Police and crime update August

August 16, 2017 office

Dear all,

Here is the latest from City Hall, including the responses to my policing questions just in

The consequences of the Government’s underfunding of the Met are becoming ever more apparent after the £600 million cut in the last 4 year funding cycle, with another £400 million to come.

The Mayor has warned that without significant extra resources one of the painful decisions will be the closure of around half of London’s police stations. MOPAC has published a draft Public Access and Engagement Strategy which sets out the changes which will provide one 24/7 front counter in each London borough, along with their existing commitment to double the number of Dedicated Ward Officers.

The details of all of these changes to public access are set out in the consultation document here.

This also sets out how, by closing underused buildings, we are able to invest in the front line and keep officer numbers as high as possible. Changes to front counters alone will save around £10 million a year, the equivalent of 170 front line officers. Every pound not saved by closing an infrequently visited police building is a pound we have to find elsewhere, with a reduction in police officer numbers likely.

The consultation is open until 6 October.

At the Assembly Police and Crime Committee meeting on 20 July, I questioned the Deputy Commissioner and Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime on this strategy (from p28 of the transcript), as well as leading questioning on the police response to the Grenfell Tower fire (p1) and on acid attacks (p22). The transcript is here.

The Assembly Police and Crime Committee meeting on 5 July 2017 was a session on antisocial behaviour: the transcript is here. My questions start at p5 and p36). The Economy Committee is conducting an inquiry into the Mayor’s policies towards the Night Time Economy (NTE). I particularly questioned the chair of the Mayor’s NTE Commission and the NTE ‘czar’ about the impact on local residents. The responses were far from satisfactory, as you can see from the transcript (app1 pp9 et seq and 19 et seq; app 2 pp4 et seq):

I suffered some social media abuse as the result of standing up for residents.

My campaign to force the big football clubs to meet the full cost of policing their games is getting traction – including an appearance on the Jeremy Vine show on Radio 2 – with the latest figures, which show that in the last season the cost was over £7 million.

The Premier League are still refusing to cough up any more, but the battle continues.

I also spoke out over the record level of Anti-Semitic Crimes

MQT Aug 17 policing answers

Additional funding for the police

Question No: 2017/3255

Andrew Dismore

What response have you had so far to your request for additional funding for the police, and what will the consequences be, if the Government does not accede to that request?

Written response from the Mayor

We continue to work closely with Home Office, APCC and NPCC to make the national case for police funding, and separately to make the case for the unique position facing London. I am fighting tooth and nail to get the Government to give the Met the money it needs to keep our great city safe. Only last month, I again wrote to the Home Secretary setting out the serious consequences to policing and safety in London arising from the Government’s continued refusal to clarify its plans for police funding. There is a risk that police officer numbers will fall below 30,000 for the first time since 2003 if there is no certainty on future funding levels.

As I have warned the Home Secretary, without urgent clarity on funding, we are fast approaching a point where we will have to reduce recruitment in order to remain within our budgets. We cannot recruit officers without knowing we can afford to pay for them in the years ahead. As a result, we run a very real risk of officer numbers falling below 30,000 in this city for the first time since 2003.

Policing football matches

Question No: 2017/3250

Andrew Dismore

In relation to the costs of policing football matches, did the response to the Deputy Mayor’s February letter from the Policing Minister Brandon Lewis MP in April indicate that the Government were prepared to consider a full cost recovery charging regime?

Written response from the Mayor

The Policing Minister stated that the Government had previously considered whether a change in legislation is required, and concluded that they would not seek to make changes to section 25 of the Police Act 1996. However, they are willing to discuss this at the next Ministerial meeting. MOPAC has been in touch with the Home Office to arrange this meeting.

I have also written to the Premier League requesting a meeting to discuss a voluntary contribution by the wealthiest football league in the world to the cost of policing their football matches in London.

