HC Deb 27 November 1996 vol 286 cc232-3W
Mr. Fabricant

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the key objectives and associated performance indicators will be for the police service in 1997–98. [6907]

Mr. Howard

The key objectives for the police service in 1997–98 will be:

  1. (1) To maintain and if possible increase the number of detections for violent crimes:
  2. (2) To increase the number of detections for burglaries of people's homes;
  3. (3) To target and prevent crimes which are a particular local problem, including drug-related criminality, in partnership with the public and local agencies;
  4. (4) To provide high visibility policing so as to reassure the public;
  5. (5) To respond promptly to emergency calls from the public.

The key performance indicators associated with the key objectives are:

  1. (1) The number of violent crimes detected per 100 officers;
  2. (2) The number of burglaries of dwellings detected per 100 officers;
  3. (3) On crime prevention, work remains in hand to develop a performance indicator aimed at reducing repeat victimisation. In 1996–97, the police service was asked to develop strategies to reduce repeat victimisation: in 1997–98 we would look to those forces that have fully developed strategies to implement them and those that are still in the process of developing strategies to ensure that they are ready to be implemented in 1998–99. On drug-related criminality, work continues to develop a high level PI. Forces and police authorities will continue with the recommendations within the White Paper "Tackling Drugs Together" and progress will he assessed by the measurement of the number of arrests and disposals of offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 per 1,000 population.
  4. (4) Public satisfaction with levels of foot and mobile patrols;
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  5. (5)(i) the percentage of 999 calls answered within the local target time;
  6. (ii) the percentage of responses within the local target time to incidents requiring immediate response.

The key objectives for 1997–98 will be the same as those for 1996–97 in order to provide continuity of purpose. The performance indicators are also very largely the same, except for a slight modification to reflect progress made on strategies to reduce repeat victimisation.