MPA agrees new resource allocation formula

10/05
11 February 2005

At the MPA’s co-ordination and policing committee on 11 February 2005, members agreed the new resource allocation formula (RAF) to be used to allocate police officers to boroughs for 2005/6.

Len Duvall, Chair of the MPA, said:

“The bottom line has always been that no boroughs should lose any officers and we are adamant that the process should be transparent and fair to all

“The new formula better reflects the needs and demands of policing on the 32 boroughs and is an improved basis for the distribution of resources.

“The formula will be implemented on a ‘no losers’ basis. Boroughs who gain under the formula will see increased officers up to a 2% cap, those who would lose will be able to retain their present numbers. In fact, London is now served by the highest level of police officers in the history of the MPS and since the MPA was established in 2000, there has been an increase of more than 5000 officers in the MPS.”

There are also considerable additional resources on each borough over and above officer numbers distributed by RAF.

The MPS now employs over 2000 Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) and has instigated safer neighbourhood teams, both of which were not even part of the MPS family when the first RAF allocation was drawn up. By April 2005 there will be eight safer neighbourhood teams on each borough – each one comprising of a sergeant, two constables and three PCSOs. Added to this there are special constables and police staff, all of whom free up more police officers for front line duties.

The resource allocation formula also does not include other pan London specialist units such as murder teams, child protection teams, firearms officers, transport operational command unit (TOCU) and Trident teams. The pan London territorial support group has operated in every borough over the last year. All these specialist teams work with their borough based colleagues to make London safer for all our communities.

The current formula was approved by the MPA in January 2002 for three years and and the new formula has been devised following widespread consultation with boroughs, MPs, stakeholders and partners.

Notes to editors

1. Full details of the Resource Allocation Formula can be found at: www.mpa.gov.uk/committees/x-cop/2005/050211/04.htm

RAF 2% Cap

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