MPA Press Releases: 2009
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Alison Philp
on 16 December 2009 at 12:30
78/09
16 December 2009
The Metropolitan Police Authority Civil Liberties Panel met
members of the media on Tuesday 15 December to discuss how
policing tactics during protests and demonstrations impact on
their work. The panel heard robust arguments concerning all
aspects of how police and press could work towards the goal
of greater co-operation and mutual benefit.
Victoria Borwick, Chair of the Civil Liberties panel, said:
“We were very interested to listen to the views of the media
who came to our meeting today. Their collective experience
has given the panel invaluable insight and perspective into
how the police and press interact during protests.
“They also made many useful and pertinent pointers to
improving that relationship, and confirmed that greater
accountability and transparency is crucial if public trust is
to be maintained.
“I will be meeting with the Commissioner in January to
discuss emerging issues resulting from our scrutiny. Good
communication is central to achieving a fair balance for all
involved in attending demonstrations, and the panel will work
toward positive and active measures to progress how protest
is policed. We also hope to inform the national debate as
police services plan for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in
2012."
The panel are also inviting other members of the press to
contact them if they have information they feel would be
useful to the scrutiny.
The media representatives attending the meeting discussed
common experiences when dealing with police officers during
violent demonstrations, such as G20. These included officers
on the ground not acknowledging press cards to allow freedom
of movement either in or out of the protest or
‘kettled’ area, and difficulties in communicating
‘up the line’ with senior officers.
However, they stressed that not all demonstrations result in
difficulties. Events such as Climate Camp were policed to the
benefit of the public and press attending, and consequently
the police themselves. Another media representative attended
a briefing prior to a recent event and praised the officer in
command, who fully informed his officers about press issues
and the media’s rights to report during a demonstration,
indicating that the system for dealing with the media is
improving,
Other issues raised by the media included:
-
greater knowledge of the status of the national press card
issued by the UK Press Card Authority, and the Met’s
guidelines for officers when dealing with the media, which
were written in conjunction with the NUJ, British Press
Photographers' Association (BPPA) and National
Association of Press Agencies (NAPA).
-
greater openness with public and press
-
less use of aggressive ‘robocop’ equipment
-
media to be invited to event briefings and
de-briefings
The meeting was part of the scrutiny of the Met’s public
order policing of violent disorder by the MPA Civil Liberties
Panel. Once the initial scrutiny is complete, the panel
will continue both to monitor the situation and hear specific
concerns from the public and human rights organisations.
Notes to Editors
Civil Liberties Panel
The MPA Civil Liberties Panel was introduced in the MPA's
mission statement for London’s police, Met Forward, as a
means of securing public confidence in policing tactics in
the capital and ensuring the Met maintains public trust.
‘Our duty, as London’s police authority, is to ensure
the Met restores and maintains public trust. In order to
support this, we will establish a Civil Liberties Panel of
Authority members that will begin its work with a formal
civil liberties scrutiny of the Met’s public order policing
of violent disorder. Once the initial scrutiny is complete,
the panel will continue both to monitor the situation and
hear specific concerns from the public and human rights
organisations.’
Further information about the Civil Liberties Panel can be
found at:
http://www.mpa.gov.uk/clp/
Angela Carbery-Roach
on 9 December 2009 at 15:18
77/09
9 December 2009
A meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority Corporate
Governance Committee will be held on Thursday 10 December in
Meeting Room 1, 10 Dean Farrar Street, London, SW1H 0NY at
2.00pm.
Members of the Authority will discuss, amongst other items:
-
External Audit Annual letter 2008/09
-
Directorate of Audit, Risk and Assurance progress report
-
High Risk Audit recommendations
-
Directorate of Audit, Risk and Assurance 2010/11 Annual
Plan - strategic approach
-
Health and Safety performance
-
Training accident study
-
Business Charge Card update
-
Impact Plus
Notes to editors
The committee papers are available on the MPA website
at:
www.mpa.gov.uk/committees/cgc/2009/091210
Angela Carbery-Roach
on 3 December 2009 at 14:29
76/09
3 December 2009
A meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority Strategic and
Operational Policing Committee will be held this afternoon in
Meeting Room 1, 10 Dean Farrar Street, London, SW1H 0NY at
2.00pm.
Members of the Authority will discuss, amongst other items:
-
the role and work of the Directorate of Legal Services
-
HMIC ‘Going Local’ inspection of Westminster BOCU
-
Directorate of Professional Standards Thematic Performance
Report
-
Forfeiture of police pension (1 October 2008 October 2009)
Notes to editors
The committee papers are available on the MPA website
at:
www.mpa.gov.uk/committees/sop/2009/091203/
Angela Carbery-Roach
on 25 November 2009 at 11:27
75/09
25 November 2009
Metropolitan Police Authority member Victoria Borwick,
speaking at the Association of Police Authorities conference
in Nottingham today (Wednesday 25 November) addressed the
debate on police accountability and public redress.
She said:
“In London the Mayor is now Chair of the Police Authority.
He was elected with a clear mandate to fight crime. The MPA
has responded to this by setting out our plans for the
future and the role a visible police authority can play in
achieving a balance between local accountability, the Home
Office and the police.
“When the new Authority came in, we wanted a strong focus
on fighting crime so we developed Met Forward, the
strategic framework for how the Authority wants the Met to
develop and perform in the years to come. Met Forward is a
significant development in visible, clear accountability
for the police in London.