Night time economy [1]

Question No: 2017/3289

Andrew Dismore

50,000 people visit Camden Town each Friday and Saturday evening. This is equivalent to the crowd at a Premier League football match. Camden Town have a dedicated Police team of 6 officers on duty as well as the usual SNT team.

At a “category A” football match with 50,000 fans in London there would typically be 150 police officers. There would also be 200 stewards. Football crowds are usually easier to police. The majority of fans are home fans who know what the best routes are and what the police will worry about. They follow the same routes every 2 weeks or so. Many night time economy customers come only once every 3-6 months and are going to different places and don’t have such an understanding of how to move around the area. Given this much lower policing ratio, is it any surprise that the streets of Camden Town (and other areas of London affected by night time economy crowds) see the level of incidents and anti-social behaviour that they do?

Written response from the Mayor

Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly

Acid and other corrosive chemical attacks

Question No: 2017/3254

Andrew Dismore

What are you doing to combat the upsurge in acid and other corrosive chemical attacks?

Written response from the Mayor

The Met are rolling out acid kits in one thousand police cars, which will include bottles of water, gauntlets and goggles. In East London, where the majority of offences have taken place, specially trained officers will carry litmus testing kits. I support the Commissioner in her commitment to use intelligence-led stop and search for corrosive substances, alongside knives, other weapons and drugs.

To address the problem in the longer term I have taken steps to ensure the government is addressing this problem, I have pressed for tougher sentences for those who carry corrosive substances, and asked that sentencing guidelines be clarified for judges.

First aid advice after acid attacks

Question No: 2017/3308

Andrew Dismore

Will you work with the police, fire and ambulance service to publicise the best first aid advice that can be given if someone is exposed to acid or other corrosive substance?

Written response from the Mayor

I will support the police, fire and ambulance service in issuing the most up to date advice. Emergency services working in conjunction will be vital to ensure victims are given the assistance they require quickly so when attacks are reported the London Fire Brigade will be alerted and will attend the scene as will have access to large amounts of water. The MPS will be outlining a three step model which encourages the removal of clothing and irrigation with plenty of water.

Police Airwave radios

Question No: 2017/3293

Andrew Dismore

I have been informed that there are continuing problems with police Airwave radios for response teams–specifically that a response team is expected to maintain one channel while responding to an incident. This apparently means that other teams cannot listen in–one example given to me was that a team requiring assistance might not be able to communicate with another team nearby who could help. Is this correct? Is this a product of the borough pathfinder merger? If this is happening, what is being done about it?

Written response from the Mayor

The Airwave system is operating as expected and there are no reported faults or issues with it.

As you would expect the way that the Airwave Radio system is configured across response is operationally sensitive and it is not something that the MPS would be place in the public domain.

However, the MPS informs me that the scenario described above is not the case. On the Pathfinders the radio management is the same as is used for managing deployment across London including in some of our highest risk situations. The MPS will not compromise officer safety and any incident where safety concerns are raised is investigated and any lessons from it are fed into operational practice.

Borough merger [1]

Question No: 2017/3294

Andrew Dismore

I am getting reports from Camden residents and ward panels that the Pathfinder (Camden & Islington) Borough has resulted in a deterioration of services provided by the MPS, including in particular the poor standard of investigations into crime allegations. What is being done to correct this?

Written response from the Mayor

Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly.

Borough merger [2]

Question No: 2017/3295

Andrew Dismore

In the Pathfinder (Camden & Islington) Borough there appears to be a disconnect in that ward priorities are not aligned with the emergency policing team priorities, for example if a caller dials 101 to report anti-social behaviour that was an issue on the ward, the Response teams would not attend as they had I & S grade priorities. What is being done about this?

Written response from the Mayor

Each Borough has selected two local volume crime priorities, based on local knowledge, crime data and police intelligence, along with antisocial behaviour, which has been identified in our consultation for the Police & Crime Plan as an important issue across London.

To address local priorities, neighbourhood officers work together with Councils and other partners to take a proactive problem solving approach – not only pursuing and arresting criminals, but also taking enforcement action on the problems that drive crime – such as drug dealing.

