Local Policing and Community Policing Teams as of April 2023

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.23.029741

I note you seek access to the following information:

1. How many police officers are currently assigned to Local Policing Teams and Community Policing Teams in the Metropolitan Police as of 8 April 2023?
2. How many police officers and staff in the Metropolitan Police are currently issued with a Smartphone as part of their official duties as of 8 April 2023?
3. Can you able provide a breakdown of what departments and teams are issued with smartphones and who are provided with Android and/or Apple devices and tablets?
4. How many police officers and staff in the Metropolitan Police are issued with Android Devices or tablets as part of their official duties as of 8 April 2023?
5. How many police officers and staff in Metropolitan Police are issued with Apple Device or tablets as part of their official duties as of 8 April 2023?
6. What accessibility requirements, if any, do police-issued smartphone applications conform to, such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) or other standards, to ensure that the app is usable by as many people as possible, including those with disabilities?
7. What measures are in place to ensure that police officers and staff with disabilities are provided with appropriate accommodations, including accessible devices and applications, to perform their official duties effectively?
8. Do police officers and staff deployed with smartphones have data and volume limits as part of their official duties, and if so, what are those limits and what happens if they are exceeded?
9. How is data usage and volume monitored and managed for police officers and staff with smartphones and other devices, and what measures are in place to ensure the security and privacy of the data stored and transmitted on these devices?
10. What specific brand and model of smartphones, Android devices, and Apple devices are issued to police officers and staff in the Metropolitan Police, and what is the total number of devices issued for each brand and model?
11. How often are smartphones and other devices issued to police officers and staff, and what is the process for replacing or upgrading devices that are lost, damaged, or outdated?
12. What type of training, if any, is provided to police officers and staff regarding the use of smartphones and other devices as part of their official duties, and how is the effectiveness of this training assessed?
13. How is the security of police-issued smartphones and other devices maintained, including measures to prevent unauthorized access or loss of data?
14. What is the preferred Browser support for Applications – i.e Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Firefox?
15. How does the Metropolitan Police ensure that the use of smartphones and other devices by police officers and staff aligns with relevant laws and regulations, including those related to data protection and privacy?
16. How does the Metropolitan Police assess the effectiveness and usefulness of the smartphone applications used by police officers and staff, and what feedback mechanisms are in place to gather input from users?

Decision

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

Please find below information pursuant to your request above.

Q1 - How many police officers are currently assigned to Local Policing Teams and Community Policing Teams in the Metropolitan Police as of 8 April 2023?

Currently 19,836 officers work within a Borough Command Unit and of those, 3,356 work specifically on a Neighbourhoods team.

Q2 - How many police officers and staff in the Metropolitan Police are currently issued with a Smartphone as part of their official duties as of 8 April 2023?

36,746 smartphones.

Q3 - Can you able provide a breakdown of what departments and teams are issued with smartphones and who are provided with Android and/or Apple devices and tablets?

The MPS corporate approach for smartphones is to deploy Android devices. As such, all front line policing, CID, HQ and support function requirements for smartphones are fulfilled with Android devices. There are a small number of Apple devices which are deployed for specialist requirements only. The MPS retains a strict approval process for procurement of Apple phones to ensure compliance with the corporate Android approach.

Q4 - How many police officers and staff in the Metropolitan Police are issued with Android Devices or tablets as part of their official duties as of 8 April 2023?

36,461 corporate Android devices.

Q5 - How many police officers and staff in Metropolitan Police are issued with Apple Device or tablets as part of their official duties as of 8 April 2023?

506

Q6 - What accessibility requirements, if any, do police-issued smartphone applications conform to, such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) or other standards, to ensure that the app is usable by as many people as possible, including those with disabilities?

MPS does not have police-issued smartphone applications. All MPS smartphones have installed a range of 3rd-party apps for Android and iOS and their native accessibility features. In addition, Power Apps are used based on Microsoft Power Platform. These are currently being assessed for accessibility

Q7 - What measures are in place to ensure that police officers and staff with disabilities are provided with appropriate accommodations, including accessible devices and applications, to perform their official duties effectively?

