Agenda and minutes

1.1  Apologies were received from Cllr Gregory, who had lost a close friend.

1.2  Cllr Ozsen attended the meeting but needed to leave due to illness.

2.1  There were no urgent items and the order of business was as laid out.

3.1  There were no declarations of interest.

4.1  The Chair welcomed Sue Williams, Central East Commander, Metropolitan Police Service.

4.2  She said this item was intended to give the Commission insight into the latest trends in Stop and Search, patterns in terms of who was being stopped, and outcomes.

4.3  This was prior to a subsequent item which would explore the quality of interactions achieved during the use of the power. That item would involve the Central East Commander, Metropolitan Police Service, and other guests who were in attendance.

4.4  The Central East Commander, Metropolitan Police Service made the following key opening points:

·  Stop and Search was a really important tool for the police - when used properly and effectively – in its work to combat violence, and the threat and fear of violence.

·  This was particularly the case in light of a number of tragic murders which had taken place in Hackney during a recent period. These incidents had been coupled with general increases in knife crime. Hackney did have a relatively high number of gangs. Stop and Search was one of the tools used to combat, contain and manage this issue and others.

·  There was also significant public support for its use.

·  This said, it was absolutely vital that it was used effectively and was deployed with high standards of professionalism and integrity, and with concern for those stopped.

·  Positive outcome rates were relatively high for Hackney. Met-wide, the positive outcome rate target was 20%. Hackney had achieved a rate of 30.5% last year, which was the highest across the Met. This suggested that when it used in Hackney it was generally used correctly.

·  She fully appreciated community concerns around disproportionality in Stop and Search. It was important to be open on data.

·  55% of those stopped and searched in the period January to December 2018 had self-identified as being black. The slides in the agenda pack showed this and also that over a 1 year period, 62.9% of those suspected of having been involved in knife enabled crime, were identified as black. This helped give context to the issue.

·  In terms of Section 60s, these were only installed due to anticipation of, or following an incident of, violence. These orders were seen as blanket stop and searches, and were when grounds for stop and searches did not need to be given. Applications (which could be made verbally) for enacting a Section 60 were reviewed by a National Police Level Senior Officers, with significant grounds needed.

·  They were usually deployed for a number of hours, but extensions could be applied for.

·  There were 39 section 60s in Hackney last year. Only 12 of these were borough wide, with the rest in specific areas where it was felt that violence was likely or imminent. 345 searches were carried out as a result of these orders.

·  It was important to note that Officers were not able to stop and search whoever they liked. There needed to be grounds and objectives for the search. Activity was intelligence based.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

5.1  The Chair welcomed the following guests for this item:

• Sue Williams, Central East Commander, Metropolitan Police Service

• Nicola Baboneau, Support Officer to Hackney Safer Neighbourhood Board, and Designated Chair of Hackney's Stop and Search Monitoring Arrangements

• Deji Adeoshun, Youth Leadership Manager, Hackney CVS (and support for (Young People’s) Stop and Search Monitoring Group

• Tim Head, University of Essex student and volunteer for Hackney CVS

• Ayo Ogunjimi, Member, Young People’s Stop and Search Monitoring Group

• David Agana, Member, Young People’s Stop and Search Monitoring Group

5.2  She said the discussion would focus on work by the police and the  community to monitor stop and search activity, and to seek to ensure good quality interactions.

5.3  Sue Williams, Central East Commander, Metropolitan Police Service made the following opening key points:

·  Noting the slides for this item which were available in the agenda packs, she said these covered the use of body worn cameras, the youth work underway between the police and the community, and the processes around information and assurance which formed part of the section 60 processes.

·  On youth work, the Sergeant overseeing the Safer Schools Team met on a monthly basis with the Hackney Youth Stop and Search Monitoring Group.

·  The Safer Schools Team sought to discuss tactics around stop and search openly and fully. They also delivered ‘know your rights’ sessions in PHSE classes. They were involving the Territorial Support Group in their work.