The Emergency Response teams predominantly respond to I & S grade calls, which are graded within the Control room on the basis of the need for an urgent police response.

Response teams are aligned to patrol zones, based on the demands that have affected particular areas, and this is intended to enable a more effective response to areas of high demand. It is also intended that response teams are used to provide additional support for local officers to tackle their priorities, and work is under way in Camden & Islington to make this happen.

Borough merger [3]

Question No: 2017/3296

Andrew Dismore

In the Pathfinder (Camden & Islington) Borough I understand that can be around 100 outstanding urgent calls at any one time with the response team. I have had reports that when member of the public calls 999, the police do not always respond to their call. Is this correct?

Written response from the Mayor

This is not correct; incidents will not be closed by a supervisor until the original incident has been dealt with.

When calls are received, the command and control process means that they are monitored until they are dealt with. This can include incidents when, for example, officers attend but there is no reply to their knocking, and there will be times when other more urgent incidents will take priority, so delaying any response.

The average level of outstanding (“unassigned”) urgent calls in the North Pathfinder between 18 and 25 July 2017 was 25. This ranged between a low of 3 and a high of 54.

Police contact points

Question No: 2017/3297

Andrew Dismore

As part of your public access consultation for the Met Police, have you considered locating contact points in other public buildings, such as local libraries, which might save the Met money, generate revenues for Councils and provide more “one stop shops” at public buildings?

Written response from the Mayor

As part of the draft Strategy, we propose requiring local dedicated ward officers (DWOs) to hold community contact sessions at convenient times and places in each ward. Rather than setting strict requirements centrally, we recognise that every community is different and will allow local solutions that best meet the needs of local people. These will be overseen by Safer Neighbourhood Boards.

There is, then, the opportunity for local officers to work with local authorities and others to identify the best locations.

In addition, in order to base DWOs closer to the wards they police, we are seeking co-locations with local authorities and others, as outlined in the draft Strategy.

Moped Crime [1]

Question No: 2017/3298

Andrew Dismore

What is your view of the police using a “tactical contact” (e.g. ramming) with suspects on mopeds?

Written response from the Mayor

Please see my response to MQ 2017/3199.

Answer

The Mayor

MPS policy – in line with nationally approved guidance – does not preclude a pursuit from continuing when a rider or pillion removes their helmet. It also does not preclude tactical contact.

When in pursuit, officers, their tactical advisors and the senior officer in charge must constantly review the risk posed by continuing, balanced against the type of criminality under consideration and the risk posed to all road users.

It is important that officers feel confident and able to take appropriate action when pursuing suspects on mopeds. It is also important that the law and any guidelines protect and do not hinder the police.

Moped Crime [2]

Question No: 2017/3299

Andrew Dismore

How many a) moped enabled crimes and b) moped thefts have there been in the last 12 months; and how does that compare with the previous 3 years?

Written response from the Mayor

Officers are drafting a response which will be send shortly.

Water Cannon

Question No: 2017/3300

Andrew Dismore

What is the present position over the disposal of the water cannon? How much has been spent on the maintenance and storage since their purchase and what is the annual cost of maintenance and storage? Has consideration been given to ‘cutting the losses’ and scrapping them?

Written response from the Mayor

The water cannon remain available for sale via the Ministry of Defence (MOD) which is helping to find the highest and most reputable buyer from a European policing or civil protection organisation, according to conditions set by the German Federal Police. We will only permit a sale to a buyer who meets the most rigorous ethical standards, to ensure the water cannon are not in any way misused in the future.

Buying, modifying, evaluating and maintaining the vehicles cost £322,834.71 under the previous Mayor. Since they were put up for sale, the cannon have incurred no further storage or maintenance costs, and no training with the vehicles has been undertaken.

If a suitable purchaser cannot be found, we will have no other option but to scrap the vehicles. It beggars belief that, because the previous Mayor rashly purchased them before he even had permission to use them, such a huge amount of taxpayers’ money has been wasted on these redundant machines.

