MAKING LONDON SAFER

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We are lucky to live in the greatest city on earth. But after ten years of a Labour government, and eight years of a Labour Mayor, we need to stop kidding ourselves about crime.

We have a Home Secretary who says she is frightened to walk the streets of Peckham.

We have had 27 teenagers murdered by other kids in 2007. We have seen a steady and undisputed rise in robbery, violence against the person and other violent crimes.1

And we all know that we are suffering from an epidemic of unreported crime. Bitter experience has taught us that too often the police do not have the time or the resources to deal with our case.

So what can we do?

We could perhaps shrug our shoulders and say that crime, disorder and incivility are just a part of city life.

We could turn a blind eye to the robberies and the muggings, and hope that no one we love will be a victim.

We could throw up our hands, in the manner of the current Labour Mayor, and say that these problems are beyond our control – caused by television and the glamorising of violence.

We could accept defeat. We could declare that we have run out of ideas.

Or we could say that enough is enough.

The Mayor of London has a statutory and moral duty to lead the fight-back against crime.

I reject the fatalism and defeatism of the Labour Mayor. I reject the assumption that we can do nothing.

I believe that by systematically tackling small crimes we can drive out more serious crime.

I believe that we can change the lives of kids who would otherwise be sucked into a nightmarish culture of violence and criminality.

1 The figures released by the Mayor’s office on 16 January 2008 show that:

Robbery was higher in 2007 than in 1999. Violence against the person was higher in 2007 than in 1999 and 2000. Violent crime in total was higher in 2007 than in 1999 and 2000. Murder was higher in 2007 than in 1999.

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As soon as I become Mayor I will take action, and implement the following measures:

My Pledges

I will:

1. Provide strong leadership

• By taking responsibility and chairing the Metropolitan Police Authority and using my influence to tear up red tape and needless form-filling, so we can get more police out on the streets.

2. Make buses, trains and stations safer

• By spending less money on press officers and more money on police officers to increase their presence on buses, trains and station platforms.

• By introducing ‘Payback London’, a scheme that will require under 18s who abuse their right to free bus travel to earn it back through community service projects.

3. Tackle knife and gun crimes

• By demanding they are treated as a high priority by the police, and using every strand of Mayoral power to prevent it through funding community groups, sports schemes and handheld weapon scanners.

4. Help the ignored victims of sexual violence

• By providing desperately needed long-term funding for new Rape Crisis Centres to help the ignored victims of sexual violence – a horrendous crime that is on the increase.

5. Demand a police service accountable to you

• By providing local communities with New York-style crime maps which show the true crime levels in every neighbourhood, which can then be used to ensure Borough Commanders are held to account at monthly open public meetings.

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What We Need To Do

It is important for the Mayor to take a public lead, so I will chair the Metropolitan Police Authority. I will take personal responsibility. No offence will be too trivial to demand my attention. No challenge will be so big that I shrug my shoulders and pass the buck.

The fundamental problem with policing in London is that there is a lack of strong leadership, and our police force is hamstrung by political targets and excessive form-filling. This has resulted in a city we no longer feel safe in, and extra officers we do not see.

We have seen a massive increase in incivility, and a growing apathy towards – and even tolerance of – the kind of low-level crime that, unchecked, eventually leads to more serious crime.

I believe the solution lies in taking responsibility and providing strong leadership to enable the police to do their jobs. We need to sweep away the target-driven culture so they can spend more time on the streets. They join the force to catch criminals, not to push paper around a desk. That is what Londoners want too. Yet the time spent by Metropolitan Police officers on the front-line has been steadily falling for years.2

Ken Livingstone may talk about more police, but he is doing nothing to halt the tide of bureaucracy that is keeping them off the streets.

Every time a police officer stops someone in the street, they have to fill in a form which is a foot long, and can take up to 25 minutes each time. This is an indefensible waste of time. I support scrapping this form, and I will lobby the government hard to make it happen. I will use my influence as Mayor and chair of the MPA to reduce the burden of form-filling.

I also want to look at other measures that reduce this burden, such as using PCSOs to help reduce the administrative burden.

We need to spend less on press officers, and more on police officers. We need to redirect more resources to frontline policing.

It is also important we have the highest levels of preparedness and the resources necessary to protect Londoners against terrorism. I will ensure that we get the funding necessary from government, and that we are always ready.

2 Hansard, cols 90W and 91W, 10 December 2007.

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Tackling Crime on Buses, Trains and Stations

We need to defeat the kind of low-level crime committed on public transport that makes people’s lives a misery, and often leads to more serious crimes. It is simply unacceptable that gangs treat buses as glorified getaway vehicles, and that passengers have to endure being spat at, verbally abused or worse.

I want to launch a trial of live CCTV on buses. It would last six months, and cost around £150,000. This will enable the police to see instantly what is happening when a driver makes a ‘code red’ call, and they will be able to respond swiftly.

I believe we need a more visible police presence on buses, trains and at transport hubs such as bus stops and rail platforms. This is why I will release funds that Ken Livingstone has earmarked for MPA advertising and press officers to be spent on approximately 50 extra fully-warranted British Transport Police Officers to patrol the worst stations in outer London.

I will also release funds that Ken Livingstone has earmarked for Transport for London advertising and press officers to be spent on approximately 440 PCSOs to be added to the existing Safer Transport Teams, doubling their strength.

I think it’s great that under 18s can travel on our buses for free, and the vast majority do not abuse that right. However, there is a growing minority that do abuse that right; who intimidate other passengers through threatening and anti-social behaviour.

I believe the right to travel for free on buses must be balanced with the responsibility to behave with respect for other passengers.

If those responsibilities are ignored, I will take away that right to free travel from those who abuse it and I will expect them to earn it back by doing work with existing community payback schemes, like cleaning up graffiti or volunteering in community centres.

Persistent fare dodgers are likely to be responsible for more serious crimes. In fact, a recent survey has shown that as many as one in ten offenders caught in the act of committing petty offences such as fare evasion are likely to be responsible for more serious offences.3

I believe the current enforcement regime is weak and ineffective. Too many people get away with not paying, and too much revenue that could be used to reduce fares is lost. It cannot be right that ticket inspectors do not have the basic power to compel someone to provide their name and address.

3 TfL Community Safety Plan 2007/8 p15 and TfL Report ‘Crime and Disorder on Buses’ p20.

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I will ask Transport for London and the MPA to investigate giving Revenue Protection Inspectors this power, so more persistent fare dodgers are caught.

The phasing out of bendy buses, to which I am committed, will end open boarding, and end the era of the ‘free bus’.

Tackling Knife and Gun Crime

There are far, far too many guns and knives on our streets. It is clear that they are often used in the heat of the moment – so any time they are being carried tragedies are waiting to happen. This is why I believe we have to make it easier for the police to stop and search. Current rules designed to protect ethnic minorities are now tragically failing them – it is kids from these backgrounds who are most at risk of being victims.4

This is why I will also provide the resources for the police to have more handheld weapons scanners, to be deployed at key locations such as major transport hubs and large-scale public events. Use of such scanners make the likelihood of being caught in transit with a knife or gun much more likely, and will deter people from carrying them in the first place.

If we can deter people from carrying them, then there is a much reduced risk of them being used.

It is also important that the police represent the community they serve. I want to see an increase in the number of women officers, and in the number of officers from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, and I will direct the MPA to investigate how we can increase them.

However, something else has to change.

I want to see kids given the chance to do something worthwhile, something that leads them away from crime in the first place – and there are some fantastic projects throughout London that do just that. But they need more money and support. I will direct the London Development Agency to fund community groups that provide mentoring schemes and community sports schemes. Sport, drama, art; these activities can make a major difference.

And as London continues to grow, we must think very carefully about the new communities we create with housing developments. I will assign much more importance to designing out crime, and will amend the London Plan and the Mayor’s Housing Strategy accordingly. Poorly-lit streets, cramped conditions, inadequate transport connections and even ugliness are the enemies of safety, and all of them help crime to flourish.

4 “Of the 27 teenagers murdered in the capital in 2007, only two were white.” BBC Politics Show, 24 January 2008, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/politics_show/7202287.stm

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I will never accept defeat, and I believe that by using all the powers available to the Mayor and taking a fresh approach, we can tackle knife and gun crime in London.

Helping the Ignored Victims of Sexual Violence

It is not only children who need support. There is no doubt that rape is under- reported and on the increase in London. There is also no doubt that victims of rape feel ignored, and they need long-term help and support to re-build their lives.

It is nothing short of a disgrace that the government has cut the funding for Rape Crisis Centres in London, and I will release funds that Ken Livingstone has earmarked for his own personal press officers to be spent on providing long-term funding for new Rape Crisis Centres in London so the victims of this horrendous crime are no longer ignored.

A Police Service Accountable to You

I want to facilitate greater communication between the police and local communities. I will expect each Borough Commander to hold open public meetings every month.

To make this a worthwhile and effective exercise, I will provide local neighbourhoods with New York-style crime mapping – whereby crime information and other information about local areas is regularly fed into a computer to show hotspots on an electronic map.

This will provide the public with better information to enable them to hold their local police to account. The police already do this in many areas, and I will ensure that their information is our information.

I also support neighborhood policing, and will continue to provide the resources for Safer Neighborhood Teams.

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A Fresh Approach

London is the greatest city in the world. It is a magnificently diverse place where 300 languages are spoken by people of all faiths and none. Londoners get on remarkably well. But we have a crime problem, and the next Mayor of London needs to face up to that fact instead of hiding behind political statistics and hiring ever more press officers.

I want London to maintain our position as the world’s number one financial centre. I want us to encourage the brightest and the best to come here. I want pensioners to feel safe to venture from their homes. I want people to believe it is worth reporting crime. I want the knives and guns off our streets.

It just isn’t true that we can’t do more to tackle crime – that is a tired, out-of- date approach. If I am elected Mayor, I will lead from the front and make London a safer place to live.

Boris Johnson

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1. Providing Strong Leadership

• I will chair the Metropolitan Police Authority.

• I will stand up against excessive form-filling, and support the scrapping of the stop and account form, lobbying the government hard for its removal.

• I will expect PCSOs to take some of the administrative burden from police officers, so more can get out on streets.

Taking Responsibility

The Mayor of London has the right to Chair the Metropolitan Police Authority – the body set up to scrutinise and support the work of the Metropolitan Police Service.5 Boris Johnson will exercise this right so that there is a direct link between the police and the Mayor, so the Mayor is more accountable for what happens in the police.

Chairing the MPA will enable the Mayor to get directly involved with the day- to-day scrutiny of the police and get more officers on the streets.

Although the Mayor has no operational control over the police, he has considerable influence through setting the budget and will be able to directly set the strategic direction by chairing the MPA. 6

Policing in London has unique arrangements for democratic accountability. Prior to the creation of the Greater London Authority, the Metropolitan Police was held to account by the Home Secretary, who is accountable to Parliament.7

The Greater London Authority Act 1999 created the MPA, a body designed along the lines of the existing police authorities across the country, with some important differences. Some of the members are elected representatives drawn from the London Assembly to reflect the political balance of that body.

5 “The Metropolitan police authority

Chairman and vice chairmen 4 (1) The Secretary of State shall by regulations provide that— (a) if the Mayor of London is a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority, he is to be the chairman; (b) if not, the Mayor of London is to appoint a chairman from among the members of the Authority.” Police and Justice Act 2006, “SCHEDULE 2A 4 (1). 6 “The Mayor of London sets the annual budget for five functional bodies, which have become known as the 'GLA Group'. The group comprises the Metropolitan Police Authority, the Greater London Authority, Transport for London, the London Development Agency and London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority.” The MPA budget factsheet, http://www.mpa.gov.uk/about/publications/factsheets/mpa-budget.htm 7 http://www.london.gov.uk/gla/policing.jsp 9

The Home Secretary appoints one member, and the rest are independent members including local magistrates.8

The MPA is the main scrutiny body for the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and sets the strategic direction, which means that the police are more accountable to Londoners.

The Police and Justice Act 2006 gave the Mayor the right to Chair the MPA, and Boris Johnson will exercise this right, so that the police are directly accountable to the Mayor and he can personally oversee his programme to get more police on the streets and cut red tape. 9

There are two main levers that we can use to deliver our priorities.

The Commissioner is required to submit a local policing plan to the MPA for their consideration. The MPA can amend that plan according to the strategic priorities it wishes to set, and the Commissioner must “have regard” to that plan. The Police and Justice Act 1996 stipulates:

“A draft of a policing plan required to be issued by a police authority under this section shall be prepared by the relevant chief officer of police and submitted by him to the authority for it to consider. The authority shall consult the relevant chief officer of police before issuing a policing plan which differs from the draft submitted by him under this subsection.”10

However, the Commissioner of the Metropolis still retains direct control, as the GLA Act 1999 stipulates:

“The Metropolitan Police force shall be under the direction and control of the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis appointed under section 9B. In discharging his functions, the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis shall have regard to the local policing plan issued by the Metropolitan Police Authority under section 8.”11

Therefore, we will draft a new local policing plan, in consultation with the Commissioner, that will have as its priority the pledges in this manifesto, and we will work with whoever is Commissioner to deliver them.

8 http://www.london.gov.uk/gla/policing.jsp 9 Police and Justice Act 2006, SCHEDULE 2A, Section 4 (1), http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2006/pdf/ukpga_20060048_en.pdf 10 Police and Justice Act 2006, http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2006/pdf/ukpga_20060048_en.pdf 11 Greater London Authority Act 1999 , http://www.england- legislation.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts1999/ukpga_19990029_en_22 10

Standing Up Against Form-Filling

The current commissioner himself, Sir Ian Blair, has said that the police need a “bonfire” of bureaucracy.12 Last year the Metropolitan Police stopped 384,115 people.13 After each encounter the officers involved are required to fill in a foot-long form taking, on average, 25 minutes.14 This means that a staggering 160,048 police hours are wasted each year on filling in one type of form. Ending the stop and account form would mean that police could spend an extra 160,048 hours on the beat – the equivalent of adding 78 new officers to the force.15

Therefore, we will actively support calls to scrap this form, and will lobby the government hard to that effect.

We also need to look at stop and search. It is Conservative Party policy to scrap the form-filling that goes with stop and search powers. It is well known that this form-filling is time consuming and keeps police officers off the streets.

Stop and searches should still be recorded by an officer, who will radio in essential details of the search. This will create a taped or transcribed police log at the centre. Thus stop and searches will still be recorded without the extra burden of having to fill in a form at the scene and a further form back at the station.

Should an individual want a copy of the information on the search, they would be entitled to visit the station and request one.

Boris Johnson supports this policy, so we can free up police to spend more time on the beat.

We will make reducing form-filling and bureaucracy a key strategic priority, so that police can do what they do best; protecting Londoners. We must focus on allowing the police to do their jobs, and we must end the culture of target- setting that has destroyed Londoners’ confidence in the police.

We will ensure that more is done to reduce the burden on police officers. Officers should be able to make better use of new technology to report information to the local police station, and PCSOs should take more of the administrative burden; filling out certain forms and allowing PCs to remain out on the beat.

12http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/10/10/nbonfire110.xml. 13MPA Stop and Account figures, December 2006 – November 2007 http://www.met.police.uk/foi/pdfs/how_are_we_doing/corporate/mps_stop_and_search_ monitoring_report_november_2007.pdf 14 Sir Ronnie Flanagan, ‘Review of Policing; Interim Report’, Home Office, September 2007 http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/news-and-publications/publication/police- reform/Review_of_Policing_Interim_1.pdf?view=Binary 15 Ibid. On average an officer works 2057 hours per year. 11

This requires a Mayor who will prioritise cutting red tape, yet this has not been a priority for Ken Livingstone. The latest local policing plan (the strategy produced by the MPA) and endorsed by the Labour Chair Len Duvall and Sir Ian Blair until 2010 does not include cutting red tape as one of its main strategic priorities.16 This demonstrates that the current leadership is out of touch, and we will seek to amend the plan to include this as a key strategic priority.

Much of the paperwork is, of course, generated by the Labour government. Ten years in power have yielded an avalanche of new laws, new targets and new paperwork. And all the while, the amount of time police officers in London have spent on the frontline has declined year on year.17

The Mayor may not be able to scrap certain forms, or remove certain targets. But we will stand up for Londoners and our police officers and consistently and relentlessly demand that the politically-driven restrictions from Whitehall are removed so our police are free to do their jobs.

Boris Johnson will ask for regular meetings with the Home Secretary to ensure that Whitehall is listening to Londoners’ concerns.

Strengthening PCSOs

Police Community Support Officers are a valuable part of the Metropolitan Police, and have an important role to play. Yet Londoners are not willing to give them their full support, because they know they are powerless to protect them.

We will work with the Commissioner and the Home Office to investigate what further powers PCSOs in London could have.

We will also work with the Commissioner to ensure that PCSOs take some of the administrative burden from fully-warranted police officers, so that more time can be spent on the beat.

16 ‘Policing London’, Metropolitan Police Authority, 2007 http://www.mpa.gov.uk/downloads/reports/policingplan2007-08.pdf 17 Hansard, cols 90W and 91W, 10 December 2007. 12

2. Making Trains, Buses and Stations Safer

• I will require under 18s who have had their free bus travel withdrawn for anti-social behaviour to earn it back through voluntary and community service.

• I will double the strength of Safer Transport Teams, by releasing funding for approximately 440 extra PCSOs to patrol the buses and 50 more fully-warranted British Transport Police officers to patrol the worst suburban stations.

• I will make buses safer by running a trial of live CCTV.

• I will focus on reducing fare evasion by directing the MPA and TfL to investigate giving Revenue Protection Inspectors more powers.

Restorative Justice

At present, under-18s can travel on the buses for free in London. This is a great investment and has provided welcome financial relief to parents across London. However, there are still problems with a minority of under-18s who abuse their privilege.

TfL figures show that the incidents of code red calls made by bus drivers in London specifically due to anti-social behaviour increased from 472 cases in August 2005 (the month before free travel was introduced) to 697 cases in October 2006 – the latest available figures. 18

However, Ken Livingstone has steadfastly refused to acknowledge the increase in anti-social behaviour, despite the figures confirming that on average from April 2003 to September 2005, drivers made 432 code red calls per month.19 Following the introduction of free travel for under-16s in September 2005 the average number of code red calls made by drivers per month specifically relating to anti-social behaviour increased to 535.20

Between the start of the scheme in September 2005 and July 2007, only 394 passes have been permanently withdrawn from under-18s and 16s, despite the scheme having run for almost two years.21

18 Transport for London, Surface Advisory Panel Papers, Managing Director’s Report, Jan 2007 p16. 19 In February 2007, he told the London Assembly; “There is no increase in anti-social behaviour.” 20 Transport for London, Surface Advisory Panel Papers, Managing Director’s Report, Jan 2007 p.36. 21 Written answer to Mayoral Question, 1834/2007, 18th July, 2007. 13

The London Assembly Transport Committee found at the beginning of the year that crime on buses increased by just over 17% between 2004/05 and 2006/07.22

And violent crime on buses increased last year by 3.4%.23

The TfL Behaviour Code defines anti-social behaviour as,

‘Using offensive or threatening language; smoking; playing music out loud; damaging or defacing an Oyster photocard; physical or verbal assault; unlawfully carrying a weapon and drug use.’24

We believe that a fresh approach is required. We intend to launch a scheme called ‘Payback London’, whereby under-18s will have their passes permanently withdrawn for breaking the Behaviour Code and they will have to participate in community service to earn it back.

TfL, in consultation with local councils, will draw up a list of trusted and approved community voluntary groups (who have already completed CRB checks). Under-18s will be expected to complete a minimum number of hours’ service with these groups, in order to earn back their free travel.

Police officers, Not Press Officers

Ken Livingstone has put a premium on advertising and hiring more press officers. It is a fact that he now has more press officers than the Prime Minister. 25

Transport for London forecast that they will spend £66 million on advertising, marketing and communications in 2007/08. This is an overspend of 65% on their original budget of £40 million.26 We propose to cap their spending in real terms, raising it to £67.3 million, rather than the £84 million Mr Livingstone wants.27 £16.5 million of the money saved will be redirected to the existing Safer Transport Teams and will pay for approximately an additional 440 PCSOs, doubling their strength.28

Safer Transport Teams are assigned to a borough. Each team currently consists of 18 PCSOs, two Sergeants and one Police Constable.

22 London Assembly Transport Committee, Crime and Disorder on London’s Buses, p.8, January 2008. 23 TfL press release 20th November 2007, using combined six month figures (April- September) for the years 2006 and 2007. 24 http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tickets/faresandtickets/1063.aspx 25 See The White Book, Central Office Information, for details of the Prime Minister’s Press Office. Details of Ken Livingstone’s press office, almost three times as large, can be found in the GLA Budget Committee Pre-Budget Report, December 2007. 26 GLA Group Budget Proposals and Precepts 2008-09; Consultation Document, p 82. http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/budgmtgs/2007/dec19/item06a.pdf 27 GLA Group Budget Report 08/09 at p82. 28 £150,000 of the additional money saved will also be used to fund the trial of live CCTV on buses. 14

Currently, 21 boroughs have a Safer Transport Team. This gives 441 officers, comprising 378 PCSOs and 63 fully-warranted officers.29

By releasing money earmarked for advertising and press officers, we will double the strength of Safer Transport Teams, and we will ensure that these extra officers are specifically assigned to patrol the bus network; providing visible reassurance and supporting Revenue Protection Inspectors to take the names and addresses of fare dodgers.

This increase in resources is required to tackle the growing problem of crime on buses. There was an increase in the absolute number of reported bus related crimes between 2005 and 2006. Crime remains 15 % (06/07 figures) above 2004/05 levels.30

Figures show that 65% of people have experienced or witnessed anti-social behaviour in the last two years.31

More importantly, Metropolitan Police figures show that violent crime on buses increased by 3.4% last year.32 Londoners no longer feel safe on buses, which is why we will prioritise resources to fund extra police and take action.

Making Suburban Stations Safer

Several train stations do not have adequate levels of safety provision. The London Assembly Transport Committee has recently expressed its dismay at the ‘glaring loopholes (that) were often left in the security network’.33 In 2005, there were 12,360 crimes reported on the rail network.34

Most Londoners would agree that it is not uncommon to find many outer London station platforms unmanned after a certain time at night.

The British Transport Police cover a large rail network that extends way beyond London with a mere 427 fully-warranted officers and 303 PCSOs and support staff.35

The British Transport Police form a nationwide police presence dealing with issues of transport crime and trespass.36

29 Ibid. at p20. 30 Transport for London, Community Safety Plan 2007/8 p14. 31 Ibid. 32 TfL press release 20th November 2007, using combined six month figures (April- September) for the years 2006 and 2007. 33 Crime and Safety on London’s Suburban Railway Stations’ London Assembly Transport Committee p1. 34 Ibid. p.2. 35 Ibid. p.15 at 2005. 36 www.btp.police.uk/about.htm 15

In 2003/04, 15,208 offences were committed at overground stations. By 2005/06, that figure had grown to 19,303.37

This is why we will release £3.1 million that has been earmarked for MPS advertising and spin doctors to put towards funding, approximately, an extra 50 fully-warranted officers.38 We will specify that these new officers must patrol suburban station platforms, in particular the stations with the highest levels of crime.

This money will be found by cutting the number of press officers employed at the MPS, and reducing the MPS’s spend on non-recruiting publicity. Currently the MPS employs 73 press staff with salary costs of £3.6 million,39 and is budgeted to spend £4 million on non-recruitment publicity in 2008/09.40 By reducing the number of press staff to 50, and halving the publicity spend, we will redirect £3.1 million from marketing and spin to frontline policing. 41

We will work with local Borough Commanders on the ground and Train Operating Companies to identify the worst stations, and we will specify that the extra officers must be assigned to them.

We will also seek to reclaim the space in front of train stations by working with boroughs and train operating companies to investigate possible improvements both in the presentation of the stations and in the way that improvements are designed.

Cracking Down on Fare Evasion

Punish the smaller offences and the larger offences will diminish. This principle has been deployed across the globe to great effect. The most famous example is perhaps that of New York, where a policy of ‘zero tolerance’ – the fastidious punishment of supposedly lower order offences – has enabled the New York Police Department to build persistent offender profiles, source information and solve the most serious crimes more quickly. A major plank of the New York success was in addressing fare evasion.

37 Crime and Safety on Suburban Railway stations p.9 38 This gives a total of £3.1 million, and we know that the MPA are putting the full cost of a police officer at £54,00038 - this include kits and non-pay costs, as well as salary. Based on those numbers we could provide an estimated 57 additional officers. Provision of Additional Police Officers on Boroughs, MPA, 10th January 2008. 39 Policing London 2008-11 Business plan, Draft Version 2.10, p 39. http://www.mpa.gov.uk/downloads/committees/f/071119-05joint-appendix1.pdf 40 MPA/MPS Draft Corporate Business Plan 2008-11 - Supporting Financial Submission, p17. 41 The 3.1million breaks down as follows. We reduce 73 press officers to 50. This saving is a 32% reduction in total pay and overtime costs from £3,607m to £2,471m, saving of £1,136m. We save a further 2.0 million by then cutting down spend on non-recruitment publicity from £4,000m to £2,000m: MPA Finance Committee Report 07/08 Joint Appendix 1 p17, Joint Appendix 2 p39 respectively.

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In London, we have a particular problem with fare evasion on bendy buses. Although Transport for London (TfL) insists that fare evasion on bendy buses is falling, Ken Livingstone’s own figures reveal the opposite.

