Correspondence

Crime and policing news update: August 2013

Published 29 August 2013

Welcome to the August edition of the Crime and Policing news update.

With Parliament being in recess until 29 August, August has been relatively quiet. Despite having no major announcements, we still wanted to issue this monthly update as there are some items that may be of interest to you, one of them being Damian Green’s recent visit to Hampshire Police, where he saw how the force is using the latest digital technology.

1. Damian Green sees how Hampshire Police uses technology to save officers’ time

Policing minister Damian Green visited Hampshire Constabulary on 19 August to learn about the force’s digital initiatives. Hampshire is one of 21 Digital Pathfinder forces who have been trialling technology in innovative ways to keep officers visible and on the street rather than back in stations filling in forms. Click on the link to read more.

Damian Green said: “I have seen how effective and ambitious Hampshire Police are at using digital technology, whether that is using tablets so officers can stay on patrol and not go back to the police station to file reports, or using body-worn cameras so if any incidents happen they can record them.”

Digital Pathfinder forces are able to be supported by ICT experts to transform their ICT capability and by the College of Policing to ensure that this is supported by wider continuous improvement and organisational change. Our vision is that officers will be able to access the right information to make decisions and support victims whilst out on the beat, without wasting time going back to the station. The Home Office together with the College of Policing will be holding a Digital Pathfinder conference on 11 November.

2. New police powers introduced on the roads

On 16 August, changes giving the police powers to issue fixed penalty notices to drivers who put other road users at risk came into effect. The changes were announced earlier this year, and have been introduced following public consultation with road safety groups and police forces. The changes give the police greater flexibility in dealing with less serious careless driving offences, freeing them from resource-intensive court processes. Click on the link for more information on this.

3. The Drug Driving (Assessment of Misuse of Drugs) Bill

On 18 October, the Drug Driving (Assessment of Misuse of Drugs) Bill will have its Second Reading in the House of Commons. The Private Members Bill proposes to extend current legislation to allow the police to require drivers stopped under the Road Traffic Act 1988, who are found to have a Class A drug in their body, to be referred for up to two assessments with a drugs worker.

Current legislation only allows the police to refer individuals who have been arrested for or charged with a specified offence, and who test positive for a specified Class A drug to attend up to two assessments with a qualified drugs worker. By seeking to extend these powers through this Private Members Bill, the provision will fill this gap. The Bill will provide an opportunity to engage with more individuals to help tackle Class A drugs misuse.

If you have any enquires about this proposed legislation please contact John Moffat (john.moffat@homeoffice.gov.uk )

4. Government response to Home Affairs Select Committee report on Police and Crime Commissioners

On 7 August, the government published its response to the Home Affairs Select Committee report Police and Crime Commissioners: Register of Interests.

The response considers the requirement for police and crime commissioners (PCCs) to publish key information, the role of police and crime panels in the suspension of chief constables, and protections for whistleblowers.

Click on the link to read the government response.

5. Surveillance camera code of practice

The surveillance camera code of practice came into force on 12 August, and sets out guidelines to ensure the use of surveillance camera systems is open and proportionate.

The code applies in England and Wales and is intended to ensure the public has confidence that surveillance camera systems in public places are used to protect, rather than spy, on them. It also encourages greater transparency on the part of system operators, and promotes the effective use of surveillance cameras where they are necessary.

The police and local authorities have been placed under a duty to have regard to the code. Other organisations will be encouraged to adopt the code on a voluntary basis.

As Surveillance Camera Commissioner, Andrew Rennison will encourage those who use CCTV and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) to comply with the code and provide tools that help them to do so. Details of the commissioner’s work will be circulated to police forces, police and crime commissioners, local authorities and partner organisations. He can be contacted on SCC@homeoffice.gov.uk

6. Stop and search consultation extended

The Home Secretary has extended the duration of a consultation which asks the public what they think of how the police use the power of stop and search.

Home Secretary Theresa May said: “There has been a strong initial response to our consultation, but campaigners have said there are many more people who want to take part and need more time to voice their opinions.

“We particularly want to ensure young people have their say, so extending the deadline beyond the summer holidays will give schools and colleges the chance to get involved.”

Tell us what you think, using our online form before the 24 September.

7. College of Policing builds links with academia

The College of Policing has taken the first step in establishing stronger links with universities across the country as part of a three-year programme of work to build more evidence around what really works in reducing crime.

Earlier this month a consortium of eight universities was announced as the successful bidder for a £3m grant, jointly funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and College of Policing, to support the What Works Centre for Crime Reduction. The Centre will work with academics, the police service and crime-reduction partners to identify the best available evidence on approaches to reducing crime.

8. Update on the IPCC transition programme

In February the Home Secretary announced her intention to transfer resources from police forces to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) to enable it to deal with the most serious and sensitive complaints.

The Home Secretary wrote to police partners including police and crime commissioners to ask whether the criteria for referral of cases to the IPCC were set correctly and how the transfer of resources could best be delivered to ensure the right balance between the IPCC dealing with all serious and sensitive cases and forces being able to act on integrity issues locally.

The transition provides an opportunity to consider the wider landscape and improve operating practices. The Home Office is aware that forces are striving to improve local resolution of lower level complaints and conduct issues, and is interested to know about innovative local approaches. Effective local resolution will allow the IPCC to focus on the most serious and sensitive cases being referred to them.

With input from the newly established Reference Group, we are in the process of developing potential models for the transfer; these will form the basis of decisions to be made in the autumn regarding the threshold for referral of cases, the scale and process of the transition.

For further information please contact Anjali Juneja in the Home Office’s Police Transparency Unit. Anjali.juneja@homeoffice.gov.uk

9. The role of magistrates

Damian Green, in his capacity as Justice Minister, gave a speech on 14 August setting out how the Ministry of Justice will be working with magistrates to maximise their responsibilities and modernise their role.

The key issues discussed were:

• ensuring the right cases are heard in magistrates’ courts, and cases aren’t escalated to the Crown Court unnecessarily.
• supporting magistrates to play a stronger role in the community by highlighting engagement activity like Magistrates in the Community; and new roles magistrates are undertaking, such as in arrangements to scrutinise out-of-court disposals which are currently being developed by Police Forces.
• looking at how magistrates’ skills from their daily lives can be harnessed to help reform the criminal justice system in local areas.

This is the first of four stakeholder engagement events seeking the views of magistrates to ensure their thoughts and ideas are at the heart of policy development. Their views will contribute to the development of a traditional consultation which will be launched later in the year.

Justice Minister Damian Green said: “Magistrates are truly the cornerstone of our justice system; not only that, they are a model of what a good citizen should be. They volunteer to give their skills, expertise, and time, for the good of others for nothing. We are lucky to have them, and we should be proud of them.”

This work forms part of a wider programme of work to reform the courts and criminal justice system. Click on the following links to find a transcript of the speech, or our YouTube video link.

10. Home Office and Ministry of Justice briefing event: Transforming Rehabilitation, Police and Crime Commissioners and Integrated Offender Management

The Home Office and Ministry of Justice hosted a stakeholder event to discuss the position of police and crime commissioners and integrated offender management within the transforming rehabilitation strategy on 17th June. A report on this event has now been published on GOV.UK.

The Home Office, Ministry of Justice and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, have set up two reference groups; one for police and crime commissioners, and one for Integrated Offender Management partners to help deliver the commitments within the strategy document.