MPA statement: Mayor of London Boris Johnson stands down as Chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority

Angela Carbery-Roach on 27 January 2010 at 11:51

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27 January 2010

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson today stood down as Chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA). The Mayor has nominated his Deputy Mayor for Policing Kit Malthouse as Chair of the MPA, and Reshard Auladin, an Independent Member, as Vice Chair.

In the fifteen months that the Mayor has been Chair of the Authority, he has honoured his manifesto commitment to Londoners by fighting crime, increasing public confidence and providing value for money in policing.

He personally presided over the selection of a new Commissioner and his ‘top team’ and put in place Met Forward, the MPA’s strategic direction for policing in London over the next three years.

The Mayor is confident that Kit Malthouse is exactly the right person to take forward the Mayoral priorities and direction he has set, to oversee the delivery of Met Forward, and to work closely with senior management at the Met to reduce crime and make London a safer city.

The Mayor said:

“During my time as Chair of the MPA, I have found it to be an honour to work alongside the men and women of the Met and experience at first hand their loyalty, bravery and commitment to keeping Londoners safe.

“I am also grateful to members and staff of the MPA for their contribution to policing in London, in particular for their roles in scrutiny and oversight of the Met.

“But let it be clear that as London’s directly elected Mayor, I still retain control over policing in the capital and will continue to maintain a relationship with Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson.

“I am very proud of what we have achieved over the months we have worked together to make London safer and cut crime. I am fully confident that Kit and Reshard, together with the members of the Authority, will continue the good work.”

Kit Malthouse, Vice Chair of the MPA, said:

“I am very proud to be nominated as Chair of the MPA and will continue to deliver on London’s priorities to fight crime and make London safer on behalf of the Mayor. We have already made serious inroads to reduce the crimes that most concern Londoners, including teen killings, which have more than halved, but there is still a long way to go. I look forward to working alongside the Mayor, the Commissioner, his top team and all the brave men and women of the Met, as well as the members of the Authority. “

Metropolitan Police Authority: January meeting

Angela Carbery-Roach on 26 January 2010 at 11:03

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26 January 2010

The January 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 28 January 2010.

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. Acting Commissioner Tim Godwin will present a report on policing performance and respond to questions from Authority members.

A petition will be presented to the Authority by Councillor Chris Robbins, Leader of the London Borough of Waltham Forest:

‘Safety on our streets is the biggest concern for our residents and our campaign for more police officers has the support of all political parties in the council.’

‘We are asking the whole community to support us in our call for a fair level of police resourcing in Waltham Forest. Show your support by signing our petition to help us secure 120 extra police officers for the borough.’

A response to the petition will be provided at the meeting.

Members will also discuss:

• The MPS Human Trafficking response
• Annual audit letter

Notes to editors

1. The full Authority committee papers are available on the MPA website at: www.mpa.gov.uk/committees/mpa/2010/100128

MPA Domestic and Sexual Violence Board Annual Report: Partnership and community engagement are key to improvement

Angela Carbery-Roach on 21 January 2010 at 15:54

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21 January 2010

The Metropolitan Police Authority Domestic and Sexual Violence Board’s (DSVB) first annual report, published on 20 January 2010, urges the Met to engage with London’s diverse communities to tackle domestic and sexual abuse.

Set up in April 2009, the DSVB monitors, scrutinises and supports the Met response to domestic and sexual violence.  Met Forward, the MPA mission statement for London’s police to fight crime and increase public confidence, recognises the need for a greater concentration of effort in this area.

Membership of the DSVB also provides a channel for building better links with the voluntary sector to work with the Met to deal with serious sexual violence, as recommended in the IPCC report of the investigation of the Worboys case.

Kirsten Hearn, co-Chair of the DSVB, said:

“This has been a rewarding year for the DSVB. We have looked at seven boroughs’ responses to domestic and sexual violence and identified examples of excellent practice, creative problem solving, and commitment to keeping survivors of domestic and sexual violence safe. However, we have also found areas for improvement, for example in the consistency across boroughs in terms of accurately recording information, most notably relating to diversity. The MPS must ensure it understands the communities it serves. The two strongest messages we heard from our guest speakers and throughout our discussions with boroughs are that these crimes are under-reported, and victims need to be heard. “

Valerie Brasse, co-Chair, added;

“Tackling domestic and sexual violence is dependent on good partnership working - we have seen some excellent examples of this and the impact it has on people's lives. Now is not the time for partnerships to be cutting back in this area - to do so would have real adverse consequences for victims and their families. We know the impact such abuse has on children and cuts now would hit public service budgets hard later as they try to pick up the pieces further downstream.”

