Home Office Funding for Regional and Force Cyber Dependant Crime

This paper seeks approval to accept the Home Office offer of grant funding for 2021/22 of upto £2,580,000 to support the work of the Prevent, Protect Prepare and Pursue activity in relation to Cyber Dependant Crime.

The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is recommended to:

1. approve acceptance of Home Office Grant funding of upto £2,580,000 to support the Prevent, Protect, Prepare and Pursue response to cyber dependent crime in 2021/22

1. Introduction and background

1.1. This is a continuation of funding previously approved by MOPAC PCD371 and PCD815. This funding stream has been in place since 2014.

1.2. The current grant funding ceases on 31/03/2021 and the grant offered for continuation will be for financial year 2021/22 only in line with the chancellor’s decision of a one year spending review.

2. Issues for consideration

2.1. The propsed grant funding will directly support the MOPAC Police & Crime Plan in the following areas

• “we will continuously review our approach, skills and capabilities to tackle new and emerging threats …….. and the changes in the types of crime facing Londoners such as social media hate crime, fraud and cybercrime. Many traditional investigations for example, missing persons or harassment, now include online and digital elements”

• “Make London’s residents and business feel safer from the threat of cybercrime by supporting them to protect themselves and investigating when crime happens”

• “Continue to increase the judicial outcome rate in the pursuit of cybercrime, fraud and online offences, while safeguarding young people from being drawn into hacking and cybercrime” and

• “Respond to the emerging and increasing threats of fraud and cyber-crime, maintaining focus on pursuing those involved in this criminality as well as developing prevent and protect measures to reduce the number of London victims of fraud and cybercrime”

3. Financial Comments

3.1. This proposal seeks approval to accept upto £2,580,000 of Home Office grant funding for 2021/22. The grant will support the funding of staff and afdficers as well as software, equipment and specialist training.



4. Legal Comments

4.1. This grant will be paid to MOPAC by the Home Office in the exercise of power conferred upon the Secretary of State pursuant to Section 169 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 and Section 48 of the Police Act 1996 to make awards of Grant funding.

4.2. MOPAC may accept the offer of the Grant pursuant to Schedule 3 Paragraph 7 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 (“2001 Act”) where MOPAC may do anything which is calculated to facilitate, or is conducive or incidental to, the exercise of the functions of the Office which includes entering into contracts and other agreements (whether legally binding or not).

4.3. Paragraph 4.8 of MOPAC’s Scheme of Delegation and Consent requires the approval of the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime to approve the receipt of the grant.

5. GDPR and Data Privacy

5.1. 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.

5.2. MPS assure that a screening questionnaire has been completed and a further DPIA is not considered necessary.

6. Equality Comments

6.1. 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.

6.2. MPS assure that a equality screening exercise has been completed and which identified no impact to any of the protected characteristic groups.

7. Background/supporting papers

• Appendix 1 MPS Report Funding for Regional and Force Cyber Dependant Crime Response Met21/0002