Metropolitan Police Authority - AGM and May meeting

Metropolitan Police Authority - AGM and May meeting

LONDON. May 28, 2008/3mnewswire.org/ -- The annual general meeting of the MPA will be held in meeting room 1 (ground floor), 10 Dean Farrar Street, London SW1 on Thursday 29 May at 10.00 a.m.

During the annual general meeting members will elect the chair and deputy chair(s) of the Authority, for a term up to 30 September. This will enable appointments from 1 October 2008 to accommodate both the new independent membership and the mayoral power to chair the authority, or to appoint its chair and deputy chairs.

Appointments will be made to MPA committees, oversight groups, and outside organisations as well as borough link members and portfolio holders. The Authority will also nominate a panel of members to appoint the new independent members.

The May meeting of the MPA will follow immediately afterwards.

Both meetings are open to members of the public and press.

The Authority will discuss 'Operation Blunt 2', the Met's response to increasing incidences of fatal stabbings amongst young people, and the MPA Youth Scrutiny, which analyses young people's relationships with the Met and their experiences as victims, witnesses and perpetrators of crime in London.

Len Duvall, chair of the authority, said:

"All our communities, the MPA and the Met are extremely concerned about the number of young people in London involved in serious violence, particularly knife crime. The MPA with the Met, working with the mayor of London, are determined to tackle these horrific crimes. Blunt 2 is the Met's operational response, building on crime reduction achieved in the first Operation Blunt in 2007/8. Equally important are the existing strong links in place between the Met and young people and communities, and the report explains how these will be integral to operational activities.

"Building and maintaining links with young people is central to tackling youth crime and the MPA's youth scrutiny was commissioned to gain a fuller understanding of how young people relate to police and their experiences of crime and victimisation. Opinions expressed by young people during the scrutiny debates confirmed that the Met's youth strategy is travelling in the right direction to address their concerns and expectations, and provides a joined up response to youth engagement, offending and victimisation. The Met will respond formally to the scrutiny at the July full Authority meeting and we will monitor the implementation of our recommendations."

The Authority will hear a question from Mr. Peter Woodhams calling for a review of the decision of the internal Metropolitan Police review (25 March 2008) concerning two officers in relation to the murder of his son Peter Woodhams on 21 August 2006. The internal review heard the appeal by the two officers resulting from the initial misconduct hearing. Catherine Crawford, chief executive of the MPA, will give the Authority's response at the meeting.

Commissioner Sir Ian Blair will give an update on operational policing issues in London and present a written performance report.

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