The DSVB annual report identifies and collates the issues that were presented and discussed at a number of meetings, some of which may be relevant for other front line service delivery agencies. 
Recommendations for the Met in the report include the need for consistent recording of diversity data to ensure they meet the needs of London’s communities, considering options for accessing feedback from victims of domestic abuse, and ensuring that information about who is reporting to police is recorded appropriately. This would facilitate engagement with communities which is central to developing community confidence, one of the key aims of Met Forward.

The report concludes that the work of the DSVB in the past year is one voice among many. Sara Payne’s report also highlighted the national experience of victims of rape and drew the same conclusion in relation to consistency. There are committed, professional, caring officers across London and elsewhere providing an excellent service to the public and the DVSB aims to make that the standard.

Notes to editors

1. DVSB meetings are open to the public. See www.mpa.gov.uk/dsvb for further information.

2. Each meeting of the board examines work taking place within two London boroughs. In 2009, Bexley, Greenwich, Richmond, Merton, Wandsworth, Lambeth and Southwark presented their response to domestic and sexual violence locally.

3. The board expanded from its focus on domestic violence in April 2009 following the launch of The Way Forward, a London strategy to tackle violence against women, and a national strategy with the same aim.

4. The DSVB also holds annual thematic meetings exploring issues such as abuse of older people and disabled people in London, and shares best practice and innovation across the capital. One example of this is the public protection ‘critical success factors’ identified in the annual report, which was shared with the DSVB in April by Bexley. The DSVB has commissioned Lambeth to outline critical success factors in partnership working, and will continue to be a catalyst for organisational learning across the Met. All the boroughs that have attended the meetings this year have bespoke action plans for local service delivery improvements.

MPA committee meeting: Finance and Resources Committee

Angela Carbery-Roach on 20 January 2010 at 10:09

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20 January 2010

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 21 January 2010 at 2.00pm.

Members of the Authority will discuss, amongst other items:

Finance matters:

• Revenue and capital budget monitoring 2009/10 – period 8
• Borrowing strategy
• MPS European Commission funding reporting

Estate matters:

• Process for agreeing changes to the public facing estate
• Transfer of front counter facilities – Bromley borough

Notes to editors

The committee papers are available on the MPA website at: www.mpa.gov.uk/committees/finres/2010/100121

New MPA cash supremo takes up post

Angela Carbery-Roach on 4 January 2010 at 16:17

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4 January 2010

Bob Atkins has today (4 January 2010) taken up post as Treasurer of the Metropolitan Police Authority. He will play the lead role in managing an annual budget of over £3.5 billion and scrutinising the Met’s use of resources.

Kit Malthouse, vice chair of the MPA, said:

"Bob gave a knockout interview: with sixteen years in the business he knows all the tricks and can see through any smoke and mirrors easily. I am looking forward to him joining the team as we grapple with the budget in our quest for value and focus.”

Commenting on his appointment, Bob Atkins said:

“After a long career in local government, my last sixteen years working with the police service has been the most interesting and rewarding time. Working for the Metropolitan Police Authority cannot fail to live up to my expectations. It goes without saying that I am delighted to join the MPA, and look forward to helping the members and staff of the Authority in their vital role of providing Londoners with the best possible police service in the challenging times that lie ahead.”

Notes to editors

Bob Atkins’ biography:

Born in North London, Bob commenced his local government career in 1966 with the London Borough of Camden. In 1978 he moved to Fenland District Council and subsequently worked for Portsmouth City Council (1980), Wiltshire County Council (1984) and Buckinghamshire County Council (1989).

He was appointed as Deputy Treasurer of Thames Valley Police Authority (the largest non-metropolitan authority in the country) in 1993 and took over as Treasurer in 2003. He was Honorary President of the Police Authority Treasurers’ Society (PATS) in 2004/05 and is a PATS Adviser to the Association of Police Authorities (APA); this entails being lead advisor to the APA Board and the portfolio includes the 2012 Olympics, police authority inspection, protective services, governance and audit.

Bob has lectured extensively for the Chartered Institute of Public Finance (CIPFA), PATS, regional and other groups, covering topics ranging from ‘the meaning of Lent’ to the ‘Auditing of Contracts’.

In his leisure time, Bob is an ordained priest in the Church of England, with a wife and four grown up children. In his youth, Bob was a keen sportsman, but is now reduced to watching from his armchair!