GREATER MANCHESTER POLICE
AUTHORITY
TAKING SCRUTINY FORWARD IN GMPA
Alison Hannen
Performance Management Officer
Change
•Get noted!
•Reliance on force information / statistics
•Received wisdom / Philosophical gap
Change required:
•Adopt a scrutiny approach
•Test propositions / service delivery via reality
checks
Way forward
• Lead Members
• Visits / reality checks
• Reason and logic
• Clarity of thought
• Public mandate
= Scrutiny
POLICE AUTHORITY KEY STATUTORY DUTY
“TO PROVIDE AN EFFICIENT AND
EFFECTIVE POLICE SERVICE”
WHAT IS SCRUTINY?
Scrutiny
noun (pl. scrutinies) close and critical
observation or examination.
— ORIGIN Latin scrutinium, from scrutari
‘sort rubbish’, later ‘to search’.
OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY
“to examine something very carefully
in order to discover information”
WHAT IS SCRUTINY
• Uses a variety of tools and methodologies,
e.g. social research, consultation,
environmental scanning, site visits etc
• Enables decision making from an informed
point of view
• Evidence based decision making
• Not tied in to a prescriptive methodology
• Not necessarily about challenge, also about
providing support, lobbying, raising profiles,
developing expertise etc
POLICE AUTHORITIES : WHY
SCRUTINY?
• A model has been implemented in local
government differing results
• Strategic responsibilities and executive / non
executive split
• Can highlight the link between public
concerns/priorities to the delivery of an efficient
and effective force
• Enable public engagement/debate
Shift emphasis from servicing performance
indicators to servicing the public
GMPA SCRUTINY
Call Handling:
• Audit Commission: lost calls and resourcing
• Public views: service failure
• Reality check on current force service delivery
and other forces /external organisations.
• HMIC baseline: Poor / Deteriorated
What we did
• Set up authority group
• Researched call handling separate from
force
• Visits, spoke to staff, HMIC , partners
• Joined together: joint steering group
• Consultants
• Outline /full business case
IMPACT
•
•
•
•
•
•
Historical issue: no action
Used leverage of inspection report
Seized initiative
No 1 priority for GMPA
Business process reengineering
Public priority : delight the customer
STOP OFF ROAD
NUISANCE
• Major public issue
• Significant increase in complaints (200%)
• An average of one death per month last year
• Increasing intimidation and violence directed at staff
and the public
• Use of stolen vehicles and associated criminal
activity
• Damage to public and private property
What we did
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Researched subject
Campaign for registration scheme
Delivered conference
Support GMP off road nuisance champion
Produced literature / signs
Run steering group
Direct dialogue with the public
GMPA Publicity and new
off-road nuisance
reporting website
•Advice packs: all MP’s, Councillors,
officers etc.
•Email:
stopoffroadnuisance@gmpa.gov.uk
•Website: reporting facility: nuisance
and name and shame
•Identification of hotspot areas
•Signage: police reform warning
•Tameside Trading Standards: stop
importation
•Application for Beacon Status
IMPACT
• Public concerns ignored
• Not part of any performance management
regime
• Groundswell of support
• Tested propositions
• Filled a gap: no one taking responsibility
• Stop problem at source rather than waste
resources
GMPA SCRUTINY
• Off road nuisance:
– Force had to refocus
– Supporting GMP
– Lobbying on a national level: MP as
champion
– Current EDM / 10minute rule bill / speaking
today
– Developing expertise
– Highlight public concerns
CRIME RECORDING
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Audit commission report
GMP : Fair GMPA : Fair
Established Lead Member role
Conducted visits: call centre, crime input etc
Focus groups
Observed training, interviewed staff
Dip sample / quality assure crime reports
IMPACT
•
•
•
•
•
•
Focused on a fundamental issue
Ask naive questions
Use/mainstream the information
Protect staff
Build trust / relationships
Now= GMP: Good GMPA : Excellent
SCRUTINY OUTCOMES
• Support
– Common ground, develop understanding of issues,
joint protocols, partnership
• Supplement
– To provide additional information along side GMP
work
• Constructive Challenge/ Solutions
- To provide a vision for delivery of an effective and
efficient force which is publicly accountable.
- Problem solving approach
WHAT NEXT?
Vision:
To create a robust and independent scrutiny
role that is publicly accountable
In order to achieve this:
–
–
–
–
–
Increase the efficient use of authority resources
Emphasise joined up working
Establish formal mechanism
Identification of issues/priorities
Deliver appropriate training
REALITY CHECK ON POLICE
AUTHORITIES
• WOULD WE BE MISSED?
• RE-EVALUATE OUR RELATIONSHIPS
WITH OTHER ORGANISATIONS
• BRING SOMETHING TO THE TABLE
• USE SCRUTINY TO CHALLENGE FORCE
PROFLIGACY: OPERATIONAL
RESPONSIBILITY
• CHALLENGE OURSELVES: STATUS QUO
NOT AN OPTION