“Police accountability is central to the current national
debate. But democracy is a system of government where
elected politicians make political decisions to carry out
the wishes of the people who elected them. And it is
directly through the political process that we, as police
authorities, are fully accountable ‘fierce advocates’,
democratically working to set the policing priorities for
our local area. Ultimately in London the buck stops
with the Mayor, Boris Johnson.
"This is not a party political issue, it’s a
democratic issue. Authority members must be confident and
clear about what we mean by holding chief constables to
account and securing effective and efficient policing for
our areas. And we must challenge the notion that it
is not our job to establish the policing priorities for our
area or to question operational policy on the grounds that
this is too political and ‘undemocratic’.
“Authorities have plenty of statutory powers – both to
deliver accountable policing and enable partnership
working. All we need is tangible support from
the Home Office to help us to deliver our functions as best
we can.
On the issue of ‘public redress’ Victoria Borwick continued:
“Police authorities are in touch with the people that the
force serves. We were set up to do this. What
would be the added value of establishing ‘redress’ or
‘compensation’ or other channels for general complaint to
the IPCC and the Inspectorate? The IPCC has a very
important and specific role in respect of complaints: they
should not get distracted by dealing with general
dissatisfaction or failure to deliver on the policing
pledge. We can do that.
“And the Inspectorate has plenty to occupy itself in
carrying out inspections: leave it to us to be the ‘fierce
advocate’ of the public. Half of us were elected by
the public, and all of us have a statutory duty to engage
with the public, and take account of what they need and
want.
“In London we are the body that, independent of the police,
ensures there is redress for the public. We’ve been
doing that already, addressing clear systematic failures,
such as G20, Stockwell and the death of Baby Peter.
We are taking action under our constitutional framework to
drive change and make real improvements in fighting crime
for the people of London.”
Victoria Borwick concluded
“In London, for once, this job is actually easier.
The public know that Boris Johnson holds Sir Paul
Stephenson to account. Now, through Met Forward, we
have set out a clear vision for crime fighting for the next
three years and a framework to drive change and make real
improvements in fighting crime for the people of London.”
Notes to editors
MPA member Victoria Borwick AM (Metropolitan) speech to the
Association of Police Authorities conference Wednesday 25
November, Royal Plaza, Nottingham
The full text of the speech follows:
The buck stops... where?
Thank you and welcome. First can I give sincere apologies
on behalf of Kit Malthouse Vice Chairman of the MPA and
Deputy Mayor for Policing, who has an important family
matter to attend to and has asked me to fill his shoes, an
impossible task.
This time last year, Boris Johnson had just taken over as
Chair of the MPA and I had been on the Authority, as a
newly elected Conservative Member, since the May election.
The Mayoral election in 2008 has had an historical impact
on policing in London, not least because the Mayor is now
Chair of the police authority. He was elected on the second
biggest personal vote in Europe, and with a clear mandate
to fight crime. So I am here today to discuss how the MPA
have responded to this, our plans for the future and the
role a visible police authority can play in redressing the
balance between local accountability, the Home Office and
the police.
I think it’s fair to say that in the past year the MPA has
raised its profile. There have been the obvious headline
grabbers, the departure of high profile individuals,
subsequent publication of memoirs and the ‘hand on the
tiller’ debate. But behind all this, for Londoners, is our
vision on how we will work with the Commissioner and
Londoners to lead the Met’s fight against crime.
When Kit Malthouse first arrived at the MPA in May last
year he was reading its priorities set out in the meeting
room and was shocked that the word crime didn’t figure! For
him and new members, like me, this was an absurd omission.
As a member of the police authority my first priority has
to be to ensure that Londoners have a police force that is
resourced and supported to fight crime on our streets and
make London safer.
In the past MPA Members made some notable achievements;
particularly in establishing budgetary controls and
financial discipline. There were some excellent policy
reviews, and introducing a sense that the Met were
accountable after 180 years was no mean achievement. But
when we came in, we felt we had to address the fact that
there wasn’t enough focus on fighting crime.
And so the new Authority developed Met Forward, which you
should all have a copy of this morning.
Met Forward is a strategic framework on how the Authority
wants the Met to develop and perform in the years to come.
As you can see from the screen it has eight strands
covering all the vital areas of London policing.
Through Met Forward we have set out to address the crime
issues that concern Londoners most: knife crime and serious
youth violence, dogs as weapons and safer transport. We
have introduced crime mapping to London, Joint Engagement
Meetings with local authorities and police across the
London boroughs; and our own, no nonsense, crime
statistics, easy to read and keeping the same definitions
over the next three years so that
Londoners can simply and accurately assess whether crime is
moving up or down.
I have been asked today to discuss police accountability
and public redress. I don’t know about you, but I am a bit
baffled by the term ‘redress’ in this context. To me that
means financial compensation but I’ll come back to this
later. Let’s look first at accountability.
Met Forward is a significant development in visible, clear
accountability for the police in London. However, I cannot
discuss police accountability without addressing the
current national debate, particularly the ACPO debate over
politics, democracy and policing. Should politicians get
involved in policing?
