Police Transform Programme.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.

18.

City of London Police Transform Programme - Update

Report of the Commissioner of Police.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 18.

Minutes:

Members considered an update report of the Commissioner of Police regarding the City of London Police Transform Programme.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 18.

19.

Workforce Plan 2018-2023

Report of the Commissioner of Police.

 ...  view the full agenda text for item 19.

Minutes:

Members considered a report of the Commissioner of Police regarding the Workforce Plan 2018-2023.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 19.

20.

Questions on matters relating to the work of the Committee

Minutes:

There were no questions.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 20.

21.

Any other business that the Chairman considers urgent and which the Sub-Committee agree should be considered whilst the public are excluded

Minutes:

Members discussed one item of non-public other business.

 ...  view the full minutes text for item 21.