MPA agrees scheme to achieve borough workforce targets on time

104/02
21 October 2002

Members of the Metropolitan Police Authority have agreed a scheme to ensure that boroughs will receive almost their full complement of officers, in line with borough workforce targets, by 31 March 2003.

Previously at the Authority meeting on 26 September, Members warned that police credibility would be damaged if a promise to introduce a fairer distribution of officer numbers in London boroughs was not met on time.

Following the decision of the Co-ordination and Policing Committee which met today, Toby Harris, Chair of the MPA, said:

“Members have agreed a scheme whereby the anticipated shortfall of 716 officers on borough will be reduced to just 74 by 31 March 2003. In effect a shortfall of 74 officers means each borough will only be 2 or 3 officers short of their target.

“All the options presented to us by the Met involved both operational and financial consequences. However Members chose the scheme that involved the least detrimental effects and was the most realistic operationally.

“Although the MPA was given an absolute assurance by the Met that the new borough workforce targets for police officer numbers would be achieved by 31 March 2003, current issues such as counter terrorism initiatives and the newly formed Transport Operational Command Unit, have made this unachievable. At the same time processing the unprecedented high numbers of recruits at Hendon have proved that it is as difficult to manage growth as it is to manage a reduction in numbers, and this has taught us important lessons for the future.”

Members were presented with four options for achieving officer numbers on boroughs. The option elected as the most workable and with the least consequences (Option D) will involve taking in more transferees from other police services than planned during the current year and at the same time delaying, until next year, the growth of specialist units, apart from Murder Squads, Trident teams and Child Protection Units. These two actions are aimed at bringing down the shortfall of officers from 716 to 74.

Notes to editors

1. The Report ‘Meeting borough workforce targets’, with a full break down of the options involved, can be found on the MPA website (Meeting borough workforce targets COP Committee, 21 October, report 6)

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