Among other things, Sir Hugh Orde said last Friday,
"We (the police) should not be influenced by anyone
who has any potential or suggestion for a political
bias." Let me break this down. He is saying that a
proper democratic society is one that has no political
input. What is democracy if not a system of government
where elected politicians make political decisions to carry
out the wishes of the people who elected them? For
instance, our wish to cut crime or make the streets safer?
As an elected representative on the GLA, a councillor and
link police authority member for Kensington and Chelsea, I
take serious issue with this position. It is precisely
because we are a democratic society that the people of
London elect me, and people outside London elect other
colleagues to make sure that their interests are
represented. And it is directly through the political
process that we, as police authorities, are fully
accountable as “fierce advocates”, democratically working
to set the policing priorities for our local area.
Ultimately in London the buck stops with the Mayor, Boris
Johnson!
This doesn’t mean that Boris Johnson as Chair of the MPA
runs the Met. It doesn’t mean as link member for K&C I
directly task the borough commander. The Commissioner runs
the Met and the Chief Superintendent runs the operational
command unit. Just as a local councillor I would not direct
a Head Teacher of a school or the manager of a child
protection team; that is direct political interference in
public service delivery.
But to say that politics should be, or ever has been,
absent from policing is naïve and unconstitutional. This is
not a party political issue, it’s a democratic issue. No
one is above the law and no one is above democracy.
The Mayor, like many of us here today, was elected on a
crime and public service manifesto and the taxpayers of
London, Gloucestershire, Greater Manchester, Nottingham or
wherever, expect us, the politicians, to deliver safe and
secure streets on their behalf.
On this basis, as authority members, moving forward, we
must be confident and clear by what we mean by holding
chief constables to account and securing effective and
efficient policing for our areas. And we must challenge the
notion that it is not our job to establish the policing
priorities for our area or to question operational policy
on the grounds that this is too political and
‘undemocratic’.
As Rob and colleagues have outlined, we await the
publication of the government’s White Paper and Stephen is
kindly here this morning to discuss the government views on
police accountability and public redress.
Before we hear from Stephen, though I think it’s important
to stress to the Home Office what we need and don’t need
from another White Paper. Authorities have plenty of
statutory powers – both to deliver accountable policing and
enable partnership working. What we need now from the Home
Office is support. Support to help us to deliver our
functions as best we can.
We need a Home Office that respects authorities, as
democratic and independent representatives of the public
and consults us as equals in the policing tripartite. Yes
there is room for us to improve - none of us here would
deny that, but improvement through support. So when an
authority steps up to set its strategy, and to be more
involved in developing the policing plan, or challenge its
force on policy direction and performance – let’s hear an
encouraging voice from the Home Office.
Visibility and redress
Finally, let me turn to visibility and public redress.
Police authorities are in touch with the people that the
force serves. We were set up to do this. I would like to
ask what would be the added value of establishing ‘redress’
or ‘compensation’ or more channels for general complaint to
the IPCC and the Inspectorate? Let’s not confuse the public
even more.
The IPCC has a very important and specific role in respect
of complaints: they should not get distracted by dealing
with general dissatisfaction or failure to deliver on the
policing pledge. We can do that. In fact at the MPA, we
have already seen a significant increase in our postbag.
And the Inspectorate has plenty to occupy itself in
carrying out inspections: leave it to us to be the ‘fierce
advocate’ of the public. Half of us were elected by the
public, and all of us have a statutory duty to engage with
the public, and take account of what they need and want.
Let’s hope the long awaited White Paper keeps all these
roles distinct!
I think most of us here would agree with the Home Office
that an invisible police authority does little to help
drive up performance and public confidence in the police
service. But we are all working to address this.
In London, for once, this job is actually easier. The
public know that Boris Johnson holds Sir Paul Stephenson to
account. Now, through Met Forward, we have set out a clear
vision for crime fighting for the next three years.
In London we are the body that, independent of the police,
will ensure that there is redress for the public. We’ve
been doing that already, addressing clear systematic
failures, such as G20, Stockwell and the death of Baby
Peter. We are taking action under our constitutional
framework to drive change and make real improvements in
fighting crime for the people of London.
This is an important debate, and I have tried to be
reasonably controversial so that we have an energetic
discussion. I would like to thank the APA for inviting the
MPA to speak on this topic. I will now hand over to Stephen
Rimmer, who will, no doubt, add some important context on
where the buck stops from a Home Office perspective.
Thank you
Angela Carbery-Roach
on 23 November 2009 at 09:50
74/09
23 November 2009
The November meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority
will be held in the Chamber, City Hall, The Queen’s Walk,
London SE1 2AA at 10.00 a.m. on Thursday 26 November 2009.
The meeting is open to members of the public and press, and
everyone is welcome to attend. There is access for disabled
people and induction loops are available.
Mayor Boris Johnson, MPA Chair, and Kit Malthouse, MPA Vice
Chair, will give an oral update on any key issues or events
since the last Authority meeting. Commissioner Sir Paul
Stephenson will present a report on policing performance and
respond to questions from Authority members.
A petition will be presented to the Authority by Mary
Honeyball MEP seeking the retention of the MPS dedicated
human trafficking unit:
‘We the undersigned petition the Commissioner of the
Metropolitan Police, Sir Paul Stephenson, to retain its
dedicated specialist unit dedicated to combating the crime
of human trafficking’.
A response to the petition will be provided at the meeting.
