Agenda item

·  The Baroness Casey Review was commissioned to examine the Met’s culture and standards following a wake of policing scandals.

·  An action plan has been produced in response to the review’s findings: 

  - Changing the culture implemented within the Met workforce,

- Creating a new offer for women and children

- Building Trust with London’s Communities to restore consent

- A new police deal for Londoners

- New leadership and new management

-New oversight and accountability

- Showing London that reform is working

Stuart Bell acknowledges and agrees with all findings in the Casey Report. Stuart Bell also states that while the Commissioner also agrees with the Casey report it is not wholly agreed upon that there are institutional issues within the Met due to an individual’s interpretation of the term and the term changing in definition over time – Stuart Bell stated that If one can agree with the report then the whole report, including the refence to institutional all issues must be accepted.

Stuart Bell stated that Neighbourhood Superintendents (David Rhodes) has been  placed in LBBD to ensure effective oversight rather than having one Superintendent overseeing three East BCU boroughs. There has also been an accelerated process of charging police officers and firing them from the Met workforce following an increase in reporting from police and further investigations. Tackling violence against women and girls remains the Met’s number one priority and this has been met with an uplift of public protection details with the implementation of 50 new posts that will tackle cases of rape, sexual assault and other VAWG related crimes.

Matthew Cole asked how Stuart Bell can ensure that the culture within your service is safe for women and girls.

Stuart Bell responded that within his workforce there are 1700 officers which represent the most diverse workforce out of all the BCU’s and work is underway in reconnecting with all cohorts within the workforce. There is an existing board that examines data that looks at what proportion of groups are promoted and those that go through disciplinary services. A dialogue has started with ethnic minority and female officers in order to guide how the service can change.

David Rhodes highlighted that there is an engagement plan in place which includes police attendance of the Safer Neighbourhood Board and Ward panels. David Rhodes notes it is important to improve partnership working and that increased police presence in communities is desirable though with scarce resources only high-harm areas can be prioritised. Comms work has increased through newsletters, Twitter, other social media, and there is plans to hold 4 public meetings a year in order to further understand the needs of communities.

April Bald acknowledges the work of the police and the efforts of increasing neighbourhood policing and engagement and that this should start to build trust. In relation to the 50 additional MET jobs to tackle VAWG cases, April Bald suggested that joint partnership training should be offered in order to ensure partnership working and information sharing.

Stuart Bell agrees with April Bald and states that these 50 new roles should be filled with experienced professionals.

Councillor Worby stated that within the LBBD community, nothing happened to the police officers that were involved in the Steven Port Case and especially when anniversaries such as Stephen Laurence’s comes around it reinforces negative emotions amongst residents towards the police – which will be difficult to change. However, sometimes it would be useful if the police were to make a gesture addressing these issues. For example when the Domestic Abuse Commission was underway the police wouldn’t attend the joint training that was offered. Victims that were contributing to the commissions wanted all agencies including police to listen and adopt the ‘We Believe You’ message and want police especially, to believe victims when they make a domestic related report.

Stuart Bell responded that the police and Redbridge are doing joint work in Ilford Town Centre with the ‘It’s Got To Stop’ campaign and has asked David Rhodes to see if the same can be implemented in Barking Town Centre. This would be a big gesture by the police and a message that targets perpetrators rather than telling women to change their behaviour.

Angela d’Urso highlighted that the police working with the council in the VAWG space are really engaging and are doing a brilliant job.

Stuart Bell asks that he did not know why police officers did not join that particular joint meeting but asks that if there are any officers that show arrogance attitudes to inform him immediately.

Angela d’Urso notes that tackling VAWG is not just a police issue but requires partnership working. Locally, programmes like Support2Safety is being supported by refferals made into the service by the police which is making a huge difference already. However, officers seem too often be hamstrung by Met protocols, so what wants to be done locally by officers can be difficult at times.

Clare Brutton suggests a joint training piece of work could be done in the way in which policing approach individuals with autism and disabilities. Stuart Bell advises that Clare link in with Yasir around this piece of work.

Gary Jones notes that since David Rhodes has come into post as Neighbourhood Superintendent that there has been a large improvement in communication, partnership working and information working. Gary Jones and Stuart Bell met with LBBD’s council leader last week to discuss how council and police will work strategically together and how this will be linked into operational community safety services.

(i)  Stephen Port Inquiry Update:

·  IOPC reinvestigated 17 officers who were originally identified having made mistakes or misconduct during the first investigation over the last year.

·  For 11 of these officers it was found that the appropriate decision was made and there should be no conduct.

·  For 6 of them felt they should be subject to misconduct, 4 of them are left serving but are not local officers.

·  The IOPC are going to reinvestigate an increased number of people involved in the case – more than the original 17 investigated

·  LGBTQ groups advisory groups advise at the Gold group and there is a LGBT officer who reconnects with community groups asking how police can restore trust with the police in order to close that gap in confidence that’s been made by this event

·  Stuart has met with family and partners of victims and have managed their expectations that around how long the outcome of the investigation can take and how it may not be an outcome that will be welcome by the victim’s family and partners. 

Cllr Worby welcomes the response of the police from the police and locally as partners we should show the community that we are confident in the shift in policing. We also as a council struggle to connect with the LQBTQ+ community and often this community go to LQBTQ+ events in other boroughs but not in LBBD.

Cllr Ghani announced that there is a Pride March through Barking on Saturday.