MPS officers seconded to Essex, Hertfordshire and Surrey

Report: 6
Date: 19 April 2001
By: Commissioner

Summary

The report sets out the current position on officers who were seconded to Essex, Hertfordshire and Surrey Constabularies as a result of the boundary changes.

A. Recommendation

That Members note the contents of the report.

B. Supporting information

1. On 16 June 1998 the Home Secretary announced that parts of the Metropolitan Police District would transfer to other Constabularies, namely Essex and Surrey Police and Hertfordshire Constabulary. The transfer was to take place on 1 April 2000.

2. To assist the forces with the changes and to ensure a smooth transition of the policing function it was agreed that the Metropolitan Police Service would second a number of officers for a maximum period of two years.

3. On the 1 April 2000, a total of 474 Metropolitan Police Officers were seconded to the three forces and were employed at stations previously located within the Metropolitan Police District, working alongside their provincial colleagues.

4. The three forces had already started to recruit additional officers and planned to supplement this with transfers of their own officers into the transferring territories in order to release officers to return to the MPS. Prior to the start of the secondments, MPS officers were given details of the estimated month and year when they would be returning. These secondments ranged in length from six months to two years, with the last seconded officers due to return to the MPS at the end of March 2002.

5. As at 31 March 2001 there were 361 officers still on secondment as outlined below:

• 29 officers in Essex
• 174 officers in Hertfordshire
• 158 officers in Surrey

6. Appendix 1 shows the planned return programme for the officers who remain on secondment.

7. The officers who were on secondment and who have now returned to the MPS are either serving on boroughs or have applied for specialist postings.

8. There are 18 ex-MPS officers who have transferred to other Constabularies. This comprises 4 to Surrey, 3 to Essex, 3 to Norfolk, 2 to Hertfordshire, 2 to North Yorkshire, 1 to Avon and Somerset, 1 to Hampshire, 1 to Strathclyde, and 1 to Wiltshire. This means effectively that 95 have returned to the MPS.

9. A further 10 officers still on secondment have applications pending with other Constabularies. These are broken down as 4 to Surrey, 1 to Essex, 1 to Guernsey, 1 to Nottinghamshire, 1 to Humberside, 1 to Strathclyde, 1 to North Yorkshire.

10. From the outset a Secondment and Boundary Change Unit was established in Personnel Department to act as a personnel unit for the seconded officers and to maintain contact with them. Officers are invited to seminars that take place twice a year at NSY, which are designed to keep them up to date with developments in MPS policy and procedures.

11. Prior to 6 March 2001, officers who were approaching the end of their secondments were contacted by the unit three months before their scheduled return and were provided with a pack containing details of boroughs for priority and consideration postings. Officers were encouraged to choose three boroughs from this list, but could include others not shown. A postings panel sat each month to decide on their postings.

12. On the 6 March 2001, a letter was sent to each seconded officer from Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Personnel stating that officers can now select any three boroughs of their choice and giving an undertaking that officers would be posted to one of their choices on their return to the MPS.

13. The Secondment and Boundary Change Unit will continue to liaise with individual officers and the three forces until the conclusion of the secondment arrangements.

C. Financial implications

None.

D. Background papers

None.

E. Contact details

The author of this report is Mike Shurety, Personnel Department.

For information contact:

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

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