Members will also discuss the Budget and Business plan
2010/13.
Notes to editors
1. The full Authority committee papers are available on the
MPA website at:
www.mpa.gov.uk/committees/mpa/2009/091126/
Angela Carbery-Roach
on 17 November 2009 at 09:47
73/09
17 November 2009
A joint meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority Finance
and Resources Committee and Strategic and Operational
Policing Committee will be held in Meeting Room 1, 10 Dean
Farrar Street, London, SW1H 0NY at 2.00pm on Thursday 19
November 2009.
It will be followed immediately by the Finance and Resources
Committee at 3.00pm.
At the Finance and Resources/Strategic and Operational
Policing Committees joint meeting members of the Authority
will discuss:
-
Budget and business plan 2010/13; and
-
Draft Borrowing and capital spending plan 2010/11 to
2016/17
At the Finance and Resources Policing Committee members will
discuss:
-
Revenue and capital budget monitoring 2009/10 – period 6;
and
-
Estates update.
Notes to editors
The committee papers for the Finance and Resources/Strategic
and Operational Committees joint meeting are available on the
MPA website at:
www.mpa.gov.uk/committees/finres/2009/091119j/
The committee papers for the Finance and Resources Committee
are available on the MPA website at:
www.mpa.gov.uk/committees/finres/2009/091119/
Angela Carbery-Roach
on 6 November 2009 at 22:01
72/09
6 November 2009
The Metropolitan Police Authority’s Civil Liberties Panel
held an open meeting at City Hall on Thursday 5 November to
hear directly from environmental organisations, protest
groups and individual campaigners about the policing of
demonstrations in London.
The meeting enabled participants, as well as those who could
not attend but submitted written evidence, to voice their
concerns about the nature and future direction of the
policing of events.
Victoria Borwick, chair of the panel, said:
"This has been a valuable exercise and will positively
inform the Civil Liberties Panel’s final report which will
contain specific recommendations to the MPS to change the
way they police demonstrations and protests for the better.
“This was the first time the Civil Liberties Panel has met
with the public and we were overwhelmed by the positive
response. I’d like to thank everyone who attended and all
the people who sent in their contributions, and I would
remind everyone that this is ongoing and we welcome your
views – please can you let us have your comments by the end
of the month so that we can include these in our study. Key
words we heard again and again were sensitivity and
proportionality.
“I speak on behalf of the whole MPA when I state that
demonstrating in public is an inalienable right of each and
every one of us. What we are seeking to do is influence and
thereby improve the way our police plan for, and
facilitate, demonstrations."
Major themes which emerged during the meeting included:
-
the policing of demonstrations must be proportionate and
start from the belief that it will be a peaceful event
rather than planning for a ‘worst case scenario’;
-
police must differentiate between the vast majority of
peaceful demonstrators and the small minority who wish to
cause problems and react sensitively to each;
-
the variety of laws must be enforced proportionately. There
are too many instances of anti-terrorist legislation being
applied over-rigorously and in questionable circumstances;
-
an overwhelming recognition that it is unacceptable for
police officers not to be clearly and permanently
identifiable;
-
police communication with the broader public via the media
must be factual and objective, and should not present
demonstrations as potential conflicts;
-
the police should facilitate open media coverage of events
and not impede access;
-
recognising the diversity of protestors and the needs of
individuals and groups, for example older people, families
with young children and the disabled;
-
recognising the needs of demonstrators who may need
assistance to exit a situation or require medical
assistance;
-
concerns about the Territorial Support Group (TSG), their
ability to police demonstrations proportionately and
concerns about their selection and the focus of their
training.
To add a degree of balance to the debate, the panel asked
those attending for any examples they had of events that had
been successfully policed. The consensus was that the
Blackheath Climate Camp of August 2009 was far more
sensitively policed, although concerns were still raised
about the filming and photographing of those who attended the
event.
In conclusion, Victoria Borwick said:
“The first hand experiences we heard will help us to
understand the deep concerns that some members of the
public have expressed around the policing of public
protest; and this evidence gathering will inform our final
report.”
Notes to editors
1. An online questionnaire to gather views of policing
protest is available for completion on the MPA website
www.mpa.gov.uk/clp/#survey
. Alternatively, call 020 7202 0170 to request a paper
copy (with freepost envelope) or complete the questionnaire
over the telephone. Completed questionnaires should be
returned by Monday 30 November 2009 to help inform the
panel’s final report.
2. For more information about the Civil Liberties Panel
please see
www.mpa.gov.uk/clp
Victoria Borwick is available for interview
3. The open meeting was recorded and the webcast will be
made available on the MPA website.