In 2006, fare evasion rose from 2.3% to 3.18% on conventional buses. The cost to the taxpayer was up from £28 million to £36.7 million.42 On bendy buses it rose from 7.8% to 9.3% - over double that of a conventional bus. Revenue loss on bendy buses alone in 2006 was £8 million. This represents a total loss of £46.7 million. This works out at around £1 million per week in lost revenue for the period covered.43

TfL’s approach to fare evaders is wholly inadequate. There is a greater focus on PR and advertising campaigns than on the strong practical measures that are necessary. The main penalty for fare evasion is a fine. The penalty fare on most forms of transport is £20, with a fine of £1,000 for non-payment.44 This assumes that the fine is enforced in the first place.

However, TfL deploys only around 300 Revenue Protection Inspectors on its entire bus network, 200 Revenue Control Officers on the Underground and around 200 traffic enforcement staff. Considering buses alone, with 7,700 normal buses and 300 bendy buses,45 this amounts to a minimal chance of being caught – and offenders know it. Route 18, for example, from Harrow through Wembley triangle and surrounding areas, has been nicknamed ‘the free bus to central London.’46

Doubling the strength of Safer Transport Teams by adding around 400 PCSOs will enable us to crack down on fare evasion. In addition to providing a visible uniformed presence on the buses, they would also complement the work of Revenue Protection Inspectors, providing back-up and support to catch more fare dodgers.

Another way to reduce fare evasion would be to beef up the powers of Revenue Protection Inspectors. Currently, when a Revenue Protection Inspector finds an offender, he or she must call the police before they can compel a name or address to be given.

We believe that this arrangement is inadequate, and we will direct the MPA to investigate, in partnership with TfL, giving Revenue Protection Inspectors greater powers including those to take names and addresses to hold more fare dodgers to account.47

Specifically, this would be the ‘power to require the name and address of a person acting in an anti-social manner.’ This would require the Chief Officer of

42 Question 0076 / 2007, Mayoral Questions. 43 Ibid. 44 TfL’s penalty fare schedule. 45 GLA Press Release, 3-10-2005 476. 46 Question 3116 / 2007, Mayoral Questions.

17 the Metropolitan Police, (in this case the Commissioner) designating each Revenue Protection Inspector with the powers of Schedule 4 pt. 1, under those granted to him by s.38 of the Police Reform Act 2002.

International Initiatives

The experience of other cities is highly instructive as to what can be achieved through focusing on minor offences such as fare evasion.

New York

In 1993 the New York Police Department began an unprecedented attack on quality-of-life offences. This is a practical approach in line with the ‘broken windows’ theory, which holds that low-level crime and misdemeanors create an environment in which more serious crimes can flourish.

In New York arrests for misdemeanors increased almost 100 % between 1994 and 1998 while arrests for felonies decreased 11.5 %. The city's crime rate dropped over 50 % during the same period.48

This was accomplished by cracking down on offences such as fare evasion – and linking them to the innovative management system, Compstat (along with a devolution of responsibility to a more local, precinct level).

Recognising that information is key to crime control, the Department overcame its historic three-to-six-month lag in reporting statistics. It now maintains updated, reliable information on crime and quality-of-life data, with data obtained from low-level crimes used to help solve high-level crimes. Crimes such as fare evasion are now strictly monitored in strategy meetings, with increased visible police presence ensuring that small crimes do not remain unpunished and are not ‘let go.’ Commanders are also held accountable for felonies and misdemeanors in their areas.

In the United States, 'Safe and Clean' teams have been established to ensure that the streets are clean and that the residue of car crime such as broken glass is removed every day, along with graffiti and fly-posters. Most US 'Safe and Clean' projects are funded through Business Improvement Districts where local businesses and, in some cases, residents pay a tax levy for these extra services.49

We support Business Improvement Districts and will encourage their growth across London.

48 ‘The Remarkable Drop in Crime in New York City’ Langan and Rose, US Department of Justice, Bureau of Statisticians. 49 See for example www.capitolriverfront.org 18

Australia

In response to perceptions of increasing crime on public transport in the late 1980s, Victoria Public Transport Corporation in Australia included a 'travel safe' programme, including the removal of existing graffiti and all new graffiti to be removed upon discovery. Following the introduction of this programme, there were significant reductions in vandalism and graffiti, with window breakages declining from 700 to 120 a week.50

This was taken a stage further by Queensland Rail in Australia, through the introduction of 'Train Watch.' This involves train staff, passengers, people who live near railway property, and primary and secondary schools. A specially designed 24-hour free call service is available to report problems. The campaign focuses on the cost of graffiti and vandalism and shows how they divert money that could be spent in improving services and staff working conditions. It encourages local communities to develop 'ownership' of nearby railway property and the trackside.51

New South Wales has placed fare evasion at the top of their agenda and as a result witnessed drops in numbers of fare evasion between two audits on the matter in 200052 and 2006.53

Live CCTV on Buses

We have already committed to spending £150,000 on a live CCTV trial for 20 of the most dangerous bus routes in London.54 This trial will run over a 6- month period to assess the success of the scheme before rolling out across the network.

The 20 trial routes will be chosen subject to consultation with the Metropolitan Police who will identify the routes with the most consistent record of trouble.

The purchase of the new equipment currently runs at £3,000-£3,500 per bus. The running cost per bus per month is around £45 depending on how many buses roll out the scheme.55

The technology would enable existing operators to instantly access real-time, live CCTV whenever they receive a code red call. This would allow them to immediately prioritise which calls required emergency police assistance. In addition, police officers can dial into the system using a code and see what is going on in real-time using their mobile phones. They can then record the

50 ‘The Promise of Public Service Crime Prevention’ Grabosky and James at p25. 51 See www.citytrain.com.au/citytrain/contact_us for details of the hotline. Also see ‘Queensland Rail’s Citytrain Security System: an Integrated Approach,’ paper given 7th July 1999. 52 Railcorp 2000-2001 Annual Report. 53 Parliament of New South Wales, Full Day Hansard Transcript, 5th May 2005. 54 See foot note 27. 55 All figures courtesy of Integrated Security Solutions. 19 footage in real time, and use this as instant evidence rather than currently having to wait for the bus companies to send them a DVD of recorded footage, which wastes huge amounts of time.

In June 2004, when Ken Livingstone was elected for a second term, there were 387 code red calls for anti-social behaviour on buses.56 In October 2006, the number was 697,57 an increase of 80%. Equivalent figures are not available in the November report, although it was noted that youth crime and anti-social behaviour remain the number one issue on the network.

Crime remains a major problem on buses. In the last year violent crime, drugs and fraud have increased on buses. Violent crime has gone up by 3.4% and drug offences by 66.3%.58 Tackling this issue is an immediate priority.

56 TfL Surface Advisory Panel Report,January 2007 p16. 57 Ibid. 58 TfL press release 20th November 2007, using combined six month figures (April- September) for the years 2006 and 2007. 20

3. Tackling Knife and Gun Crimes

• I will make it a policing priority to tackle knife and gun crime and not accept defeat. I will drive out the culture of political targets that distort priorities.

• I will provide funding for handheld scanners and knife arches to use at Tube and rail stations, and other large-scale public events.

• I will direct the LDA to fund youth community groups that provide mentoring schemes.

• I will ringfence part of the LDA budget specifically for community sports projects.

• I will make designing out crime a key priority in the London Plan and the Mayor’s Housing strategy to prevent creating poor-quality housing where crime flourishes.

Handheld Scanners

In February 2006 the British Transport Police began Operation Shield in London in a bid to tackle offensive weapons. The operation employed hand- held metal detectors and walk-through detection arches to crack down on offensive weapons. Such operations have been rolled out across the country.

In one day at the Luton Carnival in 2006, 90 weapons were recovered including 57 knives, a taser, knuckledusters, four CS and pepper spray canisters and batons.59

The British Transport Police point to the fact that more than 130 people nationally have been arrested for possession of knives or other weapons. Around 300 weapons have been recovered due to Operation Shield.60

The MPA has a policy to maintain a general reserve, including the emergency/contingency reserve of at least 2 % of net revenue expenditure; the current budget proposal includes a reserve of 2.4% we propose to reducing this to 2.3%, thus releasing £2.6 million.61

The BTP are currently using the Garrett PD6500i Walkthrough Metal Detector for Operation Shield.62 The Metropolitan Police have a preferred

59 British Transport Police, Annual Report 2006/07, page 15. 60 British Transport Police, press release, 15 December 2007. 61 Mayor's Background Statement in support of his Draft Consolidated Budget for 2008-09, p7.

62http://www.regton.com/security.htm 21 model for handheld scanners called AD11-2, provided by Adams Electronics Ltd. The cost per unit to the Met is £100, although Boroughs are free to choose alternatives.63 The PD6500i costs £4,869.64

£2.6 million will thus make a considerable difference. It could, for example, pay for an additional 26,000 handheld scanners. However, the police may choose to spend some of the additional funds on new knife archways.

We will make the funding available, and the police will be free to choose the most appropriate balance.

We believe that greater use of handheld scanners, particularly at transport hubs, will hinder the mobility of those who choose to carrying knives and guns. By hindering their mobility, we will begin to make inroads into greatly reducing their use.

Supporting Youth and Sports Projects

There are some superb organisations working with young people in London. Currently, many of them struggle for funding and we will conduct a full review of all LDA project funding to ensure that the money is directed to youth groups who provide mentoring schemes.

We will also ensure that LDA money is ringfenced for community sports projects.

The All Stars Boxing club, for example, on Harrow Road is used by people from many backgrounds and of varying ages. It is under threat as it requires considerable repair work. In October 2007 a petition was launched calling for the work of the club to be recognised in the community and a proper settlement be arranged to secure its future. The petition now has over 1,000 signatories.

The club was set up by Isola Akay in 1974. It has produced a string of champions, and helped numerous disadvantaged children. As Mr Akay says himself, sport, “is a kind of activity which has no barriers ... it doesn't matter which colour [you are], it doesn't matter which background, people are met on equal standards.”65

There are other community groups who dedicate themselves to intervening early before young men get sucked into gangs and a life of crime, such as the Eastside Young Leaders Academy (EYLA), XLP, Prospex and Kids Company.

EYLA admits boys who have at least one parent of African or Caribbean origin. The Academy’s programme complements the boys’ normal schooling.

63 Conversation with the Metropolitan Police. 64 http://www.metaldetectorshop.co.uk/security/walkthroughmetaldetectors.htm 65 http://www.allstars-gym.co.uk/page.asp?id=19

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It does not replace it. Boys on the cusp of exclusion are referred by local primary and secondary school head teachers after the commitment of the parents of the boy has been sought and gained. Activities include a weekly Saturday school, after-school tutoring, summer residential camps and community service.

The discipline at EYLA is intentionally tough. Boys wear a uniform and high attendance and punctuality are demanded at all times.

Demands are high. The EYLA aims for excellent academic standards, full engagement in community and civic activities and the avoidance of crime.

It provides a model of what can be done in the most deprived of communities with inspired local leadership and energy.66

Data collated from the children’s schools and parents, together with an external audit undertaken in June 2005 show that there has been an 80% reduction in short-term exclusions, a 70% improvement in academic achievement and a 90% change in career plans. Only 5% of boys drop out of EYLA.67

Kids Company is a registered charity founded by Camila Batmanghelidjh in 1996. It supports children who lack proper parental care and offers them a “preventative and reparative therapeutic service”. Nearly 12,000 people are supported directly, 800 of them parents and teachers.68

The LDA do not currently ringfence any money for community sports projects, although some individual projects that apply for LDA money which contain an element of community sport, have been funded. An IPSOS MORI poll for the Youth Justice Board asked young people what they would like the Government to do to stop other young people offending .It found that they were most likely to suggest the introduction of harsher punishments to stop young people offending (38%). However, a similar proportion mention helping them to get a job (37%), while just over a third (34%) say providing better access to sports facilities, youth centres and events in the evenings and weekends would help.69

Designing Out Crime Few things affect people’s quality of life more than crime and the fear of crime. Violent crime and anti-social behaviour are wrecking lives and undermining communities.

66 http://www.eyla.org.uk/. 67 http://www.policyhub.gov.uk/news_item/youth_black_leadership.asp. 68 http://kidsco.org.uk/?page_id=39 69http://www.yjb.gov.uk/en- gb/News/Youngsterswantmoreactionsonsafety.htm?area=AllNewsEvents

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The Mayor, borough councils, planners, and house builders all have a role to play to use best practice to design out crime and to make our communities safer and stronger.

Houses that meet ACPO Secured By Design (SBD) standards experience a quarter less crime than non-SBD houses, and residents’ fear of crime is lower.70

Most local authorities have sought to cut crime on housing estates by following the principles outlined in Secured By Design, a national scheme of the Association of Chief Police Officers. This includes creating defensible space; organising the built environment so that anti-social behaviour is less likely to be ignored; creating space that generalises a sense of ownership, such as front gardens, rather than space which promotes anonymity; and promoting natural surveillance from residents’ houses.

Evidence suggests that where these guidelines have been followed, crime has fallen. For instance, a study by Bedfordshire Police reported crime and disorder on a 4,500-home development incorporating Secured By Design principles will average approximately 680 incidents a year. The same number of homes in an estate incorporating the Government’s planning principles will result in 4,080 crime and disorder incidents a year, six times as many as on a Secured By Design development.71

The Association of Chief Police Officers has written that:

“Natural surveillance is a cornerstone in the achievement of community safety. Where the likelihood of being seen is low, the risks perceived by potential offenders are also low and the likelihood of crimes being committed will be higher. Ensuring that spaces around buildings, footpath routes, open spaces and parking areas in residential developments are open to view from adjoining occupied properties and/or well-trafficked routes can assist in discouraging criminal activity, by increasing the risk of detection, reducing opportunities for crime and making potential offenders feel more vulnerable. The greater the level of use of public spaces by responsible citizens, the greater will be the degree of natural surveillance.”72

Ken Livingstone is failing to prioritise the principles of designing out crime. He mentions the principle only once in his statutory Draft Housing Strategy.

There are several examples of the concept working around England and Wales;

70 Home Office press release, Design Alliance: fighting crime from the drawing board, 14 August 2007. See: http://press.homeoffice.gov.uk/press-releases/design-alliance 71 Bedfordshire Police, The Cost of Policing New Urbanism, April 2003, page 3. 72 Association of Chief Police Officers, Secured By Design Principles report, 3.1.

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Royds, Bradford

In 1995, the Royds area was one of the worst in the UK for house burglaries, with a divisional average of 138 forced entries per 1,000 households. Working with local police and residents, architects implemented Secured By Design principles relating to layout, defensible space, access opportunities and natural surveillance.73 Between 1998 and 2003, there were no forced-entry burglaries in Royds and there was a 69 % reduction in dwelling burglary across the whole area.74

Kent

Renewal.net (part of the Government's National Strategy Action Plan for neighbourhood renewal) has reported that introducing Secured By Design principles into the Swanley Estate in Kent led to an immediate increase in residents' sense of privacy and security. This was matched by a 92% reduction in burglary, an 86% reduction in criminal damage, an 85% reduction in theft from vehicles, and a 64% reduction in offences involving violence.75

West Yorkshire

After two housing estates in West Yorkshire were refurbished to Secured By Design standards, crime on the estates fell by 67 % and 54 % respectively, between April 1999 and March 2000. For incidents of theft of a motor vehicle, theft from a motor vehicle and taking without consent, there were 42 % fewer offences following the refurbishment. 76

Gwent

An analysis of recorded crime data on 9,173 housing association properties in Gwent between 1996 and 1998 found that: ‘While the non-SBD homes suffered an annual burglary rate per thousand homes of 15.9, the SBD sample was 6.9’. There were 5.1 vehicle thefts per thousand households for non-SBD properties, but just 1.9 per thousand households for SBD properties.77

73 Royds Community Association, Housing by Royds Community Association, http://www.shu.ac.uk/schools/cs/cri/adrc/dac/royds.pdf, 23 March 2006. 74 Home Office/Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Safer Places: The Planning System and Crime Prevention, 2004, page 59. 75 Renewal.net Solving the Problem, Secured By Design, p. 4. 76 Brown J., Designing out crime – Gwent, a case study, Secured By Design housing within West Yorkshire, September 2000.

77Brown J., Designing out crime – Gwent, a case study, www.publicservice.co.uk/pdf/home_office/autumn2000/p142.pdf, 24 March 2006. 25

Championing Diversity

The police should better represent the community they serve, and they are currently failing to do that. Although the situation has recently shown signs of 78 improvement, we still need to do more.

In October 2007 the percentage of female police officers was 20.8% and just 8.0% were officers from BME communities – this is not good enough.79

We will conduct a review to investigate how we can significantly improve matters.

78 The number of police staff joining the MPS is also relatively low in comparison to strength, with 437staff joining in the 4 months to July 2007. Of those staff joining, 55.1% were female and 21.1% from Black & Minority Ethnic community. MPA management information report, 4 October 2007. 79 MPA management information report, October 4th 2007. 26

4. Help the Ignored Victims of Sexual Violence

• I will provide stable, long-term funding to set up new Rape Crisis Centres in London.

Rape Crisis Centres

Official figures show that over Ken Livingstone’s two terms in City Hall, rape in London has increased.80

Metropolitan Police statistics show that rape and sexual assaults have increased since the Mayor took office. There were 546 more sexual offences recorded in the capital during 2006/07 than 2000/01, including 115 more cases of rape last year.

Yet there is only one Rape Crisis Centre for the whole of London, based in Zone 5, and none in the areas where rape offences occur most.81

Government funding for the centres is extremely volatile, but this is something the Mayor can reverse by providing long-term, ringfenced funding from the GLA directly.82

The number of offences has increased in 22 of London’s 32 boroughs since 2000.83

Over 9,305 sexual offences were committed in 2006/7, including 2,304 counts of rape. The boroughs with the highest number of rape offences were

80 The Metropolitan Police Service records the number of rape offences by borough for each financial year. The last complete financial year is 2006/7 and forms the basis of evidence. Details can be found at: http://www.met.police.uk/crimestatistics/2007/2006_07_yend.xls. We are comparing these figures with those from financial year 2001/02, which are available here; http://www.met.police.uk/crimestatistics/tables/data/fy01.xls. The MPS defines “offences” as ‘confirmed reports of crimes being committed. All data relates to "notifiable offences" - which are designated categories of crimes that all police forces in England and Wales are required to report to the Home Office.’ 81 The Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Centre is based in Croydon and offers free confidential support through a help line and face-to-face counselling. See: http://www.rapecrisis.org.uk/C.html 82 The Government announced that funding for Rape Crisis Centres in 2007/8 would not be guaranteed from the Victims Fund and individual Rape Crisis Centres were notified that funding would not be renewed. See, for example, Half of Rape Crisis Centres Face Closure, The Guardian, 3 July 2007 at http://www.guardian.co.uk/crime/article/0,,2117407,00.html and Rape Crisis Centres Hit By Funding Gap, The Independent, 5 July 2007 at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/rape-support-centres-hit-by-funding-gap- 456012.html 83 According to the MPS financial year 2006/7 figures, rape offences increased in Westminster, Islington, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Greenwich, Lewisham, Southwalk, Wandsworth, Kensington and Chelsea, Redbridge, Havering, Barking and Dagenham, Bexley, Sutton, Merton, Kingston Upon Thames, Hounslow, Hillingdon, Harrow, Barnet, Enfield between the 2000/1 and 2006/7 financial years. The number of rape offences remained the same in Waltham Forest. The number of offences also increased at Heathrow Airport, from one to three, but this has not been included in our data. 27

Westminster, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Greenwich, Lewisham, Southwark, and Lambeth – where on average at least two rape offences took place each week.84

London is served by only one Rape Crisis Centre, in Croydon. Several Rape Crisis Centres have closed in London because of a lack of funding – the last centre to close was in Hounslow in 2005.85 Yet Metropolitan Police statistics show that the number of rape and sexual offences in Hounslow are higher today than in 2000, therefore the need for support is even greater.86

Rape Crisis Centres offer long-term support to survivors of sexual violence, including women dealing with historic experiences, such as child or early adulthood sexual abuse. They are operated by the third sector, and are independent of the Metropolitan Police Service. Sexual Assault Referral Centres provide support only for the first six months after a victim makes contact.87 Although there are three Sexual Assault Referral Centres, or Haven centres, in London (based in Camberwell, Paddington, and Whitechapel),88 we believe Rape Crisis Centres will be able to offer long-term support to survivors of sexual violence, including women dealing with historic experiences, such as child or early adulthood sexual abuse.

It is unacceptable for there to be just one centre, in Zone 5, when the number of sexual offences in the capital is higher today than in 2000. London has lost two rape crisis centres over the last decade.89

London does not have enough Rape Crisis Centres, because of woefully inadequate funding from the Labour government. We will call upon the government to provide extra funding for this vital service. Additionally, we will act immediately to provide long-term funding for four Rape Crisis Centres in London.

We would provide funding for these centres by cutting the number of GLA spin doctors.

Current annual expenditure at the centre in one remaining centre in Croydon was £178,823 in 2006/7.90 Adjusting this for inflation gives an estimate of annual running costs of £186,000 in 2008/09.91

84 The MPS data for the financial year 2006/7, records 131 rape offences for Westminster; 109 for Hackney; 103 for Tower Hamlets; 107 for Greenwich; 106 for Lewisham; 118 for Southwark; and 127 for Lambeth. 85 End Violence Against Women, Map of Gaps: The Postcode Lottery of Violence Against Women Support Services, November 2007, p. 35. 86 The MPS lists 78 rape offences for financial year 2006/7 – compared to 48 rape offences for 2000/1. 87 Sexual Assault Referral Centres: Developing Good Practice and Maximising Potential, Home Office Research Study 285, July 2004. 88 http://www.london.gov.uk/view_press_release.jsp?releaseid=12171 89 Op cit, End Violence Against Women. The London Rape Crisis Centre near King’s Cross closed in 2003. 90 See the Charity Commission’s website, http://www.charity- commission.gov.uk/registeredcharities/showcharity.asp?remchar=&chyno=1085104 28

Therefore to secure the funding for this centre and three others would require ringfencing of around £744,000 annually.92

The number of people employed by Ken Livingstone’s personal media and marketing team has swelled from 20 in 2001 to 70 in 2007.93 The GLA Budget Committee have strongly criticised Mr Livingstone for adding “unnecessary posts” to the budget. 94

By contrast the Prime Minister’s Press Office employs just 23 people. In 2007/08 the budget for Mr. Livingstone’s Media and Marketing team was more than £3.6 million.95

A reduction of this by 20% would yield the £744,000 which would fund our commitment to dramatically increasing access to support services for rape victims.

Quite simply, we believe that it is more important to fund Rape Crisis Centres than press officers.

This will go a long way to ending the funding uncertainty for the Croydon centre and ensuring there is stable funding for charities to deliver this kind of support in the capital. It is in sharp contrast to the present situation in which funding decisions are often made midway through the financial year – meaning that Rape Crisis Centres are forced to survive hand-to-mouth and often face the threat of imminent closure.

91 For details on the UK inflation rate for 2008 see HM Treasury, Forecasts for the UK Economy, 16 January 2008 at http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/2/C/forcomp200801.pdf 92 This is based on providing funding in line with the outgoings declared to the Charity Commission by the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre at Croydon for the financial year 2006/7. Funding would be secured at this level for the Croydon centre and be available at the same level for a further three centres in London. 93 London Assembly’s Budget Committee's response to the Mayor of London's 'GLA Group Budget Proposals and Precepts 2008-09 Consultation Document. 94 London Assembly’s Budget Committee's response to the Mayor of London's 'GLA Group Budget Proposals and Precepts 2008-09 Consultation Document. 95 GLA, Corporate Plan, 2007-2010. In 2007/08 the budget for the Media and Marketing team was £3.638 million. A reduction of this by 20% would yield the £720,000. 29

5. Demanding a Police Service Accountable to You

• I will provide local neighbourhoods with New York-style crime maps, to enable residents to hold local police to account.

• I will direct the MPA to ensure Borough Commanders hold monthly, open public meetings.

New Technology

Crime Mapping

Crime mapping is a proven technique for increasing public safety. Employing modern technology, officers can use crime data to create electronic maps showing crime trends, hotspots and patterns. It enables commanders to deploy resources (additional officers or CCTV, for example) more effectively. Crime data can also be combined with other data, such as statistics on deprivation and housing, to help develop effective longer term policies for crime reduction.96

Crime mapping has the additional benefit of providing the public with key information.

The Home Office appears to support crime mapping, but has so far failed to deliver on making it available to the public:

“The use of crime mapping has helped to better inform and overcome inaccurate perceptions of where problems are located, particularly in terms of presenting information in a visually accessible format to a diverse audience, helping all to more effectively contribute to discussions about crime problems.”97

Currently the Met has an electronic interactive map showing monthly crime statistics by borough and ward. We believe this can be built upon to be more detailed and easier to use, and the information can be used as a basis for the introduction of New York-style crime mapping in London.98

The Compstat (short for ‘computer comparison statistics’) system in New York made crime mapping famous. Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Police Commissioner William Bratton were determined to revolutionise the city, and they did.

96 UCL Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science, http://www.jdi.ucl.ac.uk/crime_mapping/index.php 97 Home Office Police Standards Unit Crime Mapping: Improving Performance A good practice guide for front line officers, 2005, page 4. 98 http://www.met.police.uk/crimefigures/svg_info.htm.

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Compstat is used to gather information about crimes, before generating a computerised map of crime patterns. Senior officers meet twice weekly to develop tactics in light of these patterns, and allocate resources accordingly.

