The cost implications of public order events

Report: 06
Date: 7 April 2005
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report sets out the policing costs associated with major public order events that occurred during 2004.

A. Recommendation

 That the Committee notes the report.

B. Supporting information

Introduction

1. The purpose of this report is to provide the annual update on the cost of large-scale events in 2004. To provide a more complete picture of public order policing, the report now includes events where 300 or more police officer shifts were dedicated to an event rather than the 500 limit previously used.

2. The largest events during 2004 included:

• State visit of the President of Poland
• May Day 2004
• Notting Hill Carnival 2004
• State Opening of Parliament

Events fall into the following categories:

• Public order (marches, demonstrations, pickets)
• Ceremonial and military events
• Sporting events
• Religious events
• Community events

Costing Methodology

4. In policing such events resource requirements are assessed and procured by Public Order Branch and deployed through preparation of an Operational Policing Order. Typically, this document will set out the numbers of officers and support personnel to be deployed and will provide detailed operational instructions to govern their deployment. The operational policing order forms the basis of public order costs reported to this committee.

5. The costing information reported to this committee is prepared using a standard costing methodology so that input factors, for example, hours worked by police officers assigned to the event, are costed at an average rate per unit of input. There is the possibility that actual costs incurred may differ marginally from the standard costs but the overall effect is not significant.

6. In the table (see Appendix 1), the column entitled ‘Opportunity costs’ refers to those resources diverted from other policing activities to be deployed on Public Order duties. Additional Staff Costs relate to overtime and allowances and Additional Other Costs refer to all other support costs and unplanned expenditure (e.g. Transport and Catering).

Costing of events

7. Please refer to Appendix 1.

Opportunity Costs

8. Members are asked to note that, with the exception of overtime and other additional costs, a large proportion of costs quoted do not represent additional cash costs to the MPS. Rather, the officers and other staff assigned to a given operation would be assigned to other policing duties or operations. A significant element of the costs incurred in policing these events is regarded as ‘opportunity costs’ although this will probably impact upon operational resources available elsewhere and thus the MPS’s achievements of its performance targets.

C. Equality and diversity implications

There are no issues which impact upon equality or diversity.

D. Financial implications

1. The MPS resources involved in the 40 public order/ceremonial events where 300 or more officer shifts were involved (recorded in Appendix 1), amount to 51,261 police officer and 2,727 police staff (formerly known as civilian staff) shifts at a total estimated cost of £16,685,864. The largest and most costly policing operations included:

• The Notting Hill Carnival at an estimated cost of £4,872,152.
• The three Trooping the Colour ceremonies at a combined estimated cost of £1,248,438
• New Years Eve celebrations at an estimated cost of £917,438.
• Mayday Demonstrations at an estimated cost of £866,300.
• The State visit of the President of Poland at an estimated cost of £648,225.

2. Further costs have been incurred during 2004 due to MPS resources deployed at the following events:

• New Years Eve celebrations 31 December 2004 – the estimated cost of policing is £980,052, including £129,574 additional police overtime costs. A total of 3,028 police officer shifts and 143 police staff shifts were dedicated to this operation. The relatively large number of officers deployed is due to the addition of new events in recent years (e.g. the firework display held on and around the London Eye). The final cost of this event will be provided in the 2005 public order events report.
• The ‘high visibility’ policing operation to provide reassurance and reinforce existing security arrangements, across London, in response to events in Iraq has continued during 2004. The estimated cost between 1 January and 31 December 2004 is £2,228,920. A total of 9,092 police shifts were dedicated to the operation between 1 January and 31 December 2004.
• A ‘Freedom of Information Act’ question was received requesting the cost of policing Friday prayers held outside of the Finsbury Park Mosque since the building was closed in January 2003. The total cost was estimated at £874,387 (this figure includes the regular policing around Friday prayers and all associated demonstrations including the large National Front demonstration held on 9 April 2004, which is detailed in Appendix 1 of this report).

E. Legal implications

There have been no payments made by the MPS due to legal actions arising from events between 1 January and 31 December 2004, to date. There is currently one potential civil action case in relation to the 2004 Notting Hill Carnival. An update will be provided once the outcome is known.

F. Background papers

• None

G. Contact details

Report author: Craig Watkins, Director of Business Development.

For more information contact:

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

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