4. The Civil Liberties Panel was introduced in Met
Forward, the MPA's mission statement for London’s police,
as a means of securing public confidence in policing tactics
in the capital and ensuring the Met maintains public trust:
‘Our duty, as London’s police authority, is to ensure the
Met restores and maintains public trust. In order to
support this, we will establish a Civil Liberties Panel of
Authority members that will begin its work with a formal
civil liberties scrutiny of the Met’s public order policing
of violent disorder. Once the initial scrutiny is complete,
the panel will continue both to monitor the situation and
hear specific concerns from the public and human rights
organisations.’
www.mpa.gov.uk/publications/metforward
Angela Carbery-Roach
on 3 November 2009 at 14:05
71/09
3 November 2009
When: Thursday 5 November 2009, 09:30 – 12:30
Where: London’s Living Room, City Hall, The Queen's Walk,
London, SE1 2AA
Media are invited to attend the MPA Civil Liberties Panel
open meeting. TO CONFIRM ATTENDANCE PLEASE CALL: 020 7202
0218
Forming part of its review of the events surrounding the G20
demonstrations, the meeting will give Londoners the
opportunity to voice their views on the three main themes the
Civil Liberties Panel has identified:
-
police planning for the day;
-
policing the event (marches/demonstrations);and
-
communications before, during and after G20
Civil liberties organisations and campaigning groups who have
registered their interest in attending include: Liberty,
Justice, Defend Peaceful Protest, Police State and Plane
Stupid.
Victoria Borwick, MPA member and chair of the panel, will be
available for interview. Please call 020 7202 0218.
Notes to editors
-
For more information about the meeting and the Civil
Liberties Panel please see
www.mpa.gov.uk/news/press/2009/10/065/
-
The open meeting will be recorded and the webcast made
available on the MPA website after the meeting.
-
Date and time and venue for the open meeting:
Thursday 5 November 2009 09:30 – 12:30. London’s Living
Room, City Hall, The Queen's Walk, London, SE1 2AA.
-
The Civil Liberties Panel was introduced in Met Forward,
the MPA's mission statement for London’s police, as a
means of securing public confidence in policing tactics in
the capital and ensuring the Met maintains public
trust:
‘Our duty, as London’s police authority, is to ensure the
Met restores and maintains public trust. In order to
support this, we will establish a Civil Liberties Panel of
Authority members that will begin its work with a formal
civil liberties scrutiny of the Met’s public order policing
of violent disorder. Once the initial scrutiny is complete,
the panel will continue both to monitor the situation and
hear specific concerns from the public and human rights
organisations.’
www.mpa.gov.uk/publications/metforward
Angela Carbery-Roach
on 3 November 2009 at 14:02
70/09
3 November 2009
A meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority Strategic and
Operational Policing Committee will be held in Meeting Room
1, 10 Dean Farrar Street, London, SW1H 0NY on Thursday 5
November 2009 at 2.00pm.
Members of the Authority will discuss, amongst other items:
-
Specialist Crime Directorate - thematic performance report:
an overview of SCD’s performance against its headline
measures and targets with commentary on any significantly
under or over performing areas;
-
Multi perpetrator rape and youth violence: outlining
current recorded crime statistics and operational and
partnership responses to supporting victims and encouraging
reporting;
-
MPS progress update on response to Laming 2: providing an
update to the report provided in June on the MPS response
to the recommendations in the Lord Laming review; ‘The
Protection of Children in England. A progress Report,
following the death of Baby P’;
-
Metropolitan Police Service response to Stockwell; how the
MPS is responding to the findings of the latest HMIC review
of the MPS response to Stockwell (published June 09), and
outlines how the MPS is going to action the issues raised
in that report; and
-
MPA Stockwell Scrutiny 2009: outlining the activity of the
Stockwell Panel since February 2009. It also makes
recommendations on how the MPA should continue to monitor
the action plan in place to address the recommendations. It
also highlights a number of key concerns arising out of the
HMIC Stockwell Inspection published in June 2009.
Notes to editors
The committee papers are available on the MPA website at:
www.mpa.gov.uk/committees/sop/2009/091105
Alison Philp
on 30 October 2009 at 17:14
69/09
30 October 2009
Responding to the Commissioner’s report at the monthly full
Authority meeting on 29 October 2009, Kit Malthouse, Vice
Chair of the MPA said
“This is a brilliant performance by the Met. The number of
people killed in London has fallen sharply over the last
six months compared to the same time last year, with 30
fewer people killed than in 2008. All deaths are
regrettable of course, but this is a significant reduction
in numbers and shows real progress.
“To put these figures in context, compared to other major
cities, London has two people killed per 100,000 people,
with six or seven per 100,000 in New York and 35 per
100,000 in Baltimore.
“We agree with the Commissioner that even two people killed
is two too many, but these figures are very encouraging and
we commend Sir Paul and his officers for their fantastic
work.”
Notes to Editors
Murder rates per 100,000 population:
-
133 Ciudad Juárez, Mexico
-
130 Caracas, Venezuela
-
67 New Orleans
-
62 Cape Town
-
35 Baltimore
-
6 New York
-
2 London
Source: Foreign Policy Magazine
Media enquiries:
Jacqui Jones: 020 7202 0217
Michael Upton: 020 7202 0218
Out of hours duty phone: 07769 742 795
Email: firstname.secondname@mpa.gov.uk
Website: www.mpa.gov.uk
Met Forward: fighting crime and reducing criminality;
increasing confidence in policing; and giving us better value
for money
Alison Philp
on 30 October 2009 at 16:12
68/09
30 October 2009
The MPA has sought re-assurance from the Commissioner that,
given the recent rise in homophobic attacks in the capital,
all is being done to tackle this heinous hate crime.
Mayor Boris Johnson, Chair of the MPA said:
“Londoners have become increasingly concerned about the
number of homophobic attacks and the recent death of Ian
Baynham was particularly appalling. My thoughts are with his
friends, family and everyone affected by hate crime.