Compstat was introduced in 1994, and swiftly cut crime. Between 1993 and 1995 the total crime rate declined by 27 % across the city, and murder fell by 39 %.99

In this country, we tend to talk about GIS, which stands for ‘Geographical Information System’. Crime mapping has taken place here, but is less widespread, and is only used internally.

In Westminster, for example, patterns in robbery and snatch theft were identified by employing techniques that accurately measured the number of pedestrians at street level. Combining these pedestrian counts with street crime data helped identify where the risk of being a victim of these crimes was highest.100

We want to see crime mapping undertaken on a capital-wide basis. What is most frustrating is that much of the technology is already at the disposal of officers, as the Home Office has made clear:

“Most police forces and constabularies already possess the core infrastructure for crime mapping. It involves four elements; hardware; software; data; and properly trained people.”101

We will ensure that the Metropolitan Police continue to publish their local crime statistics online on a regular, monthly basis.102 However, this should only be the start. We believe that more crime mapping data should be made readily available to the public.

We also believe that this practice could extend beyond the police.

Leading experts in the crime mapping field have confirmed that there are no technical barriers that would prevent the release of the data that would make this possible.

99 Harvard University Government Innovators Network, http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/awards.html?id=3716 100 Home Office Police Standards Unit Crime Mapping: Improving Performance A good practice guide for front line officers, 2005, page 14. 101 Home Office Police Standards Unit Crime Mapping: Improving Performance A good practice guide for front line officers, 2005, page 15. 102 Monthly is the most practical timeframe because it allows for data cleaning. For example, someone may report a crime as “robbery”, which for police records would be coded appropriately, but further investigation reveals that it is in fact a case of theft from person, an entirely different data code. Also, among police forces that carry out internal crime mapping, one month is currently by far the most common interval for updating record. See Review of GIS-based information sharing systems, Spencer Chainey and Chloe Smith, Home Office Online Report 02/06 http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/rdsolr0206.pdf

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Already there are many different mapping systems of the UK available to the public online, including Yahoo, Google and Streetmap. From a technical point of view it is a very simple operation to overlay an online street map with crime statistics.

It is time for our response to crime to catch up with other walks of life that have been opened up to the information revolution. The web has revolutionised people’s access to information and their application of it, and an important part of this has been the democratisation of mapping.

Experimentation on the web is making maps more central than ever to the sourcing, organisation and presentation of information.

Ordinary web users realise that maps provide a canvas to bring together and clearly present various ‘layers’ of data simultaneously. In many cases millions of contributors are pooling their knowledge, as with the growth of sites of the written word such as Wikipedia – and together they are improving everyone’s access to useful information: tourist spots, school rankings, weather and environmental conditions, aircraft flight paths, and so on.

Map production is no longer specialist. Competing online search providers are introducing simple tools, making the collation and communication of data in a map format more accessible than ever before.

There are several examples of crime mapping (some which are produced independently of local police forces) around the world already, which proves it can be done.

Chicagocrime.org

The journalist, Adrian Holovaty, was one of the first to combine publicly available data from one site (in this case, the Chicago Police Department's online database) with a digital map supplied by another site (in this case, Google) to create the award-winning Chicagocrime.org, a freely browsable database of crimes reported in Chicago. It allowed users to filter crimes by multiple criteria (e.g. crime type; ZIP code; date), and view them on one map. Every city block in Chicago was covered by a page and a RSS feed. The site closed on 31 January 2008, as its host server is now out-of-date. The original designers have in any case superseded the site with a bigger and better public service site, “Every Block”. Covering three cities – Chicago, New York and San Francisco – this site collates a wide range of information and news, on issues ranging from crime, street closures and liquor license applications to lots and found postings and business reviews. It allows users to keep track of what is happening in their city, their neighbourhood and on their street via functions to browse by area or news type – and of course, everything can be displayed on maps.

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CrimeReports.com

The entrepreneurial drive in the US has attracted private enterprise to produce their own crime maps, for example creating the technology that will allow police departments to make their crime statistics available on web- based maps to local residents. For example, CrimeReports.com provides software and services to law enforcement agencies, combining the value of police data with Google-based mapping and an analytics module. Members of the public may also sign up to receive free email alerts based on user-defined parameters (e.g. geography, crime types, frequency, etc.). The Metropolitan Police of Washington DC uses this system, and they make an XML data feed available to the public. Currently, Crimereports.com's services are free to both residents and police departments, run by a private Utah-based enterprise.

upmystreet.com

We want to stimulate here in the UK the sort of innovation that has emerged in the US. Our entrepreneurial spirit is already in evidence – a leading example is the website upmystreet.com, founded in 1998 by an internet agency, later registering as a limited company and funded in part by advertising and sponsorship.

This site allows users to explore – by postcode search – a range of categories, including: policing and crime, schools, transport, leisure, council tax, home insurance, mortgages, broadband, digital TV, house price trends, property valuation reports, removals, news & views.

For crime, it uses Home Office figures, presented per 1,000 of the population within local authority areas and documents six crime types: • Violence against the person offences (these range from murder to less serious offences) • Sexual offences • Robbery offences • Burglary dwelling offences • Theft of a motor vehicle offences • Theft from a motor vehicle offences

We believe London, as a leading world city, should embrace technological change like this. By using existing crime mapping data, and by exploring models from around the world, we believe that we can create a crime mapping system that is open to all Londoners. This will enable them to hold the police to account more effectively, and thus improve police performance.

There are other forms of new technology we intend to embrace to keep us ahead in the fight against crime.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) is one such area we will look at.

Currently there are four ANPR units working across London. Each ANPR unit has a van with camera and computer technology that can read registration 33 plates. It then compares the plate with databases like the Police National Computer.

If something crops up on one of the databases, the unit can move in. It also means that serious criminals may be hauled in for a car that is not street legal, and that they are denied the use of the roads.

In 2005 – 2006 the units were making an average of 200 arrests per month.103

More Accountability

Increasing police accountability will boost Londoners’ confidence in the police. The more accountable they are, the more responsive they will be.

There should be a stronger link between local people and their Borough Commanders. There is currently a structure to enable local people to question local police chiefs, like Police Community Consultative Groups and Borough Community Engagement Groups. For example, Haringey and Newham both have police and community forums.

However, in practice, most local residents do not know about such arrangements, and they are poorly attended.

We will direct the Commissioner to ensure that Borough Commanders hold open public meetings every month, where they will answer questions from local residents. We will expect these meetings to be convenient and well publicised. Community engagement will be further bolstered by the greater availability of crime mapping data.

103 http://www.metpolice.uk/traffic/departments.htm

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Fighting Crime in London

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Boris Johnson 2 Fighting Crime in London 9 point plan for a My Greater London

1. Cutting waste at City Hall – freeing up £3.5 billion for services. 2. Putting £445 back in your pocket by freezing the Mayoral share of council tax. 3. Creating 200,000 new jobs over the next four years.

4. Making our streets and homes safer with 1,000 more police on the beat.

5. Restoring 300 acres of green space and planting 20,000 street trees. 6. Investing £221 million to transform local high streets, supporting small businesses. 7. Ensuring a true Olympic legacy – 11,000 new homes and 10,000 new jobs. 8. Reducing Tube delays 30% by 2015. Building Crossrail and orbital rail to link our suburbs. Extending the Bike Hire scheme. 9. Securing a better deal for London from No 10.

Fighting Crime in London details point 4 of my 9 point plan for Greater London, explains my crime fighting pledges in addition to those listed in the 9 point plan for Greater London, and shows how they link in with the whole plan.

Fighting Crime in London 3 4 Fighting Crime in London Contents

Introduction 7 Smarter solutions to alcohol and drug crime 21 My priorities for a Greater London 9 A smarter approach to alcohol and crime 21

Strengthening the Force 11 Compulsory sobriety 21

Transparency on crime figures and police Drug crime 22 numbers 11

Increasing time on the beat 12 Helping London’s vulnerable young people 23 Strength in depth – a Force that looks more like London 13 Leadership Clubs 23

Safer Neighbourhood Teams 13 Daedalus 23

Special Constables 13 Employment opportunities 24

2012 Games 13 Uniformed groups 24

Confronting gangs 14 Mentoring 24

Weapon dogs 14

Harnessing technology 14

Giving victims a greater voice 15

Safer Neighbourhood Boards 15

Community Payback 15

Sentencing Unit for London 16

Tough sentencing for knife crime 16

Crime reporting app 16

A safer London for women 17

Transport crime 17

Courtesy Card 18

Rape crisis centres 18

Domestic violence 18

Harmful cultural practices 19

Fighting Crime in London 5 6 Fighting Crime in London Introduction

Dear Londoner,

The first duty of the Mayor is to protect Londoners.

When I was elected, I inherited a police force in need of strong leadership, where officers were tied to their desks by unnecessary paperwork. Twenty-seven teenagers had been murdered in 20071, but the response from City Hall was weak. Violent crime had increased, drug crime had more than doubled2, and public disorder offences on the Tube had increased by 521 per cent3.

I promised to work to turn things around. By bringing fresh leadership to the Metropolitan Police Service, working with all London’s boroughs, and Londoners whatever their background and politics, I have put more police on the streets, brought down crime significantly, made a start on tackling the seemingly intractable problems of reoffending and youth crime, and made London the safest it has been for many years.

Comparing my term against that of my predecessor, total crime has been cut by 10.8 per cent4. Murders have decreased by 25.9 per cent5, the lowest rate since 19786. Youth violence has decreased by 13.8 per cent7, with the number of youth murders almost halving8. Robberies are down by 16.3 per cent9. And bus crime has fallen by 30 per cent10 since I put 697 extra police on our Tube and buses11, and introduced a ban on alcohol on the Transport for London network.

Through careful management of the Met’s budget during a time of unprecedented economic conditions, I have ensured that London increases and maintains the number of fully warranted police officers.There are now 1,000 extra warranted officers on London’s streets compared to when I was elected.And I have encouraged single patrols, adding thousands of extra patrols every year12. This has been done without increasing the Mayor’s share of Council Tax. London now has four Rape Crisis Centres13, and the Met have taken over 11,000 knives off the streets14.

For all this hard work, last year’s riots show the full scale of the challenges we still face. In particular, urgent attention needs to be given to our youth justice system. The most striking statistic was that the vast majority of rioters were a product of the criminal justice system15, a system which it would appear for decades has achieved little either in terms of deterrence or rehabilitation. More action is required. So I now pledge to commit to more targeted programmes, aimed at helping London’s vulnerable young people steer away from a life of crime.

Over these last four years we have strengthened the arm of the Mayor. I regularly meet with the Home Secretary and Home Office ministers, and my strong relationship with Government has not only secured £90 million extra funding to keep police officers high16, but also persuaded Ministers to significantly strengthen the Mayor’s powers on policing under the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011. Through the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime, I am now able to set police priorities and fully hold the Met Commissioner to account. I believe that the police should target the crimes that most concern Londoners, including serious

1 GLA Website, Time for action on youth violence 2 MPS Website, Crime Figures 2000-2008 3 British Transport Police, Statistical Bulletin 2002/03 – 2007/08. Using 2001-02 and 2007-08 figures 4 MPS statistics, Comparing 44 months of Ken Livingstone September 2004 – April 2008 with 44 months of Boris Johnson May 2008 - December 2011 5 MOPC, Monthly Report: Police and Crime Committee, 8 March 2012 6 GLA, Press Release, 22 September 2010 7 GLA Website, Reporting on crime 8 GLA Website, ‘Time for action on youth violence’ 9 MPS statistics, Comparing 44 months of Ken Livingstone September 2004 – April 2008 with 44 months of Boris Johnson May 2008 10 MOPC, Monthly Report: Police and Crime Committee, 8 March 2012 11 Mayor of London, Written Answers, 14 March 2012 12 Mayor of London, Minutes (Draft), Mayor’s Question Time, 22 February 2012, 767/2012 13 GLA, Press Release, Mayor to quadruple Rape Crisis services in London, 8 March 2010 14 GLA, Press Release, Mayor helps bid to rid streets of knives at weapons disposal bin, 3 February 2011 15 BBC News Online, 15 September 2011 16 GLA, Press Release, 1 February 2012

Fighting Crime in London 7 youth violence; robbery, burglary and drug dealing in every borough; getting tough on gangs and tackling re- offending rates.

I will take London forward by further strengthening the police and driving a renewed focus on street policing to ensure the capital is one of the safest cities in the world to work and live. I will continue to increase the number of special constables by giving them a rebate on their Council Tax. I will strengthen the role of Safer Neighbourhood Teams by giving Londoners a greater say over policing in their area through new Safer Neighbourhood Boards.

I will continue to take violence against women seriously, through a new London-wide domestic violence service. I will tackle binge drinking in outer London town centres, send a strong message on sentencing with a new Sentencing Unit for London, and reduce reoffending through a significant expansion of mentoring and rehabilitation centres. And I will continue to work with partners to fight crime in London through my London Crime Reduction Board.

And of course all of this is to be set against the backdrop of the biggest policing operation in living memory with the Olympic and Paralympic Games, alongside the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. I will work closely with the Commissioner and his team to ensure we achieve the twin tasks of keeping the city safe and securing the 2012 Games.

We have made progress despite difficult times. At the Mayoral election on 3rd May this progress is at risk. The choice at this election is between taking London backwards, and my plan to ensure we have the resources to maintain the extra 1,000 police officers I have put on the streets, so that London is not just safer, but also feels safer.

Boris Johnson

8 Fighting Crime in London My priorities for a Greater London

Strengthening the Force

„„ Drive a renewed focus on street policing:

„„ Work with the Commissioner to boost Safer Neighbourhood Teams, with an additional 2,000 police, including adding up to three Police Officers and three Specials to everyTeam.

„„ Double the number of Special Constables to 10,000.

„„ Offer, for the first time in Greater London, a 50 per cent rebate on the Mayor’s share of Council Tax to Special Constables.

„„ Extend ‘buy one get one free’ police officer scheme for borough councils.

„„ Maintain the extra 1,000 police officers I have put on the streets.

„„ Publish monthly comparable crime figures and police numbers for every borough to ensure transparency and accountability of the Force.

„„ Lobby for legislation to allow me to introduce a direct entry scheme to the Met.

„„ Make more significant progress towards a force that looks more like London.

„„ Personally oversee plans to deliver a safe and secure 2012 Olympic Games.

„„ Guarantee to continue funding for the new Trident Gangs Command for my entire term.

„„ Double the size of the Met’s Status Dogs Unit; and seek tougher sentences for those using dogs as weapons in Greater London.

Giving victims a greater voice

„„ Establish Safer Neighbourhood Boards in every borough giving local Londoners and victims a greater voice.

„„ Give local people a direct say in Community Payback.

„„ Create a £1 million a year local crime prevention fund for Safer Neighbourhood Board projects.

„„ Establish a new Sentencing Unit for London with a focus on violence, especially knife crime.

„„ Develop a crime reporting smartphone app.

A safer London for women

„„ Maintain funding for the extra police on the transport network for my second term, which is at risk from Ken Livingstone’s plan to take £1.14 billion out of the transport budget.

„„ Continue funding for the 50 extra British Transport Police on the overland rail network and negotiate to bring them under a new “London Command”.

„„ Introduce a Courtesy Card to require those under 16s who benefit from free travel on the buses to treat other travellers with respect.

„„ Launch a pan-London domestic violence service.

„„ Guarantee funding for London’s four Rape Crisis Centres for my entire term.

Fighting Crime in London 9 „„ Establish a task force to confront female genital mutilation and other harmful cultural practices, including so-called “witchcraft” killings.

Smarter solutions to alcohol and drug crime

„„ Introduce “Compulsory Sobriety” for drunken offenders.

„„ Establish a Strategic Licensing Unit to work with boroughs to sort out problem premises.

„„ Introduce a programme of intensive testing and supervision for drug offenders.

Helping London’s vulnerable young people

„„ Launch 25 Leadership Clubs in secondary schools as part of our work to tackle the underlying causes of last year’s riots.

„„ Drive forward the Daedalus Programme with enhanced resettlement for young offenders, and develop new employment programmes.

„„ Work with the Met to double again the number of police cadets.

„„ Recruit 1,000 volunteers to help up to 10,000 young adults through uniformed groups.

„„ Continue mentoring programmes to help 1,000 vulnerable boys aged 10-16, and to improve literacy amongst young Londoners.

10 Fighting Crime in London Strengthening the Force

I will:

„„ Drive a renewed focus on street policing:

„„ Work with the Commissioner to boost Safer Neighbourhood Teams, with an additional 2,000 police, including adding up to three Police Officers and three Specials to everyTeam.

„„ Double the number of Special Constables to 10,000.

„„ Offer, for the first time in Greater London, a 50 per cent rebate on the Mayor’s share of Council Tax to Special Constables.

„„ Extend ‘buy one get one free’ police officer scheme for borough councils.

„„ Maintain the extra 1,000 police officers I have put on the streets.

„„ Publish monthly comparable crime figures and police numbers for every borough to ensure transparency and accountability of the Force.

„„ Lobby for legislation to allow me to introduce a direct entry scheme to the Met.

„„ Make more significant progress towards a force that looks more like London.

„„ Personally oversee plans to deliver a safe and secure 2012 Olympic Games.

„„ Guarantee to continue funding for the new Trident Gangs Command for my entire term.

„„ Double the size of the Met’s Status Dogs Unit; and seek tougher sentences for those using dogs as weapons in Greater London.

When I was elected, London had serious problems with crime. Today, London is on the way to being one of the safest big cities in the world. Londoners elected me to cut crime, and I have worked hard to successfully drive crime down. Specifically, comparing my term against that of my predecessor:

„„ Total crime has been cut by 10.8 per cent. This includes the most serious offences such as murder, which has decreased by 25.9 per cent – the lowest rate since 197817.

„„ Youth violence has decreased by 13.8 per cent, with the number of youth murders halving18.

„„ Robberies are down by 16.3 per cent19.

„„ Robbery on public transport’ is down 46.5 per cent; crime on buses has fallen by 30 per cent and crime on the Tube has fallen by 20 per cent20.

But the problems I inherited had been years in the making. In particular the horrendous problems of knife and gang crime had been allowed to take root in London’s streets for many years. We have made progress, and we are working to change this culture. Transparency on crime figures and police numbers

My predecessor did not take serious steps to reduce crime, particularly the types of crime that concern Londoners most. Violent crime under Ken Livingstone was up 11.2 per cent between 2000-01 and 2007-0821.

17 MOPC, Monthly Report: Police and Crime Committee, 8 March 2012 18 GLA Website, Reporting on crime; GLA Website, ‘Time for action on youth violence’ 19 GLA Website, Reporting on crime 20 GLA, Press Release, Mayor highlights drop in crime across public transport network, 21 February 2011 21 MPS, Crime Mapping: Data tables, 2000-2008

Fighting Crime in London 11 Drug crime up 202 per cent22, actual bodily harm up 84 per cent23, harassment up 89 per cent24. Between 2001-02 and 2007-08, public disorder offences on the Tube went up 521 per cent while violent crime on the Tube went up by 56 per cent25. Most shockingly of all, despite widespread concern about a growing culture of knives, violence and gangs, knife crime was such a low priority that it wasn’t even measured until the final year of Ken Livingstone’s eight-year term26.

I set to work straight away to cut crime and strengthen London’s crime-fighting capability. I increased the Force with more Police Officers, more PCSOs and more Special Constables, and I began to refocus the police on what matters to Londoners.

Since I was elected, I have put 697 extra police27 on the buses and Tube.

These extra resources, better management and renewed focus on the things that matter have meant I have been able to cut crime. Comparing the 45 months prior to the 2008 election with the following 45 months shows that I have cut crime by 10.8 per cent from 3,486,028 offences to 3,110,245. I have cut violence against the person by 9.7 per cent, murder by 25.9 per cent and robbery by 16.3 per cent.

My record of cutting crime throughout my Mayoralty also shows when comparing my annual crime figures with 2007-08, the last year before I became Mayor. I cut total crime in 2008-09, in 2009-10 and again in 2010-11. I have also cut violence against the person, burglary and robbery compared to 2007-08, although the trends within individual categories has not been as smooth as the overall trend in total crime.

Unlike my predecessor, I take honesty, openness and transparency seriously. I will publish comparable crime figures and police numbers for each borough with totals for all of London monthly on the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime website. Increasing time on the beat

Since I was elected, the number of police officers has increased; the number of patrols has increased by thousands28; and we have sought to prioritise the amount of time officers spend on the street.

Using my strengthened powers with the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime, my priority is to maintain police numbers. There are 1,000 more fully warranted police officers on London’s streets at the end of this term than I inherited. My strong relationship with the Government has secured an extra £90 million to ensure police numbers remain high29.

I will maintain the extra 1,000 police I have put on the street throughout my second term.

To harness the support of local authorities, I also launched a ‘buy one get one free’ offer, where I match their spending on extra police offers in their area30. Twelve boroughs (Brent, Camden, Ealing, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow, Lewisham, Newham, Redbridge and Waltham Forest) have taken up that opportunity to increase police numbers, and I will continue this offer to increase police numbers further and crucially allow councils to co-decide their function.

I have supported the introduction of single patrolling which has meant that there will be hundreds of thousands more visible police patrols every year. And I have sought to cut the amount of police bureaucracy to enable police to spend more time on the street than behind a desk.

22 MPS, Crime Mapping: Data tables, 2000-2008 23 MPS, Crime Mapping: Data tables, 2000-2008 24 MPS, Crime Mapping: Data tables, 2000-2008 25 British Transport Police, Statistical Bulletin 2002/03 – 2007/08 26 Home Office, Offences recorded by the police in England and Wales by offence and police force area from 1990 to 2010/11, 26 August 2011 27 Mayor of London, Mayors Questions Written Answers, 931/2012, 14 March 2012 28 Mayor of London, Minutes (Draft), Mayor’s Question Time, 22 February 2012, 767/2012 29 GLA, Twenty Ninth Mayor’s Report to the Assembly, 23 March 2011, p. 2 30 GLA, Twenty Ninth Mayor’s Report to the Assembly, 23 March 2011, p. 2

12 Fighting Crime in London I will also hold the Commissioner to his stated objective of spending at least two days a month with the entire force focused on a major crime fighting initiative, including usingAutomated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and executing warrants for known offenders. Strength in depth – a Force that looks more like London

True strength is about more than just numbers. For the Met to be at its strongest, it must reflect, and be fully accepted by, the population it seeks to serve. When I arrived at City Hall it is fair to say that internal tensions over race issues in particular were high at the Met. I have sought to defuse or resolve these tensions and draw all parties together into a constructive coalition to change the look and feel of the workforce at Scotland Yard.

And there is still much work to do. In my second term, we will review progress and help the Commissioner to completely redraw the Met’s diversity strategy setting a renewed course for the future. We will also take advantage of the opportunities presented by the Winsor review and, with the Commissioners agreement, work to introduce a direct entry scheme, allowing older people with differing skills to join the Met and accelerate to an appropriate rank. Safer Neighbourhood Teams

Safer Neighbourhood Teams have made a huge contribution to cutting crime in London and making people feel safer in all of London’s 624 wards. I have also given some Sergeants more responsibility to strengthen the response of their teams around the ward boundaries.

But I want to go further to help Safer Neighbourhood Teams do even more to combat crime. I will work with the Commissioner to boost Safer Neighbourhood Teams, with an additional 2,000 police, including adding up to three Police Officers and three Specials to every Team.

This extra capacity means that the team can focus more on solving and preventing crime, dealing with anti- social behaviour and critically giving a greater sense of territorial ownership and control to Londoners. Special Constables

Special Constables are an invaluable part of the fight against crime, which is why I have driven recruitment to more than double the number on London’s streets from 2,50031 when I was elected, to over 5,479 as of October 201132. They are also a vital link between the police and the public, strengthening the consent and support on which the police rely.

In recognition of their valuable service, members of the public who serve as Special Constables in London already get free travel33. I want to go further, and will give Special Constables a 50 per cent rebate on the Mayor’s share of Council Tax. This would save the average household in a Band D property over £600 over the lifetime of my next Mayoral term.

I will encourage boroughs to match this, potentially increasing this saving to an average of over £1,200 over the lifetime of the next Mayoral term.

I will aim to double the current number of Special Constables further to 10,000. Their remit will be to work in the evenings, on the transport network and with Safer Neighbourhood Teams. 2012 Games

The challenge the Met faces in securing the Olympic and Paralympic Games cannot be underestimated. Years of work and planning have gone into the immense operation which will keep London safe during

31 MPA Archive Website, MPS Police officer, staff and PCSO numbers 32 MPA Archive Website, MPS Police officer, staff and PCSO numbers 33 GLA Website, Could you be a Special?

Fighting Crime in London 13 the Games. I will work closely with the Commissioner and his team to ensure London is prepared for all eventualities and to achieve the twin tasks of keeping the city safe and securing the 2012 Games. Confronting gangs

It is estimated around 5,000 people are involved with up to 250 often violent gangs in the capital34. The presence of these organised groups in some neighbourhoods often brings extreme violence and criminality and has a corrosive effect on some young people, entrenching an anti-work and anti-achievement culture.

That is why the Commissioner and I have launched the Trident Gangs Command of 1,000 warranted officers and a budget of £60 million. The Command is targeting all of London’s gangs, but prioritising the 62 most violent groups of young men who are responsible for two-thirds of gang-related crime.

So far Trident has conducted over 300 raids35 across 19 boroughs, arrested over 500 people36. Officers seized items including 1kg of heroin, cocaine, firearms and large quantities of cash amongst other contraband.

