Correspondence

Crime and policing news update: February 2014

Published 26 February 2014

1. New measures to tackle modern slavery

Tackling modern slavery is a key priority for the Home Office. On 16 December 2013, the Home Secretary published a draft Modern Slavery Bill, which is currently being considered by the Pre-Legislative Scrutiny Committee. The final bill will be published later this year.

Recently published figures from the NCA show that there were 1746 referrals of potential victims of trafficking during the last year. In addition to the new legislation to eradicate slavery, we are also working on a package of non-legislative measures, including:

• the roll out of new Border Force-led teams based at major ports and tasked with identifying potential victims of trafficking, disrupting organised crime gangs and collecting intelligence on trafficked adults and children
• providing individual support to child slavery victims through a new network of specialist independent advocates. The new scheme will be trialled from April across a number of local authorities in England, including seven local authorities in the West Midlands, Manchester and Oxfordshire
• consideration of the services provided by the victims care contract. The Home Office has now taken responsibility for the contract and will be considering if the new contract, out to tender later this year, meets the needs of victims

2. Local alcohol action areas

On 13 February 20 areas across England and Wales were established as Local Alcohol Action Areas (LAAAs). These are areas in which local agencies, including licensing authorities, health bodies and the police, will come together with businesses and other organisations to address alcohol fuelled problems in their area.

Work in the LAAAs will be focused on the key aims of reducing alcohol-related crime and disorder, and reducing the negative health impacts caused by alcohol. Underpinning both of these aims will be the goal of promoting diverse and vibrant night-time economies. Areas will receive advice and support from the Home Office, the Department of Health, the Welsh Government, Public Health England, and Public Health Wales.

In making the announcement, the Minister for Crime Prevention Norman Baker thanked the areas involved for their commitment in seeking to understand the impacts of alcohol in their area and for putting together thoughtful plans and proposals to tackle these issues.

Should you be based in one of the 20 LAAAs and wish to lend your support to the project, please contact LAAAs@homeoffice.gov.uk for details of the local lead who can discuss further.

3. Licensing fees consultation

The Home Office has recently published a consultation seeking views on locally-set fees under the Licensing Act 2003. The proposals aim to ensure that licensing authorities can recover their costs in carrying out licensing functions. The consultation is primarily aimed at fee payers and licensing authorities, although responses from all those who have an interest are welcomed.

To encourage debate on the issues in the consultation, the Home Office plans to hold events in York, Manchester, Bristol and London. To register your interest in attending an event, please email: alcoholstrategy@homeoffice.gov.uk.

The consultation is available here and closes on 10 April, so ensure you have your say before then.

4. Police.uk third anniversary

The crime mapping and justice outcomes website police.uk celebrates its third anniversary this month. Launched as part of the government’s transparency agenda, the site has been a significant success with 60 million visits since 2011. Police.uk allows the public to see crime levels in their local area, as well as the action taken by the police and criminal justice agencies. Visitors to the site can also find crime prevention advice.

Earlier this month, an interactive film showing how a crime is processed through the criminal justice system from beginning to end was published on the site. Viewers can see the police investigating a domestic burglary, and learn the role each officer plays in the investigation. The interactive film was created with the assistance of Derbyshire Constabulary.

A police.uk toolkit specifically designed for neighbourhood policing teams has also been produced. As well as explaining how the public use police.uk and the website’s crime data, it provides information on the site’s key features. This toolkit also has suggestions to help neighbourhood police officers promote the website to people in their communities. If you would like a toolkit, please contact: James.Gilbert13@homeoffice.gov.uk

You can see the film, as well as crime and policing information for your local area here: www.police.uk.

5. A new agreement between police and the NHS to improve mental health crisis care announced

The Crisis Care Concordat, an agreement setting out how the police, mental health trusts, ambulance trusts and other local agencies will work together to better respond when people with mental health problems urgently need help, was announced on 18 February.

The minister for Policing, Criminal Justice and Victims, Damian Green said: “The signing of the concordat is a demonstration of what can be achieved when people work together. From today each organisation will have a clear set of principles to follow and vulnerable people experiencing difficulties will be able to get the right help when and where they need it.”

The concordat aims to drive out the variation in standards across the country by setting out the level of care a person experiencing a mental health crisis should expect to receive, and how the emergency services should respond. Among other things the concordat states that:

• police vehicles should not be used to transfer patients to health based places of safety or between hospital units
• a person suffering a mental health crisis should not be detained in police custody because mental health services are not available
• local services need to get better at sharing essential need-to-know information about patients which could help keep them and the public safe

More than 20 national organisations have signed the Concordat, including the Home Office, College of Policing, Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, National Policing Lead for Mental Health and Disabilities, NHS England, and the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

You can read the Crisis Care Concordat here.

