ConservativeHome's Local Government Blog

What does Sir Hugh Orde have to worry about?

Chief Constables should trust the people - and welcome accountability to directly elected police commissioners - says Mark Wallace of the Taxpayers Alliance.

This week the police have launched a new crackdown. It’s not on guns, or knives or drugs – it’s not even on the petty offences that many forces love to go after to boost their success statistics. It’s a crackdown on the concept of accountable policing.

Sir Hugh Orde, the President of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), laid into the concept of elected Police Authorities this week with all the enthusiasm that one would rather have focused on fighting crime.

His criticisms were the usual, tired generalisations. Elected oversight for the police would “politicise” the service. Voters don’t have the right priorities for such an important service. The police should be operationally independent.

These arguments have been addressed and dismissed in this column and elsewhere many times. Policing is already “politicised”, but the relationship is purely between the police and the Home Office, rather than local residents. Ordinary voters more than anyone have the incentive to get policing right – if they don’t, then it is them who suffer the consequences of rising crime. Elected authorities would maintain the operational independence of the police but increase their accountability and their legitimacy.

Should Councils employ private security firms to patrol the streets?

Labour run Tameside Council has hired a private security firm, Peak Combined Services, to police Armadale Road in Dukinfield. It has ordered the patrols, in response to uncontrollable youth annoyance and anti-social behaviour in the area. However, the Conservatives have slammed the patrols, and called them a “panic measure that exposes the systematic failure of Labour’s community safety policy in Tameside.”

Cllr. John Bell, the Tameside Conservative Leader, says:

“I am aghast that community safety in Tameside is now being put in the hands of hired heavies. Whilst I appreciate that the individual security guards should be subject to the usual legislative checks, they, nonetheless, have absolutely no powers, and no right, to be patrolling the streets in the name of Tameside Council or anybody else.

Boris fails to tackle Islamic extremism

Centre for Social Cohesion  Research Fellow, Alexander Meleagrou-Hitchens, has a challenge for the Mayor of London Boris Johnson.

In the Sunday Express, the Centre for Social Cohesion revealed that the Conservative London Mayor's office has worked alongside Mohamed Ali Harrath, who is the subject of an Interpol Red Notice for "terrorism", "counterfeiting" and "crimes involving the use of weapons/explosives."  This is despite previous statements from the party condemning Mr. Harrath.

Mr. Harrath is the founder of revolutionary Islamist group, the Tunisian Islamic Front (TIF), which seeks to create an Islamic state in Tunisia.  When asked about his involvement with TIF, he told  The Times that:

"We are not extremists and we are not terrorists and we [sic] never been involved in any such activities...revolution is not [necessarily] a dirty word...there is nothing wrong or criminal in trying to establish an Islamic state."

On Saturday, 26 September 2009 the Mayor of London held an event called Eid in the Square.  Addressing the event was Mohamed Ali Harrath who is also the CEO of the Islam Channel - media sponsors of Eid in the Square.  For a video of his appearance click here (appears 2.19 minutes into video).

Labour leader of Sandwell Council resigns after theft charge

Cllr Bill Thomas has resigned as leader of Labour controlled Sandwell Council after being charged by the police with theft of a cheque. He will appear at Sutton Coldfield Magistrates on October 30.

Sandwell is among the politically correct Councils in Britain - this is in a highly competitive field. They propose a Gypsy Awareness Month in schools and cancelled the St George's Day parade. Of course such antics are a gift to the BNP who have two councillors in Sandwell. Elections will be held next year for a third of seats.

The lesson of Fiona Pilkington's suicide: Don't pass by on the other side

Cllr David Parsons, the Conservative leader of Leicestershire County Council, says Fiona Pilkington suicide shows we must "take ownership" of problems in our community - not leave the responsibility to someone else. This applies to the police, councils but also to citizens.

The tragic circumstances surrounding the deaths of Fiona Pilkington and her daughter, Francecca, in Barwell in October 2007 is just one of those moments whereby one is forced to stop and think: are you really making a difference and is everything we are doing enough to protect vulnerable people?

For the last twelve years, central government has overhauled the system that used to be called “social services” and how organisations like the police and local councils work together to deliver their “social” obligations.

Most of the time, we like to think that we get it broadly right. In Leicestershire, we pioneered the Youth IMPACT project, which uses teams of specially trained youth workers to go out into the community and works with police and essentially, young people themselves, to seek solutions to issues of anti-social or improper behaviour, before they have chance to escalate. In the wake of the Pilkington case, people may be thinking this is the “soft” approach and we need to take a tougher line with problem individuals or communities.

