Grant Funding Acceptance for HMPPS Corruption Investigators

This paper requests the acceptance of £146,393 annual funding from the Ministry of Justice for a three year period 2020/21-2022/23 to establish a dedicated team investigating corruption within Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS).

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to approve acceptance of an offer of funding of £146,393 per annum from the Ministry of Justice to establish a team dedicated to the investigation of corruption within HMPPS for a period for three years commencing 1st April 2020

1. Introduction and background

1.1. This papers seeks the authority to accept grant funding from the Ministry of Justice to achieve a reduction in staff corruption in HMPPS

2. Issues for consideration

2.1. The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) state that this team will improve the police response to corruption in prisons, that this problem is intrinsically linked to Serious and Organised Crime, and will enable better informed and more effective policing responses to the individuals and groups causing the greatest amount of harm.

2.2. The team will operate from within the London Region Prison Intelligence Unit (LRPIU).

3. Financial Comments

3.1. The proposal is for the acceptance of grant funding of £146,393 per annum for the three year period 2020/21-2022/23 for the increase in two new posts.

3.2. The funding will meet the direct cost including pay oncosts of two detective constables. The MPS will fund the costs of line management, IT equipment, accommodation and vehicles from within existing budgets. The funding is to be reviewed after 2 years.

4. Legal Comments

4.1. Under Schedule 3 Paragraph 7 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 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).

4.2. 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.

5. GDPR and Data Privacy

5.1. 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.

5.2. The MPS have assured that the London Region Prison Intelligence Unit currently lead on the reactive investigation of corruption in our prisons. This is core business and follows all MPS and National guidelines regards the reactive and proactive investigation of crime. These newly funded posts will fall under direct line management of the current MPS a team, all control measures, policy and procedures are already in place.

6. Equality Comments

6.1. 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.

6.2. The MPS has assured that an equality impact assessment has been completed and that no negative impact has been identified to any individual and/or group safeguarded by a protected characteristic and to those who are not.

7. Background/supporting papers

• Appendix 1 MPS Report Grant Funding for HMPPS Corruption Investigators