But this assertive enforcement comes hand in hand with the opportunity to exit a life of violence and crime, and I will continue to work with my partners on the London Crime Reduction Board, most importantly London’s boroughs, to provide the avenues to success that reformed gang members need. Weapon dogs

The menace of dangerous dogs is one that troubles many parts of London. Three years ago we established a Status Dogs Unit at the Met37 which has taken around 3,000 dogs off the streets38. I will continue to lobby the Government for changes in the law so that owners who groom dogs as weapon dogs receive the same length of sentence as someone illegally carrying a knife. And I will provide the Commissioner with funding to double the number of specialist officers on the squad. Harnessing technology

I will make sure that London is a world leader in crime fighting techniques, and that our officers have access to the most advanced technologies to help them in the war on crime. We must ensure that the basic IT infrastructure of the Met is significantly modernised, both to save money and increase productivity, and there are some specific crime fighting technologies that we must use more.

I will ensure Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) is used across all London to help identify and track down the vehicles of criminals, which has proved of particular use against burglars.

Ensuring strong protections against misuse, I will extend this approach by requiring Transport for London (TfL) and the Metropolitan Police Service to assume joint responsibility for TfL’s ANPR camera system which is used for the operation of the Congestion Charge and the Low Emission Zone. This would give the Met straightforward access, with an explicit purpose for crime prevention and detection.

In order to safeguard our civil liberties, this will be accompanied by a public awareness campaign to ensure the processing of personal data is fair and lawful; and measures to guard against the possibility of it becoming part of a ‘surveillance state’.

As I outlined in my Investing in Transport manifesto chapter, road accidents can cause major disruption. Often it can take too long to reopen the road network. I will explore new technology to more quickly assess accident scenes, including new lasers that scan the site of an accident in 3D to help police to more quickly complete their survey of the scene. This would enable the police to open roads more rapidly to keep London moving, with the aim of halving the average time taken to re-open roads after an incident.

34 GLA, Press Release, Met launches major crack down on gang crime, 8 February 2012 35 BBC News Online, More than 200 held as Met Police crack down on gangs, 8 February 2012 36 MPS, Press Release, Met Police makes 515 gang-related arrests, 15 February 2012 37 GLA, Press Release, Dog attack victims join Deputy Mayor to pledge for urgent action on dangerous dogs, 25 August 2010 38 Metropolitan Police Service, ‘Dangerous Dogs Seizure and Disposal’ statistics

14 Fighting Crime in London Giving victims a greater voice

I will:

„„ Establish Safer Neighbourhood Boards in every borough giving local Londoners and victims a greater voice.

„„ Give local people a direct say in Community Payback.

„„ Create a £1 million a year local crime prevention fund for Safer Neighbourhood Board projects.

„„ Establish a new Sentencing Unit for London with a focus on violence, especially knife crime.

„„ Develop a crime reporting smartphone app.

Safer Neighbourhood Boards

It is important the police focus on the priorities of local communities, and one of the clearest ways of achieving this is to enable neighbourhoods to set policing priorities. I have already made the police more accountable to communities, by introducing crime mapping – publishing detailed information on crimes at street level, opening up local policing to residents, and transforming the accountability of the Met39. This means that every Londoner can now easily find information about crime in their neighbourhood online.

I will launch a new Safer Neighbourhood Board in every borough, to establish policing priorities for each neighbourhood and fulfil important responsibilities.

This will involve amalgamation of the current Community Police Engagement Group structure with the Met’s Independent Advisory Group community engagement structure to avoid duplication, with members of these boards sitting on them for a maximum of three years and we will reserve places for councillors and young people on each board. These measures will ensure both a regular refresh of opinions, strong linkage with the boroughs and a wide diversity of views.

I will give each board a number of responsibilities; specifically a new duty to hear and monitor complaints from victims of crime and to monitor crime performance and community confidence in their area.They will also be required to monitor levels of complaints about borough-based police officers from the public and undertake the role of “Independent Custody Visitors”, responsible for visiting local offenders post-arrest40. Specifically they will have a duty to ensure that all wards have a ward panel of residents as a sounding board for the newly expanded Safer Neighbourhood Teams.

I will prioritise £1 million saved by this amalgamation into a borough problem-solving fund, from which the new boards can bid for crime prevention projects in their area.

I will also require the new boards to play a significant role in Community Payback. Community Payback

When offenders are convicted, justice must not only be done, it must be seen to be done. With the support of national government, I will ensure that more offenders serving community sentences are visibly doing tasks that improve their neighbourhoods such as clearing roadside litter, cleaning up graffiti, or planting trees as part of a “Community Payback” scheme.

To ensure that offenders are doing work that is of value to the public, I will work with the probation service to empower the new Safer Neighbourhood Boards to set the tasks that offenders from their borough should

39 Metropolitan Police Service Website, Crime Mapping 40 Archived Metropolitan Police Authority Website, Independent Custody Visitors

Fighting Crime in London 15 undertake as payback to the neighbourhood for their crimes, after specifically canvassing the views of victims. Sentencing Unit for London

It is important that people have confidence in sentencing, and that sentences work both as a deterrent, and to offer justice for victims.

It is also important therefore that the Mayor constructively influences sentencing policy.

Sentencing guidelines are currently set to achieve national consistency. However, crime patterns are regional, and what may be a deterrent in Lancaster could have little affect in London.

I also believe that there are too many people going to prison on short sentences, which just make them more likely to offend. By contrast those convicted of serious violence spend too little time in gaol. It is time to put sense into sentencing.

I want a sentencing approach in London that embraces quality not quantity. I want more imaginative and innovative disposals for those currently subject to short sentences, for example my ‘Compulsory Sobriety’ project. And I want longer custodial sentences for those who perpetrate violence, especially gang violence, and for persistent robbers and burglars.

I will therefore establish a new Sentencing Unit for London, within the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime, with the tasks of:

„„ Closely monitoring sentencing by court and offence.

„„ Ensuring that all opportunities to influence sentencing post-conviction, but prior to sentence, are taken, such as community and victim impact statements, and sentencing recommendations by London Probation.

„„ Systematically and formally objecting, using powers available to all citizens under the Criminal Justice Act 198841, to sentences that I believe are too lenient.

I will also engage with the National Sentencing Council to achieve the best outcomes for London. Tough sentencing for knife crime

I have long advocated stronger sentencing to deter knife crime, including custodial sentences for those carrying a knife. Operation Blunt 2 has taken around 11,000 knives off the streets42, but still there are too many young people are walking around armed.

I strongly support the Government’s policy of gaoling people carrying knives, and welcome the fact that it accepted proposals that the policy should apply to people under the age of 18, as well as those over 18.

The wide use of knife arches will continue until incidences of knife crime reduce significantly. Crime reporting app

Now we will go further and develop a crime-reporting app for smartphones, allowing the public to immediately report crimes using their smartphone, including pictures and footage, and making it faster and easier to report crimes.

I have delivered my pledge to roll out a new 101 non-emergency service available in London, which has now been rolled out by the Government across England and Wales, providing members of the public with an easy way to report less urgent crime43.

41 Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Review of Sentencing Order 2006) 42 GLA, Press Release, Mayor helps bid to rid streets of knives at weapons disposal bin, 3 February 2011 43 Direct Gov Website, Reporting non-emergency crimes using 101

16 Fighting Crime in London A safer London for women

I will:

„„ Maintain funding for the extra police on the transport network for my entire second term, which is at risk from Ken Livingstone’s plan to take £1.14 billion out of the transport budget.

„„ Continue funding for 50 extra British Transport Police on the overland rail network and negotiate to bring them under a new “London Command”.

„„ Introduce a Courtesy Card to require those under 16s who benefit from free travel on the buses to treat other travellers with respect.

„„ Guarantee funding for London’s four Rape Crisis Centres for my entire term.

„„ Launch a pan-London domestic violence service.

„„ Establish a task force to confront female genital mutilation and other harmful cultural practices, including so-called “witchcraft” killings.

While the extra police presence has made London safer for everyone, it has especially benefitted women, particularly on public transport where we have seen a significant increase in police presence. eW have also had a serious crack down on illegal minicabs.

Under my Mayoralty, London became the first major city in the world to launch a comprehensive Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy which has drawn together a coalition of those committed to eradicating all forms of violence against women and received positive recognition by the United Nations.

But there is still much more to do. Female victims in this city are still too common and while I will continue with my established strategy there are some other areas of concern that need to be addressed. Transport crime

Under my predecessor, crime on public transport, in particular buses, was rising substantially. On London Underground, public disorder offences on the tube increased by 521 per cent, violent crime by 56 per cent, and drug crime 128 per cent between 2001/2 and 2007/844. On the bus network, violence on buses increased by 9 per cent between 2004/5 and 2007/845.

Since I was elected, I have put 697 extra police46 on the buses and Tube and banned alcohol47. This has helped to cut bus crime by 30 per cent, with violence on buses falling by 21 per cent48 and Tube crime cut by 20 per cent49. I have also cracked down on illegal minicabs – doubling the team dedicated to tackling the problem50 and making 1,300 arrests in 2010/1151.

I will maintain the funding for the extra police I have put on the transport network for my whole second term, which is at risk from Ken Livingstone’s plan to take £1.14 billion out of London’s transport budget52. I will also continue to prioritise a strong police presence on public transport, including continuing my funding for 50 extra British Transport Police on the overland rail network.

44 British Transport Police, Statistical Bulletin 2002/03– 2007/08. Using 2001-02 and 2007-08 figures 45 TfL, Crime and Antisocial Behaviour Statistics Bulletin, Q1 2007/08 and Q1 2008/09 46 Mayor of London, Mayors Questions Written Answers, 931/2012, 14 March 2012 47 GLA, Press Release, Mayor highlights drop in crime across public transport network, 21 February 2011 48 TfL, Crime Antisocial Behaviour Statistics Bulletin, Q2 2010/2011 and Q2 2011/12 49 GLA, Press Release, Mayor highlights drop in crime across public transport network, 21 February 2011 50 GLA, Press Release, Met launches major crack down on gang crime, 8 February 2012 51 TfL, Press Release, Safer Travel at Night: Over 1,300 drivers arrested last year as part of crackdown on unbooked ‘minicabs’, 23 May 2011 52 Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 14 December 2011

Fighting Crime in London 17 I will lobby for a single “London Command” for the British Transport Police. As Mayor, I am also asking the Department for Transport to devolve responsibility for suburban London rail franchises to City Hall, and as part of this I will ensure that every station where responsibility is transferred is staffed to make it safer. Courtesy Card

I announced in my Investing in Transport manifesto, that I will strengthen the existing behaviour code by making it an explicit condition of free travel that under - 16s give up their seats for older people, especially pensioners and behave courteously to their fellow passengers.

I will publish a three-point Courtesy Code on the back of each ZIP card which will remind card holders that they must:

„„ Give up their seat to an older, pregnant or disabled person.

„„ Be polite and not use offensive or threatening language.

„„ Be courteous to fellow passengers: for instance, not playing music out loud on a mobile phone.

This Courtesy Code will complement TfL’s existing Behaviour Code, which every ZIP card holder has to observe, and any young person found breaching the Courtesy Code will have their free travel withdrawn. I will also operate a ‘two strikes and out’ policy, where individuals are only able to “Earn Your Travel Back” (EYTB) once before the card is removed permanently for a second offence. EYTB, which I promised to introduce at the last election, has so far enabled 3,019 young people who have their free travel withdrawn for bad behaviour to earn their ZIP card back by volunteering in community activities53. Rape crisis centres

In 2008, our capital city had only one Rape Crisis Centre, which was struggling financially. I moved swiftly to ensure its on-going financial stability. As part of my long-term plan, three new Rape Crisis Centres opened in London in 2010, making four in total based in North, South, East and West London54 to help women across London. The four centres have helped 15,882 victims of sexual abuse with support, counselling and therapies in 2010- 2011 alone55.

I will guarantee funding to maintain all four centres for the entirety of my next term. Domestic violence

It is vital that those who perpetrate domestic violence are brought to justice. However, too many trials fail because the victim does not feel able to carry the complaint through and too many victims feel isolated and unsupported. Independent Domestic Violence Advocates (IDVAs) perform a vital function across the city in supporting victims and helping them through the difficult criminal justice process.

At the moment it is mainly the boroughs that commission IDVAs but they do so in a piecemeal and expensive way that does not give consistent pan-London coverage. Any reduction in the number of IDVAs would lead to an increase in the number of unsuccessful trials, which not only increases cost for the police and Crown Prosecution Service, but also means justice is not done.

I will therefore work with the police, boroughs, National Health Service, Home Office and the Crown Prosecution Service, to commission and fund a pan London domestic violence service and maintain the number of IDVAs. All these organisations have an interest and indeed a duty to collaborate in protecting women (and some men) from domestic abuse.

53 GLA, Mayor’s Questions 4040/2011, 14 December 2011. 54 GLA, Press Release, Mayor to quadruple Rape Crisis services in London, 8 March 2010 55 Mayor of London, Press Release, Mayor’s Rape Crisis centres helping over 15,000 women, 25 November 2011

18 Fighting Crime in London Harmful cultural practices

There has been an alarming rise in female genital mutilation in London over the last decade. Too many women are presenting at our maternity wards with signs of having been mutilated. My Violence Against Women and Girls Board has been examining this problem, and other harmful cultural practices for the last couple of years.

I will therefore require the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime to draw together the Police, the National Health Service, the Home Office, parliamentarians and appropriate community organisations to design and implement a new assertive programme to combat these evils.

I will also ask them to look at the pattern of so-called “witchcraft” killings of children and “honour” crimes and formulate a preventative plan to this revolting abhorrence.

Fighting Crime in London 19 20 Fighting Crime in London Smarter solutions to alcohol and drug crime

I will:

„„ Introduce “Compulsory Sobriety” for drunken offenders.

„„ Establish a Strategic Licensing Unit to work with boroughs to sort out problem premises.

„„ Introduce a new programme of intensive testing and supervision for drug offenders.

London has a far worse problem with alcohol than England as a whole, with 11.7 alcohol related crimes for every 1,000 people compared to a national average of 7.656. In particular, we have the highest rate of alcohol- related violent crimes and sexual offences in the UK. Problem drinking can lead to domestic violence. Often it results in anti-social behaviour on the streets, with law-abiding citizens feeling threatened. Although much of the offending is relatively minor, it can be prolific with high reoffending rates, and young binge drinkers are responsible for a disproportionate amount of crime. A smarter approach to alcohol and crime

When I was elected, I immediately banned drinking alcohol on public transport, which helped lead to the dramatic reduction in crime on Tubes and buses.

I will ensure that existing laws banning the sale of alcohol to people who are drunk and to children under 18 are rigorously enforced. The Met have already launched Operation Condor, a pan-London licensing operation cracking down on premises which sell alcohol and knives illegally, and who are failing to comply with the conditions of their licence. I will guarantee funding for at least one such operation each and every month of my term and will ask the Commissioner to make maximum use of the increased number of Police Cadets in test purchase operations.

I will also establish a Strategic Licencing Unit at the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime with the task of monitoring alcohol crime by gathering new data from the London Ambulance Service and A&E departments while maintaining patient confidentiality, and then identifying problem premises, working with local authorities, police and residents to close them down. London will learn from a pilot in Cardiff, which showed that sharing data between hospitals and police enabled the police to cut the number of violent incidents including fistfights and stabbings by over 40 per cent57. Compulsory sobriety

At present, those convicted of alcohol-related crime often get punishments such as community orders that do little help to address the underlying cause or treatment that is ineffectual. I want to reverse the current approach of mandating treatment and merely hoping for sobriety, by enforcing sobriety and then offering treatment if needed.

In the United States, sobriety testing for offenders convicted of alcohol-related crimes has been hugely successful in reducing alcohol related crime58.

I believe we need to learn from this experience and I have secured funding from the Government to pilot sobriety testing which will see offenders fitting with tags, which are fitted to the ankle, measure air and

56 Local Alcohol Profile for England, Local Authority Alcohol Indicators 57 British Medical Journal Website, Effectiveness of anonymised information sharing and use in health service, police, and local government partnership for preventing violence related injury: experimental study and time series analysis, 16 June 2011 58 Alcohol Monitoring Systems Inc, South Dakota 24/7 Sobriety Project Credited with Lowering Jail Populations, 2009

Fighting Crime in London 21 perspiration emissions from the skin every 30 minutes59. Blood alcohol levels as low as 0.02 per cent can be detected, and the tags can then transmit that information to a base monitoring station. If someone is found not to be sober, the police will arrest them and usually the court will decide an offender will spend a night in custody before restarting the scheme.

Following my intensive campaign, the Government has agreed to legislate to compel an offender to attend a testing centre twice a day to be tested. The rigour and certainty of the consequence of testing has resulted in very positive compliance rates in the US and has also resulted in a fall in other offences. Drug crime

Research has shown that among people who have been arrested, those who have admitted to having a drug addiction are more likely to have also admitted previously committing robbery and burglaries than those who do not60. Keeping them off drugs is key to stopping them offending. London can learn how to do this better from the United States and in particular from the HOPE probation programme in Hawaii.

This approach sees defendants clearly warned that if they violate the rules of the scheme, they go to gaol. Defendants are required to call a hotline each weekday morning to find out if they must take a drug test that day. Random drug testing occurs at least once a week for the first two months. If probationers test positive, they are arrested immediately. If they fail to appear for the test or violate other terms of probation, warrants for their arrest are issued immediately. Once they are apprehended, a probation modification hearing is held 48 hours later, and violators are typically sentenced to a short goal term. The gaol time may increase for subsequent violations and repeat offenders are often ordered into residential treatment.

Evaluation results indicate the program is highly successful at reducing drug use and crime, even among difficult populations such as methamphetamine abusers and domestic violence offenders61. I will seek to pilot this approach in London with a portion of the Drug Intervention Programme money that has now been secured for the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime from the Home Office62.

59 GLA, Press Release, Mayor welcomes new approach to alcohol related crime in London – but says more is needed, 10 February 2012; BBC Website, US-style alcohol tests to be used for problem drinkers, 10 February 2012 60 UK Drug Policy Commission, Reducing Drug Use, Reducing Reoffending: Are programmes for problem drug-using offenders in the UK supported by the evidence? - March 2008 61 Friends of Project HOPE Website, About HOPE Probation 62 MOPC, Monthly Report: Police and Crime Committee, 8 March 2012

22 Fighting Crime in London Helping London’s vulnerable young people

I will:

„„ Launch 25 Leadership Clubs in secondary schools as part of our work to tackle the underlying causes of last year’s riots.

„„ Drive forward the Daedalus Programme with enhanced resettlement for young offenders, and develop new employment programmes.

„„ Work with the Met to double again the number of police cadets.

„„ Recruit 1,000 volunteers to help up to 10,000 young adults through uniformed groups.

„„ Continue mentoring programmes to help 1,000 vulnerable boys aged 10-16, and to improve literacy amongst young Londoners.

Last year’s riots in London involved many young people who had also struggled at school. Fully 66 per cent of the 10-17 year olds charged have Special Educational Needs63, while 93 per cent of the 2,467 people arrested by the Met either held previous convictions or had been arrested for an offence prior to the riots64. We therefore need to improve their sense of discipline, achievement and aspiration if we are to deal with the root causes of the events last summer. Leadership Clubs

I will commit £1.6 million to create 25 ‘Leadership Clubs’ in secondary schools. These will aim to instil discipline and improve the motivation of highly disruptive pupils through challenging mental and physical activities. The programme will help over 1,000 pupils who were particularly affected by the riots last year and have high levels of youth crime and unemployment. As well as character building, the clubs will provide lessons in literacy and numeracy so that children stay engaged at school and do not fall behind. Daedalus

When I became Mayor, City Hall was doing little to reduce reoffending. To ensure those incarcerated in their youth are more likely to rehabilitate rather than embark on a career of crime, I worked with partners to set up the Heron wing at Feltham Young Offenders’ Institution as part of my Daedalus programme. The recent evaluation indicates that re-offending rates have been reduced to 41 per cent65.

I will continue to build on the scheme, committing £3.5 million to the programme to continue the enhanced resettlement of young offenders in London.

I will also instruct the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime to review what can be learnt from the Daedalus approach to youth crime and what can be applied to tackling repeat offending among adults. It will consider how police data on repeat offending could be used more productively and how it can work more effectively with other organisations that deal with other problems commonly faced by repeat offenders such as mental health, housing, and drug and alcohol abuse.

63 Ministry of Justice, Statistical bulletin on the public disorder of 6th to 9th August 2011 – October update, 24 October 2011, p. 5 64 Home Office, An overview of recorded crime and arrests resulting from disorder events in August 2011, October 2011 65 GLA, Press Release, Mayor pumps £3.5m into cutting youth re-offending as ‘pioneering’ prison project delivers promising results, 1 March 2012

Fighting Crime in London 23 Employment opportunities

Employment is one of the best guarantees that an offender won’t commit more crimes, with reoffending rates falling by three-quarters if someone with a previous conviction is helped into a job. The overwhelming majority of offenders find it difficult to get work because of their criminal record.

Land Securities London Employment Strategy supports the Mayor’s Young Offenders programme and ran a pilot this year at its London developments. Already eight out of twelve people have sustained employment, four of whom are undertaking further education (level 2 NVQ in construction). Land Securities is continuing the successful programme. Schemes like this, supporting the Mayor’s Young Offenders programme, are making a real difference to young lives and drawing people away from a life of crime.

I want to go further. Many companies have led trailblazing schemes to help offenders get work, such as National Grid and Timpson, the shoe repair company where 4 per cent of employees are ex-offenders and which operates a training centre in a prison66. While Daedalus already supports resettlement brokers to help offenders find work, we need a culture change among companies to make it easier for offenders to be gainfully employed. Using my constructive relationship with the City and Business in the Community, I will launch a programme to get as many London employers as possible to help offenders in London to lead productive lives. Uniformed groups

There are many young people in London who would benefit from more contact with the uniform groups such as guides and the cadets. These groups provide structured and enjoyable activities which build young people’s self-confidence and self-respect - and they have been shown to be particularly effective at supporting those at risk of antisocial or criminal behaviour. I will continue to recruit 1,000 more adult volunteers67, helping more than 8,000 more young people.

I have also doubled the number of Police Cadets since 2008, with around 1,000 more young Londoners now benefitting from the discipline and self-respect that the Volunteer Police Cadets instil in their cadets. I will work with the Met to double again the number of Police Cadets to 4,000. Mentoring

Since 2008, I have supported a wide range of volunteering activities which increase our sense of community and improve our shared experience of life in London. Based on the successful Cities of Service model, developed by Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of New York, and now operational in 100 other US cities, I have set up Team London. The purpose of the programme is to focus effort in areas where volunteering is likely to have the most impact and to set clear objectives to measure progress. I have committed £2.6 million, which has been matched by philanthropic support, to projects which support young people to reduce crime and improve community cohesion.

This includes supporting reading mentors in schools to tackle the scourge of illiteracy68. It also includes my mentoring programme for young black boys, who are over-represented both as perpetrators and victims of crime, with a disproportionate number of young black people affected by serious youth violence. For example, 86 per cent of gang members in London are of black Caribbean ethnicity compared to Liverpool where 93 per cent are white69. The average age for a first conviction is just 15 years old and 98 per cent of gang members are male. I will continue recruiting adult mentors for 1,000 at-risk boys aged 10-16.

66 Ministry of Justice Website, Press Release, Timpson works with prisons to turn around lives, 18 January 2011 67 GLA Website, Team London 68 Team London website 69 Home Office, Monitoring Data from the Tackling Gangs Action Programme, May 2008

24 Fighting Crime in London Fighting Crime in London 25 Fighting Crime in London

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Mayor Boris Johnson Letter from Mayor Boris Johnson

Dear Londoner

In the coming weeks I will be setting out my manifesto We have put the Oystercard on the overground rail. commitments for taking this great city forwards in the right direction over the next four years. We have brought in the best bike hire scheme in the world. I will be making those commitments with utter seriousness and determination. For just over the cost of one year’s fare evasion on the bendy buses, we have developed and designed a And I want my promises to be judged by the new Routemaster-style bus for London. determination and success with which I have fulfilled the promises I made to Londoners in 2008. After eight years of eye-watering rises under the previous Mayor, we have cut the council tax and I am proud of our record of delivery, and I hope you saved Londoners £445 for an average household. will take the time to read this Progress Report to London. And yet there is so much more that we want to do. We want to continue to modernise and automate „„ I said we would make London safer the Tube – investing in the new technology that will „„ I said we would improve our transport network allow us to keep fares low, in a way that is honest and „„ I said we would cut the cost of City Hall for hard- sustainable. pressed Londoners „„ I promised to improve the quality of life for We want to get on with the work of generating Londoners and build a record number of homes 200,000 jobs that will flow, in the next four years, from our investments in transport and housing. I also promised to run the most open and transparent administration in Britain, and that is why I am We want to keep boosting London’s high streets determined in this Progress Report to level with and shopping centres, and to expand our growing Londoners. If we have not achieved a goal – or not programme of opportunities for young people. We yet – then I am determined that we should be honest have helped create 54,000 apprenticeships. We want about the reason. to reach 100,000 by the end of the year.

But with a 91 per cent success rate, I believe that We want to tackle the continuing scandal of illiteracy overall it is a record of very substantial achievement. in this city, and much else besides.

We have ended the culture of waste at City Hall, To judge the strength of our intentions for the next and the high-handed misuse of taxpayers’ money. four years, please look at what we have done. In tough times, we have put scarce resources to work where they will deliver the maximum benefit for It is easy to make promises. It is hard work to keep Londoners. them.