Fiona Pilkington's suicide: What are councillors for?

Like the rest of the country I am angered by the bureuacratic failures that ended up with Fiona Pilkington being driven to suicide. I also reflect on the responsibility that the 20,000 out of 60 million of us in this country who have the honour to be local councillors face to prevent such cases happening.

The worst culprit seems to be Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council, which styles itself: "A borough to be proud of." To quote the pop singer Heather Small: "What have you done today to make you feel proud?" I've just spoken to the Conservative opposition leader on the (Lib Dem controlled) Council, Cllr Ray Ward, who has agreed to write an article for us on the scandal. He believes the failings are "deeply ingrained."

But I've also written to Cllr David Parsons, the Conservative leader of Leicestershire County Council, on what "lessons could be learnt."

CCTV cameras are not being used enough

A BBC report suggests that the police often aren't making full use of the CCTV cameras at their disposal. Detective Chief Inspector Mick Neville says that "most forces do not have systems to retrieve, process CCTV crime scene images." He thinks that rather than spending money on more cameras we should work out how to use the ones we have got.

I would have thought the situation varies completely. Wandsworth Council have a very high number of cameras, 1,113, and obviously believe they are highly effective. North of the Thames, in my borough, I am persuaded that CCTV is also effective and I often lobby for my cameras when a street in my ward emerges as a crime hot spot.

But the report claims that police in some London boroughs are failing to make any use of CCTV even for such crimes as serious assault and robbery.

Is Surrey Council socialist?

Cllr Andrew Povey, the new Conservative leader of Surrey County Council, has been outlining his priorities. Among his proposals is to give £1 million to Surrey Police specifically to tackle speeding. "Surrey Police has noted that it comes top of the concerns expressed to them by the public," says Cllr Povey. This is surprising. In my experience people want police to get out of their patrol cars and back on the beat. They want a lower priority given to chasing after motorists and a higher priority tackling muggers and burglars. Perhaps the view in Surrey is different to elsewhere.

Recruitment of social workers is another area being flagged up with bursaries of £1,500 a year for 50 students whose family home is in Surrey who are studying social work. Also sponsorship for ten existing members of Council staff to train to become social workers. It will be interesting to see how this works. I can see the benefit of social workers having local knowledge of where they are working. But what would there be to stop them taking the bursaries and sponsorship and then working for another council?

Slough Council libel case

It is perfectly understandable that when complaints of crime and anti social behaviour are met with indifference those complaining become exasperated and angry. But a libel case currently taking place against Labour-run Slough Council is a particularly serious example.

Jane Clift saw children uprooting plants in a local park. When she talked to the adults charged with supervising the children they became abusive. When she rang the Council's Anti Social Behaviour Coordinator  he told her she was being "provocative" and that she should leave. When she sent an angry letter of complaint she was placed on a register as "potentially violent."

Hence her libel action. The case continues. 

Should we have talking CCTV cameras?

So much for liberalism. The Lib Dem-run Northampton Borough Council appears to get at the cutting edge of Orwellian intrusion.

They have introduced talking CCTV cameras, mostly with recorded messages but also with the facility for the CCTV operators to issue specific commands. According the Daily Mirror a couple were spotted having sex and told to stop it at once. Cllr Andrew Simpson, the Lib Dem councillor responsible for the cameras says: "I wasn't expecting them to pick up on that sort of thing." He doesn't sound as though he is on top of his brief.

Some people oppose CCTV on grounds of principle. I don't. If it can be shown to be effective to catching and convicting criminals hen the cost and intrusiveness of CCTV is probably justified. But blaring out instructions to people to stop having sex seems to be going a bit far.

Street Pastor scheme for Worthing

Worthing is introducing a Street Pastor scheme where Christians in high visibility jackets patrol the streets after dark. There is concern about the vulnerability of young people coming home from night clubs after a 23-year-old was electrocuted after falling on a live rail after being ejected from a club.

The initiative is being championed by Cllr Noel Atkins, a Conservative councillor and the new Mayor of Worthing. The Street Pastors will seek to ensure those the "worse for wear" get home safely. There are a hundred Street Pastor schemes in the country pioneered by the Ascension Trust which says there has been a drop in crime where they operate.

Commend a Copper campaign

The anti-police bandwagon brigade ignores the bravery, hardwork and dedication-to-duty of London’s finest, says London Assembly member, Brian Coleman.

I have a lot of respect for the Police. I have met numerous police officers over the years and without fail they have been honest, decent people doing their best to keep us safe in often difficult circumstances. Yet recently the police have faced an cacophony of criticism, so I have started a campaign on Facebook to support our police men and women because coppers should be commended, not condemned.

