Metropolitan PEEL 2015
Efficiency
How efficient is the force at keeping people safe and reducing crime?
How well does the force use its resources to meet its demand?
The force has a good understanding of its current demands on its services from the public through its analysis of a wide range of information and by engaging with the public and its partners.
It has a plan in place to improve its understanding of demand over the next five years and is well placed to match resources efficiently to demand over short and medium term.
The force has reduced the volume of victim-based crimes in seven principal categories over the last three years and is on track to meet the target set in the Mayor of London’s police and crime plan 2013 to 2016.
The force has introduced new ways for the public to report crime and has improved accessibility for the public, demonstrating a continuing commitment to adapt how it operates to meet the needs of the community.
It is proactively managing demand, particularly through prevention measures and working with partner organisations. However, it is less proactive in managing demand at the point where members of the public call the police.
The force has a clear understanding of the results and outcomes of its activity and it knows the costs of providing its services to the public.
Since the last inspection the force has made progress in its plans to use technology to realise savings and further rationalised its estate.
How sustainable and affordable is the workforce model?
Currently the workforce model requires 32,000 police officers to be in place by 2016, which is one of the objectives set by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime to support the aim of reducing crime.
The force is able to match resources to current demand, even at times of peak demand and when it is managing major capital city events.
Current skill gaps for the force are being filled through training and the force is starting to understand what capabilities it will need in 2020 and beyond.
The force recognises that it will need to change its workforce model in the medium to long term and has a clear plan that sets out how it will maintain a workforce fit to meet the organisational and financial challenges ahead.
It is committed to recruiting from members of the London communities it serves, and has a policy that requires police officer applicants to have lived in London for three years. It has adopted a direct entry scheme to superintendent rank, along with several other schemes, in order to bring different skills and experience to the force.
The force has modelled options for the medium and long term as part of the MET Change 2 programme.
How sustainable is the force’s financial position for the short and long term?
Over the last four years the force has a proven track record of making changes to its operating model to meet reductions to its funding.
The force achieved the required savings from the government’s spending review in 2011. This was despite the impact of the London Olympics in 2012, delaying the force’s plans.
The force achieved its required savings and balanced the budget for 2014/15. It has balanced its budget for the current financial year, which does include the use of reserves.
Where HMIC has examined assumptions used to underpin financial plans they were found to be reasonable and prudent.
The force’s financial plans closely reflect the objectives set out by the Mayor of London’s police and crime plan 2013-2016. MOPAC governance arrangements have ensured that the force is held to account and that MOPAC works with the force to identify savings and provide a sustainable workforce model to meet demand.
The MET Change 2 programme sets out a range of change options to deliver a sustainable workforce model, meet demand and achieve savings during the period to 2020.
The options had not yet been agreed at the time of inspection as they were to be considered by the senior management board in June 2015.