“London is known around the world as a place where people can
be who they want to be. Homophobic attacks and other hate
crimes must not be tolerated and we are committed to working
with the Metropolitan Police Service to ensure that they are
dealt with rigour. We must keep hate crime high on the agenda
across London if we are to ensure perpetrators are held to
account and reduce the risk of it happening in the first
place. So I would urge anyone affected by, or witnessing a
hate crime, to report it.”
MPA Vice Chair Kit Malthouse said:
“I am extremely concerned over the recent incidents of
homophobic attacks and fully support the measures the Met are
putting in place to tackle this. It is essential that the
LGBT community are encouraged to report crimes
perpetrated against them. The MPA are working closely with
the Met to increase LGBT community confidence in
London’s police and put out the message of re-assurance that
our police do take seriously this evil hate crime.”
Kirsten Hearn, Chair of the MPA’s Equality and Diversity
Sub-committee will be attending the vigil to be held in
Trafalgar Square on Friday 30 October 2009.
MPS Commissioner, Sir Paul Stephenson, said:
“We have seen an increase in reported homophobic crime and
that clearly is of concern to us. This is attributed in some
ways as a result of increased confidence by the community,
there is still significant under reporting of this crime
which we wish to address.
“The Met is committed to continuing its awareness raising of
this type of crime both inside the organisation, and within
communities. Working with partners, we have been able to set
up third party reporting protocols, engage through local
safer neighbourhood teams and continue to support the use of
LGBT liaison officers in London boroughs. While this has seen
our detection rates in relation to this type of crime
increase, there is always more to be done.”
Alison Philp
on 28 October 2009 at 15:46
67/09
28 October 2009
The Metropolitan Police Authority today appointed Ian
McPherson, currently Chief Constable of Norfolk Constabulary,
as the Metropolitan Police Service’s new Assistant
Commissioner for Territorial Policing.
Ian McPherson will be responsible for the delivery of borough
policing across London, and as a member of the MPS management
board will help formulate the strategic direction of the Met.
The interviews were conducted by a panel of four MPA members,
with Sir Paul Stephenson, the Metropolitan Police
Commissioner, and Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of
Constabulary, Denis O’Connor, acting as police advisers.
Catherine Crawford, MPA Chief Executive, was also in
attendance.
Commenting on the appointment, Kit Malthouse, vice chair of
the MPA, said:
“Many congratulations to Ian McPherson on his appointment as
Assistant Commissioner Territorial Policing. We wanted
someone who could really deliver for our customers – the
people of London – and in Ian I know we have found someone
who firmly puts the public first. His appointment completes a
refreshed top team at Scotland Yard under the new
Commissioner, Sir Paul Stephenson, and we look forward now to
a new era at the Met with a reinvigorated focus on fighting
crime.
“Our thanks go to the other candidates in the selection, who
were of a very high quality, and we congratulate their
respective forces on selecting and developing officers of
such proven ability.”
The Commissioner, Sir Paul Stephenson, said:
"I am very pleased that Ian McPherson has been appointed
as the Met's Assistant Commissioner for Territorial
Policing.
“Ian is an outstanding officer who has an established record
of success and has contributed much to the police service
nationally - especially in relation to neighbourhood policing
strategy, and the issue of young people and the misuse of
drugs.
“He will use his extensive experience to take on direct
oversight of over 30,000 police officers and staff, and I am
sure that this will be an incredibly challenging and
rewarding role for him."
Notes to editors
1. Territorial Policing is responsible for the delivery of
borough policing across London, including response, patrol
and neighbourhood policing, the reduction of volume and
violent crime, transport policing, diversity and citizen
focus, criminal justice policy and the central communications
command. There are approximately 20,300 police officers,
4,000 police staff, 3,700 PCSOs and 2,600 special constables
employed in Territorial Policing across London’s 32 boroughs.
2. The appointment to Assistant Commissioner territorial
Policing is for a five year fixed term period at an annual
starting salary of £176,943.
3. The closing date for receipt of applications was 12 noon
on 2 October 2009. Shortlisting took place on 23 October and
interviews were held on the morning of 28 October.
Further details of the post can be viewed on the MPA website:
www.mpa.gov.uk/about/careers/ac
Angela Carbery-Roach
on 27 October 2009 at 12:26
66/09
27 October 2009
The October meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority will
be held in the Chamber, City Hall, The Queen’s Walk, London
SE1 2AA at 10.00 a.m. on Thursday 29 October 2009.
The meeting is open to members of the public and press, and
everyone is welcome to attend. There is access for disabled
people and induction loops are available.
Boris Johnson, MPA Chair, and Kit Malthouse, MPA Vice Chair,
will give an oral update on any key issues or events since
the last Authority meeting. Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson
will present a report on policing performance and respond to
questions from Authority members.
The MPA Chief Executive has received the following motion
from MPA members: proposed by Jenny Jones and seconded by
Joanne McCartney.
Human Trafficking Team - motion to the MPA
-
This Authority calls on the Metropolitan Police Service to
commit to maintaining the specialist human trafficking team
in view of its important role as the only specialist
operational anti-trafficking team in the country and
London's position as a major gateway for human
trafficking into the UK. Further, the international
consensus is that a specialist team represents best
practice in combating trafficking.