Since the G20 politicians and so-called media commentators have gleefully leapt on the anti-police bandwagon and mouthed-off at the Met. But in so doing they have completely ignored the excellent performance of the vast majority of officers at the G20. The level of damage to the City was low, violent protests were well-contained, and there was no use water cannons, tear gas or rubber bullets to which other countries’ police forces might have resorted.

I accept some mistakes were made. Police ID numbers should have been properly displayed, and a tiny minority of officers’ behaviour crossed the line, but it would be wrong if these incidents detracted from the
overall operation. However, it is equally wrong for detached commentators to condemn the entire force for the actions of a few. Tarring every officer with the same brush is not the answer – it is wrong, unhelpful and undermines public safety.

Localise criminal justice

Glyn Gaskarth, of the Local Government Information Unit, says local councils should be given more power to tackle crime.

Last week saw the first parliamentary oral evidence session for the new All Party Parliamentary Local Government Group inquiry into Justice in Communities. The inquiry, coordinated by the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU), is developing recommendations to localise the criminal justice system.

The LGiU believe local communities should be given the funding and powers necessary to coordinate the criminal justice agencies in their areas to reduce reoffending. We ask for your assistance to identify what powers and funding streams should be devolved. We need your help to make the case for devolving these powers.

The majority of crime is local. Offenders tend to commit crimes in their own neighbourhoods. Local communities have to live with the effects, such as graffiti, litter and smashed windows. Local authorities are obligated to provide services to deal with these effects. Local taxpayers are required to fund the provision of these services. But local authorities are not funded or equipped to tackle crime.

Tory Council deploy cattle to deter vandals and gypsies

Conservative-run Hampshire County Council have deployed eight Aberdeen Angus cows on a playing field resulting in a drop in anti social behaviour. So far as I can understand the Monks Brook playing fields are not currently being used for football - otherwise the cows would get in the way, wouldn't they?

So the presence of the cows, whose grazing and fertilising of the land is also beneficial, is an interim arrangement. But the council are considering using them on other areas blighted by anti social behaviour and traveler encampments. Critics say the cows just move the problem on.

Tower Hamlets Council funded centre to host pro-al-Qaeda preacher

Cllr Phil Briscoe, a Conservative opposition councillor on Labour-run Tower Hamlets Council has been making urgent enquiries over the following press release from the Quilliam Foundation, an organisation set up to counter Islamic extremism.

On the weekend of 11-12 April the Brady Arts Centre, a community centre in East London that is funded and run by Tower Hamlets council, will reportedly host a video-conference by Anwar al-Awlaki, a prominent pro-jihadist preacher currently living in Yemen.

Tower Hamlets is home to Britain’s largest Muslim population and the Brady Centre has recently hosted a number of extreme Islamist events, including a video-conference by Omar Bakri.

Why does Manchester have 104 young people in custody but Newcastle only has 18?

Shadow Justice Minister David Burrowes MP gave a speech on Thursday on youth justice.  The Telegraph reported his general ambition to see fewer young people in prison but that those people should serve longer sentences, so aiding rehabilitation.

David Burrowes also looked at the very different rates of young people being put in custody.  Why, he said, does Manchester have five times as many young people in custody as Newcastle?  He worries that local decision makers lack incentives to provide interventions that will drive down reoffending rates:

"Most local authorities do not actually know how many young people are in custody. They do not know the costs and do not properly consider whether their policies in prevention and resettlement are making a difference to reducing offending. We have Crime and Disorder Partnerships where the elephant in the room, namely how many young people are in custody and the associated costs is not mentioned. For example, does Lambeth know that on 31st May 2008, there were 70 of their young people locked up but in Hackney there were 40? Do these authorities consider that the weighted average bed costs mean that tax payers are spending approximately £5.25 million on keeping these young people locked up? Yet Hackney is spending £2.7 million. Is there anything that Hackney is doing which Lambeth is not? The reality is that local authorities have no incentive to know because they do not have any responsibility for the custody budget.

The point is made even clearer if we look at the statistics for Manchester and Newcastle. Again on the 31st May 2008, Manchester had 104 young people in custody, but staggeringly, Newcastle had a mere 18 in custody. This means that tax payers are spending approximately £7.8 million to keep young Mancunians locked up, but only £1.3 million to lock up young Geordies. Is it that Geordies are better than Mancunians? Whilst Alan Sheerer may have a view on that, what does seem to be the case is that Newcastle has a number of intervention projects which may well be having a profound affect on custody numbers. The problem is that the local decision makers in Newcastle and Manchester do not have the financial incentive to provide long term sustainable interventions which will drive down re-offending rates and in so doing, reduce numbers of young people in custody."

