Agenda item

An update from the police is provided at every meeting.

Members were briefed that the Metropolitan Police and MOPAC agreed to base crime data figures on 2019 as opposed to 2020, as the 2020 figures would have been affected by the Covid pandemic. MOPAC would be holding the police to account with respect to the 2019 data.

The trend currently was that crime was beginning to rise as the country started to move out of lockdown. It was clear that a disproportionately high volume of crimes took place in certain problem Wards. Crime was being classified by volume as well as by the amount of harm caused by that crime. Resultingly, the police were targeting their actions in a different way and were developing a new patrol strategy. They would be focusing on ‘high harm’ areas.

It was noted that burglary had fallen as a result of the Covid pandemic because more people were at home. The police now had to consider how they could better target residential burglary when the country moved out of lockdown. It was also the case that criminal damage and theft from motor vehicles was also starting to increase. Theft of motor vehicles was subject to seasonal variations.

The police had been very successful in targeting catalytic converter crimes and significant reduction in volume had been seen in this area. Chief Inspector Knight informed the Committee that many of these criminal gangs had been taken out of the system and many had fled; European arrest warrants would be used as required. It was also the case that during the Covid lockdown the number of robberies fell because streets were quieter as footfall was lower. At the time of the meeting, knife crime figures were also down.

A Member asked if there had been an increase in domestic violence because of lockdown. Chief Inspector Knight reported that there had been a 6% rise in domestic violence cases across London, so the increase was not dramatic.

A Member expressed his thanks for the work undertaken by the Police in the Petts Wood and Knoll areas. He asked why there had been police dogs in the Glades; the Chief Inspector was not aware of the reason for this and promised to find out and report back to the Member.

A Member referred to a report which indicated that in the period 2019 to 2020, 141 police officers and staff had breached professional standards; 55% of these had been proven and 37% had resulted in charges of gross misconduct. She asked if the Committee could have a tri-borough figure with respect to this provided at the next meeting.

The matter of motorised scooters was raised. Chief Inspector Craig Knight confirmed that the legislation on this was straight forward. In cases where an individual was utilising a motorised propelled vehicle, such a vehicle would fall within the remit of the Road Traffic Act and would need to be registered and insured.

The police in the first instance generally issued warnings to the individuals concerned and to the shops selling the scooters. If it was the case that a  motorised scooter was being used for the pursuance of crime or ASB, then it was likely that the scooter would be seized in the first instance.

An option for the Government to consider was possibly to insist on registration. The police had to date seized 650 scooters, primarily focusing on those that were regarded as nuisance users. In most cases, warnings would be issued initially; if these warnings were not taken notice of, then the police would consider seizing the scooter--they were trying to undertake a proportionate response.

Concern was expressed at those parents who took their children to school on them. It was clarified that it was not an offence to use the scooters on private property.

The Chairman raised the issue of ‘sanctioned detections’, commenting that they were still below 10% and he asked if a strategy existed to improve this. Chief Inspector Knight answered that the police did have a strategy and that sanctioned detection rates were top of their agenda. One of the things that the police were doing was improving the way various technologies like facial recognition technology was being used.

Chief Inspector Knight was asked if the Met could bring back more traffic police into Bromley, and the Chief Inspector responded that this was ultimately down to MOPAC. It was resolved that the Portfolio Holder should raise this issue at MOPAC meetings going forward.

A discussion took place regarding ‘anti-spike’ bottle tops, this was an ongoing initiative and the bottle tops were very cheap to procure. The BYC representative informed the Committee that these were also being given out in schools.

The Chairman requested an update on the ‘hotspot strategy’, he said that he would be grateful to receive annual comparisons on the data charts provided by the police.

A Member asked if the Met was ready for boundary changes and the answer to this was in the affirmative. 

RESOLVED that:

1) At the next meeting, Chief Inspector Craig Knight would provide some data with respect to the number of police officers within the tri-borough command, that had breached professional standards of conduct.

2) At the next meeting with MOPAC, the Portfolio Holder should pursue the case for the return of traffic policing in  Bromley.

3) An update should be provided to the Committee regarding the police ‘hotspot strategy’.  Data charts with respect to this should detail annual comparisons.