PCD 1817 Hotspot Policing Funding

Executive Summary:  

The Government published the ‘Hotspot Response Fund Guidance’ in late February 2024 merging ‘Grip’ and ASB hotspot response funding, totalling £8,139,508 in funding for 2024/25.  

This paper seeks approval to accept an uplift of £200,000 to the Home Office (HO) Grip Violence Fund with a revised total of £8,339,508 for the 2024/25 financial year. The funding will be used mainly for hotspot patrols to tackle violent crime and Anti-social behaviour in public spaces. 

Recommendation:  

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to:   

1. Accept the uplift of £200,000 to the HO grant allocation to a revised total of £8,339,108 for 2024/25 to bolster activity carried out with the Basic Command units (BCUs) through hot spot patrolling and POP activity under existing terms and conditions.  

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

1. Introduction and background  

1. The Government published the Anti-social Behaviour (ASB) action plan in March 2023. This included funding for ASB Hotspot Response pilots in ten force areas in 2023/24, ahead of an anticipated roll out across in 2024/25. Following findings from the pilot scheme, the Government decided to merge the ASB Hotspot Response with Grip funding in 2024/25.  

2. MOPAC has previously approved the acceptance of HO grant funding for Grip Violence activity – see PCDs 1070, 1327, 1596 and 1650. 

3. MOPAC accepts the fund on behalf of the MPS and will allocate the funding to the MPS via a grant agreement. 

2. Issues for consideration  

1. The merged fund recognised the obvious overlap between ASB Hotspot Response patrolling (piloted in 10 areas nationally) and Grip serious violence hotspot policing by combining the two funding streams. However, ASB Hotspot Response patrolling was not piloted in London, so the Grip programme needed to incorporate ASB formally into the programme as per the HO guidance.  

2. The MPS previously received a three-year settlement of £24,664,846 split between 22/23, 23/24, and 24/25. The 2024/25 funding has now been revised and the remit formally expanded to include ASB. Previously, arrangements were formalised with a Home Office Grant Agreement between the parties for the period 2022-2025. 

3. Through the previous Grip funding, the MPS identified 75 of the top violence hotspots across London in 22/23 and 23/24 and implemented POP plans in each of these, working with partners to reduce violence and crime. In 23/24 some of these hotspots were refreshed, reflecting changes in patterns of violence. 75 hotspots were also selected for the financial year 24/25. 

4. The MPS have assured us that the funding aligns with MOPAC’s Police and Crime Plan priority of preventing and reducing violence across the capital, and it provides significant opportunity to engage with critical stakeholders and service providers, outside of policing, to deliver a truly joined up and community focused approach to reducing violence and ASB. 

5. The merged approach should allow for the MPS to use the full range of uniformed visible presence available in their area to conduct patrols in hotspots, for example, police officers, Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs), local authority community safety wardens, Business Improvement District (BID) patrol staff, etc. The new merged fund should include collaboration and consultation with agencies, charities and community organisations already working to tackle ASB in the hotspot areas to ensure funding is maximised by optimising local relationships and networks to tackle ASB. 

3. Financial Comments  

1. The Home Office originally allocated £8,139,508 of funding to the Metropolitan Police Service for the Hotspot Response Programme for 2024/25.  

2. This Decision is seeking approval to accept the £200,000 uplift from the Home Office for the remainder of this financial year, bringing the total amount for 24/25 to £8,339, 508. MOPAC is not required to provide any match funding for the HO funding to be accepted. 

3. The original funding for the financial year 24/25 was allocated as follows: 

• Hotspot response patrolling: £6,548,169  

• Problem orientated policing: £1,173,856  

• Analytical support in BCUs: £417,483  

4. Legal Comments  

1. MOPAC acceptance of this Grant is permitted under Schedule 3 Paragraph 7 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, whereby 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).  

2. Paragraph 4.8 of the MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent provides that the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime (DMPC) has delegated authority to approve all bids for grant funding made and all offers made of grant funding and/or where appropriate a strategy for grant giving” and to approve “The strategy for the award of individual grants and/ or the award of all individual grants whether to secure or contribute to securing crime reduction in London or for other purposes.” 

5. Commercial Issues  

5.1 This Decision seeks approval for MOPAC to accept an additional £200,000 in funding from the Home Office for use by the MPS in hot spot patrolling and POP activity, bringing the total amount for 24/25 to £8,339,508. This funding will be provided to MPS via a variation to an existing grant agreement in place between MOPAC and MPS. MPS may use the funding to contribute to existing contracts in place to support the delivery of this programme. 

5.2 In accordance with 4.8 of the Scheme of Delegation, DMPC approval is required to approve acceptance of grant funding and the onward strategy for awarding it. 

5.3 The actions proposed can be taken in compliance with procurement legislation and MOPAC’s Contract Regulations. 

6. 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 has assured us that following an assessment, a full Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) is not required. 

7. Equality Comments  

1. 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. 

2. The MPS have assured MOPAC that having undertaken an initial equality screening no positive or negative impact has been identified to any individual and/or group safeguarded by a protected characteristic and those who are not. 

8. Background/supporting papers 

1. Grant Variation Notice - 24/25