The cost implications of public order events

Report: 07
Date: 16 February 2006
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report sets out the policing costs associated with major public order events that occurred during 2005.

A. Recommendations

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 2005. The report includes details of police operations where 300 or more police officer shifts were dedicated to an event.

2. The largest events during 2005 included:

• State visit of the President of China
• Defence Systems & Equipment International Exhibition
• Notting Hill Carnival 2005
• World War II 60th Anniversary Events
• The General Election

Costing methodology

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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).

Opportunity costs

6. 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.

Regular annual events

7. It is difficult to compare the cost of policing between years because of the varied amount and type of events that occur. There are several events that occur every year. The following 10 events have been included in the annual MPA reports each year since 2003:

• New Years Eve celebrations;
• the London Marathon;
• Mayday Demonstrations;
• Trooping the Colour (General’s Review);
• Trooping the Colour (Colonel’s Review);
• Trooping the Colour (the Queen’s Birthday Parade);
• the Notting Hill Carnival;
• the Festival of Remembrance;
• Remembrance Sunday; and
• the State Opening of Parliament.

Appendix 2 illustrates a comparison of costs/officers deployed between 2003 and 2005 for the 10 regular events listed above.

8. The report highlights a general reduction in terms of cost/officers deployed to police public order events during 2005. This can be attributed to factors such as increased intelligence on the likelihood of disorder and improved planning in respect of specific events. For example, when the MPS are dealing with regular long standing events such as the Notting Hill Carnival, there are opportunities to control the number of police officers that may be required to police the event (i.e. more planned shifts) which reduces the number of officers required and subsequently costs.

C. Race and equality impact

There are no issues which impact upon equality or diversity.

D. Financial implications

1. The MPS resources involved in the 30 public order/ceremonial events where 300 or more officer shifts were involved (recorded in Appendix 1), amount to 61,999 police officer and 2,659 police staff shifts at a total estimated cost of £20,001,161. The largest and most costly policing operations included:

• The Notting Hill Carnival at an estimated cost of £4,726,485.
• Defence Systems & Equipment International Exhibition at an estimated cost of £3,760,250.
• The General Election at an estimated cost of £2,297,672.
• The three Trooping the Colour ceremonies at a combined estimated cost of £1,194,472.
• New Years Eve celebrations 31 December 2004 at an estimated cost of £821,897.

2. Further costs have been incurred during 2005 due to MPS resources deployed at the following incidents/events:

• The policing operation (Operation Theseus), across London, in response to the terrorist attacks on the 7 and 21 July 2005. The estimated cost between 7 July and 31 December 2005 is £90.1M (including £46M estimated opportunity costs and £44.1M estimated additional costs). A total of 185,754 police shifts and 18,437 police staff shifts were dedicated to the operation between 7 July and 31 December 2005. The Operation is ongoing.
• High visibility policing (not connected with Operation Theseus) - there is an ongoing commitment, by the MPS, to provide focused high visibility patrols throughout the MPS district (e.g. central London stations, high profile locations etc.), thereby increasing public re-assurance and deterring terrorist activity. A total of 7,178 police officer shifts were dedicated to high visibility policing patrols during 2005 at an estimated cost of £1,983,250 - this includes £279,626 additional overtime costs.
• New Years Eve celebrations 31 December 2005 – the estimated cost of policing is £874,527; including £108,328 additional police overtime costs. A total of 2,788 police officer shifts and 126 police staff shifts were dedicated to this operation. The relatively large number of officers deployed is in part due to the larger geographical area covered because of 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 2006 public order events report.

3. The MPS received payments in relation to the two football related events included in this report:

• A charge of £13,000 was levied in connection with the match between West Ham and Millwall on 16 April 2005. The charges levied are based upon the hourly rates for the special services of police as per section 25 of the Police Act 1996. These charges reflect the cost of officers deployed inside of the stadium. Under current arrangements with the football clubs, we cannot claim reimbursement where officers are deployed outside of the stadium.
• A voluntary contribution of £75,000 towards the additional cost of policing the Chelsea Victory Parade, held on 22 May 2005, was made by Chelsea Football Club.

E. Legal implication

There have been no legal actions (or associated payments made by the MPS), to date, arising from events between 1 January and 31 December 2005.

F. Background papers

None

G. Contact details

Report author: Simon Hart, Director of Business Development/Support.

For more information contact:

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

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