A review of long-term arrangements for firearms training

Report: 10
Linked to exempt item 14
Date: 18 October 2007
By: Assistant Commissioner Central Operations on behalf of the Commissioner

Summary

In the mid 1990s a critical HMIC (Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary) report into firearms training within the MPS led to the development of the current Metropolitan Police Specialist Training Centre (MPSTC) at Gravesend, provided and managed through a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) Contract arrangement, which became operational in 2003 to provide up to 37,000 firearms training days.

Although the MPSTC was expected to meet the foreseeable needs of the MPS, the post 9/11 and 7/7 environment has seen significant increases in the number of armed officers, generating an additional 40,000 training days per annum by 2012/13. MPSTC is currently operating at its maximum capacity and, in order to satisfy training demand over and above this figure, interim arrangements involving the temporary use of Ministry of Defence (MoD) facilities at RAF Uxbridge and MoD land at Bramley have been agreed. Neither of these sites provides a guaranteed training facility. Indeed, the facility at Uxbridge will become unavailable during 2009.

Management Board tasked a Firearms Training Working Party to identify actions to address the immediate short-term training deficit, and establish the long-term requirement for firearms training facilities necessary to deliver the additional firearms training by 2011/12. This report draws to the attention of Members the proposed way forward for dealing with the long-term, future training needs for firearms officers within the MPS, together with estimated capital and revenue implications.

This is a redacted version of the report that went before the committee.

A. Recommendations

That

1. the proposed option for the development of a new North/West London Firearms Training Base as a means of accommodating the medium to long term training requirements of the various firearms Operational Command Units (OCUs) be developed subject to a detailed proposal being submitted when a suitable location is identified;

2. Determine what representation might be made to the Home Office for a contribution to capital and revenue costs, given that the increase in firearms training is predominantly due to national security/counter terrorism measures, and that by 2008 MPS firearms officers will account for over 45% of the total number of firearms officers in England and Wales; and

3. members note that whilst making a notional provision for the impact of the 2012 Olympics, the proposal does not include for the specific and detailed impact on training arising from the policing aspects of the 2012 Olympics.

4. Officers proceed to carry out a land search for a suitable site for the proposed training facility.

B. Supporting information

1. The MPSTC was designed to meet the 1999/2000 requirements for firearms training including tactical exercises in an outdoor urban environment using live fire simulated ammunition (simunition). The facilities at that time were deemed sufficient to meet the anticipated demand for the foreseeable future. What the brief for the MPSTC did not anticipate was the significant changes in armed policing arising from the events of 9/11 and 7/7.

2. The training of police officers has increased in importance since the removal of MPS’s exemption from the Health and Safety at Work Act and other related legislation with a greater emphasis on the level of training provided in realistic and relevant operational environments. The Corporate Manslaughter and Homicide Act has added further weight to this position through its requirement for a robust “Safety Management Plan”.

3. Reports to Management Board, in 2006/07, indicated that the demand for firearms training will continue to increase year on year, and by 2012/13 the requirement for additional firearms training facilities would be in excess of 40,000 training days per year (contained in exempt Appendices 5 and 6). This demand has been calculated as part of a detailed review by CO19, the lead authority within the MPS on firearms and firearms training issues and has been endorsed by CO senior management.

4. The interim solution to address the training facility deficit is viable until 2009 when the use of temporary facilities at RAF Uxbridge will be withdrawn, and further short-term measures are now under consideration.

5. Representations have been made to the Home Office and Treasury about capital funding, given that the primary reason for additional firearms officers is associated with the heightened security threat to the Capital.
6. The various options, which were subject to extensive evaluation as detailed in Appendix 1 were as follows:

i) No change or do minimum;

ii) Utilisation of existing MPS property assets to provide new training facilities;

iii) Meet the training needs by providing a series of smaller dedicated training facilities;

iv) Creation of a single multi-purpose training facility;

v) Lease and/or rent sites owned by others and made suitable for MPS use;

vi) Use of other police force training assets.

7. The review of the options referred to above (Appendix 1) concluded that the Preferred Option is the Creation of an additional Single Site Training Facility located in the North/West of London.

8. A financial evaluation of the two primary options is set out in Appendix 2. These costs are indicative and will need to be robustly tested as the project proceeds to ensure best value criteria is being met in moving forward.

9. In terms of time to deliver the facility, the probability of finding a suitable and sustainable site in the North West quadrant of London, however operationally desirable, is considered to be problematic. Many areas around Heathrow are subject to BAA expansion plans. Many areas inside the M25 are outside the MPD/GLA areas and those locations close to the M25 and further west will be subject to increasing land prices and the problems associated with town planning issues, expected to be much greater.

10. Given the above, in the best case scenario, it is expected that the proposed new facilities would come on line during 2011/12; but that the worst case would take at least another two years. It is not possible at this time to be any more definitive about the timelines.

11. This is a major project and specialist facility. It will, therefore, require significant support from Property and Procurement Services. Both services are already under pressure in terms of delivering the current approved capital programme.

