Thursday 5 November 2015

Stakeholders Meeting to discuss Barking deaths

The LGBT Advisory Group has been working with the Metropolitan Police (MPS) on LGBT issues related to the four deaths in Barking.  We understand that this case may have a serious impact on community confidence in the police. We have worked with MPS to organise a meeting so that our concerns can be heard.

I would like to invite you to the first of these meetings which will be a pan-London Stakeholders Meeting targeted at community agencies and forums who have been interested in LGBT policing issues. (There will also be a public meeting later in November aimed at a wider audience.)

Venue: New Scotland Yard
Date: Wednesday 11 November
Time: 6.30pm (please arrive by 6.10pm as security clearance to the building takes time)

At the meeting, the MPS will be represented by the borough commander for Barking & Dagenham and the Senior Investigating Officer from the Homicide Command.

The MPS has made a voluntary referral to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) to investigate the initial handling of the four deaths. A representative from IPCC has been invited.

Please register by filling in the form on the following link:  http://goo.gl/forms/yftfYkTFbC

Due to the short timescale we have had to arrange this meeting, the venue has limited capacity. Please register by noon on Tuesday 10 November.

For security reasons, access to the building requires verification by photo ID which means either a photo driving licence or a passport. (Originals are required.) We can make a special arrangement if you cannot provide either of these forms of ID, but please indicate this on the registration form. (In particular, we appreciate that this can be an issue for some members of the transgender community.)

Aims of Meeting  
  • To enable LGBT stakeholders concerned with community safety to be briefed, within the constraints of a live investigation and an IPPC review.
  • To allow MPS senior management to hear and respond to community concerns with as much reassurance as possible.
  • To identify institutional-level confidence issues,  and learning opportunities beyond those to do with the direct handling of the operation itself.
  • To identify broader policing or community safety policy areas arising from these events
  • To identify issues of concern within the LGBT community that are raised by the events and publicity. 

Topics will include
1) Homicide investigation. (Due to the fact that this is an ongoing investigation and the case is sub judice, the police will be very limited in what can discussed regarding the investigation itself.)

2) IPCC review process
3) Total Victim care - includes current processes and discussion of issues of barriers/outreach
4) Broader community or policing issues