We have put 1000 more police on the street, and It is because I am so proud of our work, and because found the funding that will keep police numbers high - we have kept our promises to London, that I believe and as a result we have cut crime by more than 10 per we can achieve even more over the next four years. cent. The murder rate is down by a quarter and crime on buses by more than a third. We have stepped up investment in our creaking transport infrastructure, and cut tube delays by 40 per cent.

We have done simple things to improve the lives of Londoners.

We have introduced – and will guarantee – a 24 hour Freedom Pass. Mayor Boris Johnson

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto 2 Manifesto 2008 Index

Making London’s Mayor accountable

„„ Giving Londoners their say „„ Ending the culture of cronyism at City Hall „„ Restoring trust in how City Hall spends your money

Making London safer

„„ Providing strong leadership „„ Making trains, buses and stations safer „„ Tackling knife and gun crimes „„ Help the ignored victims of sexual violence „„ Demanding a police service accountable to you

Getting Londoners moving

„„ Putting commuters first „„ Making trains, buses and stations safer „„ Fresh perspectives on transport „„ Making transport more convenient

Appreciating our seniors

„„ Making London safer „„ Helping older people get around safely „„ Making London age friendly „„ Fighting for essential services

Backing London business

„„ Working with London’s businesses „„ Making London an attractive place to do business „„ Providing training that businesses need and Londoners want

Protecting our local environment

„„ Protecting and preserving open spaces „„ Making it easier to recycle and reduce waste „„ Making transport more sustainable „„ Tackling climate change

Building a better London

„„ Helping more Londoners to afford their own home „„ Designing developments to combat crime „„ Protecting green spaces and historic views

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto 3 Making London’s Mayor Accountable Manifesto 2008

Mayor Boris Johnson My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto 4 Giving Londoners their say

Pledge What has been achieved so far

Communicate in plain Promise delivered. English and listen to the results of consultations I pledged that I would listen to Londoners and I have done just that. (Boris Johnson, Making London’s Mayor You may remember that after a consultation, I scrapped the Western Accountable, 2008, p.4). Extension of the Congestion Charge Zone (WEZ) in line with the wishes of residents, businesses and other organisations. The last day of charging was 24 December 2010. (Mayor of London, Press Release, 48 hours until the end of the Western Extension Zone, 22 December 2010).

In addition, I have taken action to ‘communicate in plain English’ and simplify GLA Group publications. For example the London Underground house manual is being reduced from 1200 to just 400 pages (HMT, National Infrastructure Plan 2011, p.11).

This is in stark contrast to my predecessor who imposed the WEZ despite 63 per cent of residents and 72 per cent of businesses opposing the scheme (Daily Mail, Ken gives go-ahead for congestion charge extension, 30 September 2005).

Hold more Public Question Promise delivered. Times, where Londoners will be able to directly I have been delighted to hold more public meetings, as well as meet question the Mayor thousands of Londoners whilst out and about. (Boris Johnson, Making London’s Mayor Between November 2008 and November 2011 I held 7 People’s Question Accountable, 2008, p.4). Times (GLA Website, People’s Question Time).

In addition, other platforms have been created to work alongside People’s Question Times, such as the 3 Talk London events and the 9 Mayor’s Consultation meetings on specific issues important to Londoners held so far. As Mayor therefore I have held 24 meetings inviting my constituents to question me. (Talk London Website, GLA Website, Mayor’s consultation meetings).

This is more in 4 years than the 16 which Ken Livingstone held in his two terms in office (GLA Website).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Making London’s Mayor accountable 5 Chair the Metropolitan Promise delivered. Police Authority, so Londoners can hold me to I became the Chairman of the Metropolitan Police Authority shortly after account over what happens my election in May 2008. with the police (Boris Johnson, Making London’s Once the direction of London policing had been set I stood down from this Mayor Accountable, 2008, role in January 2010 and promoted my Deputy, elected Assembly member, p.4). Kit Malthouse, preserving democratic accountability (BBC News Online, Boris Johnson steps down from police authority, 27 January 2010).

A Revised Approach

The MPA has since been replaced by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPC) which is headed by my Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime. This change means that as Mayor and Deputy Mayor we will be even more accountable to Londoners for police performance, setting local priorities and allocating resources (GLA Website, About MOPC).

When we appointed the new Met Commissioner, I made it clear that this would be someone who has a clear strategy for tackling gang violence and youth crime and restoring pride in our great city. (BBC News Online, Bernard Hogan-Howe new Metropolitan Police commissioner, 27 September 2011)

As a result of my personal lead, crime has fallen in London by 10.6 per cent, robberies are down 16.7 per cent and murders have decreased by 24.4 per cent (MPS statistics, Comparing 44 months of Ken Livingstone September 2004 – April 2008 with 44 months of Boris Johnson May 2008 - December 2011).

Ensure local police chiefs Making progress. hold monthly open public meetings (Boris Johnson, Although monthly public meetings with the Police Borough Commander Making London’s Mayor are not held in every borough, many boroughs hold some sort of regular Accountable, 2008, p.4). public meetings. These allow residents to question their local police.

My introduction of crime mapping has opened up local policing to residents, transforming the accountability of the Met (Metropolitan Police Service MPS, Police Crime Map).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Making London’s Mayor accountable 6 Hold regular meetings Promise delivered. with business leaders, so businesses large and I pledged to hold meetings with businesses at least every six months small can have direct, I have far exceeded this by holding 106 meetings on business issues, personal contact with the including 8 meetings with the London Business Advisory Council Mayor (Boris Johnson, alongside many meetings with individuals (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Making London’s Mayor Report to the Assembly, May 2008 – November 2011). Accountable, 2008, p.4). This has enabled me to listen and respond to the concerns of small businesses, leading to the creation of the £50 million Outer London Fund (GLA Website, Outer London Fund).

I have also therefore been able to negotiate good deals for Londoners, such as securing private sponsorship for the cycle hire scheme and cycle superhighways saving taxpayers money whilst delivering services (Mayor of London, Press Release, Barclays saddle up to sponsor London Cycle Hire Scheme, 28 May 2010).

Work closely and co- Promise delivered. operate with locally-elected Councillors instead of I meet with the leaders of London boroughs twice a year at the London bullying and berating Congress (GLA Press Release, Mayor’s vision for better focused GLA with them (Boris Johnson, more say and more power on key London issues, 15 June 2010, London Making London’s Mayor Councils website, Congress of Leaders). Accountable, 2008, p.4). At the April 29th 2009 meeting at the London Congress, I agreed with London’s Borough Leaders the London City Charter, a ground-breaking new agreement that sets out how the GLA, the boroughs and their delivery partners will work together to ensure that London’s public services continue to improve and to be delivered as efficiently as possible. (London Councils website, Congress of Leaders).

I have a strong relationship with local councils, of all political colours, which has enabled me to achieve more for London, such as the redevelopment of Stratford and East London (Mayor of London, The revised London Housing Strategy, December 2011).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Making London’s Mayor accountable 7 Ending the culture of cronyism at City Hall

Pledge What has been achieved so far

Create a Cabinet for Promised Delivered. London, to run London in a more business-like and I have run London in a more business-like and efficient way, which has efficient manner (Boris resulted in cutting £2bn of waste, freeing up taxpayer’s money (GLA, Final Johnson, Making London’s Draft Consolidated Budget 2012-2013: Explaining of Proposals, 1 February Mayor Accountable, 2008, 2012, p. 117). p.10). To ensure my governance is as open as possible, Mayoral decisions are placed online at the earliest opportunity once they are formally agreed (GLA Website, Mayoral Decisions).

I have also ensured transparency in decision making, all GLA expenditure over £500 and decisions relating to expenditure over £50,000 are accessible to the public (GLA Website, GLA decision making, August 2011; GLA Website, Making expenditure clear).

A Revised Approach

On reflection it became clear the Mayoralty was not best suited to a Cabinet system of government. This is what distinguishes it from other forms of local and regional government and ultimately makes it more effective. What I have done is open City Hall and my team up to the same level of scrutiny that a Cabinet would have (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 15 July 2009, 2143/2009).

Strengthen the Promise delivered. accountability of Mayoral advisers by putting a For the first time, the GLA website now has a section on the appointments separate register of to my Mayoral team. interests online, and requiring them to appear Each member also has their expenses, interests, gifts and hospitality before the London published, (GLA Website, Mayoral Team). Assembly on a regular basis (Boris Johnson, The GLA website also contains the ways that members of the public can Making London’s Mayor get involved, meet me or contact the GLA (GLA Website, Contact us). Accountable, 2008, p.11).

Stand for only two Promise delivered. terms (Boris Johnson, Making London’s Mayor I am currently standing for my second term as Mayor. Accountable, 2008, p.11). By contrast Ken Livingstone said in the past that he would only stand for one term but has served two terms and is contesting his 4th Mayoral election this year (Ken Livingstone, Manifesto for a Mayor and London Assembly, 1998).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Making London’s Mayor accountable 8 Restoring trust in how City Hall spends your money

Pledge What has been achieved so far

Launch an immediate Promise delivered. review of City Hall and its finances within the first In the first week after I was elected as Mayor of London I announced the 100 days (Boris Johnson, formation of the Forensic Audit Panel which reported in July 2008 (Legacy Making London’s Mayor London Website, Report of the Mayor’s Forensic Audit Panel). Accountable, 2008, p.13). The report concluded that Ken Livingstone’s LDA ‘misspent’ money ‘on a massive scale, say tens of millions’ (GLA, Report of the Mayor’s Forensic Audit Panel, 15 July 2008).

Launch an immediate Promise delivered. independent review of the London Development The review of the LDA was conducted by the Forensic Audit Panel which Agency and all grants reported in July 2008. given by that body (Boris Johnson, Making London’s The report concluded that Ken Livingstone’s LDA ‘misspent’ money ‘on a Mayor Accountable, 2008, massive scale, say tens of millions.’ p.13). It also found that there were failings in the LDA’s leadership, governance and basic controls which led to the conclusion that the former LDA board was ineffective (GLA, Report of the Mayor’s Forensic Audit Panel, 15 July 2008).

Enable Londoners to Promise delivered. view all GLA expenditure over £1,000 with a I have been determined to make my City Hall as transparent as possible. comprehensive search Now for the first time we published all significant GLA expenditure. engine on the Mayor’s website (Boris Johnson, Since 2008 all GLA expenditure over £1,000 has been published online. Making London’s Mayor In 2010 the reporting threshold was reduced to £500. I have also enabled Accountable, 2008, p.13). detailed scrutiny of all GLA expenditure via the London Datastore (GLA Website, Expenditure, London Datastore Website).

I believe that Londoners now have the transparent City Hall they deserve, and that they can see my commitment to streamlining City Hall finances.

This never happened under Ken Livingstone.

Review the process of Promise delivered. making appointments to all the functional bodies The GLA Act was amended by the Government in 2011, to include to ensure maximum confirmation hearings for chairs of functional bodies (GLA Website, transparency (Boris Proposed amendments to the GLA’s Standing Orders Appendix 1, 2011). Johnson, Making London’s Mayor Accountable, 2008, I have been determined to be as transparent as possible, such as p.13). when one of the Mayor’s two direct appointments to the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority became vacant and an open and transparent recruitment process was established to fill the place (GLA Website, Mayoral Decisions - MD914).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Making London’s Mayor accountable 9 Ensure Londoners pay no Promise delivered. more than 38p per week for the Olympics (Boris I have frozen Council Tax for three consecutive years and cut it this year. Johnson, Making London’s This includes the £20 precept for a band D property that is levied for the Mayor Accountable, 2008, Olympic Games. This equates to 38 pence a week for the average London p.13). home (GLA, Consolidated Budget and Component Budget 2011-12, February 2011, p.15).

This is a contrast to the approach under Ken Livingstone which saw the GLA precept of council tax increase by 152 per cent in just eight years, costing the average household £964 (Annual Figures can be found at GLA Website, Budget archive).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Making London’s Mayor accountable 10 Making London Safer Manifesto 2008

Mayor Boris Johnson My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto 11 Providing strong leadership

Pledge What has been achieved so far

I will chair the Metropolitan Promise delivered. Police Authority (Boris Johnson, Making London I became the Chairman of the Metropolitan Police Authority shortly after Safer, 2008, p. 9). my election in May 2008.

Once the direction of London policing had been set I stood down from this role in January 2010 and promoted my Deputy, elected Assembly member, Kit Malthouse, preserving democratic accountability (BBC News Online, Boris Johnson steps down from police authority, 27 January 2010).

A Revised Approach

The MPA has since been replaced by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPC) which is headed by my Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime. This change means that both the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor will be even more accountable to Londoners for police performance, setting local priorities and allocating resources (GLA Website, About MOPC).

When we appointed the new Met Commissioner, I made it clear that this would be someone who has a clear strategy for tackling gang violence and youth crime and restoring pride in our great city. (BBC News Online, Bernard Hogan-Howe new Metropolitan Police commissioner, 27 September 2011)

As a result of my personal lead, crime has fallen in London by 10.6 per cent, robberies are down 16.7 per cent and murders have decreased by 24.4 per cent (MPS statistics, Comparing 44 months of Ken Livingstone September 2004 – April 2008 with 44 months of Boris Johnson May 2008 - December 2011).

I will stand up against Promise delivered. excessive form-filling, and support the scrapping of I have been focused on getting police officers out from behind their desks the stop and account form, onto the street. In the two years from May 2008 to May 2010 the Met took lobbying the government 209 forms out of use (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 19 May 2010). hard for its removal (Boris Johnson, Making London In March 2011 the Government gave police forces the option to scrap Safer, 2008, p. 9). the stop and account form (Home Office Website, Stop and search). The Met has however decided to continue using the stop and account form after an MPA consultation found robust support for recording “stop and account” to make sure the process was both transparent and accountable (The Guardian, Met police will retain recording of “stop and account” street encounters, 23 September 2011).

From January 2009 a shorter revised stop and search was launched, with the time it takes to complete reduced from 8-10 minutes to 3-5 minutes. (MPA, A Practical Guide to stop and search community monitoring groups, August 2009).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Making London safer 12 I will expect PCSOs to take Promised delivered. some of the administrative burden from police officers, In 2009 I introduced Operation Herald, a scheme focused on cutting so more can get out on administrative tasks and paperwork for London’s police officers (Mayor of streets (Boris Johnson, London, Mayor’s Questions, 14 July 2010). Making London Safer, 2008, p. 9). A revised approach.

The scheme found that many of the administrative tasks could be cut altogether or done by civilian staff, rather than PCSOs, thus enabling more police presence on the streets.

Operation Herald moved clerical duties away from trained police officers to general staff, put more police on the front line and achieved efficiencies of 451 positions (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 14 July 2010).

We continue to work to get more officers out on the streets. There will be 1,000 more police officers than in 2008 by May 2012 (GLA, The Mayors Consultation Budget, 22 December 2011, p 1).

There are now 630 Safer Neighbourhood Teams, 1 for each of London’s 624 neighbourhood wards, plus 5 more for the city of Westminster and 1 more for Crystal Palace where three boroughs meet. These are made up of at least 2 Police Constables and 3 PCSOs. There are over 4,100 police officers dedicated to neighbourhood policing (MPS Website, Safer Neighbourhoods).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Making London safer 13 Making trains, buses and stations safer

Pledge What has been achieved so far

I will require under 18s who Promise delivered. have had their free bus travel withdrawn for anti- Launched in August 2009, Payback London scheme requires under social behaviour to earn it 18s who have their free bus travel withdrawn to earn it back through back through voluntary and community work (TfL Press Release, Under 18s free travel rules begin, 1 community service (Boris June 2008). Johnson, Making London Safer, 2008, p. 13). I am pleased that we have used this scheme to show to young people the importance of caring for their city – clearing graffiti, picking up litter, and helping community schemes.

10,068 individuals have had their passes withdrawn since 2009 (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 14 December 2011).

Double the strength of Promise delivered. Safer Transport Teams, by releasing funding for I prioritised safety on London’s public transport. An extra 440 uniformed approximately 440 extra officers were recruited to the Safer Transport Teams (Mayor of London, PCSOs to patrol the Mayor’s Questions, 16 July 2008). buses and 50 more fully- warranted British Transport There are now an extra 50 Transport Police on the Overground and Police officers to patrol the particularly outer London stations (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, worst suburban stations. 21 May 2009).

In 2008, I also banned alcohol on the Tube (TfL, Press Release, Alcohol ban comes into force on the Tube, trams and buses from this Sunday, 1 June, 30 May 2008).

Bus crime has decreased by 30 per cent during my term (MOPC, Monthly Report: Police and Crime Committee, 8 March 2012. Comparing 45 months of Ken Livingstone (August 2004 – April 2008) with 45 months of Boris Johnson (May 2008 – January 2012).

I will make buses safer by Promise delivered. running a trial of live CCTV (Boris Johnson, Making I launched a trial of live CCTV on 21 buses in October 2008. London Safer, 2008, p. 13). The trial found that live CCTV provided no additional benefit and there are no plans to roll it out (BBC News Online, Live CCTV on buses to be tested, 20 October 2008, Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 17 March 2010).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Making London safer 14 I will focus on reducing fare Promise delivered. evasion by directing the MPA and TfL to investigate A trial giving a team of Revenue Protection Inspectors additional powers giving Revenue Protection started in March 2010 (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 19 May Inspectors more powers 2010). (Boris Johnson, Making London Safer, 2008, p. 13). Subsequently we launched the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme (CSAS) to assist these Revenue Protection Inspectors in dealing with a range of anti-social behaviour on the bus network. The CSAS powers mean that Inspectors can collect information and issue Fixed Penalty Notices (TfL Board, Commissioner’s Report, 29 June 2011)

TfL have now enhanced 50 Revenue Protection staff on London’s bus network with additional powers, granted by the MPS under the CSAS scheme (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 6 November 2011).

Since May 2011, there have been 38 CSAS specific intelligence led deployments resulting in 640 penalty fares, 470 prosecutions, 45 CSAS related offences and 2 Penalty Notices for Disorder. (GLA website, Keeping crime low on our transport system)

There has been a significant reduction in fare evasion rates on the buses and Tube from their highest levels under Ken Livingstone in 2007 and 2004, which was 3.5% and 3.8% respectively. The current rate of fare evasion across the network is stable at 2.2 per cent (GLA, Mayor answers to London, 18 August 2011).

I consulted on increasing penalties for fare evasion, and as a result, TfL have this year increased fines from £50 to £80 (TfL Press Release, 16 February 2012).

My removal of the bendy buses will save around £7 million a year in reduced fare evasion (GLA Press Release, 9 December 2011).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Making London safer 15 Tackling knife and gun crimes

Pledge What has been achieved so far

I will make it a policing Promise delivered. priority to tackle knife and gun crime and not accept It is a priority of the new MOPC to tackle knife and gun crime (MOPC defeat. I will drive out the Website). At my direction, the Met introduced an intensified stop and culture of political targets search regime called Operation Blunt 2, and over 11,000 knives have that distort priorities (Boris been taken off the street since then (Mayor of London, Mayor of London’s Johnson, Making London Annual Report 2010-2011, May 2011). Safer, 2008, p. 21). When we appointed the new Met Commissioner last year, I made it clear that this would be someone who has a clear strategy for tackling gang violence and youth crime and restoring pride in our great city. (BBC News Online, Bernard Hogan-Howe new Metropolitan Police commissioner, 27 September 2011)

I will provide funding for Promise delivered. handheld scanners and knife arches to use at Tube I have provided funding for handheld scanners and knife arches to be and rail stations, and other used more, with £3.8m allocated to support the additional costs of large-scale public events Operation Blunt 2 for 2008/09 (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 19 (Boris Johnson, Making May 2010, Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 15 October 2008, Mayor London Safer, 2008, p. 21). of London, Mayor’s Questions, 12 November 2008).

This has led to over 11,000 knives being taken off the street (Mayor of London, Mayor of London’s Annual Report 2010-2011, May 2011).

We have also focused on large-scale public events. In 2011, police officers manned knife arches throughout the Notting Hill Carnival day at various underground stations across London, particularly those in and around the carnival procession route. (Metro, Notting Hill Carnival’s ‘peaceful’ start belies knife arches and 6,500 police, 28 August 2011).

Londoners are noticing the benefits. Responses to surveys about the deployment of knife arches and screening equipment showed a figure of 79 per cent of pupils feeling more reassured through the use of knife arches at key locations on routes to schools. (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 12 November 2008)

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Making London safer 16 I will direct the LDA to fund Promise delivered. youth community groups that provide mentoring The Mayor’s Mentoring Programme will provide appropriately trained schemes (Boris Johnson, adult volunteer mentors for a minimum of 1,000 black boys aged 10-16 Making London Safer, who may be at risk of offending in seven target boroughs in London (GLA 2008, p. 21). Website, Mentoring).

To date £1.3million has been committed in the form of grant funding and the associated administrative costs of the small grants fund (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 23 March 2011).

I have also launched Team London which provides a conduit for volunteers and London’s disadvantaged (Team London Website).

I will ring-fence part of the Promise delivered. LDA budget specifically for community sports projects The Mayor’s Sports Legacy Fund provides £15.5 million worth of funding, (Boris Johnson, Making which have ring-fenced for community sports projects (Mayor of London, London Safer, 2008, p. 21). Mayor’s Questions, 15 September 2010, Mayor of London Press Release, Mayor gives community sports facilities a boost with £1m cash injection, 23 November 2011).

I will make designing out Promise delivered. crime a key priority in the London Plan and the The London Plan sets out my designing out crime policy, which calls on Mayor’s Housing strategy boroughs and others to create safe, secure and appropriately accessible to prevent creating poor- environments where crime and disorder, and the fear of crime do not quality housing where crime undermine quality of life or community cohesion (GLA, The London Plan, flourishes (Boris Johnson, July 2011). Making London Safer, 2008, p. 21). Our Housing Strategy also sets out that new homes and developments should be built to principles that design out crime risks (GLA, Revised Housing Strategy, December 2011).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Making London safer 17 Help the ignored victims of sexual violence

Pledge What has been achieved so far

I will provide stable, long- Promise delivered. term funding to set up new Rape Crisis Centres As part of my long term plan, three new Rape Crisis Centres opened in in London (Boris Johnson, London in 2010, making four in total based in North, South, East and West Making London Safer, London. (Mayor of London, Press Release, 8 March 2010). 2008, p. 27). 15,882 victims of sexual abuse were helped with support, counselling and therapies at these four rape crisis centres in 2010- 2011 alone. (Mayor of London Press Release, Mayor’s Rape Crisis centres helping over 15,000 women, 25 November 2011).’

I have committed to continue to provide funding for the three new centres and the existing Croydon centre if re-elected (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 15 December 2010).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Making London safer 18 Demanding a police service accountable to you

Pledge What has been achieved so far

I will provide local Promise delivered. neighbourhoods with New York-style crime maps, to My introduction of crime mapping has opened up local policing to enable residents to hold residents, transforming the accountability of the Met (Metropolitan Police local police to account Service Website, Crime Mapping). (Boris Johnson, Making London Safer, 2008, p. 30). The Government launched a UK wide crime map website in early 2011 (Police UK Website).

I will direct the MPA Making progress. to ensure Borough Commanders hold monthly, Although monthly public meetings with the Police Borough Commander open public meetings (Boris are not held in every borough, many boroughs hold some sort of public Johnson, Making London meeting, even if they are not monthly. Safer, 2008, p. 30). The most frequent and consistent of these are the quarterly consultative group meetings (Community and Police Engagement Group) where members of the public have the opportunity to question the Borough Commander (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 14 December 2011).

I will ask for regular Promise delivered. meetings with the Home Secretary to ensure that I regularly meet with the Home Secretary and Home Office ministers. My Whitehall is listening to strong relationship with the Government has resulted in extra financial Londoners’ concerns (Boris support for the Met, including £90 million to keep officer numbers high Johnson, Making London (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Reports 2008-2012; GLA, Mayor’s Final Budget Safer, 2008, p. 12). 2011-12, February 2012; Evening Standard, Met getting £90m to keep police numbers up on capital’s streets, 30 January 2012).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Making London safer 19 Getting Londoners Moving Manifesto 2008

Mayor Boris Johnson My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto 20 Putting commuters first

Pledge What has been achieved so far

I will re-phase traffic lights Promise delivered. to get traffic flowing more smoothly (Boris Johnson, We have taken concrete steps to improve congestion in London. 2,000 Getting Londoners Moving, traffic light signals have been reviewed since 2009 and a further 1,000 2008, p. 10). signals are being reviewed in 2011/12 (TfL Website, Smoothing traffic flow).

Changes made to over 1,000 traffic light signals in 2010 delivered a six per cent reduction in unnecessary delays at traffic signals (TfL, Press Release, Londoners to face fewer delays at traffic signals, July 2010).

A list of 145 signals which could be removed was also published in June 2010 and a further 26 were added to the list in November 2011.

Out of the 204 suggested removals, 22 have already been removed with removal agreed for another 15 and 80 under discussion with boroughs. It has been agreed between TfL and the boroughs that the remaining 87 signals will be maintained (TfL Website, Suggested signal removal list, Feb 2012; TfL Website, Smoothing traffic flow).

I will campaign for the Promise delivered. Mayor to at last be given the power to fine utility I have strongly lobbied the Government for this power, resulting in new companies who cause legislation. The London Permit Scheme, submitted by TfL, was launched delays through badly in 2010 and resulted in a 17 per cent cut in the number of road works by planned roadworks utility companies (London Councils, London Permit Scheme: First Year (Boris Johnson, Getting Evaluation Report, 27 May 2011, Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 9 Londoners Moving, 2008, September 2009). p. 10). At my urging, legislation to give Fixed Penalty Notices to companies who cause delays under the Scheme has now been tabled by DfT.

TfL’s Lane Rental scheme would come into effect from Spring 2012, subject to new regulations and approval from Department for Transport, expecting lane rental to reduce serious and severe disruption from road- works by 40 per cent by 2015. (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 12 October 2011, Department for Transport Statement, Street works: lane rental, 26 January 2012).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Getting Londoners moving 21 I will not introduce Promise delivered. Ken Livingstone’s £25 Congestion Charge and I I have not introduced the £25 Congestion Charge. We also now have a will make the Congestion flexible Congestion Charge pricing, paying has been made easier through Charge fairer and more the introduction of an online account system (TfL Press Release, Pre- effective by reforming it register now for Congestion Charge Auto Pay accounts, 24 November when the current contracts 2010). expire (Boris Johnson, Getting Londoners Moving, The Western Extension of the Congestion Charge Zone (WEZ) was 2008, p. 10). removed following a consultation in December 2010 (TfL, Press Release, Mayor confirms removal of Congestion Charge Western Extension Zone by Christmas and introduction of CC Auto Pay in New Year, 20 October 2010).

Following the removal of the WEZ there was a lower than expected increase in traffic driving into and within the former zone and no discernible impact on air quality were reported (TfL, Press Release, TfL announces initial results following removal of the Western Extension of the Congestion Charging Zone, 3 June 2011).

I will hold a new Promise delivered. consultation on the Western extension, and abide by I held a consultation on the future of the Western Extension of the the result (Boris Johnson, Congestion Charging zone in 2008 (GLA, Press Release, C charge Getting Londoners Moving, overhaul, 15 October 2009). 2008, p. 10). On 27 November 2008 I announced that, based on the results of the public consultation, I would begin the legal process required to remove the Western Extension in line with the wishes of residents, businesses and other organisations (Mayor of London, Press Release, Western extension: Londoners have spoken and the Mayor has listened, 27 November 2008).

The final day of the Western Extension Zone was 24 December 2010 (TfL, Press Release, Mayor confirms removal of Congestion Charge Western Extension Zone by Christmas and introduction of CC Auto Pay in New Year 20 October 2010).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Getting Londoners moving 22 I will seek to re-instate Not met - a revised approach. tidal flow at the Blackwall tunnel, to ease congestion After a detailed analysis, I listened to experts and decided to adopt a in South East London revised approach to improving South East London congestion. (Boris Johnson, Getting Londoners Moving, 2008, This was not delivered because a TfL review found that returning to the p. 10). tidal flow at the Blackwall Tunnel would not improve traffic management (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 17 March 2010).

In addition, there are issues around fire risks associated with introducing two way traffic flows in a tunnel with a high proportion of HGVs with no separate means of escape, as shown by the 2009 incident when a truck catching fire caused a blaze inside the tunnel which closed it for days (Evening Standard, Blackwall Tunnel shut by fire for days, 30 November 2009).

Furthermore, in a tunnel with two way flow there would be no choice but to pass fire smoke and/or toxic fumes over one or other queue of traffic, whereas with one way traffic the system ventilates in the direction of traffic flow thus protecting the queue of vehicles behind the fire.

The principal causes of serious and severe disruption in the Blackwall tunnel are vehicle breakdowns, accidents and HGV’s exceeding the northbound height restrictions (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 3 March 2011).

TfL have introduced a number of measures to reduce these unnecessary tunnel closures, including an additional lane for HGV vehicles on the northbound Blackwall Tunnel approach. This will enable all over-height vehicles to be diverted away from the tunnel before they reach the entrance, reducing unnecessary delays (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 3 March 2011).

I will, on behalf of Promise delivered. Londoners, oppose Government plans to I called for the Government to delay planned toll increases at the Dartford increase charges at the crossing (Kent News, Boris Johnson calls for delay on Dartford toll hike, 15 Dartford crossing, and October 2011). lobby for residents in the London boroughs affected I also wrote to the then Secretary of State for Transport asking that the to have the same discounts discount given to residents in Dartford and Thurrock be extended to those as those proposed for living in Bexley and Havering (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 19 residents in Dartford and May 2010). Thurrock (Boris Johnson, Getting Londoners Moving, My request was acknowledged by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of 2008, p. 10). State, Mike Penning MP, on 17 October 2011. In light of the responses to the consultation, the Minister announced on 24 November that he would delay the implementation of the proposed charge rises at the Dartford crossing. The Government is considering when any changes will now be made, and TfL will continue its discussions with the DfT to ensure the smooth operation of the Olympic Route Network (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 22 December 2011).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Getting Londoners moving 23 I will allow motorcycles in Promise delivered. bus lanes (Boris Johnson, Getting Londoners Moving, Following the completion of two trials, motorcycles have been given 2008, p. 10). permanent access in bus lanes from 23 January 2012 (TfL Website, Motorcycles in bus lanes).

I will trial orbital express Promise delivered. buses for outer London, to encourage modal shift in I conducted a thorough trial, which showed that although the buses were these areas (Boris Johnson, used, they were not very cost effective (TfL, Surface Transport Panel Getting Londoners Moving, Report, November 2009). 2008, p. 10). However, the East London Transit bus is now running services from Ilford to Dagenham Dock via Barking town centre. The second phase will run from Barking town centre to the Barking Riverside development (TfL Website, East London Transit, 22 February 2010).

I will order TfL to look Promise delivered. again at air conditioning on the Tube (Boris Johnson, Despite the difficult economic circumstances, we have made great Getting Londoners Moving, progress on this. After I asked TfL to look into again, air conditioned trains 2008, p. 10). have now been introduced on the Metropolitan Line. They will start to be introduced on the Hammersmith & City and Circle lines in late 2012 and on the District Line from 2013. The roll-out of this new fleet of trains will be complete by 2016 addition. The number of ventilation shafts on the Victoria line is set to double to 26 when work is completed later this year. (TfL Website, Taking the heat out of your journey, 29 June 2011).

I want to see the Tube Not met. open one hour later on Friday and Saturday nights Unfortunately it was not possible to keep the Tube open later due to (Boris Johnson, Getting exorbitant demands made by trade union bosses at a time of strained Londoners Moving, 2008, economic circumstances (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 17 March p. 10). 2010).

I will seek to negotiate, in Not met. good faith, no strike deals with the Tube unions to Via London Underground’s management, I have offered the Tube trade end the disruption caused union bosses several opportunities to enter into negotiations on this point, by unnecessary strikes but they refused. Their behaviour has sadly shown they have absolutely no (Boris Johnson, Getting interest in a no strike deal (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 3 March Londoners Moving, 2008, 2011). p. 10).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Getting Londoners moving 24 I will focus on upgrading Promise delivered. the track and signals on the Tube to get a faster, 200km of track have been replaced so far (TfL Website, What’s the plan). more reliable service (Boris Johnson, Getting The whole of the Victoria Line has already seen its track renewed and new Londoners Moving, 2008, signalling installed (TfL, Upgrade Plan, February 2011). p. 10). Work to install a new signalling system on the Jubilee Line is now also complete (TfL Website, What’s the plan).

We have focused on upgrading the Tube. Overall, I have secured £4.6 billion in the next four years alone for Tube upgrades (TfL, Business Plan – GLA Budget Update 2011/12- 2014/15, p.10).

I will fight for rail Promise delivered. commuters, and call an emergency summit with I have now held three annual Train Operating Summits with train Train Operating Companies companies (Association of Trade Operating Companies, Mayor brings to demand longer trains, London’s rail industry together to get set for the Games, 27 February manned stations at night, 2012). more frequent services and lower fares (Boris Johnson, This resulted in agreements on key areas including improving customer Getting Londoners Moving, information, improving and station standards, increasing the frequency 2008, p. 10). of services, simplifying the fares structure for London Underground and National Rail, and planning for future growth (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 24 February 2010).

In addition, I completed a deal with the Government on Oyster Pay As You Go, making the commute easier for Londoners (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 17 June 2009).

Platform wait time fell by 67 per cent between 2007/08 and 2011/12. Customer satisfaction with customer information and cleanliness increased, respectively from 79 to 82 and from 72 to 76, between 2007/08 and 2010/11 (TfL, Performance Data Almanac, 9 December 2011).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Getting Londoners moving 25 Making trains, buses and stations safer

Pledge What has been achieved so far

I will require under-18s Promise delivered. who have had their free bus travel withdrawn for Launched in August 2009, Payback London scheme requires under antisocial behaviour to earn 18s who have their free bus travel withdrawn to earn it back through it back through voluntary community work (TfL, Press Release, Under 18s free travel rules begin, 1 and community service June 2008). (Boris Johnson, Getting Londoners Moving, 2008, I am pleased that we have used this scheme to show to young people the p. 24). importance of caring for their city – clearing graffiti, picking up litter, and helping community schemes.

10,068 individuals have had their passes withdrawn since 2009 (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 14 December 2011).

I will double the strength Promise delivered. of Safer Transport Teams, by releasing funding for I prioritised safety on London’s public transport. An extra 440 uniformed approximately 440 extra officers were recruited to the Safer Transport Teams (Mayor of London, PCSOs to patrol the Mayor’s Questions, 16 July 2008). buses and 50 more fully warranted British Transport There are now an extra 50 Transport Police on the Overground and Police officers to patrol the particularly outer London stations (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, worst suburban stations 21 May 2009). (Boris Johnson, Getting Londoners Moving, 2008, In 2008, I also banned alcohol on the Tube (TfL, Press Release, Alcohol p. 24). ban comes into force on the Tube, trams and buses from this Sunday, 1 June 30, May 2008).

Bus crime has decreased by 30 per cent during my term (MOPC, Monthly Report: Police and Crime Committee, 8 March 2012. Comparing 45 months of Ken Livingstone (August 2004 – April 2008) with 45 months of Boris Johnson (May 2008 – January 2012).

I will make buses safer by Promise delivered. running a trial of live CCTV (Boris Johnson, Getting I launched a trial of live CCTV on 21 buses in October 2008. Londoners Moving, 2008, p. 24). The trial found that live CCTV provided no additional benefit and there are no plans to roll it out (BBC News Online, 20 October 2008, Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 17 March 2010).

However, under my Mayoralty bus crime has reduced by 30 per cent within 45 months (May 2008 – January 2012) (MOPC, Monthly Report: Police and Crime Committee, 8 March 2012. Comparing 45 months of Ken Livingstone (August 2004 – April 2008).

I also banned alcohol on London’s public transport in 2008 (TfL, Press Release, Alcohol ban comes into force on the Tube, trams and buses from this Sunday, 1 June, 30 May 2008).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Getting Londoners moving 26 I will focus on reducing fare Promise delivered. evasion by directing the MPA and TfL to investigate A trial giving a team of Revenue Control Inspectors additional powers giving Revenue Protection started in March 2010. Inspectors more powers (Boris Johnson, Getting Subsequently we launched the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme Londoners Moving, 2008, (CSAS) to assist these Revenue Protection Inspectors in dealing with a p. 24). range of anti-social behaviour on the bus network. Since May 2011, there have been 38 CSAS specific intelligence led deployments resulting in 640 penalty fares, 470 prosecutions, 45 CSAS related offences and 2 Penalty Notices for Disorder (GLA website, Keeping crime low on our transport system).

I have also saved £7 million in lost fares from scrapping the unpopular bendy buses (Mayor of London, Press Release, Final bendy buses banished from the streets of London, 9 December 2011).

I will crack down on illegal Promise delivered. minicabs by doubling the strength of the I am a strong supporter of London’s cabbies. We have doubled the police Cab Enforcement Unit, team dedicated to tackling illegal minicabs, with 34 extra police officers in from 34 officers to 68 addition to the original 34 officers in 2008 (TfL Website, Cab enforcement, (Boris Johnson, Getting Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 25 January 2012). Londoners Moving, 2008, p. 24). I have also introduced tougher penalties for any licensed driver convicted of taxi touting to send out a clear message that this will not be tolerated. Since August 2008 licensed drivers convicted of taxi touting now lose their licence for a minimum of one year. Over 600 private hire licenses have been revoked (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 25 February 2009; TfL Website, Cab enforcement).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Getting Londoners moving 27 Fresh perspectives on transport

Pledge What has been achieved so far

I will end the era of the Promise delivered. bendy bus by scrapping them (Boris Johnson, I was elated when the last bendy bus went out of service on 9 December Getting Londoners 2011, saving £7 million in lost fare revenue (Mayor of London Press Moving, 2008, p. 31). Release, Final bendy buses banished from the streets of London, 9 December 2011).

I will launch a competition Promise delivered. to produce a new, iconic London bus, a 21st Following a competition to design a new London bus, the first new century Routemaster with Routemaster bus, complete with conductors, entered service on 27 conductors, of which February 2012. I am proud that it is British designed and built and one of Londoners can be proud the greenest buses in Europe. (Mayor of London, Press Release, Mayor (Boris Johnson, Getting unveils iconic final design for London’s new bus, 17 May 2010, TfL, Press Londoners Moving, 2008, Release, First passengers jump aboard the new bus for London, 27 p. 31). February 2012).

I will make London a Promise delivered. genuinely cycle-friendly city by introducing a As a dedicated cyclist, I notice everyday just how genuinely cycle-friendly central London cycle hire London now is. I am proud of the fresh thinking, innovative approach that scheme and increasing we have taken towards cycling. the number of cycle parks (Boris Johnson, Getting The Barclays Cycle Hire scheme was rolled out across central London in Londoners Moving, 2008, mid 2010. (The Guardian, 30 July 2010, Mayor of London, Press Release, p. 31). Mayor’s flagship cycling scheme - Barclays Cycle Hire - opens for business, 30 July 2010).

Four Cycle Superhighway routes have also been opened and four more routes will open in 2013 (TfL Website, Cycle Superhighways).

Between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2010, over 40,000 cycle parking spaces were delivered across London (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 26 January 2011).

We are also working hard to make cycling in London safer by improving junctions on Cycle Superhighways and have recently launched a major review of other junctions (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 16 November 2011; TfL, Press Release, 7 February 2012).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Getting Londoners moving 28 I will use my influence Promise delivered. as Chair of the MPA to ensure the police take I have ensured that cycle theft is treated more seriously. The Cycle cycle theft more seriously Security Plan produced by TfL, British Transport Police, City of London (Boris Johnson, Getting Police and Metropolitan Police Service was launched in July 2010 sets Londoners Moving, 2008, out what we have done, and plan to do, to prevent and deter cycle theft p. 31). and criminal damage (TfL, Cycle Security Plan, 7 June 2010).

One of the Plan’s proposed initiatives was the dedicated MPS Cycle Task Force, which was launched in July 2010. In its first year of operation alone, the Task Force made 175 arrests for crimes related to cycle theft and security marked over 12,000 bicycles. In 2010 cycle theft fell by 3 per cent (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 14 September 2011).

I will encourage better Promise delivered. integration of river services (Boris Johnson, My team and I worked hard to improve integration for commuters who Getting Londoners travel by riverboat. In 2009 we formed the River Concordat to bring boat Moving, 2008, p. 31). operators, borough councils, pier owners, and others together to improve services. From November 2009 Riverboat services are now Oysterised (GLA Report, By the river, April 2009).

I will protect London’s Promise delivered. cab trade (Boris Johnson, Getting Londoners As a strong supporter of London’s cabbies, I ensured that Black cab Moving, 2008, p. 31). drivers to have formal representation on the TfL Board (TfL Website, Board Members).

We have also reduced the bureaucracy they faced, scrapping half yearly taxi inspections by the Public Carriage (TfL, Press Release, Transport for London to abolish mid-year inspections for taxis, 6 November 2008).

We have doubled the police team dedicated to tackling illegal minicabs, with 34 extra police officers in addition to the original 34 officers in 2008 (TfL Website, Cab enforcement, Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 25 January 2012).

I have also introduced tougher penalties for any licensed driver convicted of taxi touting to send out a clear message that this will not be tolerated. Since August 2008 licensed drivers convicted of taxi touting now lose their licence for a minimum of one year. Over 600 private hire licenses have been revoked (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 25 February 2009; TfL Website, Cab enforcement, 23 February 2009).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Getting Londoners moving 29 Making transport more convenient

Pledge What has been achieved so far

I will provide Londoners Promise delivered. with new LiveBus technology, so that every Londoners are now able to plan their journeys in real-time. This LiveBus Londoner will be able to technology was launched in 2011, allowing Londoners to check live arrival see in real time, online, times online (TfL Website, Live Bus). where their bus is as they wait, or as they plan their Having already launched live bus arrival information for all 19,000 bus journey (Boris Johnson, stops across London via the web and text messaging, our current focus Getting Londoners Moving, is TfL’s rollout of 2,500 new on-street signs at key bus stops (Mayor of 2008, p. 37). London, Mayor’s Questions, 25 January 2012).

I will stop the proposed Promise delivered. Tube ticket office closures in outer London All stations including those in outer London which had a ticket office when (Boris Johnson, Getting I became Mayor have retained their ticket offices. Londoners Moving, 2008, p. 37). London Underground has changed the opening hours of ticket offices so that all stations with a ticket office have retained that facility, which is now open at times that reflect demand. This has also enabled a more efficient deployment of staff, who are often now freed from their position behind a glass screen to locations such as gate lines and platforms where they can be of most help to passengers, (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 23 February 2011, Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 20 June 2007).

We intend to ensure that Promise delivered. the number of Oyster outlets continues to The total number of Oyster Tickets Stops in London has increased from increase in outer London 2,578 in May 2008 to 3,923 in May 2011. Approximately 3,663 stops of (Boris Johnson, Getting the May 2011 provision are located in outer London (Mayor of London, Londoners Moving, 2008, Mayor’s Questions, 14 December 2011). p. 37).

I will allow Londoners to Not met - a revised approach. set up a direct debit to renew their travelcards This has not been delivered, but Londoners can now pay their Congestion (Boris Johnson, Getting Charge by direct debit. Londoners can use direct debit to renew their Londoners Moving, 2008, oyster card on any journey. (TfL, Press Release, Auto Pay hits the mark, 16 p. 37). September 2011)

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Getting Londoners moving 30 Appreciating Our Seniors Manifesto 2008

Mayor Boris Johnson My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto 31 Making London safer

Pledge What has been achieved so far

Chair the Metropolitan Promise delivered. Police Authority to make our streets safer (Boris I became the Chairman of the Metropolitan Police Authority shortly after Johnson, Appreciating our my election in May 2008. Seniors, 2008, p. 4). Once the direction of London policing had been set I stood down from this role in January 2010 and promoted my Deputy, elected Assembly member, Kit Malthouse, preserving democratic accountability (BBC News Online, Boris Johnson steps down from police authority, 27 January 2010).

A Revised Approach

The MPA has since been replaced by the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPC) which is headed by my Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime. This change means that as Mayor and Deputy Mayor we will be even more accountable to Londoners for police performance, setting local priorities and allocating resources (GLA Website, About MOPC).

When we appointed the new Met Commissioner, I made it clear that this would be someone who has a clear strategy for tackling gang violence and youth crime and restoring pride in our great city. (BBC News Online, Bernard Hogan-Howe new Metropolitan Police commissioner, 27 September 2011)

As a result of my personal lead, crime has fallen in London by 10.6 per cent, robberies are down 16.7 per cent and murders have decreased by 24.4 per cent (MPS statistics, Comparing 44 months of Ken Livingstone September 2004 – April 2008 with 44 months of Boris Johnson May 2008 - December 2011).

Stand up against excessive Promise delivered. police form-filling and support the scrapping of I have been focused on getting police officers out from behind their desks the stop and account form, onto the street. In the two years from May 2008 to May 2010 the Met took lobbying the Government 209 forms out of use (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 19 May 2010). hard for its removal (Boris Johnson, Appreciating our In March 2011 the Government gave police forces the option to scrap Seniors, 2008, p. 4). the stop and account form (Home Office Website, ‘Stop and search’). The Met has however decided to continuing using the stop and account form after an MPA consultation found robust support for recording “stop and account” to make sure the process was both transparent and accountable (The Guardian, Met police will retain recording of “stop and account” street encounters, 23 September 2011).

From January 2009 a shorter revised stop and search was launched, with the time it takes to complete reduced from 8-10 minutes to 3-5 minutes. (MPA, A Practical Guide to stop and search community monitoring groups, August 2009.)

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Appreciating our seniors 32 Expect Police Community Promised delivered. Support Officers to take some of the administrative In 2009 I introduced Operation Herald, a scheme focused on cutting burden from police administrative tasks and paperwork for London’s police officers (Mayor of officers, so they can spend London, Mayor’s Questions, 14 July 2010). more time out on the streets (Boris Johnson, A revised approach. Appreciating our Seniors, 2008, p. 4). The scheme found that many of the administrative tasks could be cut altogether or done by civilian staff, rather than PCSOs, thus enabling more police presence on the streets.

Operation Herald moved clerical duties away from trained police officers to general staff, put more police on the front line and achieved efficiencies of 451 positions (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 14 July 2010).

We continue to work to get more officers out on the streets. There will be 1,000 more police officers than in 2008 by May 2012 (GLA, The Mayors Consultation Budget, 22 December 2011, p 1).

There are now 630 Safer Neighbourhood Teams, 1 for each of London’s 624 neighbourhood wards, plus 5 more for the city of Westminster and 1 more for Crystal Palace where three boroughs meet. These are made up of at least 2 Police Constables and 3 PCSOs. There are over 4,100 police officers dedicated to neighbourhood policing (MPS Website, Safer Neighbourhoods).

Crack down on binge- Making progress. drinking and ‘name and shame’ councils that fail As Mayor of London, I immediately delivered a ban on the alcohol on to use their powers to Tube, bus, Docklands Light Railway, and tram services and stations across tackle the problem (Boris the capital (Mayor of London Press Release, Mayor unveils plans to ban Johnson, Appreciating our alcohol on the transport network, May 2008). Seniors, 2008, p. 4). The London Health Inequalities Strategy 2009 commits to enable Londoners to take action to reduce alcohol related harm. City Hall has been working with London Councils and other partners to improve the management of the night time economy and to reduce under-age sales. I also supported the work of the Greater London Alcohol and Drug Alliance (GLADA). I hosted the first health leadership summit on 1 November 2010 (GLA, Health Inequalities Strategy one year on report, June 2011).

Alcohol abuse was one of the early priorities of the London Health Improvement Board, which was set up in 2011. Proposals include more support for alcohol abusers, working with licensing authorities to ensure alcohol is supplied responsibly and developing an awards scheme to highlight best practice in town centre management and bars and off- licences which sell alcohol responsibly (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 15 June 2010, GLA, Press Release, Health priorities for London set by new board, 16 January 2012).

In addition, in February 2012 I announced that criminals convicted of serious drink-related offences will be fitted with ‘sobriety bracelets’ under a new pilot scheme in London. Anyone continuing to drink will be arrested and brought before a judge who has the option of sending them back to prison (Mayor of London, Press Release, Mayor welcomes new approach to alcohol related crime in London but says more is needed, 10 Feb 2012, PA News, Bracelet scheme for drink offenders, 11 February 2012).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Appreciating our seniors 33 Helping older people get around safely

Pledge What has been achieved so far

Protect and extend the Promise delivered. Freedom Pass by working with the local councils (who I moved quickly to ensure the Freedom Pass is now valid 24 hours a day. fund it) to make it valid 24 The pre 9.00am validity is paid for in full from the Mayor’s Budget (Mayor hours a day (Boris Johnson, of London, Mayor’s Questions, 17 December 2008, Mayor of London, Appreciating our Seniors, Mayor’s Questions, 9 November 2011). 2008, p. 8).

Increase safety on buses Promise delivered. by doubling the amount of police officers on patrol, I prioritised safety on London’s public transport. An extra 440 uniformed adding 440 extra officers; officers were recruited to the Safer Transport Teams (GLA Website, Mayor and fund 50 extra fully- of London, Mayor’s Questions, 16 July 2008). warranted British Transport Police Officers to patrol There are now an extra 50 Transport Police on the Overground and the worst railway stations particularly outer London stations (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, in outer London (Boris 21 May 2009). Johnson, Appreciating our Seniors, 2008, p. 8). In 2008, I also banned alcohol on the Tube (TfL, Press Release, Alcohol ban comes into force on the Tube, trams and buses from this Sunday, 1 June 30 May 2008).

Bus crime has decreased by 30 per cent during my term (MOPC, Monthly Report: Police and Crime Committee, 8 March 2012. Comparing 45 months of Ken Livingstone (August 2004 – April 2008) with 45 months of Boris Johnson (May 2008 – January 2012).

Crack down on the young Promise delivered. people who create trouble on the buses through the Launched in August 2009, Payback London scheme requires under Payback London scheme, 18s who have their free bus travel withdrawn to earn it back through which will withdraw their community work (TfL Press Release, Under 18s free travel rules begin, 1 right to free bus travel and June 2008). allow them to earn it back by undertaking community I am pleased that we have used this scheme to show to young people the service (Boris Johnson, importance of caring for their city – clearing graffiti, picking up litter, and Appreciating our Seniors, helping community schemes. 2008, p. 8). 10,068 individuals have had their passes withdrawn since 2009 (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 14 December 2011).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Appreciating our seniors 34 Work with the Government Promise delivered. and train operators to make more Overground stations Despite tough financial times 15 Tube stations have been made step- step-free (Boris Johnson, free during my term in office, including Green Park, now a key step-free Appreciating our Seniors, gateway to the West End, and Hainault Station in Redbridge (TFL Press 2008, p. 8). Release, Hainault Tube Station is now step-free with three new lift, 3 March 2010).

