PCD 1218 Home Office funding for Social Media and County Lines Intel Network

PCD 1218 Home Office funding for Social Media and County Lines Intel Network

This paper seeks approval to accept £495,000 of Home Office grant funding to support the Social Media County Line Intelligence Network (SMCLIN) during 2022/23.  This network will support a dedicated team in tackling county line offending in support of the three County Line Task Forces located in the MPS (Op Orochi), Merseyside Police and West Midlands Police. 

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to:   

1. Approve a new Home Office grant agreement for £495,000 to fund the Social Media County Line Intelligence Network for an additional twelve months. Funding will reflect actual expenditure incurred during the 2022/2023 financial year. 

PART I - NON-CONFIDENTIAL FACTS AND ADVICE TO THE DMPC 

1. Introduction and background  

1. MOPAC has approved the receipt of previous funding for this project in 2021/22 of £272,708, PCD956.  

2. Issues for consideration 

1. The proposed grant funding will support the MOPAC Police & Crime Plan by undertaking activities to directly impact upon gang related serious violence and organised criminality. It will also seek to reduce the criminal and sexual exploitation of young and vulnerable people. 

2. The funding will support the continuation of the Social Media County Line Intelligence Network (SMCLIN) as a dedicated team in tackling county line offending in support of the three County Line Task Forces located in the MPS (Op Orochi), Merseyside Police  and West Midlands Police. 

3. This 2022/23 proposal reflects an increase in funding from £272,708 in 2021/22 to £495,000 supporting an uplift in three staff. The pursuance of intelligence and evidence-based methodology to tackle county line offending originating from London presents major benefits to the MPS and Londoners. The funds sought will boost MPS output in combatting violence and crime linked to gangs.  

3. Financial Comments  

1. This proposal seeks approval to accept upto £495,000 of Home Office grant funding for 2022/23. The grant will support the funding of six officers as well as operational equipment and training.  If no further funding is made available after 31 March 2023 the MPS assure that there will be a phased exit strategy for staff to transition back into existing MPS posts. 

4. Legal Comments 

1. The proposed additional grant funding is permitted under Schedule 3, Paragraph 7 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011. 

2. The Home Office will pay the Additional Grant to the Metropolitan Police in exercise of the power conferred by Section 56 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act (2004). 

3. Paragraph 4.8 of the MOPAC Scheme of Consent and Delegation provides the DMPC has delegated authority to approve bids for grant funding made and all offers made of grant funding; and/or where appropriate a strategy for grant giving. 

5. GDPR and Data Privacy  

1. MOPAC will adhere to the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018 and ensure that any organisations who are commissioned to do work with or on behalf of MOPAC are fully compliant with the policy and understand their GDPR responsibilities.   

2. The MPS assure that a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) has been completed in respect of the Social Media Hub under which the SMCLIN sits as a capability. The DPIA concluded the risk of a data breach occurring was low based on current practices. Recommendations regarding data storage and retention have been followed with the use of the MPS approved BOX data storage solution and an updated data retention policy.  A recent review of the original assessment acknowledged inaccuracies in it but concluded that there was no increased risk of a data breach. 

6. Equality Comments    

7. MOPAC is required to comply with the public sector equality duty set out in section 149(1) of the Equality Act 2010. This requires MOPAC to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations by reference to people with protected characteristics. The protected characteristics are: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. 

8. The MPS assure that the SMCLIN falls within the Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) completed for the Social Media Hub as an extension of Hub capability, and that no negative impact has been identified to any individual at this stage.  A recent review of the EIA has been undertaken and the MPS assure that a  new Social Media Partnership Engagement Board has been established which invites key partners to consult on Project Alpha’s work on a quarterly basis. The meeting will convene quarterly with the first meeting having already taken place. Stakeholders include The Children’s Society, Rescue and Response Partnership’s (including Abiander, Safer London and St Giles Trust), The Ben Kinsella Trust, Catch-22 and Red Thread and the Violence Reduction Unit. Project Alpha are now members of the Violent Crime Community Reference Group which also conducts quarterly meetings. Feedback from the above stakeholder engagement will be addressed and documented as part of the EIA review process.   

7. Background/supporting papers 

• Appendix 1 MPS Report - Social Media and County Line Intelligence Network continued Home Office Funding