Update on Operation ‘Cleansweep’

Report: 14
Date: 24 October 2002
By: Commissioner

Summary

An update to members on Operation ‘Cleansweep’, the MPS response to the MPA report ‘changing habits’. Two appendices give more detailed information.

A. Recommendation

That members note the current position on Operation ‘Cleansweep’. 

B. Supporting information

1. Support team composition: An Operation Cleansweep support team currently exists to drive forward improvements in the working conditions for front line officers within police stations. It is chaired by Superintendent Nicholas Jupp from the MPS Inspectorate and has integral members from the Property Services Department (PSD), Finance and Territorial Policing HQ. Additionally five Borough Operational Command Unit Finance and Resource Managers (FRMs) provide valuable input to meetings on practical considerations. Meetings are held when necessary (currently approximately bi-monthly).

2. Summary of Financial Status: A summary of the current financial status for the year 2002/3 is attached as Appendix 1. Appendix 2 gives a detailed breakdown of requests for funding from eligible OCUs.

3. Publicity: Two articles have already appeared in ‘The Job’ newspaper, with a further two planned, one on the agreed upgrade of Limehouse canteen and a second on the introduction of new lockers across the MPS. Articles have also appeared on the main page of the MPS Intranet, together with the PRS9 Intranet page. A presentation was also made by members of the support team at the FRMs conference in April.

4. Barking and Dagenham (KG) OCU: A shortfall of approximately £65,000 was identified in the building project at KG, already agreed by the MPA and the MPS Resource Allocation Committee. This money could be classed as Operation Cleansweep improvements. An extraordinary meeting of the support team was held on 31 July 2002, which agreed to fund the shortfall from money in the Operation Cleansweep budget.

5. Current status: All eligible OCUs have now submitted bids set against a £10,000 notional limit for immediate improvements in working conditions for front line officers (Tranche 1 monies). PSD, Finance and TPHQ are working to ensure orders are correctly processed and items received by OCUs. Tranche 2 monies will be subject to discussion at the next support team meeting. Full details are supplied in the attached background documents.

C. Equality and diversity implications

1. None of the ‘Changing Habits’ recommendations focused directly on deficiencies in the provision of access to police buildings for staff with disabilities.

2. Appropriate levels of provision of changing and showering facilities for both male and female officers were high on the agenda and several of the schemes being supported from the Cleansweep budget directly address these provisions (e.g. Dagenham.)

3. Operation ‘Cleansweep’ has responded to the twelve recommendations of the MPA report by providing funds to Borough Operational Command Units (BOCUs) as outlined in paragraph 5 above. None of the prioritised bids for expenditure received from the BOCUs in either tranche 1 or tranche 2 has been specifically directed towards improving facilities for disabled access, but other diversity and equality issues are covered and all such bids, when received, are given a high priority.

4. Cleansweep works are being carried out in parallel (and sometimes in conjunction) with other works to the buildings in the MPA estate, some of these are directly related to vulnerable persons (e.g. provision of vulnerable and intimidated witness interview suites; front offices on each Borough adapted in accordance with the Disability Discrimination Act; works for Child Protection Teams etc).

D. Financial implications

The financial implications are set out in the attached appendices.

E. Background papers

1. Summary of Operation Cleansweep financial status - Detailed bids by OCUs for Operation Cleansweep funding.

F. Contact details

Report author: Nicholas Jupp, MPS.

For more information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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