Agenda item

Report of the Commissioner.

Members considered a report of the Commissioner regarding Policing Plan 2020-23 – Performance against measures for end Q1 for the year 2020/21 and the following points were made.

·         The Assistant Commissioner noted that Counter Terrorism Measure 3 (increased number of hostile reconnaissance reports) was listed as requiring action. This measure stated that a high number of reports undergoing investigation was positive, which had been impacted by the fact the footfall in the City had significantly reduced since the outset of COVID. Overall the measure was out of the Force’s control given the Force was reliant on intelligence from trained security staff in City premises. The Force was keeping the measure under review, and continued to investigate a number of reports.

·         The Assistant Commissioner noted that Neighbourhood Policing Measure 3 (public order positive outcomes following arrest) was listed as requiring action as the number of arrests associated with the Night Time Economy and demonstrations had declined.

·         The Assistant Commissioner concluded by noting that the Force was number one int the country in terms of detecting crime. Under the Transform Programme the Force now had a new Silver role to co-ordinate Force response in real time. This had resulted in the last week of the arrest of a repeat offender within a minute of them committing a crime, leading to the detection of both that crime and 17 other crimes associated with that offender. The Force was also taking the opportunity presented by COVID to seek and arrest wanted persons who were more likely to be found in at a fixed address due to lockdown.

·         In response to a question, the Assistant Commissioner replied that at the outset of lockdown he had anticipated that the Force would have been able to deal with legacy issues but in reality the Force had embarked on more arrests and charges alongside increased demand in COVID enforcement. As a result there had been little opportunity to focus on legacy issues. Indeed, a minor outbreak of COVID amongst a specialist function within the Force had significantly reduced capability in that area.

·         In response to a question, the Commissioner noted that the community survey had been carried out by an external company using the electoral register and social media. There had been increased engagement that year and a report on the outcome of the survey was expected in mid-November 2020.

·         A Member noted that crime trends in the City had undergone an unwelcome uplift over the past two years, admittedly from a low base. Nevertheless it was concerning particularly given the increases were in areas such as violent and acquisitive crime. The Member was keen to promote a measurable performance-led approach to crime reduction and saw a clear link with Transform. Notwithstanding constraints it should be acknowledged that the Force was relatively well resourced for policing a square mile and he was therefore keen to target the increased areas of crime swiftly.

·         The Assistant Commissioner replied, noting that the Force had been carrying a large vacancy factor for the past few years which contributed to the uplift in crime. At one point, the Force had been 80 officers short of its 720 establishment. Moreover the City was a honeypot for thieves from across the whole of the Metropolitan area, and there had been a significant increase in licensed premises in the last four years – from 720 to 945. Added to this, in response to the more rigorous in depth inspections by HMICFRS that commenced in 2016, the Force had significantly improved the way in which it identified and recorded crime, which led to increased reporting.

·         The Assistant Commissioner continued, noting that going forward under the Sector Policing model the City would be divided into East and West sectors, each under a Chief Inspector. The new model allowed senior officers to drill down and review individual officer performance. Finally, the Assistant Commissioner assured Members that the Force was not complacent regarding crime figures and that he would be personally embarrassed if figures increased to their former levels.

·         In response to comment from a Member regarding the level of disruption carried out against fraud and serious organised crime, the Assistant Commissioner noted that the two areas were linked as disruption activity directed at fraud impacted serious organised crime groups’ ability to conduct their illegal activity. In Q1, the Force’s ability to disrupt fraud was impacted by the banking sector’s move towards home working during lockdown, which came at a time when fraud reporting increased by 70% in April 2020. The situation around access had since improved and therefore there should be an improvement in disruption during Q2 and Q3.

·         Members noted that they would welcome a workshop on Policing Plan measures to enable them to better understand the governance and compliance assessments underpinning the reporting made to Committee.

·         The Chairman and Assistant Commissioner encouraged Members of the Committee to approach and engage officers on the beat to gain grass-roots perspectives of policing in the City.

RESOLVED, that the report be received.