• Reference: 2012/0020-2
• Question by: Richard Tracey
• Meeting date: 31 May 2012

Richard Tracey (AM): I am grateful, Chair. Commissioner, this matter of PCSOs is really exercising the public of London. Obviously you have a lot more to do, but unfortunately there is a lot of misleading information out there and it is very good that you have, this morning, spelt out some of the reality. First of all you talked about the recruitment of new warranted officers from PCSOs which depleted the warranted officers but the main contact that the public seemed to have with the police, from the feedback I get, is when your fairly junior officers go out to...

• Reference: 2012/0019-2
• Question by: Navin Shah
• Meeting date: 31 May 2012

Navin Shah (AM): Mr Mayor, do you agree that, in all boroughs, the Safer Neighbourhood Teams are seriously depleted, and therefore the question I have for you is, what plans do you have to restore those Safer Neighbourhood Teams to their full capacity?

• Reference: 2012/0018-2
• Question by: Jenny Jones
• Meeting date: 31 May 2012

Jenny Jones (Deputy Chair): Good morning, Mr Mayor. The issue of the number of officers has always been a bit contentious but at the last Mayor's Question Time (MQT) you did reiterate your manifesto commitment to 1,000 extra officers, and in response to Len Duvall you did say, '1,000 extra officers on the beat.' Where are you going to find those officers?

• Reference: 2012/0017-2
• Question by: Joanne McCartney
• Meeting date: 31 May 2012

Joanne McCartney (Chair): Can we then move to our substantive item this morning, which is the question and answer session with the Mayor and Commissioner for the Metropolitan Police Service, and can I welcome you both here this morning. Obviously since we last met one of the major issues that has arisen has been allegations of racism within the Metropolitan Police Service, and perhaps I can start with you, Mr Mayor. Today you issued a press release saying that you were launching a review of measures introduced to eradicate racism within the Metropolitan Police Service. Four years ago you launched...

• Reference: 2012/0016-2
• Question by: Steve O'Connell
• Meeting date: 08 March 2012

Steve O'Connell (AM): Turning to resources, I know recently you have written to the Chair with an update on your thoughts around PCSO numbers and improvement and that letter has been copied to us, so thank you for that.

• Reference: 2012/0015-2
• Question by: Victoria Borwick
• Meeting date: 08 March 2012

Victoria Borwick (AM): We would like to talk about victims, and that really follows on exactly with what you were just saying. Obviously public confidence in the police is very important, and we are very aware that with the new Total Policing, perhaps you could update us on the work you are doing to respond to the MOPC's new duty of care for all victims of crime.

• Reference: 2012/0014-2
• Question by: Jennette Arnold OBE
• Meeting date: 08 March 2012

Jennette Arnold OBE (AM): I have a few questions. I wonder, Kit, if I can ask you in your role as Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime what assessment you plan to make of the MPS' strategy and policy to address hate crime? I say that given this, I think, quite large increase of 7.6% around disability crime offences that we can see on the performance figures that you have given to us. Also, I just wanted to focus as well on hate crime and crimes against older people, because the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) February 2012 report shows an...

• Reference: 2012/0013-2
• Question by: Valerie Shawcross
• Meeting date: 08 March 2012

Valerie Shawcross (AM): I think the last time you were both in front of us we did speak a little bit about how you were reconfiguring the Trident Gang Crime Command and the considerable number of people who work in that division, was it 500 staff I think you mentioned. Since then there has been seven stabbings in my division and of course a terrible murder of Kwame Ofosu-Asare [March 2012]. We are looking at the performance data that suggests there is a growing problem. Serious youth violence is up over the 12 months rolling period by 4.9%, nearly 5%...

• Reference: 2012/0012-2
• Question by: Jenny Jones
• Meeting date: 08 March 2012

Jenny Jones (AM): It is really difficult to know where to start. This has been going on for eight and a half years now and that is a long time in human terms, in Metropolitan Police Service terms of course it is just a click of the fingers. I think I first wrote to the Chief Executive, I cannot remember, it might have been 2004, about this when Mr Ahmad actually approached me, and it just seems to be so turgid, the whole process, that the Metropolitan Police Service is constantly to be forced to do anything about this. You...

• Reference: 2012/0011-2
• Question by: Jennette Arnold OBE
• Meeting date: 08 March 2012

Yes, I do have some questions about the flawed police investigation that followed the fatal stabbing of Stephen Lawrence 19 years ago. I am sure I am not the only one but I just would like to say that so many people who have, if you like, been associated by just their feelings of sympathy and empathy with the family over the years would have been in a state of shock on reading that article. I would just like the Deputy Commissioner to say, if possible, what has been the response from the service to this article and this article...