Abbreviations

AFOs

Authorised Firearms Officers

CO

Central Operations

CO19

Specialist Firearms Command

DoR

Directorate of Resources

GLA 

Greater London Authority

HMIC

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary

MoD

Ministry of Defence

MPD

Metropolitan Police District

MPS

Metropolitan Police Service

MPSTC

Metropolitan Police Specialist Training Centre

NCPE

National Centre for Policing Excellence

NPV

Net Present Value

OCUs

Operational Command Units

PFI

Private Finance Initiative

PSD

Property Services Directorate

RAF

Royal Air Force

RG 

Greenwich Borough

SCD7

Serious and Organised Crime

SCD11

Covert Policing

SO1

Specialist Protection

SO14

Royalty Protection

SO15

Counter Terrorism Command

SO16

Diplomatic Protection Group

SO18

Aviation Security, Heathrow Airport

TSG

Territorial Support Group

TTA

Tactical Training Area

 C. Race and equality impact

The provision of the various training facilities will take full account of the MPS’s equality and diversity polices.

D. Financial implications

Approval is sought to develop proposals for the delivery of a single site firearms training facility located in the north/west of London. The detailed proposal, with associated capital and revenue implications, will be the subject of a further report once a suitable location has been identified. On the currently available information, the potential costs of the facility are estimated to be:

None of these costs are currently included in the approved MPA/MPS capital or revenue budgets.

• 2. The MPS is currently preparing, for consideration by the MPA in November, a seven year capital programme to improve its medium-term business planning and facilitate building up capacity to deliver the capital investment needed to meet the emerging demands on the service. Provision is being included in the seven year programme for the creation of a firearms training facility based on the estimates included in this report. However, the likely demands for capital investment are expected to exceed significantly the resources available to fund the desired programme. Work is currently underway to assess the schemes included in the programme against service priorities. The finally approved programme will have to be managed in such a way as to ensure annual expenditure is contained within the resources available to support the programme.
  
  3. The MPA/MPS three year business and financial plan for 2008/09 to 2010/11 is currently being finalised for consideration by the MPA in November. The draft MTFP currently includes additional provision of £10m from 2009/10 to cover the cost of additional firearms training facilities. At present the revenue budget requirement for 2009/10 and beyond significantly exceeds the resources likely to be available to the MPA/MPS. Savings across the service will need to be identified over the medium-term to ensure total expenditure is contained within the resources available to the MPA/MPS.
  
  4. Provision in the capital budget and MTFP does not constitute authority to spend. Approval to this project will be subject to a further report, following the identification of a suitable location, on the detailed proposal. That report will include the associated capital and revenue implications and will also need to identify:
  • existing revenue provision for training facilities and potential savings arising from the provision of the new facility
  •  external funding streams secured to support the facility

E. Legal implications

1. Part of the purpose of firearms training is to prepare officers for operational duties and the need to comply with the Law. There are a number of statutes, which impinge on firearms officers in exercising their duty, not least of which is the Human Rights Act. Good quality tactical training is an essential part of the judgemental process of preparing officers for dealing with these issues in a live situation.

2. There are no other known legal implications to this provision.

Health and safety matters

3. There are a number of issues around the design and construction of a firearms training facility which require the services of a specialist and will cover Noise at Work, Lead in Air as well as providing for sufficient ballistic protection and or effective segregation/containment of all areas where live fire is to be permitted. There are however no other known Health and Safety issues arising from this provision.

Risks

4. The risk to the MPS and the MPA of not providing the additional firearms training facilities is that of delivering sub-standard training, exposing officers and the public to an increased and significant risk whenever a firearms situation arises, even if the officers concerned do not draw and fire weapons. A proper understanding of any tactical situation is as essential as good weapons drill and accuracy of fire in maintaining safe operations.

5. There is a further risk that security operations at some sensitive locations, such as Heathrow, may be compromised and even lead to closure should there ever be insufficient trained and certified officers available for duty. At Heathrow there is an absolute requirement for armed security to be on hand during periods of flight operations (contained in exempt Appendix 3).

6. Under the Corporate Manslaughter and Homicide Act, the Commissioner may only have a credible defence at Law if it can be shown that the action of firearms officers have been based on a well constructed “Safety Management Plan” which allows for proper and timely training, relevant to the circumstances they are operating under, part of which will be delivered, or not, by the training facilities in place to provide such training.

F. Background papers

• None

G. Contact details

Report authors: Colin King, Deputy Director (Commercial Operations) and on behalf of Director of Property Services in support of CO; Commander Jo Kaye, CO19

For more information contact:

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

Appendices to this report

• Appendix 1: (exempt) Selection and evaluation of Options
• Appendix 2: (exempt) Procurement Options including estimated costs of developing a new Training Facility
• Appendix 3 (exempt) Risk Assessment and rationale in understanding the future training needs for firearms officers within the MPS
• Appendix 4: (exempt) Table showing the increase in AFO Numbers
• Appendix 5: (exempt) Table illustrating projected firearms training facilities ‘gap’ and assumptions made
• Appendix 6: (exempt) Graph illustrating cumulative firearms training deficit
• Appendix 7: (exempt) Report from the current “Future Training Need Working Party”

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