Agenda item

Crime and Disorder Panel - Crime Data Integrity re-inspection report

The Overview and Scrutiny Commission will sit as the Crime and Disorder Panel for the duration of this item.

 

Deputy Chief Constable Hogg from Thames Valley Police is attending to discuss the Crime Data Integrity re-inspection report. The report was published on 25 July 2019 at https://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmicfrs/publications/thames-valley-crime-data-integrity-re-inspection-2019/

 

Evidence Pack:

 

01 Crime Data Integrity (CDI) re-inspection report (published 25 July 2019)

02 CDI briefing note

03 CDI presentation

04 CDI delivery plan

Minutes:

Deputy Chief Constable, Jason Hogg attended the meeting to discuss the integrity data inspection report which had been published in July 2018. This was a reinspection following the HMRIC inspection in 2017 with both reports having an ‘inadequate’ outcome.

 

The Deputy Chief Constable explained that:

·       HMRIC inspectors were serving and ex police officers from different parts of the country

·       data integrity was about processes, knowledge and skills of the front-line staff

·       the most accurate way to look at crime data was the Crime Survey of England and Wales

·       Thames Valley Police were committed to putting resources in the right area based on crime data and hearing the voice of victims

·       an action plan was in place which had been shared with HMIC

·       Thames Valley Police were a good police force with outstanding features, good reputation but officers and staff do not have a good understanding of crime reporting and recording

·       processes had been reviewed so that the control room was used to record the crime at the time of the report and create a small group of experts.

·       investment had not been made into the back office which had led to this issue but this was to protect the number of police officers

·       between the two reviews the measure needed to achieve ‘good’ had altered so despite good progress Thames Valley Police remained inadequate

·       examples were given where circumstances around incidents could lead to inaccurate recording by officers and the very particular way that all indirect disclosures needed to be captured

·       He had investigated the highlighted incidents and reassured members that it was not a reflection of the service received by resident

·       Thames Valley Police had identified that an additional 16,000 crimes would need to be reported but whilst these needed to be dealt with by crime room and would not lead to further investigations or would be connected with another crime

·       a monthly meeting reviewed the audit information in depth

·       crime data integrity inspections have been replaced by PEEL inspections

 

In response to questions from Members the Deputy Chief Constable advised that:

·       focus continued to be on solving crimes which were investigated

·       Superintendent Felicity Parker, Local Policing Area (LPA) Commander for Bracknell and Wokingham was leading the improvements for responding to victims for Thames Valley Police with a new text service to update victims on progress. He added that he contacted five victims every month himself.

·       contact management platform would support operators to see where caller lived, the last time they called and help categorise the crime

·       protocols were in place with schools re. sexting so that advice is provided rather than criminalise activity that would affect young people’s futures

·       support available to schools through Community Safety Partnership on issues such as knife crime

·       HMRIC inspectors would be invited back once procedures were in place to remove the label of being ‘inadequate’ but detection rates had continued to be good

·       Acknowledgment that call waiting times on 101 continued to be a key issue for the Police and Crime Commissioner’s office and that this was affected by staff turnover and implementation of new systems

·       The use of 30mph roundel road markings were not permitted on the three roads identified as the lamp column spacing were not in accordance with the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions (TSRGD). Now Thames Valley Police were aware of the issue, they were concerned about speed enforcement on these roads. The presence of the roundel markings created the possibility of drivers making a legal defence and avoiding prosecution on a technicality. The Council could ask the Department of Transport for an exception.

·       Using a cut-out officer at the side of the road had not been deployed in Thames Valley as there was not yet strong evidence on its effectiveness and other proven methods were considered more cost effective.

 

The Chairman thanked the Deputy Chief Constable, Jason Hogg for attending the meeting.

Supporting documents:

 

Contact Information

Democratic services

Email: committee@bracknell-forest.gov.uk