This resource is from the Issues section of the Metropolitan Police Authority website. This page contains details of the Community Confidence Research Project sponsored by the MPA and GLA

Sections available here:

• Community Confidence Research Project

Community Confidence Research Project

Introduction

The Metropolitan Police Authority and Greater London Authority (GLA) are jointly sponsoring a research project examining the views of London’s new migrant communities in relation to policing. Following a competitive tendering process, the Information Centre about Asylum and Refugees (ICAR) and the University of London are jointly leading the project (this was a joint bid submission). Praxis and London Refugee Voice are the two key primary refugee/migrant agencies that will be supporting the project leaders.

Primary research will be conducted through an online questionnaire available through migrant/refugee community groups and organisations. In addition to this, researchers will be conducting a series of focus groups with selected community groups to provide a greater understanding of the issues around confidence in the Metropolitan Police Service among new migrant communities.

Community Selection Criteria

The seven criteria for selection of a community group for the focus groups are as follows:

1. Individual groups selected must have had substantial new migration to the UK and London since 2000.
2. Individual groups selected must be statistically significant in terms of overall number of new migrants to the UK and London since 2000.
3. The sample must capture the range of migration asylum statuses of recent migrants with an emphasis on asylum seekers and refugees.
4. The sample must reflect patterns of forced migration from countries of conflict.
5. The sample should include economic migrants.
6. The sample should be representative of the demography of new migrant settlement in London (e.g. the area of London covered and served by the MPS).
7. The sample should have regard to areas where police operations such as SWALE [1] are taking place to maximise learning from the study.

Selected Communities and Rationale

Accordingly, the following groups have been selected to provide the best balance within the context of the above criteria and available resources:

• Polish
• Romanian
• Colombian
• Sri Lankan
• Kurdish
• Somali
• Congolese

The possible inclusion of other migrant communities was considered but rejected at this stage on account of funding issues and/or projects within those communities that are already underway. The researchers are confident, however, that lessons learned from the study will be applicable across all London communities.

We are particularly interested in people who have been the victims of crime and may not have told the police about it. To strengthen the research we would like to hear from people both with and without formal permission to remain in the UK.

This is a very important piece of research that will help to shape policing in London. All replies to the survey will be completely confidential.

We would like to ask for your help in taking this research forward by letting your communities and contacts know about this research and by encouraging them to take part by completing a confidential questionnaire. It is open to everyone.

This survey, which lasts for up to 12 weeks and which started in May 2008 can be completed either on-line or a paper version can be printed off and returned free of charge to the freepost address on the front of the questionnaire.

How can you assist?

• Please forward this email to your community contacts and encourage them to take part.
• Put this link to the questionnaire survey website on to your own website and encourage people to take part on-line https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Kg_2fxblqojHlXt83sXpBl5g_3d_3d
• Put this link to the printable version of the questionnaire on your own website  http://www.icar.org.uk/download/NewMigration%20andCommunitySafety_in_London_survey.pdf 
• Put the links up on any community websites that you are aware of
• Leave details of the study and the links in any community chat rooms that you may use
• Mention the research in any meetings you attend
• Include details in any community newsletters you produce
• Make paper copies of the questionnaire available in public areas and offices that members of your community frequent.

Any help that you give us in this survey will be very important in helping to make the police in London more responsive to your community's needs.

For general enquiries, please contact Laurence Gouldbourne on 020 7202 02227 or by e-mail  laurence.gouldbourne@mpa.gov.uk

Many thanks for your help in this important piece of work.

1. Part of a Government plan to create a more “joined-up approach to immigration issues”, Project Swale is an ongoing partnership with the Home Office’s Border and Immigration Agency (BIA). Under the project, 66 Met officers have been working with BIA officials to set up three new regional teams to target immigration-related crime: in Hounslow (to cover west London), Croydon (covering south London) and central London (covering north and east London). Ref: The Job, Oct 07. [Back]

The following external websites are relevant:

• Greater London Authority (GLA)
• Information Centre about Asylum and Refugees ( ICAR)
• London Refugee Voice
• Praxis
• University of London