-
At minimum this commitment should be to maintain the team
until after the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012. The
Met cannot afford to lose the expertise or disrupt the
intelligence work of the specialist team at this time,
given the prediction of a substantial increase in the
number of people trafficked into London over the next three
years as a result of the Games.
A response by the Chief Executive to the motion will be
provided at the meeting and noted in the minutes.
MPA member Jenny Jones has also submitted a motion on ‘Pilot
armed patrols’ as an urgent item:
Notes to editors
1. The full Authority committee papers are available on the
MPA website at:
www.mpa.gov.uk/committees/mpa/2009/091029/
Angela Carbery-Roach
on 21 October 2009 at 11:58
65/09
21 October 2009
Policing Public Order - come and have your
say!
The MPA Civil Liberties Panel is holding an open meeting on
Thursday 5 November 2009 09:30 – 12:30 in London’s Living
Room, City Hall, as part of its review of the events
surrounding the G20 demonstrations.
The Civil Liberties Panel was introduced in Met Forward, the
MPA's mission statement for London’s police, as a means
of securing public confidence in policing tactics in the
capital and ensuring the Met maintains public trust.
Victoria Borwick, MPA member and chair of the panel, said:
“The open meeting on 5 November at City Hall is the perfect
opportunity for Londoners to come along and voice their
views on the three main themes we have identified:
-
police planning for the day;
-
policing the event (marches/demonstrations);and
-
communications before, during and after G20
“We would particularly welcome firsthand accounts from
those who were actually there. We want to engage as widely
as possible with individuals and groups who believe they
can contribute to our examination of the events that took
place on 1 and 2 April 2009. It is important that we gather
as much constructive input as possible to inform our final
report, which we expect to present in the New Year.
“This report, which will look at how we can balance the
rights of the individual to protest and the requirements on
the police to uphold public order, will benefit immensely
from all the public’s insight.”
If you would like to be involved, please supply your name,
email address (or other contact details), the name of the
organisation if you are representing one, and whether you
have any special requirements for attending, together with a
summary of the key points you wish to make, to
ppo@mpa.gov.uk or by hand
(to avoid postal problems) to MPA Oversight and Review, 10
Dean Farrar Street, London SW1H 0NY.
If you are unable to attend, we will be happy to receive
written submissions. Again, these should be emailed or
delivered to the addresses provided above and ideally should
be no more than 2 pages.
Notes to Editors
-
Met Forward
‘Our duty, as London’s police authority, is to ensure the
Met restores and maintains public trust. In order to
support this, we will establish a Civil Liberties Panel of
Authority members that will begin its work with a formal
civil liberties scrutiny of the Met’s public order policing
of violent disorder. Once the initial scrutiny is complete,
the panel will continue both to monitor the situation and
hear specific concerns from the public and human rights
organisations.’
www.mpa.gov.uk/publications/metforward
-
Date and time and venue for the open meeting: Thursday 5
November 2009 09:30 – 12:30. London’s Living Room, City
Hall, The Queen's Walk, London, SE1 2AA.
-
The open meeting will be recorded and the webcast made
available on the MPA website after the meeting.
-
For more information about the Civil Liberties Panel please
visit:
www.mpa.gov.uk/clp/#meeting
Angela Carbery-Roach
on 20 October 2009 at 12:31
64/09
20 October 2009
A meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority Finance and
Resources Committee will be held in Meeting Room 1, 10 Dean
Farrar Street, London, SW1H 0NY on Thursday 22 October 2009
at 2.00pm.
Members of the Authority will discuss, amongst other items:
-
Revenue and capital budget monitoring 2009/10 – period 5
-
Update on the modernisation of the estate: patrol bases
-
The GLA electric vehicle commitment
-
Routine contracts programme
Notes to editors
The committee papers are available on the MPA website
at:
www.mpa.gov.uk/committees/finres/2009/091022
Angela Carbery-Roach
on 13 October 2009 at 14:34
63/09
13 October 2009
A meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority Strategic and
Operational Policing Committee will be held in Meeting Room
1, 10 Dean Farrar Street, London, SW1H 0NY on Thursday 15
October 2009 at 2.00pm.
Members of the Authority will discuss, amongst other items:
-
Learning from murder and serious violence
-
Transfer of responsibility for rape investigations
-
Police authority inspection update
Notes to editors
The committee papers are available on the MPA website at:
www.mpa.gov.uk/committees/sop/2009/091015
Angela Carbery-Roach
on 23 September 2009 at 20:37
62/09
23 September 2009
The Chair of the Race and Faith Inquiry panel, Cindy Butts,
will present emerging findings from the Inquiry, to the full
Authority on 24 September 2009.
Cindy Butts said:
"We believe that the importance and complexity of the
issues demand a report of significant quality and
depth. Race and faith are sensitive areas and the two
combined proved very complex issues, which together have
not been subject to an inquiry before. This proved a
challenge for all involved and the Panel would like to
thank everyone who contributed to our work.
"The Panel have highlighted through their emerging
findings certain areas where the Met have made significant
advances, for example in recruitment of BME staff.
However, we also identified a number of areas within the
MPS that require further attention. These include
promotion, recruitment specific to specialist units and the
need for a clear vision to develop policies for the
future.”
The Inquiry focussed in the main on the MPS, but also sought
views on the effectiveness of the MPA’s oversight. They
have been assured that the Authority will not shy away from
making recommendations about the internal structures and
culture of the MPA if they are necessary to make the MPA and
the MPS more effective and would move both organisations
forward.
