Attachment
THE NATIONAL
POLICING PLAN
Thank you for your letter of 29 November 2004
regarding Southampton BCU's performance. You queried the process
for how Southampton had been identified for the list in the draft
National Policing Plan.
2. The list annex in the draft National
Policing Plan you saw featuring Southampton was, in fact, a list
of high crime CDRPs, not BCUs. In the new PSA1, the high crime
partnership areas are those CDRP areas that have the highest rates
of recorded crime per head of population plus the highest crime
levels (each being given equal weight), as measured using the
BCS comparator (a suite of statistics that, in essence, captures
the recorded crime types which most closely match the questions
asked in the British Crime Survey) in 2003-04—ie not performance.
Identification as a high-crime area is not subject to consultation,
but with reference to recorded crime figures.
3. Southampton CDRP is in the high crime
quartile, ranked 21st. Under the arrangements for the new PSA1
(to reduce crime by 15%, and more in high crime areas, by 2007-08)
Southampton CDRP will be expected, like all "high crime areas",
to contribute larger reductions to the overall national target
than non high crime areas. Government Office South East is currently
involved in negotiations with all the partnerships in their region
to agree targets that will ensure that the South East delivers
reductions in proportion to its contribution to the volume and
rate of crime nationally.
4. The methodology we apply to measure BCU
performance is based on the Most Similar BCU approach, which uses
comparative performance rather than absolute crime numbers to
assess performance. Under this approach, Southampton BCU appears,
particularly for crime reduction in burglary, vehicle crime and
robbery, as a strong performing BCU. You may be interested to
see a letter (which I attach) from Stephen Rimmer, Director of
Policing Policy to Chief Constable Paul Kernaghan regarding the
strong performance of three of Hampshire's 10 BCUs.
5. In short, whilst the BCU is performing
well, further improvements are required to drive down crime in
areas like Southampton where levels are nevertheless higher than
elsewhere. I recognise that this amounts to an ambitious challenge.
That is why it is important that we praise achievements to date
but also aspire to further crime reductions where this is most
needed.
Hazel Blears MP
14 January 2005
STRONG BCU COMPARATIVE
PERFORMANCE
I am writing to you in respect of the strong
performance of three Hampshire BCUs: Solent East, Southampton
Central and Havant (out of eight in total) which have come to
the attention of the Police Performance Steering Group (PPSG),
which I chair. Our second quarter analysis of BCU data showed
strong performance over two successive quarters in the key crime
types burglary, vehicle crime and robbery.
2. As part of the Home Office's performance
monitoring arrangements, data is analysed by PPSG on a quarterly
basis; at BCU level against the key crime types, all crime, and
the BCS comparator; and at force level, by way of a banding analysis
in the PPAF domains. This enables us to track the individual contribution
of forces and BCUs in delivering the current SR2002 PSA2, as well
as their contribution to the new SR2004 PSA1 target (to reduce
crime by 15%, and further in the high crime areas, by 2007-08).
Our analysis highlights those forces and BCUs performing most
strongly and most poorly. It also serves to underpin our decision
to produce a full force assessment—which combines a quantitative
and qualitative view—to determine which forces and BCUs
are facing performance issues and may benefit from the Police
Standards Unit's targeted support.
3. For two successive quarters, eight BCUs
have been identified as showing performance which is strong both
against their most similar BCUs (MSBCUs) and their own historical
performance. From end of September 2004 data in the total target
crime measure, PPSG has noted that Solent East has achieved:
— quarter on same quarter previous
year decreases of 26%;
— year on year reductions of 39%;
— crime rate 32% less than the
average of its MSBCU group; and
— second lowest crime rate in
its MSBCU group of 15, for the quarter ending September 2004.
4. Southampton Central has achieved:
— quarter on same quarter previous
year decreases of 33%;
— year on year reductions of 16%;
— crime rate 41.8% less than the
average of its MSBCU group; and
— second lowest crime rate in
its MSBCU group of 15, for the quarter ending September 2004.
5. Havant has achieved:
— quarter on same quarter previous
year decreases of 31%;
— year on year reductions of 18%;
— crime rate 37.6% less than the
average of its MSBCU group; and
— second lowest crime rate in
its MSBCU group of 15, for the quarter ending September 2004.
These figures are part of a very positive picture
for each BCU showing significant and long term reductions in the
total of target crimes and indeed for Hampshire overall. They
also represent a positive contribution to our target, for which
I am grateful. I would be very pleased therefore if you could
pass on my warm appreciation, and that of my PPSG colleagues,
to Supt Graham Haycock, Ch Supt Paul Stickler and Supt Mark Chatterton
and the police officers and police staff in their BCUs. If there
are any particular lessons about this success which you think
we should be learning from more generally, I would of course be
very pleased to hear from you.
6. I am copying this letter to your regional
HMI and the Chair of your Police Authority.
Stephen Rimmer
6 December 2004
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