Tim Montgomerie

Download a PDF of David Burrowes' full NACRO Speech 2009

What safeguards do Councils have to avoid funding extremist Muslim groups?

The Policy Exchange think tank latest report Choosing Our Friends Wisely: Criteria for engagement with Muslim groups, has huge relevance for local councils. Is money provided by the Government's Preventing Violent Extremism programme, at least £90 million over three years, going to the right people? The report concludes it is often making matters worse. A new generation is being radicalised with the very fnds that were supposed to be countering radicalisation.

The report includes an example from Birmingham Council which actually seems to have been commended by the Audit Commission where staff in 72 madrassahs have been trained in ‘teaching and delivering the Islamic syllabus’ as part of promotion of Islamic citizenship. The Policy Exchange report queries the vagueness about the project (What was he content? Who did the training? etc) and adds: "Above all, specifically why is it the duty of local authorities to promote ‘Islamic citizenship’? Why is it not explicitly the duty of councils to promote Britishness, and even loyalty to the Crown?"

The report doesn't think the Local Government Association are much help:

"It is not always Whitehall that exhibits this noticeable lack of clarity. A glossy document produced by the Local Government Association (LGA), entitled Leading the preventing extremism agenda: a role made for councillors, points to the key role that can be played by local councillors in forging ‘strong links between local authorities and community groups’.

Tory councillor facing hate charges over gypsies comment

Cllr Robert Fraser, a Conservative member of Leicestershire County Council, is being investigated by Leicestershire police after he was reported for an alleged "hate crime." This is over remarks he made at a public meeting to discuss a proposed travellers site. The meeting was filmed, without his knowledge, and his remarks placed on YouTube.

In response to a question he said: "The Romanians, they'll stick a knife in you as soon as look at you." Although he added that there "might be some good ones" he also said that generally they "make the Irish look like complete amatateurs."

Cllr Fraser seems to confuse Romany gypsies with Romanians - and has naturally caused great offence to both with his sweeping statement. The Romany gypsies were originally from Egypt (Romany being the language they speak) although they did settle in Romania for quite a while.

Anyway, Cllr Fraser has apologised saying he "bitterly regretted" bringing a "racist element" into the meeting. It was "spur of the moment" and heallowed his judgement to be "momentarily clouded."

Should his apology be the end of the matter?

Keep Big Brother out of the Town Hall

Mark Wallace of the Taxpayers Alliance says councils should avoid spending money on surveillance

It is a truth self evident that we live in an increasingly Big Brother society. With a Government seemingly obsessed with gathering as much data as possible on individuals, we are beset by ID cards, DNA databases, health snoopers and CCTV cameras. Whilst the warnings – most recently from former MI5 Chief Stella Rimington – tend to caution us against a “police state”, it is almost unnoticed that in practice much of these measures are in fact wielded by bureaucrats rather than the police.

Giving the police unprecedented powers to snoop on the public is worrying enough, but if anything it is even more concerning that it is local government who are the people behind the spy cameras.

There was a widespread sense of anger when it emerged the Poole Council had been using so-called “RIPA” powers, introduced on a wave of Government rhetoric about fighting terrorism, to covertly film a family whom they suspected to be lying about being in a school catchment zone.

Council urged to run its own police force

The Sustainable Communities Act might prove rather more exciting than it sounds. First introduced as a Private Members Bill by the Tory MP Nick Hurd, among other things it offers Councils the power to take back the precept they pay to the police and use it to operate the policing themselves. It contains the sort of localist measures we can expect more of if the Conservatives form the next Government.

In Windsor a petition has been launched to urge the local Council to take this course of action the Act empowers them to. The petition says:

“We, the undersigned, have lost confidence in Thames Valley Police Constabulary. We believe that they have given up offering genuine protection to our residents and businesses, opting instead to use our police precept (tax) to fund security in Slough, Oxford and Reading. We believe we have a right to policing and are now unwilling to continue to live in an environment of harassment and crime.”

Thame Valley Police has announced a 4.5% increase in its Council Tax precept. But petition organiser George Bathurst says: “We have problems of our own and we need a local police force to serve the local people. There is not enough police around the borough and Windsor police station is always closed, residents and businesses do not have anyone to turn too. People are struggling to pay their council tax as it is and they now they are being asked to pay more, which is likely to be going to adjacent boroughs.”

