MD2772 Safestats Crime and Community Safety Data Portal

1.1 This decision covers the costs of running the SafeStats crime and community safety data portal and the Information Sharing to Tackle Violence (ISTV) programme for 2021/22.

1.2 Safestats is a secure data platform hosting a variety of crime and community safety datasets in one place and making these available to authorised analysts in London’s boroughs, the emergency services, the Greater London Authority (GLA) / Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), and other organisations. The web-based portal provides instant access to this data which together provide the most rounded available picture of crime hotspots in London, and a variety of tools to use for different strategic and operational analysis.

1.3 The ‘Information Sharing to Tackle Violence’ (ISTV) programme brings together and provides access to anonymised data on violent incidents reported to London’s 28 hospital emergency departments. The data are hosted on the Safestats data portal. The programme aims to reduce violence by providing intelligence on a greater proportion of violent incidents than those that are reported to the police. It has been shown to be effective in Cardiff and elsewhere in reducing violence. These data are governed by NHS Digital data standard ISB1594.

1.4 Funding for 2021/22 is being provided by MOPAC on behalf of London Borough Community Safety and Violence Reduction Units, and from the London Fire Commissioner (LFC) and Transport for London (TfL) to host their data.

1.5 This decision seeks approval to receive and spend grant funding from MOPAC of £185,000; to receive and spend £5,000 from the London Fire Commissioner; and to receive and spend £5,000 from Transport for London; for the 2021/22 financial year. MOPAC, TfL and the LFC have each confirmed that they have sufficient budget to cover the said grants.

2.1 Safestats aims to reduce crime by sharing multi-agency information in one place, and enabling analysts to securely access a greater range of data. It supports the following objectives:

• supporting the Mayor’s priorities around crime and public safety, health and the economy including keeping children and young people safe, tackling violence among women and girls, cracking down on knife crime, Thrive London: improving mental health, building a 24 hour London, and regeneration: improving London’s public spaces and high streets; and

• providing data support to the Mayor’s public health approach to violent crime, in particular, the Violence Reduction Unit. Data from Safestats are used to help allocate funding for local programmes.

2.2 Specific Safestats objectives and outcomes for 2021/22 include:

• monthly processing and updating of data received by suppliers and provision of 24/7 access to the portal for users;

• widen the user base to encapsulate a greater array of users, implementing robust risk management and suitable processes as appropriate;

• increase both the quantity and quality of the data hosted within the portal; and

• the procuring of ongoing development work to ensure that the portal continues to meet the evolving needs of the users and authorisers, such as increasing the usability of the search tools, embedding user auditing and reporting tools, and improving the visual representation of the data outputs.

3.1 The GLA must have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation as well as to the need to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not, under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010. This involves having due regard to the need to remove or minimise any disadvantage suffered by those who share a relevant protected characteristic that is connected to that characteristic, taking steps to meet the different needs of such people; and encouraging them to participate in public life or in any other activity where their participation is disproportionately low.

3.2 Safestats meets this public sector equality duty in two ways: advancing equality of opportunity and fostering good relations between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not through analysis conducted using the data and through robust data governance to prevent discrimination.

3.3 Analysis conducted using the data further the Mayor’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategic objective of a “safe, healthy and enjoyable city”. The driving force of analysis conducted by organisations accessing Safestats data is to improve the lives of Londoners, victims of crime, identifying the vulnerable, and assist in the enforcement of those who seek to harm.

4.1 Key risks and issues for the service in 2021/22 include:

• ongoing impact of the pandemic affecting data provision from providers and service resilience within the GLA team (competing demands, diverted resources, staffing implications due to sickness/re-deployment etc);

• as the project moves to the GLA’s Technology Group (TG) Roadmap, the developers who oversaw the recent rebuild will be replaced by TG’s external contractors for maintenance and further development; and

• continued data provision as organisations review their data governance and data sharing policies.

