Search questions

• Reference: 2012/0023-2
• Question by: Joanne McCartney
• Meeting date: 31 May 2012

The Commissioner has said that he wants a new approach to stop and search. He told the Metropolitan Police Authority last year that he hoped to have a new policy in place for the New Year, and he told us last time he was here that that is still his view, but that there would be some consultation with communities and with ourselves and the stakeholders about that new approach. We have not heard of any consultation at the moment on what the new approach is, so could you just let us know firstly what the timescales are, what steps...

• Reference: 2012/0011-2
• Question by: Jennette Arnold OBE
• Meeting date: 08 March 2012

Yes, I do have some questions about the flawed police investigation that followed the fatal stabbing of Stephen Lawrence 19 years ago. I am sure I am not the only one but I just would like to say that so many people who have, if you like, been associated by just their feelings of sympathy and empathy with the family over the years would have been in a state of shock on reading that article. I would just like the Deputy Commissioner to say, if possible, what has been the response from the service to this article and this article...

• Reference: 2012/0012-2
• Question by: Jenny Jones
• Meeting date: 08 March 2012

Jenny Jones (AM): It is really difficult to know where to start. This has been going on for eight and a half years now and that is a long time in human terms, in Metropolitan Police Service terms of course it is just a click of the fingers. I think I first wrote to the Chief Executive, I cannot remember, it might have been 2004, about this when Mr Ahmad actually approached me, and it just seems to be so turgid, the whole process, that the Metropolitan Police Service is constantly to be forced to do anything about this. You...

• Reference: 2012/0013-2
• Question by: Valerie Shawcross
• Meeting date: 08 March 2012

Valerie Shawcross (AM): I think the last time you were both in front of us we did speak a little bit about how you were reconfiguring the Trident Gang Crime Command and the considerable number of people who work in that division, was it 500 staff I think you mentioned. Since then there has been seven stabbings in my division and of course a terrible murder of Kwame Ofosu-Asare [March 2012]. We are looking at the performance data that suggests there is a growing problem. Serious youth violence is up over the 12 months rolling period by 4.9%, nearly 5%...

• Reference: 2012/0014-2
• Question by: Jennette Arnold OBE
• Meeting date: 08 March 2012

Jennette Arnold OBE (AM): I have a few questions. I wonder, Kit, if I can ask you in your role as Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime what assessment you plan to make of the MPS' strategy and policy to address hate crime? I say that given this, I think, quite large increase of 7.6% around disability crime offences that we can see on the performance figures that you have given to us. Also, I just wanted to focus as well on hate crime and crimes against older people, because the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) February 2012 report shows an...

• Reference: 2012/0016-2
• Question by: Steve O'Connell
• Meeting date: 08 March 2012

Steve O'Connell (AM): Turning to resources, I know recently you have written to the Chair with an update on your thoughts around PCSO numbers and improvement and that letter has been copied to us, so thank you for that.

• Question by: Caroline Pidgeon
• Meeting date: 08 March 2012

Caroline Pidgeon (AM): I just wanted to pick up a couple of things, following on from Val's question. The issue Val mentions of the seven stabbings, and one stabbing that resulted in somebody tragically dying in parts of Lambeth Kit Malthouse (Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime): Pimlico. Caroline Pidgeon (AM): -- I wonder if there is any more information you could give us in terms of extra resources and what you are doing, because there are clearly huge concerns in the community in that area, and it would be useful if you could give us a bit more information...

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 08 March 2012

Tony Arbour (AM): I have been looking at this card, and I have to say I am not sure I agree with you, Kit, that people do not expect criminals to be caught. I seem to recall Kit Malthouse (Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime): They do. Tony Arbour (AM): the saintly Sir Robert Peel [Home Secretary who established the Metropolitan Police Force in the 1820s], when he put down the things of people being caught and brought to justice; no mention of that on the card. The key thing about this card which I note is that it says...

• Question by: James Cleverly
• Meeting date: 08 March 2012

James Cleverly (AM): Following up from Victoria's questions about particularly young victims of crime and their confidence in policing, and I do not want to go crashing into one of the issues we have later on, but we are going to be touching a little bit on disproportionality. From memory, from the feedback we get from the sectors of the community who are least confident interacting with the police, the young tend to be less confident than the older generation. Black and other ethnic minorities tend to be less confident than the white population. Specifically with young, potentially black victims...

• Question by: Jenny Jones
• Meeting date: 08 March 2012

Jenny Jones (AM): I would like to go back to Tony's questioning, which I completely support. I think senior police officers are paid amply and could probably provide their own legal services. Perhaps we should go through all the evidence from the Leveson and work out what percentage of their answers are completely of non-public concern or where we are not liable to pay for them and we could claim our fees back. What do you think, Tony? Would you like to write to the Commissioner and suggest that? Anyway, getting back to the papers Tony Arbour (AM): I am...