Agenda item

The 2021-2025 Policing and Crime Plan (PCP) was published on the 24^th of March 2022. This updated plan is a high-level document that is built around a set of key priorities with noticeably clear outcome deliveries rather than it being commitment focussed. This change will ensure that the impact of the plan can be measured and enable the Mayor’s Office of Police and Crime’s (MOPAC) ability to react throughout the life of the plan.

·  A 10-week consultation during the drafting of the PCP was held amongst a range of stakeholders: London councils, London Council leaders, Heads of Community Safety, Health Partners and more.

·  The key themes that emerged as immediate issues during the consultation included: ASB, burglary/robbery causing insecurity, the drug use and drug dealing impact at the local level and youth violence in neighbourhoods.

The PCP 2021-2015 priorities include:

1. Preventing and reducing violence.

2. Providing better victim support.

3. Increasing trust and confidence between the public and police.

4. Protecting people from criminal exploitation and harm.

·  The next steps will include doing work around MOPAC’s Commissioing services to further align these with the PCP priorities to support delivery.

·  There will also be informational data dashboards published online for Londoners and partners to navigate each of the priorities and outcomes of the PCP plan.

·  Fundamentally, the key priority for the next period is to improve partnership working between police, local councils and MOPAC. This will be picked up by MOPAC’s new partnership manager Tamara Barnett, who will be working with Barking and Dagenham and other London boroughs to specifically find out how MOPAC can improve their offers and services.

Councillor Worby questioned if there would be a refresh of the PCP due to the recent announcement from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) being placed into ‘special measures,’ as well as referencing the recent murder of Zara Aleena in the neighbouring borough Redbridge. James Bottomley assured that MOPAC are looking into their arrangements for oversight into the MPS and highlights how the MPS have a focus on violence and violence against women and girls (VAWG). Fundamentally, these events will not change the priorities of the PCP plan.

Andy Opie suggests there should be a build of detail in engagement and trust around partnership work, similar to the community hubs being set up around the borough that involve police presence.

Martin Rolston builds upon this by stating there should be more of a localised approach for engagement pieces for the 12 boroughs within the Basic Command Unit (BCU) to be strategically co-ordinated between the MPS and councils as each borough is uniquely different and this would also improve partnership working on a local level.

Councillor Ghani questioned the visibility of the police and if anything can be said about the recruitment and resources of the MPS. James Bottomley affirms that MOPAC continues to lobby central government to get the right resources for London and highlights that police levels have now returned to the levels that they were 10 years ago – though increasing recruitment nationally remains a priority.

ACTION: Tamara Barnett to contact Andy Opie about what services MOPAC can offer to reinforce the PCP priorities.