Service Improvement Review Of Custody Capacity: Final Report And Improvement Plan

Report: 17
Date:12 July 2004
By: Commissioner

Summary

This report sets out the recommendations and improvement plans from the final report of the MPS Service Improvement Review (SIR) of Custody Capacity. It outlines the key actions and financial implications arising from the recommendations of the Review.

A. Recommendations

1. the final report be endorsed;

2. the recommendations and improvement plans as set out in Appendix 1 be approved; and

3. an update of progress towards the improvement plan be received every six months.

B. Supporting information

1. The SIR of Custody Capacity formally commenced following the approval of the Project Initiation Document by the MPS Planning, Performance and Review Committee on 12 February 2004. The Management Summary is one of the final products of the Review and is attached at Appendix 1. A copy of the full report has been made available to Members.

2. The SIR has consulted widely and examined a range of factors affecting both the demand for, and the supply of, custody capacity in the MPS. It has identified issues relating to the quality and distribution of existing custody facilities, and to the management of custody availability.

3. Research and modelling work undertaken by the SIR has generated estimates of future demand, and shown how these translate into cell requirements on each Borough Operational Command Unit (BOCU).

4. The Review recommends a long-term strategy that will transform custody in the MPS by providing some 600 additional and replacement cells in units benefiting from modern design standards.

5. The recommendations also include:

• The establishment of a Command within Territorial Policing (TP) HQ to provide corporate management of MPS custody capacity, including development of strategic partnerships with other agencies.
• A variety of service improvement proposals for this Command to take forward in the short and medium-term. These recognise the need to make best use of existing facilities during the lead times required to develop new facilities.

6. The subject of Immigration Service detainees and future partnership working between the MPS and the Immigration Service will also be put before the Authority’s meeting on the 29 July 2004.

Principal benefits

7. The key benefits deriving from the recommendations are as follows:

• Improved service to all users of custody suites by replacing out of date and inefficient units with modern facilities across the MPS.
• Corporate management of a key criminal justice process and major area for capital investment, through the integration of custody requirements into the MPS Estates Strategy.
• Custody capacity better aligned to Borough requirements and expected increases in arrests.
• Savings in the costs of staffing custody suites as larger units replace small, inefficient ones, estimated at £0.75m p.a.
• Improved service to arresting officers by reducing the number of detainees moved between BOCUs, with savings in the opportunity costs of police time of between £1m to £3m p.a.

Arrangements for implementation

8. Territorial Policing will have responsibility for the implementation of the identified improvements. The ACPO lead officer for Custody (Recommendation 1) will report progress to PPRC. A small project team is being set up to initiate the short-term recommendations and manage the creation of the Custody Command that will implement the remaining recommendations. Implementation of the strategy for additional and replacement cells will depend on embedding the strategy for custody capacity within the MPS Estates Strategy.

C. Race and equality impact

1. Providing equality of service to all detainees and other users of custody facilities by improving the quality of the custody ‘experience’ has been a key theme of the Review.

2. This was achieved through inclusive consultation with internal and external users of custody and groups representing the interests of detainees. The Independent Challenge Panel also played an important role in appraising the review’s consideration of equality.

3. A Race Equalities impact assessment of the Review’s recommendations has been undertaken, using the MPS Corporate Policy Workbook. Current inequalities caused by the inaccessibility of some custody suites, the variable quality of MPS buildings and variations in local practice, will all be addressed by the recommendations.

D. Financial implications

1. The details of the costs and benefits of the Review’s recommendations are summarised in the Management Summary in Appendix 1. The principal costs are:

• Additional full year revenue costs of £0.7m p.a. to staff and accommodate the Custody Command as part of TPHQ.
• Capital costs to provide 600 additional or replacement cells.

Until the proposed strategy for custody capacity is embedded in the MPS Estates Strategy, it is impossible to give firm estimates of the capital costs. Property Services Directorate (PSD) has provided an illustrative overall cost estimate of £120m, excluding site costs, required during the timescale of the Estates Strategy.

E. Background papers

None

F. Contact details

Report Author: David Page, MPS Internal Consultancy Group

For more information contact:

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

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