ADD2392 Attitudes towards sharing personal data for crime prevention

Violence, particularly that which affects young people, is a significant concern for London. Violence prevention and reduction are often cited as priorities for many statutory and non-statutory organisations; acknowledging that violence impacts all of us in varying degrees and forms, and that we should all share some responsibility in trying to tackle it. The Mayor set up a Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) for London in late 2018 to take a public health approach to reducing violence. This aspires to challenge the way that violent crime across London and its associated factors are ordinarily analysed; aligning to a public health approach through integrating health care, social care, and emergency services data. However, currently the application of the public health approach to violence prevention and reduction in London is constrained by the accessibility and availability of quantitative data relevant to violent crime, the associated harms, and the identified risk and protective factors for violence.

The Greater London Authority (GLA) is leading on a one-year project, working with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) as part of their regulatory Sandbox, aiming to support the longer-term work of the VRU and improve the evidence-base on public health, crime and community safety through improving data sharing for London. Ultimately, the project seeks to acquire more extensive, legally-compliant data sharing at a lower, more disclosive level to bring together and link individual health, crime, social care records so that early intervention can be better targeted towards those most at risk of violence involvement (both as a victim or a perpetrator).

To enable an ethical approach to data sharing, while understanding not only the legal implications of data sharing, but the views of those whose data will be shared, the GLA wishes to commission research to understand the views of Londoners that existing crime statistics and data show are at most at risk of violent crime (i.e. those whose data is most likely to be shared) towards their personal data being shared with public sector authorities to support crime prevention and reduce violence.

Objective:

• To explore attitudes towards the sharing of personal data for crime prevention, among Londoners most at-risk of being victims and/or perpetrators of violent crime.

Outcomes:

• This research will help ensure that development of the ICO Sandbox project takes account of the attitudes of those Londoners most likely to be affected by and benefit from it, including:

- their overall attitude to the concept (before and after summary information is given to them about it);
- what they think the benefits of this data sharing could be;
- why they support or oppose this idea – and the key barriers or drivers;
- what would encourage them to be more supportive of this idea;
- what misconceptions exist around the use of personal data;
- who they most trust to look after their personal data; and
- where the limits are with regards to what data should or should not be shared.

The GLA has an obligation under the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty to consider how its policies and decisions affect people with protected characteristics under the Act.

This research will engage with and gather insight from hard-to-reach and vulnerable (including BAME, younger, and lower social grade) Londoners - existing crime statistics and data show that these groups are at greater risk of being a victim of violent crime than the wider population.

Conducting research with those most at risk of violent crime will help to ensure the ICO project is based on insight from those most affected by their personal data being shared.

The successful bidder will be given strict quotas regarding participant recruitment to ensure that these groups are engaged and will be asked to demonstrate their experience conducting research with vulnerable groups.

Taking part in this research is not anticipated to have any specific impact on Londoners with protected characteristics.

Key risks and issues:

The key risk is that the commissioned research agency is unable to recruit and engage with specific target groups for this research. The technical evaluation assessment will require bidders to demonstrate that they are capable and have experience conducting research with hard-to-reach groups, and they will be asked to demonstrate their approach to recruiting participants. The Opinion Research team will liaise closely with the appointed agency to ensure key target groups are reached.

Another risk is that this research is not delivered within the proposed timeline. The GLA will liaise closely with the successful bidder to help keep the project on track and will be flexible where needed to ensure the key research requirements are met.

Links to Mayoral strategies and priorities:

This research has links to and is being supported by the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), which aims to tackle violent crime and the underlying causes of it. Violence reduction is a key Mayoral priority, and this research will provide insight to help inform the VRU’s ongoing work.

Consultations and impact assessments:

The appropriate procurement process will be followed to ensure that the successful company complies with the GLA’s equality duty.

This research will help ensure that the ICO Sandbox project is more informed, by hearing from Londoners who are likely to be most affected by it.

The GLA officers involved in the drafting or clearance of this form do not have any conflicts of interest to declare.

This decision requests approval for expenditure of up to £25,000 on commissioning a research agency to conduct qualitative research to explore attitudes towards the sharing of personal data for crime prevention.

The expenditure will be funded from the 2019-20 Opinion Research and Statistics team budget, specifically the Cross-cutting programme, held within the Intelligence Unit.

1. The contract will be managed by the Opinion Research team.
3. This work will be procured through a request for quotation process. An invitation to tender will be issued to companies who have demonstrable experience delivering research of this kind.