Lib Dem councillor blocked ambulance

The Standards Board have upheld a formal complaint over the behaviour of a Lib Dem councillor in Cambridge Cllr Colin Rosenstiel. It is a criminal offence to block the path of an emergency vehicle so he has got off lightly given that no charges have been brought. But why have the Lib Dems not thrown him out? Does Nick Clegg believe blocking emergency vehicles is acceptable behaviour?

Councils threatened with legal action over lack of rape support

The Equality and Human Rights Commission is threatening to sue over 100 local councils for failing to meet their legal requirement to provide a refuge for women suffering from domestic violence. Most of the Councils failing to provide such services are in the east Midlands, the east of England and the south east. There is a "map of gaps" produced where individual councils can be checked although I haven't found a list naming and shaming the culprits. In any event many will escape any legal action if they can demonstrate that someone other than the Council is already providing the service.

Where there should also be some scrutiny is where a service is provided? Is it is any good? Is it of practical value or just employing "Domestic Violence Co-ordinators" spending their time applying for funds for more "Domestic Violence Co-ordinators."

Should Councils be doing more on drug rehabilitation?

As Shadow Home Secretary Oliver Letwin argued that a "quantum leap" was needed in drug rehabilitation if crime was to be defeated. He suggested that those arrested and found to be drug addicts which be forced to undergo such treatment or face imprisonment - which Letwin argued was a tougher rather than softer policy than what is currently in place. This approach was reflected in the Conservatives 2005 General Election manifesto, which said:

"We will break the link between drugs and crime by massively expanding treatment programmes, including 25,000 residential rehab places (compared with fewer than 2,500 places today), and by giving all young users of hard drugs a straight choice – effective treatment or appearing in court."

I've been reading Chris Patten's new book What Next? which includes a chapter on drugs and which says:

"We should, of course, be spending more on treatment of drug dependence or abuse - for instance, counselling, methadone treatment and other opiate-maintenance therapies for heroin addicts."

I hope that that will Letwin's proposals will be maintained for the next manifesto rather than just being ditched for the sake of having something different. But rather than wait for a Conservative Government should Conservative Councils be doing more to fund drug rehabilitation? It would cost money. But then so does drug addiction - quite apart from any other considerations. Nuisance neighbours to evict from estates. Crime and vandalism. Heroin addicts mothers whose children end up in Pupil Referral Units or taken into care. All these are a considerable drain on Council budgets. Most Councils make a hefty number of grants to voluntary groups. Perhaps some of this money should be redirected to those who in return undertake to provide drug rehabilitation programme to local addicts.

Happy Christmas to all readers.

Electing the police

Mark Wallace of the Taxpayers Alliance laments the Home Secretary Jacqui Smith backing away from democratic local accountability for the police.

It was disappointing to see Jacqui Smith abandon her plans to introduce direct elections to Police Authorities this week. The proposals were not only radical but an exciting breath of fresh, localising air from a Government that has all too often indulged the politicians’ habit of centralising power.

The Home Secretary’s u-turn is a setback for those who believe in decentralising power from Whitehall to localities, civil society and individuals. The debate that led to her decision contains key lessons that any political movement must be aware of to truly reform the public sector in a way that will deliver a smaller state, better services and lower taxes.

First and foremost is the undeniable fact that: politicians at any level guard their power jealously. In the case of Police Authority elections, some of the most outspoken voices against the plans were those of existing Authority members. Currently, each PA is made up of appointed members of the public, magistrates and appointed local councillors.

Wandsworth use micro-chipping to tackle aggressive dogs

Cllr Edward Lister, the leader of Wandsworth Council, on a success story in tackling anti social behaviour.

A Labour government that has never been afraid to legislate over just about every aspect of daily life has been curiously inactive on the modern fad for using certain breeds of dog as macho status symbols.

If you're a day late paying your TV licence the man from the detector van will be knocking on your door. Get caught having a quiet smoke in the wrong place or driving too quickly past one speed camera too many
and the forces of Brown's state will come down on you.

But if you are a young thug with a record for violence there is absolutely nothing to stop you acquiring and training an animal for use as a dangerous weapon.

Tory Council bans swearing in the street

Conservative-run Preston Council are banning swearing in their streets. Culprits face £80 fixed penalty notices. Will the police actually enforce this or will the measure just consist of warning posters on lamp posts rather than something than happens in reality? On the other hand where the police do enforce it will they do so with discretion, dealing with it where it is aggressive and loud rather than inadvertent?

Of course in the past there was much stronger peer group pressure against swearing in public, especially in front of women or children and so such an initiative would have been unnecessary. But it will be interesting to see how it works out. For many people walking down a street hearing others swearing is as bad or worse as seeing litter. I think Preston Council might well have come up with a good idea.