Costs for policing recent demonstrations in Central London

Dear Mr Sands,

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 2009020002407
I write in connection with your request for information which was
received by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 9 February 2009. I
note you seek access to the following information:

"What is the estimated cost and number of officer shifts involved in
policing the following events: (i) Saturday 3rd January 2009 'End Gaza
Massacre', Stop The War Coalition, march from Embankment to Trafalgar
Square. (ii) Saturday 10th January 2009 'Emergency Gaza
Demonstration', Stop The War Coalition, march from Speakers' Corner to
Kensington High Street. (iii) Saturday 17th January 2009 'End Gaza
Massacre Rally and Children's March', Stop The War Coalition, rally in
Trafalgar Square. (iv) Saturday 24th January 2009 'BBC bans aid to
Gaza', Stop The War Coalition, march from Portland Place to Trafalgar
Square. (v) Saturday 31st January 2009 'Stop Sri Lanka's Genocide of
Tamils', British Tamil Forum, march from Millbank to Temple Place. "

Your request will now be considered in accordance with the Freedom of
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statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined by the Act, subject to
the information not being exempt or containing a reference to a third
party. In some circumstances the MPS may be unable to achieve this
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Should you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please write
or contact K. Simmons via the e-mail address at the top of this
letter,quoting the reference number above.

Yours sincerely

K. Simmons
Policy and Support Officer
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SK9 5AF
Phone: 01625 545 700

show quoted sections

Dear Mr Sands

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 2009020002407

I write in connection with your request for information which was
received by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 09/02/2009. I note
you seek access to the following information:

· What is the estimated cost and number of officer shifts involved
in policing the following events: (i) Saturday 3rd January 2009 'End
Gaza Massacre', Stop The War Coalition, march from Embankment to Trafalgar
Square. (ii) Saturday 10th January 2009 'Emergency Gaza
Demonstration', Stop The War Coalition, march from Speakers' Corner to
Kensington High Street. (iii) Saturday 17th January 2009 'End Gaza
Massacre Rally and Children's March', Stop The War Coalition, rally in
Trafalgar Square. (iv) Saturday 24th January 2009 'BBC bans aid to
Gaza', Stop The War Coalition, march from Portland Place to Trafalgar
Square. (v) Saturday 31st January 2009 'Stop Sri Lanka's Genocide of
Tamils', British Tamil Forum, march from Millbank to Temple Place.

EXTENT OF SEARCHES TO LOCATE INFORMATION

To locate the information relevant to your request searches were conducted
at the Public Order and Operational Support OCU and the MPS Finance
directorate.

RESULT OF SEARCHES

The searches located information relevant to your request.

DECISION

I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full.

Please find below the information pursuant to your request above.

1. The policing of all protests related to the conflict in Gaza was
treated as one operation.

2. The conflict in Gaza gave rise to daily demonstrations on the
streets of London between 29 December 2008 and 24 January
2009. Large-scale demonstrations were also organised by groups such as the
“Stop the War Coalition” and the “British Muslim
Initiative”. These took place over several weekends and were directly
associated with the conflict in Gaza.

3. The estimated costs quoted include both the small scale policing
of the protests on the streets of London as well as the
associated large-scale demonstrations held at weekends.

4. The estimated total cost of the policing operation, between 29
December 2008 and 24 January 2009, is £2.7m.

5. £2.1m of the estimate is in relation to opportunity costs.
These costs cannot be regarded as an additional cost to the MPS;
rather, the officers assigned to these duties would otherwise have
been assigned to other policing duties or operations.

6. £0.6m is additional costs of which £0.4m is overtime. £0.2m
is non-pay costs. Non-pay costs include, for example, transport
costs, catering costs, Air Support Unit costs, the erection of
barriers and road signs for public safety/road closures and the
purchasing of specialist equipment.

7. 8,132 police officer shifts and 317 police staff shifts were
dedicated to the policing operation.

8. The total cost of the policing operation on Saturday 31st
January 2009 in relation to the “Stop Sri Lanka's Genocide of Tamils”
demonstration by the British Tamil Forum was £0.07m.

9. £0.04m of the estimate is in relation to opportunity costs (see
paragraph 5 for explanation).

10. £0.03m is additional costs of which £0.015m is overtime.
£0.015m is non-pay costs (see paragraph 6 for explanation).

11. 155 police officer shifts and 13 police staff shifts were
dedicated to the policing operation.
COMPLAINT RIGHTS

Your attention is drawn to the attached sheet which details your right of
complaint.

Should you have any further enquiries concerning this matter, please write
or contact Dave Howe on telephone number 0207 230 0654 quoting the
reference number above.

Yours sincerely

Dave Howe
Public Order Review Unit
In complying with their statutory duty under sections 1 and 11 of the
Freedom of Information Act 2000 to release the enclosed information, the
Metropolitan Police Service will not breach the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988. However, the rights of the copyright owner of the
enclosed information will continue to be protected by law. Applications
for the copyright owner's written permission to reproduce any part of the
attached information should be addressed to MPS Directorate of Legal
Services, 1st Floor (Victoria Block), New Scotland Yard, Victoria, London,
SW1H 0BG.
COMPLAINT RIGHTS

Are you unhappy with how your request has been handled or do you think the
decision is incorrect?

You have the right to require the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to
review their decision.

Prior to lodging a formal complaint you are welcome and encouraged to
discuss the decision with the case officer that dealt with your request.

Ask to have the decision looked at again –

The quickest and easiest way to have the decision looked at again is to
telephone the case officer that is nominated at the end of your decision
letter.

That person will be able to discuss the decision, explain any issues and
assist with any problems.

Complaint

If you are dissatisfied with the handling procedures or the decision of
the MPS made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) regarding
access to information you can lodge a complaint with the MPS to have the
decision reviewed.

Complaints should be made in writing and addressed to:

FOI Complaint
Public Access Office
PO Box 57192
London
SW6 1SF

In all possible circumstances the MPS will aim to respond to your
complaint within 40 working days.
The Information Commissioner

After lodging a complaint with the MPS if you are still dissatisfied with
the decision you may make application to the Information Commissioner for
a decision on whether the request for information has been dealt with in
accordance with the requirements of the Act.

For information on how to make application to the Information Commissioner
please visit their website at www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk.
Alternatively, phone or write to:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Phone: 01625 545 700

show quoted sections