Agenda item

Joint report of the Town Clerk and Commissioner.

Members considered a report of the Town Clerk on outstanding public references and the following points were made.

8/2019/P – Force Communications Plan regarding Stop and Search

Members agreed that this reference should be retained for the next formal meeting. The Head of Professional Standards (HPS) agreed to consider whether this could be an annual piece of work.

12/2019/P – Report on Potential Predictive Policing Methods

Members agreed that this reference should be retained for the next meeting.

14/2019/P – London Police Challenge Forum Dates

The HPS noted that the Forum was reviewing future meeting dates. Members agreed that this reference should be retained for the next meeting.

16/2019/P – Update regarding Development Measure 2.11 (Ethical Drift Survey)

Members agreed that this reference could be closed.

18/2019/P – Report on File Failures

The Inspector Administration of Justice (IAJ) was head regarding file failures and the following points were made.

·         Any file that did not confirm to the National File Standard was deemed to be failed. They reviewed file failures on a monthly basis to ensure that they felt that the Crown Prosecution Service’s decision was appropriate.

·         The Force had measures in place to prevent file failures as far as was possible. Members were asked to note that some file failures were the result of one file being reviewed twice by CPS and therefore logged as two file failures.

·         The Force had a file failure rate of 4.6% (8 files out of 172). Moreover the Force had an 85% successful outcome at Magistrates’ and Crown Courts even in cases where there had been an initial file failure. 

·         The Chairman encouraged the Force to ensure that there was regular constructive communication between the Force and the CPS.

·         In response to a comment on how the Force could track whether the CPS was correct in failing files, the Assistant Commissioner noted that CPS submissions were reviewed by the Force’s Crime Standards Board.

·         The HPS noted that CPS guidance was changed frequently which did prove a challenge to officers submitting files. The Force had been successful in securing reviews of file failures in cases where officers disagreed with the CPS decision.

·         The IAJ noted that the majority of file failure cases were minor ones e.g. motoring offences, including one case where it has been the victim’s choice not to continue with the case.

·         Members thanked officers for the update on file failures and requested that the update be circulated electronically to the wider Committee.

19/2019/P – Integrity Dashboard Format

Members agreed that this reference could be closed.