Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from the Deputy Chair, Tijs Broeke.

There were two declarations. In respect of item 8.  Alderman Timothy Hailes noted that he was a Trustee of Prisoners Abroad. The Commissioner noted that he acted as NPCC liaison for the Royal Humane Society. 

To approve the public minutes and non-public summary of the meeting held on 25 March 2021.

RESOLVED – That the public minutes of the meeting held on 25 March 2021 be approved, subject to a correction to indicate that Deborah Oliver was in attendance.

Joint report of the Town Clerk and Commissioner.

The Board considered a joint report of the Town Clerk and Commissioner which set out Outstanding References from previous meetings of the Board.

• 37/2019/P – works complete and the facility was usable. Other maintenance works   on the custody suite were underway and would be completed in early May.

• 29/2020/P – job descriptions went to the meeting held on 16 April 2021.

• 8/2021/P – a briefing was being arranged for Members of the Court of Common Council on public order policing operations (including Operation Benbow). 

A Member remarked that the Force and Authority needed to be mindful of assumed knowledge of newer Board Members and the general public when referencing operations such as Benbow.

RESOLVED – That the Committee notes the report.

The Chair to be heard.

The Chair addressed the Board and provided the following verbal update.

APCC

The PCC election will be held next month and a high turnover of PCCs was expected.  There was a significant opportunity to ensure that Fraud is higher on PCC agendas and the Force and Authority were working with APCC to draw up a schedule of events and communications to support this. The Chair asked that this be brought to the Economic & Cyber Crime Committee in May (11/2021/P).

Broader Engagement

The Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner McLaren had an initial meeting with the policy unit in Number 10 Downing Street, who are looking at what can be done around tackling Fraud. It was extremely positive that Fraud and Cyber were now being considered at the highest political levels.  It was further evidence of the need for a joined-up stakeholder engagement programme between Force, Authority and Corporation. 

The Chair met last week with RUSI together with officers from the Force and Authority to follow up their work on tackling cyber-crime and how that might enable broader engagement.

The Chair was working with the Authority Team and the Force around a number of upcoming events over the next 12 months that will support stakeholder engagement and promote the work of the Force around Protective Security, Economic Crime, Cyber. These would be shared as they became more developed.

National Crime and Policing Measures 

On the 14 April, the Policing Minister wrote to all PCCs confirming the new national crime and policing measures. which set out the Government’s key national priorities on crime.  The measures fall under the following headings:

• Reduce murder and other homicides,
• Reduce serious violence,
• Disrupt drugs supply and county lines,
• Reduce neighbourhood crime,
• Tackle cybercrime,
• Improve satisfaction among victims – with a particular focus on victims of domestic abuse.

Progress

The Commissioner & Chief Officers to be heard.

The Commissioner and Chief Officers addressed the Board and provided the following update:

Numbers of footfall had increased within the City, but it remained nowhere near as high as the pre-pandemic level. The night-time economy had picked accordingly but whilst crime levels had not increased as expected, the Force was not complacent.

The Covid command structure had moved over to being business as usual. Two members of staff were on sickness leave having tested positive for Covid-19; this was very low. The Force continued to utilise a comprehensive lateral flow testing system for staff in the City.

As lockdown eased, an increase in protests and other activities in the public space was anticipated. Extinction Rebellion had been recommencing its activities and the financial districts were clearly an area of interest for them. The Force had been working closely with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to ensure a comprehensive plan was in place to respond to these events. Both spontaneous and planned events were expected to increase in regularity.

The inquest into the terrorist attack at Fishmonger’s Hall had demanded commitment from the Force both in terms of security for the event and for  the many officers who were involved with the incident, who had been called upon to provide statements. 

There had been a gradual rise in the number of non-residential burglary reports following thefts and break-ins at offices that had been left unoccupied for large periods of time over the course of the last year. This had been expected as people began to return to the City and discover the crime. There had also been an increase in shoplifting and begging in the area of Bishopsgate and Cheapside, to which the Force responded to accordingly. The Force had deployed uniform and non-uniform operations resulting in a greater detection of

The Commissioner & Chief Officers to be heard.

The Commissioner and Chief Officers addressed the Board and provided the following update:

Since the last meeting, the Cyber Programme Team had fully moved to the City of London Police. This provided an excellent opportunity to work with the City Corporations and drive forward new ideas. Positive meetings had already taken place between the Force, Innovation and Growth Department and other teams. A fuller update would be provided at the ECCC.

Unfortunately, there had been an increase in demand for Action Fraud.

Key strategic engagements as previously referenced by the Chair included the Prime Minister’s advisors and RUSI Team. A forthcoming meeting with the CPS Community Accountability Forum has also been arranged, with the Force having been invited to input on working to improve victim experience.

RESOLVED, that the update be noted.

Report of the Town Clerk.

Members considered a report of the Town Clerk regarding the Police Property Act Fund Nominations.

RESOLVED that Members approve the nominations for charities to receive a grant of £1,000 as listed:-

• Care of Police Survivors (1101478)
• City of London Police Charity for Children (1068671)
• Coram Children’s Legal Centre (281222)
• Ella’s (1187529)
• First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (249360)
• Housing the Homeless Central Fund (233254)
• Just for Kids Law (1121638)
• London Air Ambulance (801013)
• Royal Humane Society (231469)
• Prisoner’s Abroad (1093710)
• Sheriff’s and Recorder’s Fund (221927)
• Spark Inside (1148420)
• St Giles’ Trust (801355)
• White Chapel Mission (227905)

·         Women’s Aid (1054154)

Report of the Commissioner.