Cindy Butts concluded:
“The panel remains committed to completing the task with
which we were entrusted. We are united in our desire to
secure the appropriate level of resources to produce a
report which represents the importance of this task, and
one that will have a meaningful and lasting impact on the
Equality and Diversity agenda within the MPS.”
Notes to Editors
The emerging findings can be found at:
www.mpa.gov.uk/scrutinies/race-faith/emergingfindings
Angela Carbery-Roach
on 23 September 2009 at 12:04
61/09
23 September 2009
Responding to the MPA’s Race and Faith Inquiry emerging
findings Kit Malthouse, Vice Chair of the MPA said:
“We thank the Panel for its constructive and encouraging
emerging findings and welcome the identification of areas
where joint working can lead to even more improvement.
“We look forward to the final report but in the meantime we
will continue to build on the successful initiatives
identified by the Panel as already in place and will
work determinedly with the Met to continue to improve
equality and diversity issues within the service.
“The panel acknowledges the MPS' and MPA's rigorous
co-operation with the Inquiry and the firm commitment of
both organisations to the importance of getting Equalities
and Diversity issues right.“
The Race and Faith Inquiry Panel, established by Mayor Boris
Johnson, found that over the last ten years since the
Stephen Lawrence report the Met, supported by the Authority,
has made significant progress in making sure the Met'
workforce is more representative of all Londoners.
The MPA in particular has played a pivotal role in
implementing the recommendations from the Stephen Lawrence
report.
The panel acknowledged the hard work and success of the Met
in this area and highlighted the following initiatives for
commendation
-
rise in BME PCSO recruitment;
-
innovative recruitment methods such as those used in
Operation Trident; and
-
the adjustments made to welcome and accommodate various
faiths, for example adjustments to uniform, inclusion of
certain dietary needs and facilities for prayer rooms.
In conclusion the Panel recognises that it is imperative that
the Met and the MPA meet the 'post-Lawrence era'
challenge with urgency in order that the gains of the past
are not lost, and congratulated the leadership of the MPA in
establishing the Inquiry to promote renewed impetus in this
important area of work.
Notes to Editors
The emerging findings can be found at:
www.mpa.gov.uk/scrutinies/race-faith/emergingfindings
Angela Carbery-Roach
on 23 September 2009 at 10:15
60/09
23 September 2009
The September meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority
will be held in the Chamber, City Hall, The Queen’s Walk,
London SE1 2AA at 10.00 a.m. on Thursday 24 September 2009.
The meeting is open to members of the public and press, and
everyone is welcome to attend. There is access for disabled
people and induction loops are available.
Boris Johnson, MPA Chair, and Kit Malthouse, MPA Vice Chair,
will give an oral update on any key issues or events since
the last Authority meeting. Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson
will present a report on policing performance and respond to
questions from Authority members.
Other items to be discussed include:
-
Commissioner’s 5 Ps
-
Budget and Business Plan 2010/13
-
MPA Race and Faith Inquiry – emerging findings
-
MPA restructuring
-
MPA Member role
Notes to Editors
1. The full Authority committee papers are available on the
MPA website at:
www.mpa.gov.uk/committees/mpa/2009/090924
Angela Carbery-Roach
on 18 September 2009 at 14:07
59/09
18 September 2009
The MPA Civil Liberties Panel met on 17 September to question
three senior Met officers, with responsibility for public
order policing, about the tactics used in recent events, and
specifically G20. Assistant Commissioner Chris
Allison, Commander Bob Broadhurst and Chief Superintendent
Ian Thomas, were asked to explain why they had used certain
tactics such as ‘kettling’, and how the Met intends to ensure
lessons learnt and public expectations are fed into future
public order planning.
Victoria Borwick, MPA member and chair of the panel said:
“Londoners are very concerned about events and media images
that resulted from the G20 policing. It is essential
that lessons learnt from this and other recent protests are
embedded quickly into the whole organisation as the way
forward needs to rebuild trust between police and public.
“The Panel examined how public order policing is planned
and how quickly those plans are able to adapt to rapidly
changing situations. We discussed the importance of
communications – between officers, from the senior officer
in overall control to the PCs on the front line, as well as
with the organisers before and protestors during an event.
The contentious issue of police officer identification
through their number badges, and consequent discipline if
officers neglected this responsibility, was also looked at.
“We intend to gather as many Londoners’ views as possible
and on the 5 November we will be holding a special meeting
in London’s ‘Living Room’ at City Hall. We will be inviting
people from all sides of the issue- protestors, police,
business groups and people caught up in protests as they go
about their daily business - to ask them what they want
from their police service during a public order event.”
If you are interested in attending the event on 5 November
2009, or wish to submit a question, details will be on the
MPA website by the beginning of October.
The Civil Liberties panel was established in the MPA’s
strategic plan Met Forward, which sets out the MPA’s vision
for the policing of London over the coming years.
Notes to Editors
1. Members of the panel:
-
Victoria Borwick (Chair)
-
Valerie Brasse
-
Dee Doocey
-
Kirsten Hearn
-
Jenny Jones
-
Clive Lawton
-
Joanne McCartney
-
Richard Tracey
2. Further information about the Civil Liberties Panel can be
found at:
www.mpa.gov.uk/clp