Domestic abuse crimes

Question No: 2017/3301

Andrew Dismore

Further to Question No: 2017/2500

In London, reports of domestic abuse crimes increased by more than 2,000, from 72,535 to 74,770, between 2015 and 2016; however there were over 600 fewer police charges in 2016 than in 2015 with the volume of charges dropping from 15,694 to 15,010.what is the explanation for this disparity?

Your response being:

Officers are drafting a response which will be sent shortly.

Will you now give a substantive reply?

Written response from the Mayor

MOPAC is working with the London Criminal Justice Board subgroup to understand this data. As per my response to MQ 2017/ 2357, we continue to work with London Criminal Justice Services to agree a devolution approach that enables London to get to grips with exactly these kind of London-centric challenges.

Hendon Police training centre

Question No: 2017/3302

Andrew Dismore

Hendon Police training centre has been re-provided on a smaller site, with the remainder sold off for housing. Given the height and density of the new residential buildings, what guarantees have you got that the police training centre will not be overlooked or otherwise vulnerable from the neighbouring developments that have been given planning permission?

Written response from the Mayor

As part of the sale process restrictive covenants were imposed on the land around the boundary of the retained Hendon site which limit the distance from which a developer can build any buildings, the type of boundary wall that must be constructed and maintained and the maximum height that can be built within a defined area. The current masterplan and planning permissions comply with those covenants.

Public Access and Engagement Strategy [1]

Question No: 2017/3303

Andrew Dismore

What local consultation meetings are being organised in Barnet and in Camden to consult on the police Public Access and Engagement Strategy?

Written response from the Mayor

Borough commanders are in the process of arranging local consultation sessions in support of the public consultation on the draft Strategy. Camden and Barnet are in the process of arranging this.

Public Access and Engagement Strategy [2]

Question No: 2017/3304

Andrew Dismore

What premises in Barnet and what in Camden are you considering as ‘dedicated ward officer hubs’ under the Public Access and Engagement Strategy?

Written response from the Mayor

New dedicated ward officer hubs will ensure that dedicated ward officers (DWOs) start and end their shifts a short distance from the wards they police.

Where possible, existing police buildings will be used, but around 80 partner sites are being identified. MPS Property Services will be happy to discuss any possible locations, and this is part of the consultation under the draft Public Access and Engagement Strategy.

Police front counters

Question No: 2017/3306

Andrew Dismore

Once police front counters are cut back further, where should someone go to report lost property they have found in the street, for example a bunch of keys or a wallet?

Written response from the Mayor

Managing property lost and found in a public place is not and has never been a core policing responsibility. This should therefore not be linked to the number of MPS front counters.

In 2014, the MPS introduced a new approach to lost & found property, replacing previous arrangements were that were ineffective, inefficient and costly to provide. The majority of property brought into police stations was not identifiable and therefore never reunited with an owner. Since 2014, the MPS has not accepted items of found property save in certain circumstances, for example if an item is hazardous or identifiable through serial number.

In many cases, finders of found property can discharge any legal responsibilities by making their own local enquiries to trace the owner or directly return the item to any issuing agency in the case of official documents (e.g. driving licences, bank cards). There is also no requirement to report lost property to the police for the purpose of an insurance claim.

The MPS has a dedicated lost and found property webpage which provides guidance to people who have lost or found items, including signposting to agencies better placed to deal where appropriate.

Police assets

Question No: 2017/3307

Andrew Dismore

Of police buildings closed and earmarked for disposal under the previous Mayor, how many, and which, have not yet been sold?

Written response from the Mayor

Of the police buildings closed and earmarked for disposal under the previous Mayor there are five that have been vacated and will be openly marketed for sale from September. The 5 properties are:

Belvedere Police Station
Rotherhithe Police Station
Greenwich Police Station
Olwen House, Loman Street
Douglas Webb Section House

Best wishes

Andrew Dismore AM

Labour London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden