To receive a verbal update from Chief Inspector, Steve Boswell in charge of Safer Neighbourhood Teams at the London Metropolitan Police covering the following points:
Minutes:
The commission received a presentation from Chief Inspector Boswell from the London Metropolitan Police on Safer Neighbourhood Teams in Southwark.The commission heard from Inspector Boswell on the following topics:
The commission then asked questions on the following points:
Inspector Boswell explained to the commission that the bike group riding around Southwark during the pandemic are called the Pan London ride out bike group which are being monitored by the transport Operational Command Unit (OCU) and will report back to commission with regards to the specific engagement with this bike group. However the focus has mainly been on crimes committed on bikes rather than Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB).
On matters of the Race Action Plan, Inspector Boswell informed the commission that the Met Police have taken steps in recruitment, aiming to create a more ethnically diverse work force which is more reflective of the communities they police, this was supported by the Councils of Southwark and Lambeth and people in the business community and Southwark residents. The commission also heard from Inspector Boswell that as an organisation the Met Police are recognising and embracing the changes needed, to hold to account police officers responsible for inappropriate comments and behaviours. The commission also learnt that the Police officers are engaging with children in schools and the community by engaging them in conversations and participating in sporting activities such as cage football.
The commission also learned that the Safer Neighbourhood Team are working hard to bridge the gap in recruitment of police officers for the vacancies in some wards, this keeping in line with the London mayoral commitments. However the gaps are due to some officers leaving and that there have been ongoing internal recruitment processes to carefully ensure that the right officers be appointed, who are able to effectively engage with the community.
Inspector Boswell then answered the commission’s questions on the following topics:
The commission heard that during the pandemic there was a change in crime types and levels of crime. However this has returned to the pre-pandemic status with the increase in footfall of people returning to work and has not resulted in any changes to the policing structure.
The commission heard from Inspector Boswell on the detrimental ramifications of the trust within community on the police following the death of Sarah Everard, Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) is a key aspect of the safeguarding strand of community policing and is a priority for the MET police, applications like Walk & Talk and Street Safe have been launched to engage with women and girls to feedback and report on areas where they feel unsafe. At present there is a lead officer within the Safeguarding team for VAWG, however a dedicated liaison officer for VAWG will be considered and reviewed by London Met after suggestions and feedback from this commission.
With regards to ward panels the commission learned that some ward panels are more effective than others, officers have been instructed to actively engage with Ward Panel Chairs. Social media, Met police website and emails are used as a method of circulating information on the work being carried out by the MET police and these processes will be reviewed to understand the differences among wards.
The commission then asked further questions on the following topics:
Inspector Boswell informed the commission that he would review if there was any secretarial support arrangements for Ward Panels. The commission also noted that there have been budget cuts and austerity measures when it comes to recruiting for neighbourhood policing.
The commission also learned that the Police Schools Team are looking to build relationships early in primary schools rather than just secondary schools, effectively engaging with kids in unsafe areas where they might be prone to crime and robbery. Police are asking schools and kids to use the Street Safe to report and feedback on such areas.
The commission heard from Inspector Boswell that members of the public can complain about police officers directly, there is also an anonymous telephone line to report to the department of professional standards, in addition there are also internal processes for complaints that police officers can lodge about their colleagues. The London MET has opened itself to change and welcome scrutiny from external organisations to resolve the issues around police conduct.
The commission also learned that recruitment of Black and Asian Minority Ethnic police officers is a big challenge and that there have been ongoing recruitment events within the community. The police service is endeavouring to be more reflective of the communities they serve.
The commission also heard that the Safer Neighbourhood teams approximately take 300 knives off the streets every year and the focus has mainly been on engaging with the community in a procedural and professional manner.