London Crime Reduction Board meeting minutes - 27 April 2022

Present

Sadiq Khan (SK) Mayor 

Sophie Linden (SL) Deputy Mayor, MOPAC 

Helen Ball (HB) Deputy Commissioner of the MPS  

Debbie Weekes-Bernard (DBW) Deputy Mayor  

Barry Hughes (BH) Chief Crown Prosecutor, CPS 

Lionel Idan (LI) Chief Crown Prosecutor, CPS 

Will Balakrishnan ((WB) Director, C&P, MOPAC 

Kenny Bowie (KB) Director, S&MPS Oversight MOPAC 

Ian Bickers (IB) London Prisons 

Sinead Dervin (SD) NHS England 

Carolyn Downs (CD) London Councils 

Diana Luchford (DL) CEO, MOPAC 

Cllr Racheal Robathan (RR) London Council 

Gareth Roberts (GR) London Council 

Rhiannon Sawyer (RS) Asst Director, VRU 

Claudia Strut (CS) CEO, YJB 

Kilvinder Vigurs (KV) Regional Director, NPS 

Claire Waxman (CW) London Victims Commissioner 

Apologies 

Cllr Jas Athwal (JA) London Councils 

Cllr Darren Rodwell (DR) London Council  

Officials in attendance 

Doug Flight (DF) Advisor, London Councils 

Jane E Garvan (JG) HQ Strategy and Governance, MPS 

Tina Price (TP) Officer, MOPAC 

Naomi Sterling (NS) Senior Advisor, MOPAC 

The Mayor opened the meeting welcoming Deputy Commissioner Helen Ball and Amy Lame. Apologies were received from Councillor Athwal and Councillor Rodwell. 

Members approved the minutes of the meeting held on 24 January 2022. 

Members noted the action from the previous meeting.  

Members noted and approved the terms of reference for the new partnership board structure. 

Members received the report and noted the progress made by the MPS to reduce violence, in particular youth violence and VAWG (Violence Against Women and Girls).

The MPS set out their focus to reduce teen homicide which included a series of targeted strategies for preventing serious youth violence. It was noted that the refreshed action plan to tackle violence against victim and girls was launched in April and set out the MPS’ focus to raise professional standards of officers with the aim to root out unacceptable behaviour.

The MPS gave mention to the work carried out with the Deputy Commissioner’s delivery group which had particular focus on working in partnership to address young Black women in gangs which arose from the Mayor’s action plan to combat this issue.

The CPS provided an update on the partnership work that has been pursued with the MPS around RASSO (rape and serious sexual offences) highlighting further work that could be done with regards to stalking and to reduce serous youth violence.

Members were advised regarding the shared intelligence hubs that were being developed in conjunction with the NPS and the Met that would facilitate immediate crime updates and allow enforcement to take place quickly.  

Members were provided with a summary of the Police and Crime Plan (PCP) outcomes framework and its core focus on whether London is a safer city.

Members engagement with the PCP was acknowledged and the shared commitment as the plan developed. MOPAC officers expressed appreciation to the CPS for the collaborative work and their engagement around the work of victimisation. 

Set out to members was the Mayor’s key concerns in relation to violence against women at night particularly following the pandemic and in light of the re-opening of the night time economy.

The Mayors’ commitment to ensure that London was a city where all women felt confident and safe at night was made clear and as such the Women’s Night Safety Charter launched in 2018 was noted as being one of the key ways in which the commitment was being implemented.

In addition, was shared regarding the investment of over £60 million in programmes set up to support survivors of VAWG and challenge perpetrator behaviour.

Members were encouraged to consider ways in which they could take action and work in partnership to further the objectives of the Women’s Night Safety Charter, in order to encourage local businesses to sign up and promote positive action to combat sexual assault and harassment against women. 

The Mayor stated his commitment to keep Londoners safe which formed part of the Police and Crime Plan.

It was recommended that tackling fraud of this nature required, as a priority, the implementation of a nationally coordinated response.

It was advised the new Police and Crime Plan set out the Mayor’s plan to develop an evidence base.

Members noted MOPAC’s intention to set up a roundtable in which partners would be invited to discuss the issue of fraud and how best to combat this issue.

MOPAC officers made clear their support to partners stating that they would provide and the tools to assist work to tackle fraud.

Members welcomed the roundtable which was viewed as a good opportunity to bring on board the CPS nationally and other partners to be involved at national and London level.  

There was no other business to report.