At one of London’s busiest Overground stations, Clapham Junction, I opened a new entrance and nine new lifts in 2011 (South West Trains, Station upgrade gives Clapham Junction a big lift, 20 May 2011).

A further two interchange stations (Blackfriars and Farringdon) will be made step-free in early 2012. Another five major Tube stations will be made step-free within the current Business Plan period, to 2014/18. At my instruction, TfL is also continuing to look at opportunities for developer- funded schemes at stations like South Kensington.

The Department for Transport announced last year that six London Overground stations will be made step-free, more than anticipated, and accessibility improvements will be made at Stratford DLR (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 14 December 2011).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Appreciating our seniors 35 Making London age friendly

Pledge What has been achieved so far

Encourage developers to Promise delivered. design safer walkways, better paving, and The New London Plan includes a commitment to ensure that the design greener spaces in new of all new housing developments and social infrastructure should be developments, including in accessible to and take particular account of the needs of older people the Thames Gateway (Boris (GLA, The London Plan, July 2011). Johnson, Appreciating our Seniors, 2008, p. 11).

Preserve the existence of Promise delivered. small, independent shops through better protection in My London Plan sets out a new policy to provide and support affordable planning legislation (Boris shop units (GLA, The London Plan, July 2011). Johnson, Appreciating our Seniors, 2008, p. 11). I vocally supported the Evening Standard ‘Save our Shops’ campaign, a new £4 million High Street Fund to offer supports to small business (London Evening Standard ‘Big business boosts £3m fund to get London’s high street working again’. 24 August 2011; Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 14 September 2011).

My Outer London Fund is a £50million three-year initiative launched in 2011, which will strengthen the vibrancy and growth of London’s high streets and local areas. (London Assembly, Mayor’s Question Time, 9 February 2012).

Improve open spaces in Promise delivered. London, and work with local councils to improve Under the Help a London Park scheme, 11 parks have been awarded £6 street cleanliness (Boris million (GLA Website, Help a London Park). Johnson, Appreciating our Seniors, 2008, p. 11). The ‘Love Clean London’ application was launched in March 2011 to engage citizens and reduce litter and associated costs. (Mayor of London, Press Release, Mayor launches assault on ‘grime-crime’ ahead of Olympic year, March 2011).

I have been a vocal supporter of the Capital Clean-Up campaign, to make London cleaner and greener for the Olympics 2012 by co-ordinating events from litter-picks to litter enforcement and education activities across the capital. Around 1,700 volunteers took part in nearly 150 events across 22 boroughs during the summer 2011 campaign (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 14 September 2011).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Appreciating our seniors 36 Safeguard domestic Promise delivered. gardens by preventing developments on In 2010 the Government changed the definition of brownfield sites so that them (Boris Johnson, domestic gardens are not included and no local authority is obliged to Appreciating our Seniors, build on gardens if it does not want to (DCLG, Press Release, Clark - new 2008, p. 11). powers to prevent unwanted ‘garden grabbing’, 9 June 2010).

These changes were reflected in my new 2011 London Plan, under which private residential gardens are no longer classed as previously developed land and boroughs are allowed to introduce a presumption against development on back gardens or other private residential gardens in their Local Development Frameworks (GLA, The London Plan, July 2011).

As part of the Capital Growth project to encourage volunteering in London,1032 food gardens have been unveiled with a target of 2000 spaces by the end of 2012. Grants from City Hall for the gardens range from £200 to £1000 (GLA, Mayor announces 1000 + community food gardens tended by 35,000 Londoners, June 2011).

Improve respect for older Promise delivered. people by encouraging organisations to recruit My team and I are working across all policy areas to improve respect for older people as volunteers, older Londoners. The GLA now encourages older people to volunteer (GLA including for the Website, Helping yourself and helping the community by volunteering). Olympics (Boris Johnson, Appreciating our Seniors, As part of a drive to improve respect for older people, through Team 2008, p. 11). London, my £4m volunteering programme, young people will teach older people IT. Additionally to help vulnerable and elderly Londoners, eighty ‘Contact the Elderly’ groups have established across capital supported by 1,200 volunteers. (GLA Press Release, Mayor of London supports London’s isolated and older residents through Team London, 15 December 2011).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Appreciating our seniors 37 Fighting for essential services

Pledge What has been achieved so far

Support local health Making progress. services by campaigning against closures and I have persistently and vocally stood up to Government of London’s local fighting to save local GP health services, including meeting with Andrew Lansley, Secretary of services (Boris Johnson, State for Health, to discuss health service in London and the Health and Appreciating our Seniors, Inequality Strategy. 2008, p. 17). Two important facilities I have joined you in campaigning to save include the children’s heart surgery unit at the Royal Brompton Hospital and the Urgent Care Centre at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Bexley. (Evening Standard, Boris joins fight to save children’s heart centre, 15 September 2011, Bexley Times, Campaigners furious that the A&E and maternity closure at Sidcup are going ahead before review, September 2010)

Campaign to protect Post Promise delivered. Offices (Boris Johnson, Appreciating our Seniors, As soon as I took office I began lobbying the Government to protect 2008, p. 17). London’s post offices from closure (Mayor of London, Press Release,Boris Johnson calls on Government to save London’s Post Offices, 28 June 2008).

However the then Labour Government failed to take action to reform the Post Office network. Currently there are no plans for a closure programme for the network of 11,500 branches and the Government has announced that the Post Office will receive 1.3 billion over the next four years to reform the network (BBC Online, Post office to offer new services, 9 November 2010).

Encourage awareness and Promise delivered. take-up of entitlements by older people, especially I launched the ‘Know your rights campaign’ in partnership with Age UK, Council Tax, through a Citizens Advice Bureau and benefit and debt advice agencies in October ‘Your Rights’ information 2011. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the support available to campaign (Boris Johnson, vulnerable Londoners to help them heat their homes and pay their energy Appreciating our Seniors, bills this winter (London older people strategies group, Mayor know 2008, p. 17). your rights campaign, 2011, Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 14 December 2011).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Appreciating our seniors 38 Introduce an automatic Not met - a revised approach one-off Council Tax rebate to encourage Instead of a introducing a council tax rebate scheme, more effective home insulation, making initiatives have been introduced to increase the energy efficiency of homes warmer and London’s homes: more environmentally friendly (Boris Johnson, I have committed £7.8 million to RE:NEW – an area-based homes energy Appreciating our Seniors, efficiency programme which is installing free ‘easy’ energy efficiency and 2008, p. 17). water efficiency measures such as showerheads and radiator panels in 55,000 London homes by March 2012, as well as referring homes for further insulation and heating measures. This means that every household in a RE:NEW area can receive free energy efficiency measures, no matter what type of home they live in or their income. This is particularly helpful for the nearly 60 per cent of homes in London with solid walls. (LDA website, RE:NEW – Homes Energy Efficiency for Tomorrow, accessed on 8 March 2012)

I have also frozen my council tax precept for the last three years to ensure that Londoners are protected from tax rises while maintaining London’s public services and investing for the future (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 15 June 2011).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Appreciating our seniors 39 Backing London Business Manifesto 2008

Mayor Boris Johnson My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto 40 Working with London’s businesses

Pledge What has been achieved so far

Hold biannual summits Promise delivered. with representatives from across London’s business I have held quarterly meetings of the London Business Advisory Council, communities (Boris alongside annual meetings of the International Business Advisory Council Johnson, Backing London (GLA Website). Business, p.5). As part of my 24 public meetings with Londoners I have held 5 Business Question Times. (GLA Website)

I have also therefore been able to negotiate good deals for Londoners, such as securing private sponsorship for the cycle hire scheme and cycle superhighways saving taxpayers money whilst delivering services (Mayor of London, Press Release, Barclays saddle up to sponsor London Cycle Hire Scheme, 28 May 2010).

Listen to the results of Promise delivered. consultations (Boris Johnson, Backing London I pledged that I would listen to Londoners and I have done just that. Business, p.5). A key example is the re-opening of the Western Extension Zone consultation on 4 January 2011 (TFL, Consultation Results).

Listening to Londoners, Boris subsequently scrapped the scheme at 62 per cent of those who responded to the consultation wanted (TfL, Press Release, Mayor confirms removal of Congestion Charge Western Extension Zone by Christmas and introduction of CC Auto Pay in New Year, 20 October 2010).

Transport for London undertook a consultation on a traffic signal site in Croydon. Based on the feedback by Londoners, the decision has been made on 24th February to remove these signals. (TFL, Traffic Signal Removal Programme, 24th February).

In contrast, Ken Livingstone imposed the WEZ.

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Backing London business 41 Review the LDA’s enterprise Promise delivered. activity to ensure that London’s businesses and As Mayor I have delivered targeted investment through regular dialogue communities are getting the with business. At the very beginning of the recession we formed an support they need (Boris Economic Recovery Action Plan. This has helped London’s businesses in Johnson, Backing London dealing with the impact of long term economic problems and short term Business, p.5). events such as the riots. I have focused on the long term economic well being of local borough centres and high streets.

In my first week as Mayor I formed a Forensic Audit Panel to examine the activities of the LDA and suggest reform of the body (GLA, Report of the Mayor’s Forensic Audit Panel, 15 July 2008, p.9). This led to changes at the top and efficiencies being made to tune of £445,000 a year (Communities and Local Government Department, ‘Localism Bill Impact Assessment’, Jan 2011, All Business Website).

As a result of this scrutiny, I decided to abolish the wasteful LDA in order to cut bureaucracy and its functions will be brought into the Mayor’s office, leading to greater accountability (BBC News Website, Mayor Boris Johnson proposes more powers for office, 15 June 2010).

I also took a personal lead towards the 2011 riots and helped London businesses who were affected get back on their feet through the High Street Fund (BBC News Online, London businesses hit by riots can apply for £3m funds, 26 August 2011, The Mayor’s proposals for devolution, June 2010).

Additionally we have provided £50m for regeneration projects in town centres affected by the disturbances, with the Government providing £20m especially for the areas of Tottenham and Croydon. Proposals for a further £40m from the Outer London Fund are underway. (The Mayor of London, ‘Riot regeneration funding, 9 December 2011).

Make it easier for Promise delivered. businesses to do business with the GLA group, the We have made it easier for businesses to work with the GLA group by London 2012 Organising championing initiatives such as the CompeteFor website started in 2007 Committee and Olympic (GLA, ‘CompeteFor Website’) which allows businesses to bid for City Delivery Authority (Boris Hall contracts and makes the procurement process more accessible for Johnson, Backing London firms of all sizes. 155,000 businesses are registered and there are 10,500 Business, p.5). contract opportunities, 8574 of which have been awarded as of the 8th March. Over 74 per cent of contracts have been awarded to SMEs and 37 per cent of the contracts have been awarded to London businesses as of the 8th March (City Hall; CompeteFor Website).

To date over £270 million worth of Games-related contracts have already been won by suppliers through London through Compete For. (Mayor of London, CompeteFor).

The GLA group has also helped improve the cash flow of small and medium-sized enterprises through the prompt payment of their invoices, with an average of 86.8 per cent of all valid invoices from SMEs paid within 10 working days. (GLA, Delivering Responsible Procurement, February 2012).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Backing London business 42 In the future we will make Promise delivered. sure the LDA adopts business-like financial In the first week after I was elected as Mayor of London I announced the transparency and reporting formation of the Forensic Audit Panel which reported in July 2008 (Legacy principles (Boris Johnson, London Website, ‘Report of the Mayor’s Forensic Audit Panel’). Backing London Business, p.6). The report concluded that Ken Livingstone’s LDA ‘misspent’ money ‘on a massive scale, say tens of millions’ (GLA, Report of the Mayor’s Forensic Audit Panel, 15 July 2008).

The review of the LDA was conducted by the Forensic Audit Panel which reported in July 2008.

The report concluded that Ken Livingstone’s LDA ‘misspent’ money ‘on a massive scale, say tens of millions.’

It also found that there were failings in the LDA’s leadership, governance and basic controls which led to the conclusion that the former LDA board was ineffective (GLA, Report of the Mayor’s Forensic Audit Panel, 15 July 2008).

We will also investigate Promise delivered. introducing a target for the GLA and its functional After I investigated, we changed the responsible procurement policy. bodies to procure a given Although a specific target was not set, we decided on a new policy to proportion of goods and ensure that a diverse range of suppliers are encouraged across the GLA services from local and group. It is also now incumbent on businesses to communicate when small businesses (Boris there is an employment benefit with local communities (Mayor of London, Johnson, Backing London GLA Group Responsible Procurement Policy). Business, p.8). Prompt payment is also a key plank of this policy to support small businesses. (Responsible Procurement Website).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Backing London business 43 Making London an attractive place to do business

Pledge What has been achieved so far

Make business crime Promise delivered. a police priority (Boris Johnson, Backing London I was determined to help London’s businesses to thrive in as safe an Business, p.9). environment as possible.

The MPS now run a number of initiatives including Shop Watch, 646 Safer Neighbourhood Teams in stores and Business and Pub Watch among others (GLA Website, Focusing on business crime).

The MPS Policing Plan is also committed to working with businesses to combat crime (MPA/MPS, Policing Plan 2010-13).

As a result, business crime has fallen by 3.4 per cent across London. Greenwich, Bexley, Enfield, Kingston-upon-Thames, Lewisham and Waltham Forest have all seen decreases of over 10 per cent (GLA, Press Release, Mayor welcomes drop in London business crime, 29 January 2011).

Encourage planners to Promise delivered. use section 106 to secure affordable premises for The London Plan sets out a new policy to provide and support affordable small businesses (Boris shop units (GLA, London Plan, July 2011). Johnson, Backing London Business, p.9).

Scrap the £25 charge Promise delivered. which would cost London’s businesses thousands I have not introduced the £25 Congestion Charge. We also now have a of pounds a year (Boris flexible Congestion Charge pricing, paying has been made easier through Johnson, Backing London the introduction of an online account system (TfL Press Release, Mayor Business, p.9). confirms removal of Congestion Charge Western Extension Zone by Christmas and introduction of CC Auto Pay in New Year, 24 November 2010).

The Western Extension of the WEZ Congestion Charge zone was removed following a consultation in December 2010 (TfL, Press Release, Mayor confirms removal of Congestion Charge Western Extension Zone by Christmas and introduction of CC Auto Pay in New Year, 20 October 2010).

Following the removal of the WEZ, a lower than expected increase in traffic driving into and within the former zone and no discernible impact on air quality were reported (TfL, Press Release, TfL announces initial results following removal of the Western Extension of the Congestion Charging Zone, 03 June 2011).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Backing London business 44 Help all businesses avoid Promise delivered. Congestion Charge fines by allowing them to pay by In October 2009 I made it easier for Londoners to pay the Congestion account (Boris Johnson, Charge by introducing a number of measures, including the introduction Backing London Business, of an automated account system (TfL, Press Release, Mayor outlines p.9). Congestion Charge overhaul, 15 October 2009).

An Organisation Account allows businesses with six or more vehicles to pay the daily Congestion Charge by direct debit if they are registered for Fleet Auto Pay (TfL Website, Congestion Charging).

Ken Livingstone made a similar pledge in 2004 but failed to deliver (Ken Livingstone, Manifesto, 2004).

Improve London’s transport Making progress. infrastructure (Boris Johnson, Backing London I made investment modernisation and improvement of London Transport Business, p.9). infrastructure a key priority of my Mayoralty.

In order to do this I have secured a record £22 billion in the past four years – this includes £6 billion in the Tube and £15.9 billion in Crossrail (HMT, Comprehensive Spending Review, 20 October 2010).

In addition, highways across the city have benefited from over £47 million of investment since 2008 (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 14 December 2011, 4038/2011).

I have secured £4.6 billion in the next four years alone for Tube upgrades (TfL, Business Plan – GLA Budget Update 2011/12- 2014/15, p.10).

We also now have an East London Line extension, creating London’s first ever orbital railway (HMT, Spending Review, 22 October 2010, p.23; Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 25 February 2009; TfL Website, London Overground).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Backing London business 45 Champion London at home Promise delivered. and abroad (Boris Johnson, Backing London Business, I have tirelessly been a champion of London throughout my Mayoralty. p.9). Examples of where this positive lobbying brought tangible benefits for the city include the record infrastructure investment that I have secured from the government for projects in London including Crossrail, broadband, smart ticketing, the Northern Line extension to Battersea and the Thames Tideway Tunnel (HMT, Autumn Statement 2010; Crossrail Website, ‘Funding’).

I have also been vocal in my support for a new airport in the Thames Estuary to help grow London’s businesses which has seen the Government announce a consultation into related proposals (GLA Press Release, Mayor of London urges government to act on aviation, 21 November 2011).

The reason I have championed London’s causes so persistently abroad is to stand up for the business that make our city a great economic powerhouse. I have been to Brussels to emphasise to them policies which would damage the City of London such as the Financial Transactions Tax and employment directives. (The Telegraph, Mayor of London Boris Johnson takes hedge funds fight to Brussels, 29 Aug 2009)

I am proud that we recently secured investment offers of £10 billion at the World Economic Forum in Davos (The Telegraph, London Mayor Boris Johnson reveals investors’ £10bn investment offer, 28 January 2012).

We have also invested £2 million in the ‘Only in London’ tourism campaign which generated £100 million of income to London.

This work has helped to ensure that London remains the most competitive city in Europe in which to do business (Economist Intelligence Unit, The Times 13 March 2012).

Unlike Ken Livingstone who stated that worldwide capitalism kills more people every day than Hitler ever did’ and jeopardises our financial services by offering to: ‘Hang a banker a week until the others improve’ (NME Magazine, April 2000; The Guardian, Ken Livingstone sparks anger with ‘hang bankers’ speech, 17 February 2012).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Backing London business 46 We plan to institute greater Promise delivered. independent oversight over Tube and Crossrail I scrapped the Labour Government’s expensive Public-Private Partnership investments – to ensure (PPP) and brought the project in-house under TfL (BBC News Website, that the mistakes of PPP deal for London Tube upgrades a colossal waste, 10 May 2010). Metronet aren’t repeated and that Londoners get This allows for better scrutiny and control over costs (The Guardian, Boris better value for money from Johnson’s TfL pushing London Underground PPP down the tubes, 4 their investments (Boris January 2010). Johnson, Backing London Business, p.12). The cost of the Jubilee Line upgrade illustrates how much money can now be saved following the end of the PPP. The original projected cost for the Jubilee line upgrade when the contract was signed at the end of 2002 was £285.3 million. However, the final cost was £721 million, more than double (TfL, Press Release, Final Jubilee line upgrade cost vindicates decision to end PPP says TfL, 12 October 2011).

Crossrail will provide an increase of 10 per cent in the capacity of London’s rail network with larger increases along the outer London corridors on which Crossrail will operate. For example, the current Heathrow Connect service runs two trains per hour. This will be replaced with four, longer Crossrail trains per hour which will more than triple the passenger capacity of these services on the Great Western Main Line (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 16 November 2011).

We will trial orbital bus Promise delivered. routes in the outer suburbs to connect key transport A thorough trial I conducted showed that although the buses were used, hubs such as town centres they were not very cost effective (TfL, Surface Transport Panel Report, and railway station (Boris November 2009). Johnson, Backing London Business, p.12). However, the East London Transit bus is now running services from Ilford to Dagenham Dock via Barking town centre. The second phase will run from Barking town centre to the Barking Riverside development (TfL Website, East London Transit).

We will lobby the Promise delivered. Government to invest in additional rail capacity As Mayor, I have consistently and successfully lobbied for funds for key in South London (Boris rail projects in South London, such as work to increase the capacity on the Johnson, Backing London Richmond to Clapham Junction service to Stratford and the completion Business, p.11). of the first ever orbital rail from Clapham Junction to Surrey Quays (TfL Website, Projects and Schemes).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Backing London business 47 Providing training that businesses need and Londoners want Pledge What has been achieved so far

Cut through bureaucracy Promise delivered. and consolidate the Adult Skills agendas and funding We have centralised the training and skills provision at City Hall via reforms organisations in London to the London Skills and Employment Board. This allows a more flexible (Boris Johnson, Backing approach to the commissioning of training, and is set out in a report in London Business, p.4). 2008 (LSEB, London’s Future The Skills and Employment Strategy for London 2008-2013).

The skills agenda has been taken up by the new London Local Enterprise Partnership from June 2011. (Future of London, New details emerge on London’s LEP, June 2011).

Listen to employers and Promise delivered. Londoners (Boris Johnson, Backing London Business, As Mayor of London, I have ensured that I am is accessible to Londoners p.4). and employers. Between November 2008 and November 2011 he held seven People’s Question Times (GLA Website, People’s Question Time).

Other platforms have also been embraced to work alongside People’s Question Times such as the 3 Talk London events held so far and the 9 Mayor’s Consultation meetings held so far on specific issues, including 2 on business and the economy (Talk London Website, GLA Website, People’s Question Time).

Another example of how my team and I listen to London’s businesses is by acting on the results of consultations such as the decision to scrap the Western Extension Zone for the Congestion Charge (Mayor of London, Press Release, 48 hours until the end of the Western Extension Zone, 22 December 2010).

Quarterly meetings of his London Business Advisory Council alongside annual meetings of his International Business Advisory Council give businesses a further opportunity to raise issues with the Mayor (GLA Website).

This is more than the statutory minimum of 16 PQTs Ken Livingstone held over his two terms in office (GLA Website).

Promote skills to Londoners Promise delivered. through a single branded service for advice and The new London Local Economic Partnership will be the single branded guidance (Boris Johnson, service for advice on skills and guidance (Future of London Website, 10 Backing London Business, June 2011). p.4). This has allowed us to take a more employer led approach to training as has been highlighted by the creation of 40,000 new apprenticeships with 100,000 being aimed for by the end of 2012 (Mayor of London, Press Release, Mayor of London aims for 100,000 apprenticeships by 2012, 27 October 2011).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Backing London business 48 Champion and support the Promise delivered. London’s 2011 WorldSkills Competition (Boris WorldSkills was held in 2011 at the Excel Centre in London and saw Johnson, Backing London 150,000 delegates watch 1,000 young people from 57 countries take part Business, p.4). in the skills competition.

I attended and thoroughly enjoyed taking part of the ‘Have a Go Launch’ (My Venue Website, 7 October 2011; The Guardian, Lessons in Life, 1 March 2011).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Backing London business 49 Protecting Our Local Environment Manifesto 2008

Mayor Boris Johnson My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto 50 Protecting and preserving open spaces

Pledge What has been achieved so far

I will protect green belt Promise delivered. land and open space from development (Boris The new London Plan, published in 2011, commits to protecting the green Johnson, Protecting our belt and other open spaces: ‘Growth will be supported and managed Local Environment, 2008, across all parts of London to ensure it takes place within the current p. 3). boundaries of Greater London without: a. encroaching on the Green Belt; b. having unacceptable impacts on the environment (GLA, London Plan, p.34 July 2011).

I will amend the London Promise delivered. Plan to protect against development on gardens In 2010 the Government changed the definition of brownfield sites so that (Boris Johnson, Protecting domestic gardens are not included and no local authority is obliged to our Local Environment, build on gardens if it does not want to (DCLG, Press Release, Clark - new 2008, p. 3). powers to prevent unwanted ‘garden grabbing’, 9 June 2010).

These changes were reflected in my new 2011 London Plan, under which private residential gardens are no longer classed as previously developed land and boroughs are allowed to introduce a presumption against development on back gardens or other private residential gardens in their Local Development Frameworks (GLA, The London Plan, July 2011).

I have also supported domestic gardens through the Capital Growth Project. 1032 food gardens have been unveiled with a target of 2000 spaces by the end of 2012. Grants from City Hall for the gardens range from £200 to £1000 (GLA, Mayor announces 1000 + community food gardens tended by 35,000 Londoners, June 2011).

I will invest £6 million in Promise delivered. making our open spaces safer and cleaner (Boris I have dedicated a significant amount of my time as Mayor visiting Johnson, Protecting our schemes to improve our open spaces. Under the Help a London Park Local Environment, 2008, scheme, 11 parks including Crane Valley Park In Richmond and Wandle p. 3). Park in Croydon have been awarded £6 million (GLA Website, Help a London Park).

I am also investing £390 million in 80 outdoor spaces projects over the next two years (GLA, Great Outdoor).

I have been a vocal supporter of the Capital Clean-Up campaign, to make London cleaner and greener for the Olympics 2012 by co-ordinating events from litter-picks to litter enforcement and education activities across the capital. Around 1,700 volunteers took part in nearly 150 events across 22 boroughs during the summer 2011 campaign (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 14 September 2011).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Protecting our local environment 51 I will invest in 10,000 street Promise delivered. trees to improve the local neighbourhoods that need I was delighted to plant the 10,000th tree on the 14th of February 2012. them most (Boris Johnson, 10,000 trees have been planted in areas in 29 boroughs considered to Protecting our Local be of greatest need since 2008 (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, Environment, 2008, p. 3). 23 March 2011, GLA Press Release, Boris marks delivery of his trees and parks promises by planting 10,000th street tree, 14 February 2012).

I will work with the Promise delivered. boroughs to make London cleaner (Boris Johnson, I have worked constructively with boroughs of all political colours to Protecting our Local make London cleaner. The ‘Love Clean London’ mobile phone application Environment, 2008, p. 3). was launched in March 2011 to engage citizens and reduce litter and associated costs. (Mayor of London, Press Release, Mayor launches assault on ‘grime-crime’ ahead of Olympic year, March 2011).

