Specialist Crime Target Operating Model and Specialist Crime Tasking

This paper refers to two projects; (i) Specialist Crime Target Operating Model (SC TOM) and (ii) Specialist Crime Tasking and Co-ordination Centre (SCTaC) Pathfinder. Although each project has its own business case, due to the significant interdependencies between the two projects a single decision has been sought.

The SC TOM will deliver a new operating model to transform MPS specialist crime capabilities to a more modern, effective and efficient service. A key enabler to achieve this will be delivered via the new SCTaC, which will provide the MPS with enhanced asset and resource management capabilities.

The SC TOM OBC builds on the design option that was endorsed by the MPS upon approval of the SC TOM Strategic Outline Case (SOC) in August 2017. Along with the SCTaC OBC, it also aligns to the designs that were presented to MPS and MOPAC in July 2018 as part of the Programme 4 presentation.

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is asked to:

1. Agree implementation of Option 3; immediate virtual implementation of the SC Hubs followed by full Capability Centric Mobilisation.

2. Agree funding envelope of £2.235m (£0.543m Capital, £1.692m Revenue) for the full implementation of the Specialist Crime Target Operating Model (TOM), to be drawn from Programme 4 Capital Plan allocation and the major Change Fund respectively.

3. Approve the creation and implementation of a Specialist Crime Tasking and Co-ordination Centre Pathfinder with the following:

a. a mandate to assess, prioritise, review and task Specialist Crime assets and operations

b. an initial staffing profile of 10 FTE sourced from Specialist Crime units, supported by an aligned 2 FTE from Met Intelligence

4. Approve funding of £0.025, (£0.025m Revenue) to implement the Specialist Crime Tasking and Co-ordination Centre Pathfinder from the Major Change Fund

5. Approve the use of the nationally recognised MoRiLE (Management of Risk in Law Enforcement) methodology for the assessment and tasking of intelligence to specialist crime.

1. Introduction and background

1.1. This paper refers to two projects; (i) Specialist Crime Target Operating Model (SC TOM) and (ii) Specialist Crime Tasking and Co-ordination Centre (SCTaC) Pathfinder. Although each project has its own business case, due to the significant interdependencies between the two projects a single decision has been sought.

1.2. Each project has undergone extensive work to assist with the design of a new operating model that will transform the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) Specialist Crime Policing Command into a more modern, effective and efficient organisation.

2. Issues for consideration

2.1. The specialist crime operating model and tasking & co-ordination centre has put a number of MPS priorities at the heart of the design, with a particular focus on contributing to the Priorities and Commitments in the MOPAC Police & Crime Plan:

• A better Criminal Justice system for London – innovate and test new system approaches to tackling persistent offenders.

• Keeping children & young people safe – work with the MPS to identify crime hotspots across the capital identifying where young Londoners are least safe, produce and implement a new knife crime strategy for London, work with local authorities to build good practice to tackle gangs at a local level, review the MPS’ approaches to gang crime, work to protect young Londoners from becoming offenders

• Tackling Violence against Women and Girls – ensure the MPS understand who the highest risk perpetrators are

2.2. The specialist crime operating model and tasking & co-ordination centre will also deliver significant improvements in a number of areas set out in the latest HMICFRS PEEL Inspections, notably to improve its understanding of the impact of its activity on serious and organised crime, and to routinely evaluate and share effective practice, both internally and with partner organisations, continually to improve its approach to the prevention of crime and anti-social behaviour.

2.3. The SC TOM project will deliver a new target operating model for the Specialist Crime & Operations (SC&O) command by reviewing the key aspects involved in delivering specialist crime services, including; people, processes, technology and crime trends. The new model will ensure the MPS can align specialist crime resource against MPS prioritises, flex to emerging crime threats and maximise efficiencies to ensure the model is effective, flexible, scalable and affordable. A renewed focus on victim care will also be an integral part of the new model.

2.4. The proposal is for immediate virtual implementation of the SC Hubs followed by full Capability Centric Mobilisation, involving establishing new governance structures while simultaneously launching the SCTaC pathfinder. After a period of stablisation, the SC TOM project will then roll out the re-designed capabilities across London to provide the city with full coverage of specialist crime asset to better disrupt serious, violent and organised crime.

2.5. Specialist crime tasking & co-ordination is essential to deliver the new SC TOM, which will be achieved through an enhanced SCTaC. The TOM will also enhance the integration to the new Territorial Policing Model; Basic Command Units (BCUs) by not only aligning better geographically, but also ensuring specialist crime resource will be available to support local policing.

2.6. The adoption of the MoRiLE (Management of Risk in Law Enforcement) risk prioritisation model will improve prioritisation of specialist crime operations and strengthen collaboration with national and regional partners. MoRiLE is currently being used in the MPS, NCA and Regional Organised Crime Units (ROCUs), was used to create the MPS Control Strategy 2018-2021 and HMICFRS recognised the benefits of this in the latest Peel Effectiveness Inspection 2017. MoRiLE also complements the THRIVE+ model and does not replace it: whilst THRIVE+ should be used to evaluate the course of action for immediate deployments, MoRiLE is a scoring mechanism for evaluating intelligence and comparing the priority and impact of operations.

2.7. Although it has been designed with a long term view to meet emerging crime trends, the SC TOM is also seen by senior MPS officers as a better model to address the recent spike in violent crimes, and it extends the MPS response from a largely remit based structure (i.e. based on crime types) to one that can flex across numerous capabilities to effectively tackle organised crime groups and the poly-criminality they present with.

3. Financial Comments

3.1. The capital cost of these proposals is estimated at £543,000. This will be funded from the existing MOPAC approved capital programme.

3.2. The one-off revenue cost of the projects is estimated at £1,717,000. This will be funded from the MPS Major Change Fund.

4. Legal Comments

4.1. There are no reported legal implications arising from the proposals in this paper.

4.2. The DMPC is asked to approve these proposals based on the MOPAC Scheme of Consent and Delegation, para 4.8 for DMPC to approve “Business cases for revenue or capital expenditure of £500,000 and above.”

5. GDPR and Data Privacy

5.1. The project has undertaken an initial Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA). No privacy issues have been identified to date, but the DPIA will continue throughout the life of the project.

6. Equality Comments

6.1. Appendix 1 sets out the equality and diversity implications. Further work is scheduled as the projects develop. Currently, no circumstances resulting from the project changes have been identified that would impact individuals or community groups external to the MPS.

6.2. MPS officers/staff may be affected by physical moves and/or changing shift patterns. As the impact of the changes becomes clear for individuals these will be considered further.

7. Background/supporting papers

7.1. MPS Paper Appendix 1.