To be read in conjunction with the Non-Public Report and Appendix.

It was noted by the Town Clerk that a report for this item in the public agenda was not published and circulated for this item as planned. The Commissioner provided a verbal update.

Comments from the March meeting had been considered and integrated in the present draft of the Strategic Communications and Engagement Plan. The full update was available in the non-public section of the agenda.

It was noted that the Police Authority website could be more informative, but this would be addressed in the relaunch planned for the end of April. It was suggested that the Force’s own website could be updated, particularly on National Lead Force and Economic Crime. The Commissioner explained that work was ongoing to align the website with the national police landing page, but that work was needed in the areas raised. The Chair asked for a timeline on when it was likely these updates would be made. (13/2021/P)

RESOLVED, that the update be noted.

Report of the Commissioner.

Members received a report of the Commissioner regarding the City of London Police Staff Survey 2020.

This report was based on the summary, high-level report received by the Force. The detailed findings had only been provided to officers that week and whilst the main elements had been articulated in the report provided, the Force needed additional time to unpick some of the detail.

The Commissioner explained that the survey was run nationally and whilst direct comparisons with other forces were not made, some contextual information was provided. These findings were positive.

Communications with staff had gone out through the intranet and through workshops about the findings and what could be done to address the areas for improvement.

Following a question from a Member regarding benchmarking against previous participants. It was noted that the survey was anonymous and therefore there was no way of knowing the percentage of participants that also completed the previous survey.

Following a question about overtime and staff coverage, the Commissioner confirmed there was nothing specific on this area. However, factors such as overall perceptions of value, appreciation of contribution and attitude toward leadership would all provide some indication if there was an issue.

An area in need of development was the clarity of vision being communicated to staff. Chief Officers and Directors should not assume that officers at all levels in the organisation understood the Strategic Threat and Risk Assessment (STRA), City of London Corporate Plan, Policing Plan and how they all interlinked.

It was fundamental that the Equality &Inclusion practices needed to be demonstrably fairer to reduce the sense of injustice. When ready, a fuller report on the Staff Survey outcomes would need to go to Professional Standards & Integrity then to the following Police Authority Board.

RESOLVED, that the report be noted.

Report of the Remembrancer.

Members received a report of the Remembrancer regarding the Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Act 2021. Members requested to discuss this alongside item 12.

Following a question about who qualified as a judicial commissioner, the Remembrancer agreed to confirm this with the Member after the Board.

It was noted that Criminal Conduct Authorisation (CCA) was subject to a proportionality test. Following questions about how this currently worked and was implemented (and how it might change in response to this Act) the Commissioner agreed to provide a briefing on the range of authorities exercised by the Force to the Professional Standards and Integrity Committee in May(14/2021/P).

In the meantime, Members were assured that the IPCO carried out regulation, whilst the authorisation rested with highly trained officers at Superintendent or Chief Officer level. Training involved courses held over several days, focussed on legislation, with several tests.

RESOLVED, that the report be noted.

Report of the Remembrancer.

Members received a report of the Remembrancer regarding the Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill.

RESOLVED, that the report be noted.

There were no questions.

There were three items of urgent business.

Members agreed to appoint Graham Packham as the Board’s representative on Streets & Walkways Sub (Planning & Transportation) Committee; and assigned Mr Packham the Roads Policing Special Interest Area Lead.

The Town Clerk notified Members of the arrangements for Board meetings following the changes to Coronavirus legislation on 6 May 2021 and the inability to hold formal meetings via virtual means.

The Chair explained that he had hoped for the various newly created external member posts across the Board and its Committees, to be advertised altogether over the coming months (15/2021/P)

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 approve the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 25 March 2021.

RESOLVED, that the non-public minutes of the meeting held on 25 March 2021, be approved as an accurate record.

Joint Report of the Town Clerk and Commissioner.

Members received a report of the Town Clerk and Commissioner regarding the Board’s Non-Public Outstanding References.

The Chair to be heard.

The Committee received a verbal update of the Chair.

The Commissioner & Chief Officers to be heard.

The Board received a verbal update of the Commissioner and Chief Officers.

The Commissioner & Chief Officers to be heard.

Members received a verbal update of the Commissioner and Chief Officers.

Report of the Chamberlain.

Members received a Gateway 2 report of the Chamberlain regarding the HR, Payroll, Finance Solution, ERP.

Report of the Chamberlain.

Members received a report of the Chamberlain regarding the new financial system and ERP project.

Joint report of the City Surveyor and Commissioner.

Strictly confidential appendices A and C to be tabled at the meeting.

Members considered a joint report of the Commissioner and City Surveyor regarding the COLP Future Police Estates Update.

Report of the Commissioner.

Members received a report of the Commissioner regarding the communications and engagement strategy update.

To be read in conjunction with item 9 on the agenda.

Members received the non-public appendix to the Communication and Engagement Strategy.

There were no questions.

There was one item of urgent business to be considered in confidential session.

All officers left the meeting with the exception of the Town Clerk (John Barradell), Deputy Chief Executive (Simon Latham), and Clerk to the Board (Polly Dunn).

Members considered a report of the Town Clerk regarding a confidential staffing matter.