Transport OCU – implementation update

Report: 12
Date: 11 November 2002
By: Commissioner

Summary

The MPA gave approval for the signature of a Special Services Agreement (SSA) with Transport for London (TfL) for delivery of the new Transport OCU (TOCU) on the 25 April 2002.

The TOCU services commenced on bus route 185 on the 10 June 2202.

The unique partnership between the MPS and TfL to tackle crime, disorder, bus movement on selected bus routes and taxi and mini cab enforcement has proved so successful that TfL are looking to increase their commitment during 2003/04 and beyond.

A. Recommendation

Members are asked to note the report.

B. Supporting information

Introduction

1. The MPA agreed with TfL to provide an additional 207 police officers and 276 traffic wardens to police 20 safe corridors on the London bus network. The unit’s annual budget of £24m is entirely funded by TfL.

2. The objectives set for Phase I are:-

• Ensuring the public and staff feel safer using bus services, bus stops and the roads on agreed routes and corridors.
• Ensuring the efficient movement of buses on agreed routes and corridors.
• Enforcement of the law relating to taxis and private hire vehicles.

3. The work of the unit also supports the MPS objectives of creating safer communities and reducing the fear of crime particularly providing more high visibility MPS uniformed personnel.

Progress of Transport OCU

4. The Special Services Agreement

1. The procedures set out in the SSA are operating effectively with no issues emerging. The Transport OCU is being rolled out on time and within budget (Appendix 1)
2. Implementation of the routes roll-out schedule (Appendix 2)

5. The roll-out programme is on target. Consideration will be given to adjusting the schedule, in consultation with TfL, as further analysis of the corridors is undertaken.

6. The selected routes account for 15% of all bus journeys in London and the corresponding bus corridors have the highest levels of crime and illegal parking. In addition, a further 100 bus routes operate on significant parts of the chosen corridors and these routes will also directly benefit from Transport OCU activities.

7. Police and Traffic Warden strength v budgeted workforce target as at 1 October 2002

Composition between experienced officers and new recruits

8. The current establishment of the TOCU currently consists of experienced officers who have completed the probationary period. New recruits will now be accepted with the first group due to arrive, from Hendon Training School, in February 2003. The TOCU will then continue to accept new recruits until they represent 20% of the Area teams.

9. Source of recruits

Police and Civil Staff

Current staff have been selected via an internal selection process. The majority have come from Borough Operational Command Units, the remainder from MPS specialist departments.

Traffic Wardens

As part of the budget cuts for 2002/03 the Traffic Warden Service was required to shed 99 wardens from its strength of 638. The advent of the Transport OCU was an excellent opportunity to move these people from the MPS budget without having to consider redundancy.

10. 90 traffic wardens have since transferred to the TOCU from the Traffic Warden OCU.

11. 13 traffic wardens have joined the MPS direct following a TOCU advertising campaign.

12. In December 2002 the legislation provided by the Police Reform Act will be available to permit Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) to undertake the roll of a traffic warden as well as dealing with anti-social behaviour. With this in mind the TOCU has now stopped the recruitment of Traffic Wardens and has started to recruit PCSOs. In addition, a programme of work has commenced to encourage existing wardens to become PCSOs

13. Gender, ethnicity, disability composition

Male police officers - 103
Female police officers - 14

14. The speed at which the TOCU was set up meant that it has not had access to the current PIMS Personnel system. The OCU is due to be connected to the new MPS MetHR Personnel system in the early part of 2003. This system will be able to provide detailed statistics on gender, ethnicity and disability composition and at the time the OCU will be nearing the end of the roll-out programme.

Numbers leaving

15. Since the 10 June 2002 one Traffic Warden has left the TOCU having resigned from the Service.

Emerging Resource Issues - There is a need to review the MPS estate to accommodate the growth in staff.

Training provision - The TOCU has its own training unit. Where MPS courses are required TfL funds them.

Longer-term developments - The TOCU forms part of the new Traffic & Transport Branch, which was a development that followed the setting up of the Transport OCU to provide a strategic co-ordinated approach to ensure the objectives of each of the OCUs are met (Appendix 3)

16. Phase II – A detailed paper is being prepared for MPA approval for this development.

Publicity arrangements

17. At the present time TfL press department has taken the lead on press issues and publicity events co-ordinating with DPA. In the Phase II proposals a post has been created to help address the balance.

Results to date

18. Transport OCU teams have so far had a significant impact on the agreed objectives (as laid out in paragraph 2). Although the unit went operational in June, it will take until March 2003 to reach it s full operational strength with a new bus route rolling out every two weeks. Yet with a ¼ of the full establishment the results have been impressive.

19. With regard to cab enforcement the dedicated taxi & mini cab unit has undertaken 26 specific operations, which have resulted in:

20. In addition, the area-based task forces have been used to help with a number of major congestion problems caused by short-term events such as tube strikes and road works at Trafalgar Square.

Monitoring enforcement action/results in terms of fair practice

21. The TOCU is aware of the work currently being progressed by the Diversity Directorate in developing a Fair Practice Monitoring Process and how best to ensure pan London units monitor disproportionality for stop and searches, arrests and issuing of HO/RTs.

22. In order to assess any disproportionality issues occurring within the area of work undertaken by TOCU officers, TfL are able to provide an ethnic breakdown of the travelling public from bus passenger surveys.

23. An OCU monthly management report, including the objectives and performance information, has been developed and is used as part of the Compstat process.

Any outstanding/new MPA involvement required

24. There is an urgent need to set up a Traffic & Transport CJU within the Central Drivers Offending Unit, situated at Marlow House, Sidcup, Kent. Space in the building has become available on the open market and there is a need to enter into a 5-year lease. This is at no cost to the MPA budget as TfL funds will be used. A separate paper is being prepared for MPA Finance meeting to be held on the 14 November 2002.

C. Equality and diversity implications

The report refers to matters concerning TOCU workforce representation and fair practice.

D. Financial implications

There are no financial implications for the MPA.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report author: Commander Alan Shave, MPS.

For more information contact:

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

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