MPS officers and staff engage the MPS Workplace Adjustments Hub for any workplace adjustment requirement that they have. The MPS has assistive technology software solutions already integrated to the corporate IT solution. For hardware, the MPS issues two sizes of tablet as well as laptops to specified roles; desktops are also available. Officers and staff who would benefit from a different device from that assigned to their role, can request the change via an assessment of their needs. There are a range of assistive technology hardware peripherals available to officers and staff, for example different headsets, mice and keyboards.

Q8 - Do police officers and staff deployed with smartphones have data and volume limits as part of their official duties, and if so, what are those limits and what happens if they are exceeded?

No limits are applied. MPS procures a data bundle which is rolled up across the account. Bundle limits can be automatically exceeded to prevent loss of connectivity if/where necessary.

Q9 - How is data usage and volume monitored and managed for police officers and staff with smartphones and other devices, and what measures are in place to ensure the security and privacy of the data stored and transmitted on these devices?

All devices are managed by Intune MDM. Most data is stored in backend systems not locally, however polices are applied via MDM to ensure any data that is stored locally is containerised and encrypted. MPS employs a private APN via its mobile provider to ensure data transmissions are encrypted.

Q10 - What specific brand and model of smartphones, Android devices, and Apple devices are issued to police officers and staff in the Metropolitan Police, and what is the total number of devices issued for each brand and model?

• Android Smartphones: Total: 36406
• Apple Smartphones: Total: 340
• Android Tablets: Total 55
• Apple Tablets: Total 166

• See attached file titled (Response table of device make/model) for detail

Q11 - How often are smartphones and other devices issued to police officers and staff, and what is the process for replacing or upgrading devices that are lost, damaged, or outdated?

Devices are issued as required. As a result of the recent emphasis on issuing smartphones to all MPS police officers, a process is being established to deploy smartphones in line with tablets or laptops. Lost or stolen smartphones are reported by the assigned User to a Service Desk or Tech Bar. At which point appropriate action is taken to block the SIM card and wipe the handset. Damaged devices are similarly reported to a Service Desk or Tech Bar; these can be triaged and then sent back to the supplier for assessment.

Q12 - What type of training, if any, is provided to police officers and staff regarding the use of smartphones and other devices as part of their official duties, and how is the effectiveness of this training assessed?

The MPS considers that new staff are accustomed to using a Smartphone and so there is no formal handset training course. However, comprehensive information is available on the MPS intranet, in particular relating to the standard MPS Android device. This material is curated by an internal team made up of officers and staff. It includes information relating to enrolling the device into corporate management, MPS Smartphone terms and conditions of use, information relating to applications use as well as FAQs.

Q13 - How is the security of police-issued smartphones and other devices maintained, including measures to prevent unauthorized access or loss of data?

MPS corporate Smartphones are enrolled into device management. This enables security policy to be applied to devices, including device password, application authentication and security updates.

Q14 - What is the preferred Browser support for Applications – i.e Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Firefox?

Google and Edge are installed on MPS Smartphones.

Q15 - How does the Metropolitan Police ensure that the use of smartphones and other devices by police officers and staff aligns with relevant laws and regulations, including those related to data protection and privacy?

The MPS has up to date Information Security, Data Protection & Privacy, and Conditions of Use policy for its technology. These policies apply to all users irrespective of the type of device. All new technology projects have mandatory Data Protection Impact Assessments and cyber security checks as part of them. The MPS can monitor use of its technology and can remotely manage all devices.

Q16 - How does the Metropolitan Police assess the effectiveness and usefulness of the smartphone applications used by police officers and staff, and what feedback mechanisms are in place to gather input from users?

The MPS deployed circa 30,000 smartphones to its officers. It is important to note that this was primarily intended to provide a phone for contacting victims and witnesses and to remove the need for officers to use personal devices. Smartphone Apps are a key benefit to the rollout but were not the only driver for the decision to deploy. The MPS can monitor the use of track the use of smartphones including how often they are used and logged in/out. The MPS operates several channels for capturing feedback from users: twice per year the MPS issues a staff survey which includes a question about technology; there is the MetSucceed programme that engages frontline officers and staff; there are Digital Forums, such as Microsoft Teams channels, where ‘tech champions’ can discuss and feedback; lastly there are existing Management communication channels to feedback to senior officers in each business area for the MPS.