Met Specialist - driving performance and trust in our specialist crime fighting units

3. Met Specialist

Securing our borders from the threat of international and home grown terrorism and organised crime must remain our priority. The economic, social and human costs if we do not get this right are enormous. Critically, we must ensure that crime does not pay and redirect illegally gained assets to fight crime and protect London.

The Olympics will test our capacity but we are confident that we can rise to the challenge and achieve a legacy that London can be proud of. We must be prepared to take advantage of national changes to the way that services are delivered to improve policing in London, protecting the most vulnerable from harm and exploitation..

Counter-terrorism

The MPS has lead policing responsibility for the delivery of the national counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST. A review of CONTEST is currently underway to ensure that it continues to provide sufficient focus and protection from international and home grown terrorist organisations. The Authority will review the findings and work with all those concerned, both at the national and regional level, to deliver the changes required. Critically, the Authority will require that the Met remains focused in this area in the lead up to, and during the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games when London faces its greatest public order and counter-terrorism challenge.

Securing value for money is vital. Although counter-terrorism funding is being protected through the Comprehensive Spending Review process, it will reduce by 10% in real terms over the next four years. The Authority will continue to oversee and challenge delivery to ensure that funding is spent in the most effective and efficient manner. Where efficiency savings are required we will ensure that they are managed in a way that reduces risk to the delivery of counter-terrorism activities.

Organised crime

Nationally the estimated cost of organised crime is £40billion. However, only a small fraction of these illegally gained assets are recovered and the human cost is immeasurable.

In the run up to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games the Authority and Met will work together with the range of agencies responsible for border control and organised immigration crime, including the UK Boarder Agency (UKBA), UK Human Trafficking Centre, the Serious Organised Crime Agency, (SOCA) and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO). The Authority will work with partners to ensure there continues to be a focus on tackling organised immigration crime and human trafficking in London and nationally with its partners.

The Authority will monitor the transition and governance from SOCA to the National Crime Agency (NCA) in 2013 to ensure a continuance of effective policing by strengthening collaborative arrangements and minimising the threat from serious and organised crime. Any reduction in the capacity in SOCA and Customs to tackle the supple of class A drugs could pose a threat to Londoners. The Authority will pay close attention to the impact on London and continue to challenge the Met to work effectively with others at a regional level to close supply lines.

London does not get a fair share of the allocation from the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) monies. The Authority will continue to support the Met to achieve a fairer settlement for London so that more money can be re-invested into fighting crime and reducing criminality.

Public order and civil liberties

The Met polices over 4,000 public events every year, the vast majority of which pass without incident. When the policing of an event has caused concern the Authority has challenged the Met to improve. The Authority’s Civil Liberties Panel completed an extensive review of public order policing following the events of G20. The Authority will continue to challenge the Met on its implementation of recommendations from the panel’s report Responding to G20 and Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) recommendations to improve public order policing. The Met must learn the lessons from G20 to ensure they are fully prepared, particularly in light of the forthcoming Royal Wedding, the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and other high profile events, including the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. The changing nature of the protests (such as the recent demonstrations against the proposed rise in tuition fees) and the impact international incidents can have on London both need to be considered and responded to. Getting this right will help build public confidence in the Met and develop relationships with Londoners, including legitimate protest groups, to facilitate peaceful protest.

The Authority will continue to identify areas that require additional investigation and the Civil Liberties Panel will expect the Met to deliver improved performance and ensure that it meets its obligations under the Human Rights Act.

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