FOI - Abuse from the public received by GLA members and staff [Aug 2022]

Your request

1. On how many occasions have councillors GLA Members reported abuse from public in the following periods: 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22?
2. On how many occasions have council officers GLA staff reported abuse from public in the following periods: 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22?

You clarified

I define abuse as directly to members, so this can be online or in person. By reported, I mean reported internally (within the authority) or reported anywhere externally (for example, to the police).

Our response

The GLA is London's strategic government and does not operate in the same way as London’s Borough Councils, including the City of London and Westminster City Council so this response relates to our elected members (the Mayor of London; the London Assembly members) rather than 'councillors' and GLA staff rather than 'council officers'.

The Public Liaison Unit (PLU) is responsible for the GLA’s main email address and contact form and recording and reporting any emails of concern. 

The PLU is also responsible for the GLA’s policy on dealing with persistent 
contact and unacceptable behaviour from members of the public and classing a person as 'vexatious'.

Vexatious definition - 'Using abusive, discriminatory or foul language during any 
form of contact; making inappropriate, offensive or threatening comments during any form of contact; harassment or personal abuse or aggression towards members of staff, verbally threatening or using physical intimidation towards staff, either personally or through a representative; a combination of all or some of these features.'

The PLU only holds data for the most serious or concerning cases. Many communications containing abusive or discriminatory language are simply filed with no action taken and no response sent, in line with our service standards.

The figures below were recorded by staff members in the PLU and may refer to abusive contact in general or abuse directed towards specific GLA Members or staff:

Incident form (correspondence) 
2017-20 No records available 
2020 - 7
2021 - 18
2022 - 0 (to date)

Vexatious Policy (abusive contact)
2017-20 - 2
2021 – 3
2022 – 1

The GLA’s Security Team holds a log of abusive and threatening contact which was reported to the police. The records show whether the abuse was directed against a Member or against staff. A copy of these records is attached to this response. Please note, the records in this log are likely to overlap with the PLU’s figures above.

We do not routinely collect data on social media abuse, although abuse of councillors and other public figures is very much in evidence on social media and is a matter of concern.

You may be interested in Intimidation in Public Life: A Review by the Committee on Standards in Public Life.

Further information

The GLA’s social media acceptable usage guidelines.

If you have any further questions relating to this matter, please contact us, quoting 
reference MGLA220822-7696.