·  A joint initiative with the Safer Neighbourhood Board had delivered 10 workshops in secondary schools to seek to increase understanding between police and young people of encounters from the other’s point of view.

·  In terms of Section 60 – and time allowing – the police would seek to consult on a potential enactment of a Section 60 order including through the Safer Neighbourhood Board and the Independent Advisory Group Chair. They would also seek to complete a Community Impact Assessment. This said, with Section 60s generally being enacted quickly following or in anticipation of violence (including during times out of office hours), this full range of prior engagement was not always possible.

·  Reflecting this, they aimed to always ensure that partnership messaging was delivered further to enactment which advised on the area which it covered and the time period. They also did messaging via social media, and through OWL messaging to local Neighbourhood Watch.

5.4  Nicola Baboneau, Support Officer to Hackney Safer Neighbourhood Board, and Designated Chair of Hackney's Stop and Search Monitoring Arrangements made the following key points:

·  It was commendable in her view that the Commission was looking at Stop and Search. Stop and Search had been routinely scrutinised during a previous period by the now disbanded Community Safety and Social Inclusion Scrutiny Commission.

·  She had been a founder member of recommendation 61, which made Hackney one of the pilot areas for stop and search to be looked at. At that time stop and search had been an extremely high temperature subject.

·  Looking beyond that to the period of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

6.1  The Chair welcomed the following guests for this item:

• Sue Williams, Central East Commander, Metropolitan Police Service

• Louise Brewood, Chair, Safer Neighbourhood Board

• Nicola Baboneau, Support Officer to Hackney Safer Neighbourhood Board

• Deji Adeoshun, Youth Leadership Manager, Hackney CVS

• Ayo Ogunjimi, Inspirational Leader, Improving Outcomes for Young Black Men Programme

• David Agana, Inspirational Leader, Improving Outcomes for Young Black Men Programme

• Caroline Selman, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Policy and the Voluntary Sector

6.2  She welcomed the previous discussion on stop and search, and the police’s commitment to rebuilding engagement with the community monitoring groups. She also welcomed the news about planned expansion of police numbers.

6.3  However, she noted that this item was to hear about the police’s general work to improve trust and confidence. She said that the review which this item was part of, had started in response to an escalation in violence in Hackney.

6.4  The Commission intended to explore the response of relevant Council and partner services which were within its remit. She said that at the time of developing the approach for the review, some measures showed that Hackney residents had among the lowest levels of trust and confidence in the police in London. The Commission had therefore decided to explore the work of the police to improve in this area, as part of its review.

6.5  In response to these points, Sue Williams, Central East Commander, Metropolitan Police Service confirmed that on some measures, Hackney did score amongst the lowest in London. In reflection of this, a range of initiatives had been put in place following the move to the BCU model.

6.6  One example was the putting in place of a BCU-wide Confidence and Satisfaction Board. She and other senior leaders (including from the wider partnership) attended meetings. One measure coming out of this was that Professional Development Days between January and April this year would have confidence and satisfaction as its main focus. This covered aspects including how officers dealt with investigations and their liaison with victims of crime. 

6.7  Partners within the Community – including the Independent Advisory Group, the Safer Neighbourhood Board, Victim Support, and local authority representatives – had been scheduled to speak at the Confidence and Satisfaction Boards to give views around what more could be done to improve in this area. 

6.8  Two Police Academy sessions had been delivered in Hackney with four more to follow. This provided open and transparent forums where officers talked to the community on their work and approaches. This included discussions on the roles and usage of stop and search, firearms and Tasers, and guidance around complaints processes.

6.9  Her senior Leadership Team were delivering Ask Me events where the public could ask any questions, and the police engaged with the community events facilitated by the Safer Neighbourhood Board. She was keen for her senior officers to get out into the community and had recently taken the team to meet various community groups in both Hackney and Tower Hamlets.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.1  The Minutes of the meeting of 10^th December were agreed as an accurate record.

7.2  This was with the exception that Cllr Rathbone had not been recorded as being in attendance, as he had been.

8.1  The work programme was noted.

9.1 There was no other business.