Agenda item

The Chair to be heard.

Members received an update of the Chair on the following matters:

·         The Chair started by recording the Board’s shock following the fatal stabbing of Sir David Amess. The City has reviewed security arrangements for MPs living or visiting the City and the Assistant Commissioner would be providing further information later in the meeting.

·         Following the murder of Sarah Everard, the Chair had written to the Force with the support of the Deputy Chair of the Board and the Chair and Deputy Chair of the Professional Standards & Integrity Committee.  Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) had been given the highest of priorities across forces as well as within the APCC. The Chair expected it to feature fully in the City’s Policing Plan as work in this area develops.

·         HMICFRS had been tasked with vetting and professional standards within a thematic inspection and the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) had identified their own internal review into standards. The NPCC had expressed some concerns about possible cross-over and duplication of effort across these various bits of work, in addition to the likely internal reviews within forces. Noting this, the Chair had been clear that the City of London Police must not delay reviewing possible changes to operating policy, recruiting, vetting and disciplinary action.

·         The Chair had asked the Force to provide an interim report on their work, which featured under agenda item 13. Considerations include how plain clothed officers should be behaving when arresting people (be that on or off duty). Guidance has come out from the MPS that will apply the three forces that police London. This included arrangements for the detainment and transport of women and vulnerable persons, how patrols may achieve a 50/50 gender balance over the course of the current policing plan. The initial implementation of this would commence with a focus on the night-time economy and consideration on how these changes might be communicated to the wider community.

·         The Chair has sought clarity of reporting on VAWG through the Strategic Planning & Performance Committee (SPPC), to ensure that Members were are getting the necessary data around crimes against women and girls. The Force were looking into a trial of recording crimes of misogyny and the Chair had asked COLP to consider how these might be reported so we can get good granularity around what is happening in the City of London.

·         In terms of engagement around the Authority and Force, there had been some very positive activity including an APPC visit, as well as broader engagements including an all-party parliamentary group with the Commissioner next week; and a representation from the Force to the Online Safety Bill Committee.

RESOLVED, that the update be noted.