Agenda item

To report the findings from the certification of 2018/2019 claims and the messages arising from the assessment of the Council’s arrangements for preparing claims and returns and information on claims that were amended or qualified

4.1       Chief Superintendent Helen Harper and Superintendent Mark Lawrence submitted a report from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on the performance of the Basic Command Unit, one year on from its implementation in February 2019.

4.2       The MPS officers described how 32 London boroughs had been transformed into 12 Basic Command Units (BCUs), in which Westminster policing now fell within the BCU for Hammersmith & Fulham, the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea. The local authority policing model had been replaced by five strands, which covered investigation, emergence response, HQ, neighbourhood and safeguarding. Changes to the original model and priorities that had been made during the first year of implementation had included violence in public spaces.

4.3       The Committee commented on the historical police divisions and noted the MPS strategic community engagement with Safer Neighbourhood Panels and Police Community Consultative Groups; together with wider engagement at the Greater London Assembly level.

4.4       The Committee discussed crime statistics and noted that people who committed offences in the West End and St James’s Wards were travelling into Westminster. The transient nature of people passing through Westminster could also result in late reporting. Collaborative and flexible working across all BCUs was proving another solution to tracing offenders; along with crime prevention work with hoteliers, airlines and neighbouring boroughs to raise awareness, especially amongst visiting tourists. The MPS reported that sanctioned detection rates for robbery had improved, due to more skilled detectives and a significant increase in arrests. Results were also being improved by smarter partnership working.

4.5       Annette Acik (Interim Director, Public Protection & Licensing) commented on the neighbourhood management model used by the City Council, which was supported by dedicated Ward Officers in a coordinated approach with local considerations and problem-solving.

4.6       The Committee discussed how the MPS could ensure the correct level of officer’s attendance at the City Council’s meetings, particularly from the perspectives of Children’s Services and Community Safety. The MPS acknowledged that moving to the new model had presented challenges as a layer of leadership had been removed, and strategic leadership and operational ability was now shared across the three boroughs.  The MPS also commented that although the policing based at the BCU extended across a wider area, it was still imperative to deliver what mattered most to local people.

4.7       Committee Members commented on the numbers of available police officers that were available and on their visibility. The MPS considered that the most effective distribution could be gained from a mix of neighbourhood response and specialist officers. Police force numbers had also improved, due to increased government funding with up to 50 officers joining the BCU every month. Although the uplift of 50 MPS officers per month had been considered positive, the MPS highlighted the need for training as being a challenge. The MPS also commented that the past year had been a difficult period, with the impact on resources caused by events such as the Extinction Rebellion being felt across Westminster.

4.8       The Committee commented on the need for the City Council to have greater access to police data, and noted that although the MPS had lost its crime analysts, abstracted data would now be available as the analysts had now been re-established together with performance analysts.

4.9       The Committee requested a further update in nine months’ time, which would also time for more data to be available.

4.10     RESOLVED: That

1.         the report be noted; and

2.         the Metropolitan Police Service be invited to the Committee’s September meeting to provide a further report.