The formation of the MPS Royal Parks OCU and the abolition of the Royal Parks Constabulary

ps/08/06
10 February 2006
MPA briefing paper

Author: Superintendent Helen Ball, MPS

This briefing paper has been prepared to inform members and staff. It is not a committee report and no decisions are required.

Summary

Formed in April 2004, the MPS Royal Parks OCU carries out the policing of London’s Royal Parks jointly with the remaining officers of the Royal Parks Constabulary (RPC).

It is anticipated that the RPC will be abolished in April 2006.

Almost 100 eligible RPC officers have been absorbed into the MPS since July 2004. Remaining eligible officers will be absorbed into the MPS at abolition. Some ineligible RPC officers have already left through a voluntary redundancy scheme.

The OCU is fully funded by The Royal Parks, an executive arm of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Background

1. The abolition of the Royal Parks Constabulary (RPC) was agreed in 2000, following an inspection by former-Assistant Commissioner Tony Speed. The MPS agreed to provide a policing service, to be funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) through its executive arm ‘The Royal Parks’. The MPS also agreed to absorb all RPC officers and staff who were eligible to transfer.

2. In 2003, Assistant Commissioner Steve House formed a Steering Group to oversee the process. Organisations represented on the Steering Group are the Metropolitan Police Authority, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, The Royal Parks, the Home Office and the MPS including senior Finance, HR and Legal representatives.

3. The work since 2003 has been carried out in three stages. Stage 1 was the formation of the Royal Parks OCU in April 2004; Stage 2 a change to Police Regulations allowing the transfer of a large number of RPC officers to the MPS in July 2004 and subsequently; and Stage 3 will be the abolition of the RPC (planned for April 2006).

The Royal Parks OCU (Stage 1)

4. The Royal Parks OCU (RO) was formed on 1 April 2004, at the request of the DCMS Minister (then Lord McIntosh), because the RPC was by then non-viable. The OCU operates within the terms of a "Service Agreement" that was negotiated with The Royal Parks in 2003. A "Partnership Agreement" is being developed in order to clarify and expand some of the matters within the Service Agreement. Working relationships with The Royal Parks are positive and effective at both operational and strategic levels.

5. The OCU currently carries out the policing of London’s Royal Parks [1] jointly with the RPC. Although the RPC continues to have a Chief Officer this is a non-operational Chief Inspector; all operations are under MPS command.

6. The OCU’s budgeted workforce target (BWT) is 131 police officers, 42 PCSOs and 10 police staff. The OCU’s total staff strength on 20 January 2006 was just under 200. This includes the remaining RPC officers (see further below) who have created an over strength position that will disappear at abolition of the RPC (planned for April 2006). Nine members of staff are part-time workers (4.5 per cent), 52 are female (27 per cent), and 23 (11 per cent) have a black or minority ethnic background.

7. The OCU has developed the role of ‘Parks PCSO’. This has been both valuable for the OCU and fulfilling for the individuals. Parks PCSOs are involved in education and crime prevention programmes as well as providing a visible presence. Their powers will be enhanced later in 2006 when they will be able to issue fixed penalty notices for Park Regulations. Enfield Local Authority has followed this model and funded Parks PCSOs to work with Enfield Borough Police.

8. Over the past year, Metropolitan Special Constabulary (MSC) officers have been brought into the OCU and there are now a total of 12 MSC officers based at three of the Parks. It is intended that all Parks host teams of MSC officers, and the OCU’s Divisional Officer is actively recruiting, including from park-keeping staff employed by The Royal Parks.

9. The OCU receives command and control from the British Transport Police under a contract. It is planned that the OCU will come under MPS command and control, as part of the pan-London Units talk group, in August 2006. A change to Airwave radios was made successfully at the end of 2004.

10. The OCU is fully funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Start-up funding of £1.3 million has been paid. This enabled, for example, Aware systems to be installed at the six police stations [2], a full MPS vehicle fleet to be bought and the installation of Metphone.

11. Annual running costs of £7.5 million were received for 2004-5, and £7.8 million is agreed for 2005-6. Until abolition of the RPC, the full amount net of the actual running costs of the RPC is passed to the MPS in three separate transfers each year, each covering four months of operations.

Change to Police Regulations (Stage 2)

12. In 2004, on application from the DCMS and the Home Office, the Police Negotiating Board agreed a change to Police Regulations that meant they could be applied to RPC officers, even though the RPC is not a Home Office force. Officers’ substantive ranks and length of service were recognised (the latter for pay purposes only).

13. The MPS acted quickly on this agreement, making firm offers of employment to all the RPC officers who were eligible to transfer on age, health, attendance, vetting, and complaints & discipline grounds. Since July 2004, almost 100 officers have transferred.

14. The transferee RPC officers receive the level of pensions credit that their service in the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme equates to in the Police Pension Scheme. For most, this is 70 per cent. DCMS has confirmed that it will fund the pensions shortfall arising, including any shortfall not met by the respective pensions schemes.

15. In June 2004, the five members of police staff within the RPC transferred to the MPS. Shortly afterwards, five stablehands who were working for the RPC under contract, also transferred.

16. The MPS recognised the qualifications of the two RPC dog handlers, nine mounted officers and two motorcyclists who transferred, and these officers have joined the relevant specialist units in Central Operations.

17. All transferring officers received mandatory training including emergency life support, policing safely, officer safety, CRIS, and CRIMINT. A series of attachments and operations took place in the winter of 2004 to enhance the skills and confidence of the transferred officers; a further series is taking place this winter.

Abolition of the RPC (Stage 3)

18. The primary legislation required to abolish the RPC was contained in the Serious and Organised Crime and Police Act. The Steering Group members are working towards abolition taking place on or shortly after 1 April 2006.

19. Of the 29 remaining RPC officers (20 January 2006), eight are eligible to transfer to the MPS as police officers but have not yet done so. Seven are ineligible to join the MPS in any capacity, and will be subject of either voluntary or compulsory redundancy (from The Royal Parks). A further two have indicated their intention to accept redundancy at or before abolition. Seven officers are ineligible to join the MPS as police officers, but all seven could join as members of police staff. The eligibility screening process has not yet been completed for the remaining five.

20. The seven RPC officers ineligible to transfer as police officers but eligible to transfer as police staff have been offered early retirement or redundancy terms by The Royal Parks at abolition. However, early in the negotiations, the MPS agreed that RPC officers in this position, and also those who are eligible to transfer as police officers, might instead choose to transfer as PCSOs or members of police staff. Those choosing this option would remain on marked time pay (including allowances) for three years. At the end of the three years they would revert to the top of the pay band for their role. It is expected that up to eight officers in total may do this. Most of the officers joining as police staff will be found roles within the Royal Parks OCU. Others are likely to be found roles as Communications Officers.

21. The cost of the difference between the RPC officers and the equivalent police staff, based on two Sergeants and six Constables taking up the three-years marked time pay option, is £300,000 over the three years. Territorial Policing will meet this cost.

22. After abolition of the RPC, funds will transfer by way of baseline transfer (from DCMS to the Home Office) and Special Police Grant (from the Home Office to the MPA). It is anticipated that funding will decrease (but will not be below £7.7 million annually) because The Royal Parks has negotiated with the Steering Group to retain up to £100,000 as a contribution to the costs of locking and unlocking the parks. The Royal Parks accepts that any reduction in funding will lead to a reduction in service delivered by the MPS.

Send an e-mail linking to this page

Feedback