4.2 If the ongoing Safestats service is not provided, analysts in boroughs and other organisations would be able to access and process data individually from all the multiple sources so this evidence would not be used to inform Borough Strategic Needs Assessments and violence reduction programmes.

4.3 Data from Safestats are used for analysis to support policymaking as part of the following Mayoral strategies and priorities: Police and Crime Plan, Knife Crime Strategy, Strategy to Tackle Violence against Women and Girls, Thrive, 24 Hour London, and the Violence Reduction Unit.

4.4 There are no conflicts of interest identified from any of those involved in the drafting and clearance of this report.

4.5 Access to and use of the data is governed by Data Sharing Agreements which set out the legal basis governing and conditions for access and use of the data by authorised public sector organisations and individuals within these organisations and the system includes data security processes which log and audit use of the data accordingly. These processes are compliant with the GLA’s responsibilities under GDPR legislation.

5.1 Mayoral Approval is sought for the receipt and expenditure of £195,000 of revenue grant funding made up as £185,000 from MOPAC and £5,000 each from TfL and LFC for 2021/22 to deliver the Safestats service as detailed in section 2 above. The MOPAC payment is made centrally to avoid collecting individual payments from London’s boroughs and other users. MOPAC will be invoiced by the GLA in two stages in arrears for the Safestats services.

5.2 This funding totalling £195,000 in 2021-22 is to deliver Safestats service including:

• £90,000 on existing staffing to run the service;

• £40,000 on technical maintenance and development; and

• £65,000 on commissioned services.

5.3 Safestats budget, income and work is managed by City Intelligence unit within the Strategy and Communication directorate.

6.1 The foregoing sections of this report indicate that the decisions requested of the Mayor fall within the statutory powers of the GLA to promote and/or to do anything which is facilitative of or conducive or incidental to the promotion of social development in Greater London and in formulating the proposals in respect of which a decision is sought officers have set out above how they have complied with the Authority’s related statutory duties to:

6.1.1. pay due regard to the principle that there should be equality of opportunity for all people;

6.1.2. consider how the proposals will promote the improvement of health of persons, health inequalities between persons and to contribute towards the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom; and

6.1.3. consult with appropriate bodies.

6.2 Section 31(1) of the Greater London Authority Act 1999 (the “GLA Act”) prohibits the GLA from incurring expenditure on activity which may be undertaken by functional bodies. However, section 31(6) of the GLA Act permits such expenditure where it relates to the cooperation with or the facilitation or coordination of activity of such bodies. Officers have indicated at section 1 (above) of this report that the expenditure proposed concerns such cooperation and is facilitative of the coordination of activity of the functional bodies.

6.3 In taking the decisions requested, the Mayor must have due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty; namely the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010 and to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic (race, disability, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity and gender reassignment) and persons who do not share it (section 149 of the Equality Act 2010). To this end, the Mayor should have particular regard to section 3 (above) of this report.

Revenue grants to the Authority

6.4 With the consent of the Mayor, functional bodies may provide revenue grants to the Authority (section 121 of the GLA Act). Accordingly, subject to the Mayor’s approval, MOPAC, TfL and the London Fire Commissioner may make the grants set out in decisions 1 and 2 of this decision form. Officers are reminded that, in accordance with section 121 of the GLA Act, no conditions may be imposed upon the GLA’s use of the funds other than that the funds must not be used for capital expenditure.

Procurement

6.5 The officers have sought approval for the expenditure of £195,000 on the delivery of Safestats in 2021/22. The officers must ensure that all services be procured accordance with the Authority’s Contracts and Funding Code and with the assistance of Transport for London’s commercial team. Furthermore, officers must ensure that appropriate contractual documentation be executed by both the Authority and the relevant contractors prior to the commencement of the required services.

7.1 The Safestats data portal already exists and provides a continuous service available 365 days a year. This funding will allow the ongoing service to continue and develop for another year.