I have been a vocal supporter of the Capital Clean-Up campaign, to make London cleaner and greener for the Olympics 2012 by co-ordinating events from litter-picks to litter enforcement and education activities across the capital. Around 1,700 volunteers took part in nearly 150 events across 22 boroughs during the summer 2011 campaign (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 14 September 2011).

In addition, the new non-emergency phone number 101 encourages reporting of fly-tipping for boroughs to take action on these reports (Direct Gov Website, Reporting non-emergency crimes using 101).

I will encourage every Promise delivered. member of staff in the GLA, TfL, MPA, and LFEPA, to do I have encouraged volunteering throughout my time as Mayor. I have given one day a year volunteering all Greater London Authority staff three days a year leave for volunteering for a green charity (Boris activities. The 2011 annual staff survey showed that 53 per cent of GLA Johnson, Protecting our staff undertake volunteering activities either inside or outside work-time Local Environment, 2008, (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 14 December 2011). p. 3). My advisers and directors were also involved in a variety of activities during volunteering week (1–7 June 2010) and on an on-going basis (Mayor of London Press Release, Mayor goes back to school to urge businesses to get volunteering, 26 May 2010).

If trials of a new 101 non- Promise delivered. emergency number prove successful, we will look at My pledge has not only met been in London, there is also now a new 101 the options for rolling it out non-emergency service available across England and Wales, providing across the capital (Boris members of the public with an easy way to report less urgent crime, such Johnson, Protecting our as fly tipping, and speak to local officers (Direct Gov Website, Reporting Local Environment, 2008, non-emergency crimes using 101). p. 8).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Protecting our local environment 52 Making it easier to recycle and reduce waste

Pledge What has been achieved so far

I will make recycling easier Making progress. and more convenient through innovative In 2010 a trial of a scheme called Recycle Bank was launched in London. approaches, such as The scheme gives householders shopping vouchers or donations to paying Londoners to charity to the value of how much they recycle (The Guardian, ‘Boris recycle (Boris Johnson, Johnson acts to boost London’s recycle rates’, 18 January 2010, Mayor of Protecting our Local London, Mayor’s Questions, 16 December 2009). Environment, 2008, p. 9). Lambeth is the first London council to trial Recycle Bank using a newly- developed model of the initiative that specifically caters for flats (Let’s Recycle Website, First London RecycleBank scheme launches in Lambeth, 16 May 2011).

I am keen for this scheme to be rolled out across other London boroughs.

I will work with the Promise delivered. boroughs to improve recycling rates and reduce Since I became Mayor, recycling rates have increased from 25 per cent the amount of London’s in 2007/8 to 32 per cent in 2010/11 (GLA, Household Waste Recycling waste that is sent to landfill Rates). (Boris Johnson, Protecting our Local Environment, This improvement has been helped by initiatives such as Recycle Bank 2008, p. 9). and the ramping up of Recycle for London’s programme, which is now being used by most of London’s boroughs to help their communications with residents and businesses.

In addition, I have set targets for waste reduction, reuse and recycling that are tougher than the EU Waste Directive targets (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 5 May 2011).

I will support a ban on Promise delivered. plastic bags in London (Boris Johnson, Protecting I have been a vocal supporter of a ban on plastic bags in London. our Local Environment, I have held talks with council leaders and the London Waste and Recycling 2008, p. 9). Board on the best way to reduce bag numbers, and have carefully studied the new powers used in Wales. (Daily Mail, Boris calls for plastic bag ban across London in fight against ‘poisonous’ waste and litter, 5 August 2011).

I have written to the Government asking it to consider whether it is using its powers effectively to reduce the number of single use plastic bags in circulation (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 14 December 2011). The capital’s waste strategy sets out my support for locally-driven campaigns, like Greener Upon Thames voluntary reduction schemes, and for the national programme delivered by the Association of Convenience Stores. Options to deliver a voluntary reduction scheme tailored to London’s small and independent retail environment are being investigated and I have also written to major supermarkets to encourage them to re- double their efforts (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 16 November 2011).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Protecting our local environment 53 Making transport more sustainable

Pledge What has been achieved so far

Get London’s traffic flowing Promise delivered. better, so reducing traffic emissions (Boris Johnson, We have taken concrete steps to improve congestion in London. 2,000 Protecting our Local traffic light signals have been reviewed since 2009 and a further 1,000 Environment, 2008, p. 13). signals are being reviewed in 2011/12 (TfL Website, Smoothing traffic flow).

Changes made to over 1,000 traffic light signals in 2010 delivered a six per cent reduction in unnecessary delays at traffic signals (TfL, Press Release, Londoners to face fewer delays at traffic signals, July 2010).

A list of 145 signals which could be removed was also published in June 2010 and a further 26 were added to the list in November 2011.

Out of the 204 suggested removals, 22 have already been removed with removal agreed for another 15 and 80 are under discussion with boroughs. It has been agreed between TfL and the boroughs that the remaining 87 signals will be maintained (TfL Website, Suggested signal removal list, Feb 2012; TfL Website, Smoothing traffic flow).

Lobby the Government Promise delivered. to stop the expansion of Heathrow (Boris Johnson, Throughout my term as Mayor, I have argued that expanding Heathrow Protecting our Local is not in London’s best interests due to its geographic location, stating in Environment, 2008, p. 13). 2011 that “noise problems and poor air quality at Heathrow have reached such levels that further increases in the number of air traffic movements there are untenable”. (Public Sector Travel, London Plan: Boris rules out Heathrow expansion, 26 July 2011).

The national Government has now also made clear that it does not support the construction of additional runways at Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted (Hansard, 6 April 2011).

I am however a strong supporter of greater aviation capacity for London, and have produced two detailed reports on the business case and necessity of London remaining a leading European hub (GLA Press Release, Mayor urges Government to act on aviation, 21 November 2011).

Increase the number of Promise delivered. hybrid buses when feasible (Boris Johnson, Protecting The hybrid bus programme will see 300 new hybrid buses introduced by our Local Environment, 2012 (TfL, Hybrid buses). 2008, p. 13).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Protecting our local environment 54 Make London a genuinely Promise delivered. cycle-friendly city by introducing a central As a dedicated cyclist, I notice everyday just how genuinely cycle-friendly London cycle hire scheme London now is. I am proud of the fresh thinking, innovative approach that and increasing the number we have taken towards cycling. of cycle parks (Boris Johnson, Protecting our The Barclays Cycle Hire scheme was rolled out across central London in Local Environment, 2008, mid 2010. (The Guardian, Cycle hire scheme launched in London, 30 July p. 13). 2010, Mayor of London, Press Release, Mayor’s flagship cycling scheme - Barclays Cycle Hire - opens for business, 30 July 2010)

Four Cycle Superhighway routes have also been opened and four more routes will open in 2013 (TfL Website, Cycle Superhighways).

Between 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2010, over 40,000 cycle parking spaces were delivered across London (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 26 January 2011).

We are also working hard to make cycling in London safer by improving junctions on Cycle Superhighways and have recently launched a major review of other junctions (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 16 November 2011; TfL, Press Release, TfL confirms priority junctions for cycle safety review, 7 February 2012).

Use my influence as Chair Promise delivered. of the MPA to ensure the police take cycle theft more I have ensured that cycle theft is treated more seriously. The Cycle seriously (Boris Johnson, Security Plan produced by TfL, British Transport Police, City of London Protecting our Local Police and Metropolitan Police Service was launched in July 2010 sets out Environment, 2008, p. 13). what we have done, and plan to do, to prevent and deter cycle theft and criminal damage (TfL, Cycle Security Plan).

One of the Plan’s proposed initiatives was the dedicated MPS Cycle Task Force, which was launched in July 2010. In its first year of operation alone, the Task Force made 175 arrests for crimes related to cycle theft and security marked over 12,000 bicycles. In 2010 cycle theft fell by 3 per cent (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 14 September 2011).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Protecting our local environment 55 Tackling climate change

Pledge What has been achieved so far

Work to help cut London’s Promise delivered. carbon emissions by 60 per cent from their 1990 We have several active projects working towards this aim: levels by 2025, including collaborating with the C40 The RE:NEW programme, which aims to reduce CO2 emissions from group of cities to develop existing homes. 11,000 homes have already been retrofitted, with a total of strategies to tackle climate 55,000 due by end of March 2012. change (Boris Johnson, Protecting our Local The RE:FIT programme pilot, held in 42 GLA group buildings, guaranteeing Environment, 2008, p. 20). energy savings worth of £1 million per year. 140 organisations have already shown interest in the model to date, with 200 buildings committed to be retrofitted, to the combined value of over £35 million.

The £3million RE:CONNECT programme has created 10 Low Carbon Zones across London, which are on track to deliver a 20.12 per cent CO2 reduction by 2012.

The London Heat Map, an interactive tool that allows Londoners to identify opportunities for decentralised energy projects in London.

The £100 million London Green Fund to invest in low carbon waste, decentralised energy and energy efficiency (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 5 May 2011; GLA, Press Release, New figures show green economy in London is vibrant and bucking downturn, 26 October 2011). The Mayor’s Climate Change Mitigation and Energy Team have been working with the C40 Cities to share their expertise on monitoring carbon emissions and to lower carbon emission in London (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 15 June 2011).

Work with the boroughs to Promise delivered. encourage Londoners to install insulation in return I have worked with London’s boroughs to increase the energy efficiency for Council Tax rebates of London’s homes. Instead of a introducing a council tax rebate scheme, (Boris Johnson, Protecting more effective initiatives have been introduced. our Local Environment, 2008, p. 20). I have committed £7.8 million to RE:NEW – an area-based homes energy efficiency programme which is installing free ‘easy’ energy efficiency and water efficiency measures such as showerheads and radiator panels in 55,000 London homes by March 2012, as well as referring homes for further insulation and heating measures. This means that every household in a RE:NEW area can receive free energy efficiency measures, no matter what type of home they live in or their income. This is particularly helpful for the nearly 60 per cent of homes in London with solid walls. (GLA, Mayor Answers, 14 December 2011).

I have also frozen my council tax precept for the last three years to ensure that Londoners are protected from tax rises while maintaining London’s public services and investing for the future (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 15 June 2011).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Protecting our local environment 56 I will set a positive example Promise delivered. to the corporate sector by upgrading the energy I have set an example through the pilot of the RE:FIT programme in 42 efficiency of the GLA group GLA group buildings. This delivered guaranteed energy savings worth £1 buildings, and pressing million per year. An innovative commercial model to support the public the Government to meet sector to retrofit buildings with energy efficiency measures has also been its promises to improve developed and we have successfully applied for European Local Energy the energy efficiency of its Assistance (ELENA) funding to accelerate its rollout. (Mayor of London, buildings in London (Boris Mayor’s Questions, 5 May 2011). Johnson, Protecting our Local Environment, 2008, 140 organisations have already shown interest in the model to date, with p. 20). 200 buildings committed to be retrofitted, to the combined value of over £35 million (GLA, Press Release, New figures show green economy in London is vibrant and bucking downturn, 26 October 2011).

I will promote the Promise delivered. development of electricity micro-generation in London I have promoted this consistently. and the greater use of on-site renewable energy I backed EDF Energy’s bid for funding to provide a smart electricity (Boris Johnson, Protecting network in London, including increased micro-generation and new our Local Environment, renewable energy installations (Energy Efficiency News, Micro-generation, 2008, p. 20). 24 June 2010).

The Mayor has undertaken the first ever decentralised energy master-planning exercise across London and is now supporting the commercialisation of large-scale decentralised projects which can heat and power London’s existing and new buildings more carbon-efficiently (GLA, Press Release, New figures show green economy in London is vibrant and bucking downturn, 26 October 2011).

I will support the Promise delivered. introduction of a Waste Heat Levy and the greater I have persistently supported the Waste Heat Levy, and GLA senior use of Combined Heat officers have regular meetings with officials in the Department of Energy and Power in London to and Climate Change about introducing one. Under the Municipal improve the efficiency of Management Waste Strategy, a carbon floor is suggested for waste to power generation (Boris energy plants, encouraging boroughs and operators to ensure such Johnson, Protecting our plants are operated in CHP mode. Under the London Plan, developers are Local Environment, 2008, required to use CHP in new developments where appropriate. The Climate p. 20). Change Mitigation and Energy Strategy also supports CHP as part of the decentralised energy programme. £3 million of European Local Energy Assistance Funding from the European Commission has been secured to support the commercialisation of large scale decentralised energy projects, including CHP projects (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 14 December 2011).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Protecting our local environment 57 I will use all the powers at Making progress. my disposal to push the use of renewable energy I have already undertaken the first ever decentralised energy master- sources in London (Boris planning exercise across London and am now supporting the Johnson, Protecting our commercialisation of large-scale decentralised projects which can heat Local Environment, 2008, and power London’s existing and new buildings more carbon-efficiently p. 20). (GLA, Press Release, Student inventors can help make London greener with Mayor’s £20,000 Low Carbon Prize, 26 October 2011).

I also backed EDF Energy’s bid for funding to provide a smart electricity network in London, including increased micro-generation and new renewable energy installations (Energy Efficiency News, Micro-generation, 24 June 2010).

I will offer a Mayor’s prize Promise delivered. for new research into low carbon technology, to The Mayor’s Low Carbon Prize was launched in 2011 (GLA, Press Release, promote innovation (Boris 24 November 2011). Johnson, Protecting our Local Environment, 2008, I announced the winner of the inaugural Mayor’s Low Carbon Prize, at a p. 20). ceremony at City Hall on 7 March 2012. The £20,000 award, sponsored by the Berkeley Group, was a student from Kingston University for his “green key” to supply ‘new residents with an electronic key containing up to date information on local services and ideas to help them live more sustainably.’ (Mayor of London, Mayor’s low carbon source-Recognising student innovation).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Protecting our local environment 58 Building a Better London Manifesto 2008

Mayor Boris Johnson My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto 59 Helping more Londoners to afford their own home

Pledge What has been achieved so far

Help people who do not Promise delivered. qualify for Government intermediate housing In September 2010 I initiated the First Steps programme (Mayor of schemes to benefit from a London, Press Release, Mayor and HCA to help 1,000 families get a foot new ‘First Steps Housing on property ladder, 21 September 2010). Scheme’, offering quality homes 20 per cent below I have amended the London Plan to raise the income level required for the local market rate, built ‘First Steps’ eligibility above that set by Government schemes, enabling on non-essential Brownfield anyone earning less than £60,000 a year to get on the programme and land released by the GLA families earning up to £74,000 seeking a three-bed or larger (GLA, London estate (Boris Johnson, Plan, July 2011). Building a Better London, 2008, p. 6). My First Steps programme includes the First Steps Shared Ownership programme which enables first time buyers buy a home with monthly housing costs at approximately 20 per cent lower than if you were to buy the home outright on the open market or rent it privately (FirstSteps Website, FirstSteps Buy).

Around 13,360 people had been helped by the First Steps programme by February 2011. (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 18 May 2011).

I am on track to meet the target of delivering 20,000 First Steps homes by 2012 (Mayor of London, The revised London Housing Strategy, December 2011).

Create a network of Promise delivered. Community Land Trusts (Boris Johnson, Building a I have promoted community-led development in my London Housing Better London, 2008, p. 6). Strategy, and ensured through the HCA London Board, which I chair, that a Community Land Trust is delivered on the former St Clements hospital site in Tower Hamlets. The land will be held in trust by the community and some of the housing held within a CLT.

We firmly believe therefore that creating a network of CLTs across London is the most creative and transparent use of public assets owned by the GLA (Boris Johnson, Building a Better London, 2008, p. 13).

I am also promoting a CLT on the Olympic Park with proposals invited for a CLT as part of the Chobham Manor development (OPLC, Press Release, Legacy Company calls on developers to build Olympic Park’s first family neighborhood).

These mark the prospect of the first urban CLTs in the UK.

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Building a better London 60 Work closely with borough Making progress. councils to deliver 50,000 new affordable homes by The target of 50,000 homes was not met by 2011 because of the toughest 2011, replacing the 50:50 market conditions in years. However I am on course to beat my target of split with a unit target 50,000 affordable completions by 2012 – a record for any mayoral term agreed with each borough (Mayor of London, A Revised London Housing Strategy – Initial Proposals, council (Boris Johnson, August 2011, p.16). Building a Better London, 2008, p. 6). I also scrapped the counter-productive 50 per cent target for affordable homes that I inherited from the old London Plan (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 24 February 2010).

Ken Livingstone’s 50 per cent target delivered an average of just 32 per cent and frequently presented a barrier to growth and development. (GLA, London Plan Annual Monitoring Report 5, February 2009, p. 33, Table 16).

Amend the London Plan Promise delivered. to increase the building of affordable family sized My revised London Plan places greater emphasis on family-sized housing, homes (Boris Johnson, and 42 per cent of new social rented housing funded in the spending Building a Better London, round (2008-11) was for family-sized homes, compared to 35 per cent 2008, p. 6). in the previous spending round (2006 - 08) (Mayor of London, London Housing Strategy, February 2010; London Councils, Leader’s Committee: Mayor’s Housing Strategy – London Council’s Response, February 2007, Recommendation 5).

London is producing more family-sized affordable homes than it has for a decade (GLA, Revised Housing Strategy, December 2011).

The 2011 revised housing strategy includes a significant proportion of family-sized housing, with new homes designed to the Mayor’s larger space standards. (GLA, Revised Housing Strategy, December 2011).

Increase the number of Promise delivered. intermediate homes by a third in London, helping Both the London Plan and the London Housing Strategy now have a 60:40 more low-income and key social:intermediate split. sector workers into home ownership (Boris Johnson, This replaces Ken Livingstone’s 70:30 split (GLA, Revised Housing Building a Better London, Strategy, December 2011, p. 34; GLA, London Plan, July 2011). 2008, p. 20).

Facilitate a comprehensive Promise delivered. audit of all London’s empty and ‘hidden homes’ to The Empty Homes Audit was carried out by the GLA and the London increase the social housing boroughs in 2010 and provisionally identified 11,068 private sector homes stock (Boris Johnson, empty for more than one year (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 13 Building a Better London, July 2011). 2008, p. 6). As part of the Targeted Funding Stream investment of £60 million, between 2008-2011 4,145 empty homes were brought back into use and are now occupied (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 16 November 2011).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Building a better London 61 Provide a further £60 Promise delivered. million for the regeneration of empty homes (Boris As part of the Targeted Funding Stream investment of £60 million, between Johnson, Building a Better 2008-2011 4,145 empty homes were brought back into use and are now London, 2008, p. 6). occupied (Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 16 November 2011).

This is three times more than the amount of funding Ken Livingstone provided for empty homes (GLA, Revised Housing Strategy, December 2011, p. 38).

Return the Mayor’s Council Promise delivered. Tax precept to borough councils transferring their In 2011, with my support, the Government launched the New Homes dormant stock to short life Bonus, which gives bonus payments to councils for homes brought back housing providers, to help into use and additional homes (DCLG, Press Release, 1 December 2011). relieve homelessness (Boris Johnson, Building a Better London, 2008, p. 6).

Publish an online ‘Fair Promise delivered. Rents Guide’ for London (Boris Johnson, Building a The new, innovative London Rents Map now shows average private Better London, 2008, p. 6). sector rents for different types of homes across London, ensuring greater transparency for renters and attracting around 73,600 hits since it went live in December 2009 (London Rents Map Website, GLA, Revised Housing Strategy, December 2011).

Amend the London Plan Promise delivered. to encourage boroughs to work together towards My London Plan 2011 replaced the former London Plan. It consolidated the delivery of the Thames alterations since 2004 and outlines our support of the development of Gateway (Boris Johnson, the Thames Gateway and my intention to work with relevant agencies in Building a Better London, London and neighbouring regions to support their development. The Plan 2008, p. 6). also encourages relevant London boroughs and sub-regions to engage with relevant agencies beyond London to develop the area (GLA, The London Plan, July 2011).

I have also lobbied for an airport in the Thames Estuary which would drive development in this area (GLA Press Release, Mayor urges government to act of aviation, 21 November 2011).

I have secured funding for Crossrail which joins the Thames Gateway with central London (House of Commons Library, Thames Gateway SN/ SC/3894, 8 March 2011, p.3).

In addition, I have worked with No. 10 to make the Royal Docks an Enterprise Zone, creating thousands of jobs. (GLA, Press Release, London’s Royal Docks to become one of country’s largest Enterprise Zones, 23 March 2011).

I have also established a Mayoral Development Corporation which will take some of the responsibilities from the Thames Gateway Development Corporation (DCLG, Press Release, 6 February 2012).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Building a better London 62 Make design quality central Promise delivered. to the Housing Strategy (Boris Johnson, Building a My London Housing Design Guide, published in August 2010 aims to Better London, 2008, p. 6). end the era of poorly designed, cramped homes, and renew the capital’s traditions of design excellence.

This is already being delivered for affordable housing, and new standards are being applied to private sector housing through the new London Plan and Supplementary Planning Guidance. The SPG outlines two levels of standards:

„„ ‘Baseline’ standards set the baseline for quality and design that new homes should meet. These are mandatory for all new homes „„ ‘Good practice’ standards are those that go further and will lead to the kind of exemplary housing quality and design the Mayor is committed to achieving.

The standards will apply to all new housing in London. All homes must at a minimum meet all the baseline standards and are encouraged to meet the good practice standards. I expect new homes that are in receipt of public funding to meet the new standards in full (GLA, Revised Housing Strategy, December 2011).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Building a better London 63 Designing developments to combat crime

Pledge What has been achieved so far

I will make designing out Promise delivered. crime a key priority in the London Plan and the The London Plan sets out the designing out crime policy, which calls on Mayor’s Housing Strategy boroughs and others to create safe, secure and appropriately accessible to prevent creating poor environments where crime and disorder, and the fear of crime do not quality housing where crime undermine quality of life or community cohesion (GLA, The London Plan, flourishes. (Boris Johnson, July 2011). Building a Better London, 2008, p. 29). The Housing Strategy also sets out that new homes and developments should be built to principles that design out crime and fire risks GLA,( Revised Housing Strategy, December 2011).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Building a better London 64 Protecting green spaces and historic views

Pledge What has been achieved so far

Protect ten historic views Promise delivered. of St Paul’s Cathedral and the Palace of Westminster Protection of these and other views have been confirmed in the London by reinstating the original Plan (GLA, The London Plan, July 2011). viewing corridor under Regional Planning Guidance 3A (RPG3A).

Amend the London Plan Promise delivered. to protect three additional sites in London, rejecting These are included in the London Plan’s protected views (GLA, The future planning applications London Plan, July 2011). that obstruct views from St James’s Park towards Horse Guards Road; the bridge over the Serpentine in Hyde Park to Westminster; and Island Gardens on the Isle of Dogs to the Royal Naval College.

Call on the Government to Promise delivered. adopt the ‘Merton Rule’ to promote the use of on-site I did encourage Governments to adopt the Merton Rule (Mayor of London, renewable energy. Mayor’s Questions, 16 July 2008).

The Planning and Energy Act 2008 allows local councils to set targets in their areas for on-site renewable energy, on-site low carbon electricity and energy efficiency standards in addition to national requirements (Planning and Energy Act 2008).

Amend the London Plan to Promise delivered. urge developers to adopt the Sustainable Code to The London Plan has been amended to encourage builders to build more build low carbon homes for environmentally-friendly homes, it also sets out the expectation that the private sector market. developers will abide by the Government’s new Code for Sustainable Homes and achieve the highest Code standards possible (GLA, London Plan, July 2011).

Investments in new and existing homes should now contribute to reducing London’s carbon emission by at least 60 per cent by 2025 (GLA, Revised Housing Strategy, December 2011).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Building a better London 65 Publish a specific outer Promise delivered. London development strategy. I have ensured that London receives its fair share of funding and focus. The Outer London Commission was established to advise how outer London can play its role in London’s economic success (OLC Website). Its report set out a development plan. (Boris Johnson, Building a Better London, 2008, p. 31)

I also appointed Cllr Theresa O’Neill as a dedicated Advisor on Outer Borough Relations on 11 February 2011. She monitors borough activity and regularly meets with outer borough Leaders (GLA Website, Teresa O’Neill, Mayor of London, Mayor’s Questions, 14 December 2011).

I have ring-fenced money specifically for these areas in my Outer London Fund. Following the submission of over 150 bids in the first and second round of applications, I announced the award of nearly £42 million of funding from my Outer London Fund to 23 boroughs across the capital. (GLA Website, Outer London Fund, January 2012, GLA Website, Successful bids)

Amend the London Plan to Promise delivered. protect domestic gardens from new development. In 2010 the Government changed the definition of brownfield sites so that domestic gardens are not included and no local authority is obliged to build on gardens if it does not want to (DCLG, Press Release, Clark - new powers to prevent unwanted ‘garden grabbing’, 9 June 2010).

These changes were reflected in my new 2011 London Plan, under which private residential gardens are no longer classed as previously developed land and boroughs are allowed to introduce a presumption against development on back gardens or other private residential gardens in their Local Development Frameworks (GLA, The London Plan, July 2011).

I have also supported domestic gardens through the Capital Growth Project. 1032 food gardens have been unveiled with a target of 2000 spaces by the end of 2012. Grants from City Hall for the gardens range from £200 to £1000 (GLA, Mayor announces 1000 + community food gardens tended by 35,000 Londoners, June 2011).

Encourage planners to Promise delivered. use section 106 to secure affordable units for small, The London Plan sets out a new policy to provide and support affordable independent shops. shop units (GLA, London Plan, July 2011).

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto • Building a better London 66

My Progress Report to Londoners on the 2008 Manifesto

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