PCD 1418 ROCU & SOC Grant Agreement ROCU, RART, ACET, ROCTA & SOC 2022/2023

PCD 1418 ROCU & SOC Grant Agreement ROCU, RART, ACET, ROCTA & SOC 2022/2023 

Executive Summary: 

This paper seeks the approval of Home Office grant funding in 2022/23 of up to £2,096,674 to part fund the Organised Crime Unit (OCU) capabilities in respect of activities in the confiscation of assets determined to be proceeds of crime, threat assessment, drugs strategy, digital forensic support and transformation. 

Recommendation:  

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to:   

1. Approve the acceptance of a Home Office grant totalling £2,096,674 to fund the following capabilities in 2022/23, 

• London region OCU capabilities including the Regional Asset Recovery Team (RART) - £1,000,000 

• London Asset Confiscation Enforcement Team (ACET) - £237,944 

• London Regional Organised Crime Threat Assessment (ROCTA) team - £335,500 

• Drugs Strategy - £110,250 

• Digital forensics - £78,000 

• SOC Transformation - £334,980  

• Introduction and background 

• This paper seeks approval to accept grant funding to tackle on-going organised crime activities which have been funded for a number of years and specific organised crime activities. 

• Issues for consideration 

• The London Regional Asset Recovery Team (RART) and other Units provide a cohesive and coordinated operational response to Serious and Organised Crime from the MPS, City of London Police (CoLP) and British Transport Police (BTP). The three police forces work closely on a range of issues and follow an operating model reflected nationally across England and Wales.  

• The RART and Asset Confiscation Enforcement Team (ACET) are multi-agency teams, physically co-located with other partner agencies including the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).  

• The primary purpose of the RART and ACET is to provide specialist support for London law enforcement for the restraint, confiscation, enforcement and realisation of the proceeds of crime which have been identified as criminal assets. They also identify, adopt and implement best practice for financial investigation and asset recovery which is reflected across a national network. 

• The national Regional Organised Crime Threat Assessment (ROCTA) network was formed in response to HMIC’s PEEL: Police effectiveness 2016 (national overview) which found the mapping of organised crime groups to be unacceptably inconsistent, giving an incomplete and inaccurate picture of the SOC threat.  The London ROCTA is to provide a single regional capability that will deliver comprehensive identification of risk from organised crime from across police and partner agencies and establish a consistent process for assessment and prioritisation of risk according to the threat posed to the public. 

• In addition the HO has offered further grant funding in relation to tackling drugs, and investing in digital forensics and transformation activities. 

• The London RART and other units support directly the MOPAC Police and Crime Plan 2017-2021 with activity specifically aimed at tackling serious and organised crime, including by removing the financial incentives from crime using powers under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. This includes seizing the profits from high-end economic crime such as fraud, money laundering and drugs trafficking.  

• The MPS confirm that there are at least an equitable number of officers and staff across the MPS engaged in this area of business and so meeting the ‘match funding’ requirement of the grant offer. 

• Financial Comments 

• This proposal seeks approval to accept £2,096,674 of Home Office grant funding for 2022/23. The MPS confirm that there is additional MOPAC funded spend meeting the match funding requirement. 

• Legal Comments  

• This grant will be paid to MOPAC by the Home Office in the exercise of power conferred upon the Secretary of State pursuant to Section 169 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 and Section 48 of the Police Act 1996 to make awards of Grant funding. 

• MOPAC may accept the officer of the Grant pursuant to Schedule 3 Paragraph 7 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 (“2001 Act”) where MOPAC may do anything which is calculated to facilitate, or is conducive or incidental to, the exercise of the functions of the Office which includes entering into contracts and other agreements (whether legally binding or not).   

• Paragraph 4.8 of the MOPAC Scheme of Consent and Delegation provides the DMPC (Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime) with delegated powers to accept any offer of grant funding. 

• Commercial Comments 

• The MPS assure that any purchases funded by the grant will be in accordance with existing MOPAC approved compliant procurement rules. 

• GDPR and Data Privacy 

• 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.   

• MPS assure that a screening questionnaire has been completed and a further DPIA is not considered necessary. 

• Equality Comments 

• 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. 

• MPS assure that a equality screening has taken place and that no positive or negative impact has been identified to any individual and/or group safeguarded by a protected characteristic and those who are not.  

• Background/supporting papers 

• Appendix 1 Home Office Grant Organised Crime Specific Grant Agreement 2022/2023