PCD 1215 Home Office funding for Project Alpha social media hub

PCD 1215 Home Office funding for Project Alpha social media hub

This paper seek approval for the acceptance of HO grant funding of £2,893,452 for both 2022/23 and 2023/24 to support the MPS activity on Social Media Hub (SMH).  The funding will support the on-going work of the Project Alpha Social Media Hub to deliver an enhanced response to tackle gang related serious violence and organised criminality that includes county line offending by taking action against online activity. 

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to:   

1. Approve a new Home Office grant agreement for £2,893,452 to fund the Social Media Hub each year for an additional twenty four months. Funding will reflect actual expenditure incurred during the 2022/2023 and 2023/24 financial years. 

PART I - NON-CONFIDENTIAL FACTS AND ADVICE TO THE DMPC 

1. Introduction and background  

1. This is a continuation of funding previously approved by MOPAC PCD545, PCD867, PCD914 and PCD960. 

2. The current grant funding ceased on 31 March 2022 and the grant offered for continuation will be for financial years 2022/23 and 2023/24. 

2. Issues for consideration 

1. Social media is becoming an ever-increasing key element within gang related violence and serious organised crime that includes County Lines.   

2. The Social Media Hub provides for the pursuance of intelligence and an evidence-based methodology to tackle gang related violence and criminality in London presenting major benefits to the MPS and Londoners. 

3. Financial Comments  

1. This proposal seeks approval to accept upto £2, 893,452 of Home Office grant funding for both 2022/23 and 2023/24.  The grant will support the funding of staff and officers as well as software, equipment, specialist training and communications. At the end of the existing funding period and if no further funding is made available, there will be a phased exit strategy for staff to transition back into existing MPS posts. 

4. Legal Comments 

1. The acceptance of Home Office grant will be under Schedule 3, Paragraph 7 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 which provides that  

• 7(1) The Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime may do anything which is calculated to facilitate, or is conducive or incidental to, the exercise of the functions of the Office. 

• (2)That includes—entering into contracts and other agreements (whether legally binding or not); 

2. The Home Office will pay the Additional Grant to the Metropolitan Police in exercise of the power conferred by Section 56 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act (2004). 

3. Paragraph 4.8 of the MOPAC Scheme of Delegation and Consent provides that the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime (DMPC) has delegated authority to approve all bids for grant funding. 

5. Commercial Issues  

1. The MPS assure that any purchases of equipment, etc will be via existing MOPAC-approved compliant procurement routes. 

2. The MPS assure that this project will contribute towards the London Anchor Institutions Charter, in particular the objectives to Narrow Social, Health and Economic Inequalities, Help Young People to Flourish and Support Our Communities. The supply of drugs and associated violence is known to disproportionately impact on deprived sections of society, with Class A addiction being significantly more prevalent in areas with high levels of social deprivation, and lack of opportunity in these areas can result in young people being drawn into a life of crime and exploitation. The focus of the SMH is reducing gang offending and serious youth violence, these have a direct impact on the lives of young people and the communities in which they live. 

6. GDPR and Data Privacy  

1. MOPAC will adhere to the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018 and ensure that any organisations who are commissioned to do work with or on behalf of MOPAC are fully compliant with the policy and understand their GDPR responsibilities.   

2. The MPS assure that a Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) has been completed in respect of the SMH.  The original DPIA concluded the risk of a data breach occurring was low based on current practices. Recommendations regarding data storage and retention have been followed with the use of the MPS approved BOX data storage solution and an updated data retention policy.  A recent review of the original assessment acknowledged inaccuracies in it but concluded that there was no increased risk of a data breach. 

7. Equality Comments    

8. MOPAC is required to comply with the public sector equality duty set out in section 149(1) of the Equality Act 2010. This requires MOPAC to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations by reference to people with protected characteristics. The protected characteristics are: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. 

9. The MPS assure that the SMH underwent a full Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) at the start of the project, which identified no negative impact to any individual at that stage.  A recent review of the EIA has been undertaken and the MPS assure that a a new Social Media Partnership Engagement Board has been established which invites key partners to consult on Project Alpha’s work on a quarterly basis. The meeting will convene quarterly with the first meeting having already taken place. Stakeholders include The Children’s Society, Rescue and Response Partnership’s (including Abiander, Safer London and St Giles Trust), The Ben Kinsella Trust, Catch-22 and Red Thread and the Violence Reduction Unit. Project Alpha are now members of the Violent Crime Community Reference Group which also conducts quarterly meetings. Feedback from the above stakeholder engagement will be addressed and documented as part of the EIA review process.   

8. Background/supporting papers 

• Appendix 1 MPS Report  - Continued Home Office annual funding for the MPS Social Media Hub 

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