6. Information workshops on new commissioning process for victims’ service providers

From 1 October 2014, police and crime commissioners (PCCs) will be responsible for commissioning victims’ services locally through funding from the Ministry of Justice. This means service providers may be bidding to both their local PCC, as well as other public sector bodies, to obtain funding to deliver victims’ services.

To support voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector organisations who deliver victims’ services understand the commissioning process, the Ministry of Justice has commissioned a series of information workshops which are designed to enable frontline service providers to bid for grants and/ or contracts when the tendering processes are launched. The workshops are free and will be delivered in each of the police force areas across England and Wales.

Further details are available on the dedicated website including dates and locations for the workshops.

7. Consolidated advisory services for asylum seekers

In November last year, the Home Office announced that the British Refugee Council and Migrant Helpline had been awarded grant funding to provide advice services to asylum seekers following an open competition. The new grants come into effect from 1 April 2014.

From this date, the British Refugee Council will operate a Children’s Panel (in England) to support unaccompanied children seeking asylum. Migrant Helpline will provide independent advice and guidance about the asylum process to adult asylum seekers and their dependants throughout the UK. The services provided by Migrant Helpline will replace the current one-stop and wrap-around arrangements.

Police officers should be aware that from 1 April 2014, if they encounter asylum seekers, or a migrant who subsequently claims asylum, they should inform the migrant of these services so they receive appropriate advice and support.

For further information about this, please contact the Consolidated Advisory Services Project team at CASProject@homeoffice.gov.uk

8. New CEOP Thinkuknow advice websites for young people

As part of its Thinkuknow programme, which aims to empower and protect young people from the harm of sexual abuse and exploitation, the National Crime Agency’s Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) command has launched two websites to provide advice directly to young people.

The Thinkuknow website for 11 to 13 year olds (www.thinkuknow.co.uk/11_13) gives broad internet safety advice, and basic advice about abusive or exploitative relationships. The site for young people aged 14 and above (www.thinkuknow.co.uk/14_plus) focuses on sex, relationships and how the internet affects them. The site also introduces topics not previously covered by Thinkuknow to reflect the vulnerabilities of young people who suffer abuse and exploitation: online dating, pornography and some of the specific vulnerabilities of LGBT young people.

The websites, which were developed in consultation with young people and subject area experts such as Brook, the Home Office’s This is Abuse and Stonewall, provide advice on how to respond if young people are worried about a friend and feature regularly updated news and ‘question and answer’ sections.

You can visit the websites using the links above and encourage the young people that you work with to visit too. If you have any queries or feedback, please contact CEOP’s Education team: education@nca-ceop.gov.uk

9. New Surveillance Camera Commissioner appointed

On 14 February it was announced that Tony Porter has been appointed as the new Surveillance Camera Commissioner, and will take up the post from 10 March.

Tony brings to the role a combination of business and law enforcement expertise. He is an intelligence specialist (most recently within the financial sector) and retired senior police leader. His experience spans community and business engagement, international counter terrorism and serious and organised crime.

The commissioner’s role is to raise awareness of, and encourage compliance with the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice and ensure cameras are used to protect and support communities rather than spy on them. The code came into effect in England and Wales last year, and all police forces, police and crime commissioners, local authorities and the National Crime Agency must have due regard to the code, and a crucial part of the commissioner’s role is to help ensure forces are compliant.

If you would like more information about the code and how you can adopt it please contact the commissioner’s team: camcommissioner@homeoffice.gov.uk

10. Serious and organised crime – London seminar

The London Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime is holding a Working in Partnership to Cut Serious and Organised Crime seminar at City Hall on 1 April. This event will explore how the government’s Serious and Organised Crime Strategy applies locally in London. Speakers will include:

• Stephen Greenhalgh – Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Mayor of London’s Officer
• Charles Farr – Director General, Office for Security and Counter Terrorism, Home Office
• Mark Rowley – Assistant Commissioner, Specialist Crime and Operations, Metropolitan Police
• Gordon Meldrum – Director, Organised Crime Command, National Crime Agency

The London Mayor’s office is also hosting a series of regional workshops to understand how serious and organised crime impacts on local communities and how information sharing and the powers of relevant agencies can be deployed against it. The next events will be held on 13 March (South East), 21 March (Eastern) and 27 March (South West). For further information about these events, please email OCStrategy@homeoffice.gov.uk.

11. National identity crime conference

On 17 April, the National Policing Identity Crime Working Group will host a national identity crime conference at Wood Street Police Station, City of London Police. The conference is free to attend and offers an opportunity to better understand how criminals use false identity. The conference will cover:

• the group’s achievements last year
• consider the current threats
• shape the group’s programme of work for the coming 12 months

The group’s aim is to develop a more joined up approach to the prosecution of identity crimes by raising the strategic importance of identity as an enabler of wider criminality and removing blockages in investigation and prosecution processes.

If you wish to reserve a place or find out more about identity crime please contact Kevin Burt at the Home Office Identity Security Team: kevin.burt@homeoffice.gov.uk or 020 7035 6936.