Performance and Measurement

Summary

The City of London Police is responsible for the delivery of policing to London’s Square Mile, the capital of international finance and one of the world’s leading business centres. It is the smallest territorial police force in the UK. As well as policing the small residential and large working and transient populations, the force is responsible for policing ceremonial and public events and for protecting a key national asset, set against the backdrop of a heightened terrorist threat.

The HMIC assessment for 2007 found that Neighbourhood Policing had been implemented in a way that matched local needs, but also incorporated key elements defined by the national project team. Progress was under way both to embed supporting structures and to develop the National Neighbourhood Reassurance Project methodology into an innovative approach that applies the Neighbourhood Policing ethos to the business community. Delivery of Neighbourhood Policing is not a new concept for the force; accordingly, the 2007 assessment found dedicated staff and full coverage of the 25 force neighbourhoods.

As regards performance management, the HMIC assessment found a clear strategic direction for the force and effective partner/stakeholder involvement, both in the development of objectives and targets and in the management of change. There was a comprehensive strategic oversight of performance, which cascaded through all levels of the force.

Low resident and high transient populations were key contributory factors in the comparatively low levels of incidents relating to the protection of vulnerable people. The force’s processes and its partner and community engagement to address issues relating to child abuse, domestic violence, missing persons and public protection have also contributed significantly to the low levels of such incidents. The force now needs to develop a structured performance management regime to benchmark key performance activities against headline measures.

The force achieved some notable performance outcomes against Home Office priorities and targets set for 2006/07, in particular victim satisfaction with overall service. Local performance measures also yielded some good results, particularly for those within the community policing priority that measure forensic sanction detections.

The HMIC baseline assessment for 2005/06 did not reveal any Poor or Fair/Deteriorated grades, but it did cite a number of key areas for improvement. These have been managed and monitored through the force’s corporate support function, with regular oversight by the performance management group, chaired by the Assistant Commissioner.

Following publication of HM Treasury’s National Fraud Review in July 2006, the City of London Police has been officially recognised as the UK lead force for economic crime. It also received funding from the Department for International Development for ten posts in an overseas corruption unit, which was launched in November 2006.

The force recognises the financial challenge it faces over the next few years. In early 2006, the force launched a change programme, ‘Shaping Up for the Future’, which involved an assessment of performance against existing resources, zero-based budgeting and the development of a front-line action group to ensure the most effective use of police officers and police staff. A further tranche of this work will involve the reduction of bureaucracy, delays and unnecessary activity.