Vehicle recovery and storage service

Report: 08
Date: 18 December 2003
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report provides a review of the Vehicle Recovery and Storage Service following its establishment in April 2003 and outlines planned developments.

A. Recommendation

That the report be noted.

B. Supporting information

1. At the Finance Committee held on 14 November 2002, approval to establish the in-house Vehicle Recovery and Storage Service (VRSS) was given which included:

• the leasing of the first VRSS site at the Angerstein Centre, Charlton for a period of ten years (less a day);
• a budget virement from revenue to capital expenditure to meet the fit out costs at Charlton; and
• agreement in principle to acquire three additional sites (in south west, north west and north east London), the rental costs being met from savings in contract storage fees and through income generation.

2. The overarching aim of the VRSS is to enhance performance in relation to crime reduction rates, DNA retrieval and quality of evidence, as well as improving the free flow of traffic by:

• extending forensic examination to all vehicles concerned in crime, or lost or stolen;
• improving the quality of the examination of vehicles involved in fatal and life changing collisions; and
• re-introducing a removal and storage service for illegally parked vehicles (red routes and bus lanes).
• progress

3. The Charlton site was acquired in December 2002 and following an initial fit-out opened for business on 1 April 2003.

4. The interim MPS contingency team (‘Operation Notre Dame’), the Contract Management Unit, and the Special Operations Removal Unit have been brought together under a single management structure.

5. It is proposed that in 2004/05 the VRSS will assume responsibility for the Garage Desk (which deals with police requests through the CAD for the recovery of vehicles) and the long-term storage of vehicles currently housed in the Central Property Store.

6. The following benefits have been realised since the opening of the Charlton site:

• increase in vehicles dealt with;
• decrease in contract storage fees;
• income generation (red route removals and excess storage charges);
• improved forensic examinations;
• integrity of the preservation of exhibits enhanced;
• release of Grove Hall garage – reallocated to the Transport OCU;
• release of Kirtling Street – awaiting reallocation;
• reduction in vehicle storage in police station yards;
• release of accommodation within Tintagel House; and
• the site has been used for other temporary storage purposes, including Operation Trident, Stolen Vehicles Unit and SO.

Vehicle throughput

7. By 31 October 2003, 4,490 vehicles had entered the site, including 3,380 concerned in crime, 704 illegally parked vehicles and 163 involved in fatal collisions. Over 1,000 vehicles remain on the site, with the balance having been returned to their rightful owners or disposed of by auction or scrapped.

Forensic examinations

8. The scope to impact positively on forensic retrieval can be assessed by considering Operation Jam Jar, the pilot undertaken between January and March 2003 as a precursor to the opening of Charlton. 994 vehicles were examined and forensic evidence was found in 247 cases. 84 suspects have been arrested with 79 crimes cleared up.

9. At Charlton, the resident forensic examiners to date have examined 2,248 vehicles. Fingerprint evidence has been found in 1,375 (61%) and DNA retrieved in 1,166 (52%). There have been 349 positive identifications of suspects although it is too early to gauge the impact on the judicial disposal rates.

10. A second pilot scheme involving the VRSS, Operation York (operating solely within the Borough of Greenwich) started in September 2003 to assess the benefit of recovering all lost or stolen vehicles for forensic examination. So far 78 vehicles have been recovered: the emerging results are encouraging with six suspects having been identified from the first 30 vehicles examined.

Future direction

Business efficiency

11. The VRSS continues with a number of initiatives aimed at improving business efficiency:

• development of an IT vehicle /finance management control system;
• review of legislation and policy relevant to the requirement upon the police to retain motor vehicles;
• review of policy relating to charging for the service delivered;
• establishment of a VRSS intelligence unit to be responsible for analysing forensic results in order to identify persistent offenders, and cross border and organised crime;
• development of partnerships with the Association of Local Government and the London Boroughs around the development of a co-ordinated strategy relating to abandoned vehicles; and
• new contracts in association with Procurement Services for vehicle removal and disposal (including auctioning and scrapping).

Development of the Charlton site

12. Work continues to develop the site to its full potential and consideration is being given to co-locating (in addition to the VRSS and SOR) the TP traffic patrol accident investigation suite, and forensic science units from SO13 (anti terrorism), SCD7 (serious and organised crime), and TP. Economy of scale savings should be realised as it is envisaged that all the forensic units would share the facilities. Additional benefits include the release of accommodation currently occupied by these units.

Acquisition of additional sites

13. The vehicle storage area at Charlton is already operating at maximum capacity with up to 1,110 vehicles on site at any one time. When the site is full (which has happened twice recently) it has been necessary to revert to storing additional vehicles with private contractors.

14. The VRSS is engaged actively with Property Services in finding a decant site to relieve the pressure on Charlton. Four possibilities have been identified. A cost comparative analysis of each site is underway.

15. Additionally, work continues to identify a second site in north/north west London to replicate the facilities at Charlton.

C. Equality and diversity implications

1. The Charlton site is accessible by public transport as well as by road, making it a suitable location for restoring vehicles to all members of the public. Similar considerations will be given to the location of additional sites.

2. The facilities at Charlton will be reassessed to ensure that they are suitable for staff and members of the public who have a disability.

3. The VRSS is to comply with the equal opportunity and diversity policies of the MPS and MPA without exception.

D. Financial implications

1. The VRSS budget for 2003/04 (including Special Operations Removal) has been consolidated under one cost centre:

2. Year to date expenditure date is £1.843m whilst the annual forecast outturn is £5.149m, indicating a small full year under spend of £46k.

3. The storage of vehicles on site at Charlton has led to significant savings in contract storage fees previously paid to private garages. These savings have been converted from revenue to capital to meet the initial and ongoing fit out costs.

4. Income received (April – October 2003):

E. Background papers

• MPA Finance Committee held on 14 November 2002,(F/02/63 & F/02/67)

F. Contact details

Report author: Stephen Ditchburn, Head of the VRSS, MPS.

For more information contact:

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

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