Transcript of this meeting [PDF]

justified in relation to the problem because (inaudible) claims are a tiny proportion of thenumber of engagements and arrests and to roll out such an expensive programme at atime when we are particularly looking at using every pound effectively, on balance, wedo not think is the right thing to do.James Cleverly (AM): I appreciate what you say and it seems you have already done arough cost benefit analysis with regards to the effect on claims against the cost oftechnology. Clearly, with many things in the technology field, the cost collapsed prettyquickly. Could we get some assurance that this is something that you will keep, at least,on the back burner and keep an eye on costs because it could well be that, as the cost ofthis technology falls, the cost benefit analysis will shift?Sir Paul Stephenson (Commissioner, MPS): I think we have got to constantly keep oureye on changing technology that might bring benefits, particularly if the change intechnology comes down in cost, as technology tends to do. Happily I will do that.Kit Malthouse (Chairman): OK. Would you like to answer your second question,James [Cleverly]?James Cleverly (AM): Indeed. Can I have figures on how many targets are beingscrapped in the MPS and how many are being introduced and how much officer time has,or will be, saved as a result?Kit Malthouse (Chairman): Sorry, are you looking for a target about scrapping targets!Sir Paul Stephenson (Commissioner, MPS): I am always delighted, as you know,when the number of targets are reduced because, as I have said on many occasions, ifeverybody is a priority nothing is a priority. I think if we reduce targets we increaseflexibility and we increase the ability for people to use their creativity and, indeed, theirprofessionalism.I would say the targets are not set by me; they are set by the MPA. I suggested to theMPA last year that we set 10 key performance indicators (KPIs) and we have got 20. Iwill come back this year to ask you to reduce the number of targets. So, actually, ourmain targets are set by you, not by the MPS, but we will be asking you again to reducethe number of targets. Whether you decide to do so or not is a matter for you.Kit Malthouse (Chairman): OK. Tony [Arbour]?Tony Arbour (AM): Yes, thank you, Chairman. The MPS is working to establish dataaccuracy levels across the organisation however, if some boroughs’ data is found to beconsistently inaccurate, how do we know that we are receiving reliable generalinformation from the MPS on crime? You will know, Commissioner, that this arose froma report to SOP which identified particular boroughs as having inaccurate recording,particularly Greenwich, Southwark and Islington.www.merrillcorp.com37