Hackney review

The MPS should ensure that the risk assessment section of the planned mobile data replacement for Report Book 124D includes clear guidance and prompts to officers that any response by a domestic abuse survivor in the affirmative must also contain a full explanation of context and meaning as well as a requirement for primary supervision actions to be recorded

Any threat to life in a domestic abuse context must be reviewed by an inspector who will be responsible for implementing and directing actions in line with the threat to life policy

First and second line managers have demonstrably undertaken their primary supervision duties before the report can be allocated for secondary investigation by the CSU while ensuring that this not cause delay to the investigation

When children are named as potential victims, witnesses or are living in the household, a pre-assessment checklist has been generated and shared with Children’s Services

The Crime Report Information Bureau will not confirm the classification unless and until the above has been completed

System generated reminders for CSU investigations should be diverted for remedial action (and not just copied) to the next line manager when an officer is absent for any period longer than seven days

The MPS should review its Human Resources support system to ensure that a report of staff absence in a CSU through work-related stress will prompt an immediate review of the officer’s work file on CRIS and clear accountability transferred and monitored by the next level of supervision until return to duty

To provide reassurance and improve confidence in the system for safeguarding children and young people, the MPS in Hackney should report to the City and Hackney Safeguarding Children Board that all failed processes have been rectified and appropriate checks and balances are in place in line with the actions arising from this review

Research should be commissioned by the College of Policing in consultation with specialists such as Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) organisations to identify a model for safe exit planning. Specialist advice would also be sought from the MPS Hostage and Crisis Unit, which have expertise in ‘deadline’ management. Such research may improve the assessment of risk within the National Decision Model (NDM).

It is recommended that officers are reminded of the necessity to explore, clarify and record information when victims provide positive responses during the DASH risk assessment process

It is recommended that officers are reminded of the necessity to complete MERLIN/PAC reports in relation to all cases of Domestic Abuse where there are children within the family

It is recommended that the current MPS toolkits include guidance to officers in responding and investigating allegations of threats to kill

Hackney Borough Police ensure their front-line staff have access to and attend multi-agency training delivered by the City and Hackney Safeguarding Children Board to further promote their understanding of partnership working and the role of other agencies in protecting children and young people from harm (see recommendation 4).

Victim Codes of Practice One tool used by the MPS to track the progress of open crimes is the Victim Codes of Practice (VCoP). The VCoP is essentially a record of when the victim of any reported crime was last contacted by an officer. At present, a successful contact includes a voicemail being left on a victim’s given phone number. However, there is no way of the police knowing whether or not the victim has heard a voicemail, or whether the alleged aggressor has accessed the voicemail. The IPCC recommends that a successful contact should, at the minimum, be recorded where an officer has managed to talk to the victim and verify their identity and welfare

Details needed by police when attending incidents During subject interviews it became obvious to the IPCC that there was a discrepancy between the level of detail police require when responding to an incident and the level of detail the control room feel necessary to include in the remarks of the CAD. It is the view of the IPCC that had more detail from the call of Daughter A been recorded, the attending officers would have had a better understanding of the situation than they did on that late March morning in 2014. The IPCC recommends that part of the training regarding relaying details to police officers attending incidents focuses the quality of this information, particularly where the information has come from a third party – for example stating explicitly how the incident location has ascertained in the remarks section of the CAD and gaining more detail from the informant about critical information if possible

Minutes from Daily Intelligence Meetings During its investigation, the IPCC was unable to verify whether or not CRIS 4603***/14 was discussed during any of the Daily Intelligence Meetings held. The IPCC recommends that at the bare minimum a list of the cases discussed during these meetings is recorded – ideally with actions and who they are assigned to

Staffing within Community Safety Units During its investigation the IPCC came to the conclusion that MPS Hackney borough CSU was left understaffed following the implementation of the LPM. It is recommended that the MPS ensures that it has processes in place to consider resourcing of domestic violence units is adequate in light of demand levels and its responsibilities under the Public Sector Equality Duty