Cost of Drug Swabbing Event

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.22.026622

I note you seek access to the following information:

I'm writing to you to ask that you please disclose to me, based on the previous FOI 01/FOI/22/024020, the cost of each of the 11 drug-swabbing events you previously disclosed to me that have taken place since 2018.

Decision

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

Please find below information pursuant to your request above.

The machines used in these operations were supplied by Rapiscan and owned by the MPS.

The swabs are approximately £35 per pack and each swab can be used up to 200 times.

The staffing requirements for working 2 itemisers is 4 officers – this activity forms part of the normal working day for officers in our team.

The deployment of the itemisers usually form part of a wider policing operation/initiative within the night time economy. These are normally organised by the local BCU. Unfortunately, these budgets are included in day-to-day operations and not treated as a separate cost. We are therefore unable to provide a summary of these costs.