Correspondence

Crime and policing news update: August 2015

Published 27 August 2015

Forces publish data on use of stop and search powers

On 6 August, the Home Secretary launched the publication of monthly force-by-force summaries of how fairly and effectively stop and search powers are being used.

This data (provided by 40 forces including the British Transport Police) will sit alongside, and provide context to stop and search maps on Police.uk, currently produced by 25 forces. It is the latest in a series of measures announced by the Home Secretary to reform police use of stop and search. It means for the first time people can see details like:

• the number of stop and searches and their outcomes
• the proportion of outcomes that were linked to the purpose of the search, in their area
• a breakdown of the ethnicity and age of people stopped and searched
• the time of day stops are carried out

The summary pages provide the public with a visual representation of how fairly and effectively stop and search is being used in individual police forces. These pages were designed in partnership with police forces, community groups and young people. This is a further step forward in the government’s commitment to increasing the transparency of the police and ensuring the public can hold their force to account.

For more information on stop and search mapping on Police.uk please email Jayne.Pascoe@homeoffice.gov.uk.

Undercover police guidance published for the first time

Guidance for undercover police officers has been made public for the first time.

The College of Policing, as the professional body for police, has published some of its national guidance for officers and supervisors involved in covert work. This follows a commitment by police to be more transparent about undercover work.

The Authorised Professional Practice sets out the procedures that must be followed, how undercover officers are selected, who authorises an operation and the importance of protecting an operative’s identity.

David Tucker, the College of Policing lead for crime and criminal justice, said:

Undercover policing is an important tactic for police to bring dangerous criminals to justice. When applied correctly and lawfully, it is a powerful tool but by its very nature it is controversial.

Our role is to make sure undercover policing is used both legally and effectively, putting the Code of Ethics at the heart of its use.

For the first time we have made our guidance for undercover policing public. It marks the initial stages of our work to set out a framework of integrity to ensure we are being as transparent as possible about what has previously been a secret mode of operation.

We want to hear from you: 101 police non-emergency number

The 101 police non-emergency service was introduced in December 2011 to provide the public with an easy and memorable number to contact their local police force. This makes it easier for the public to report crime and disorder in non-emergency circumstances and to support the police.

The contract for the provision of the 101 infrastructure expires in March 2016. Ahead of this, the Home Office is undertaking an evidence-based review of the service to identify future options that will ensure it continues to meet the needs of the police and the public.

As part of that review, we want to hear your views on the service. We’d be grateful if you would find time to complete a short survey.

The survey will run until 4 September and we will provide a further update on future options for the service later in the year.

For more information on the 101 review please email Emma.Dann2@homeoffice.gov.uk.

Contract awarded under the emergency services mobile communications programme

The first contract to provide a modernised communications system for the emergency services has been awarded to Kellogg Brown & Root Limited (KBR) by the emergency services mobile communications programme (ESMCP). The ESMCP is the Home Office led, cross-departmental programme set up to provide cheaper, better and smarter communications services for the emergency services.

KBR successfully bid for Lot 1 of the contract for the new emergency services network. KBR will now become the delivery partner for ESMCP, and start work immediately. KBR is a major international operator specialising in technology-driven engineering, procurement and construction, and is a market leader in the successful management of the delivery of large infrastructure schemes.

Negotiations with the preferred bidders for the remaining contracts are continuing and contract awards are expected in the autumn. The bidders are:

• Motorola (Lot 2) to provide user services
• EE (Lot 3) for a resilient mobile network

The new service will replace the existing system from mid-2017 as the current contracts expire. The emergency services network will use a commercial network to deliver voice and broadband data services. The current service, Airwave, uses a private mobile radio system and only provides a voice service.

Reforms of Independent Police Complaints Commission powers

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has increasing capacity and funding to investigate all serious and sensitive matters involving the police. It is on course to deliver a significant increase in independent investigations.

To ensure IPCC’s effectiveness and role in securing public confidence in police complaints and scrutiny, the government intends to include a package of reforms of IPCC powers in the forthcoming Police and Criminal Justice Bill. This includes the powers to initiate its own investigations and recommend remedies, and to present cases at police disciplinary hearings, as well as ending managed and supervised investigations.

The Home Office’s Triennial Review of IPCC was published in March 2015. It highlighted the need for organisational reform. IPCC’s response (PDF 243KB) and its own recommendations for a new governance structure was published in August.

The IPCC’s proposed model includes:

• a single head, in whom statutory powers are vested (ie not delegated from a non-executive board) and who is responsible for decision-making
• a new title (‘Ombudsman’); reporting to Parliament and a regional structure

On 12 August, the Home Secretary announced an independent review to assess the IPCC’s proposal. The review, led by Sheila Drew-Smith OBE, of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, will report in the autumn.

Updated police disclosure guidance: mental health

On 10 August the Home Office issued additional statutory guidance on disclosure of information relating to mental ill health via Disclosure and Barring Service criminal records checks. This follows concerns raised in a 2014 Home Office/Department of Health review that the police are, in some cases, disclosing irrelevant or partial information about a person’s detention under Mental Health Act powers.

Enhanced criminal records checks are available for certain jobs or voluntary sector positions that involve working with children or vulnerable people. It is essential that these groups continue to be protected. The revised guidance will ensure that the disclosure of information on people wanting to work with children or vulnerable adults is proportionate and appropriate in relation to any mental health conditions. This is because inappropriate disclosure can have a disproportionate impact on their employment prospects.

The guidance states that a person’s mental ill health does not, on its own, justify disclosure. Factors for the police to consider will be the person’s behaviour at the time of the incident - for example whether there was any threat of, or actual, harm to others – and the age of the information held.

Security Industry Authority research on violence reduction

The Security Industry Authority (SIA) regulates the private security industry, including door supervisors and security guards. The SIA has just published a report on violence reduction. This is based on: desk research; followed by a quantitative survey of almost 900 responders from the police, door supervisors and other people in the industry; followed by 80 qualitative face-to-face interviews.

There are some startling facts from the survey, for example in 1 year 70% of door supervisors were physically assaulted and 34% had to be hospitalised.

Door supervisors play an important role in protecting the public and their use allows the police to concentrate resources on areas requiring a police presence. The report suggests that door supervisors believe violence is getting worse whereas the police believe it is getting better. According to the report, not all violence occurs at night; for example daytime sporting events can see adults in their 50s committing violent acts.

Some improvements identified in the report include discouraging one-man door supervision and improving training in first aid. The deployment of female supervisors alongside male counterparts can help to de-escalate possible volatile situations.

NSPCC gangs awareness film

The NSPCC has developed a new short film to help people recognise signs that a young person might be involved in a gang. It also encourages people to contact the NSPCC free, anonymous gangs helpline (0800 800 5000) for support and advice.

NSPCC YouTube channel

You can also view the film on the NSPCC’s YouTube channel and share it with any relevant contacts.

If you would like any free DVD copies of the film to distribute to your network, please email emily.holdsworth@nspcc.org.uk. You can also request free posters and wallet cards promoting the NSPCC gangs helpline.