OWL system

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.23.033042

I note you seek access to the following information:

1. What is the annual cost to the Met Police of the OWL system, per year, since its adoption.

2. How many messages are sent by Met Police via the OWL system per year, for years in which that data is available. If no years are available, please provide any messaging volume data, for any time period, that is available.
Please break down in to any time period that is convenient. For example, if data is only available for the last three months of 2023, please provide the number of messages for those months.
If no data is available at all regarding message volume, please indicate that in your response.

Decision

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

Please find below information pursuant to your request above.

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

Q1 - What is the annual cost to the Met Police of the OWL system, per year, since its adoption.

There is no cost to the MPS for the Online Watch Link (OWL) system. It is either funded by the local authority or by MOPAC.

Q2 - How many messages are sent by Met Police via the OWL system per year, for years in which that data is available. If no years are available, please provide any messaging volume data, for any time period, that is available. Please break down in to any time period that is convenient. For example, if data is only available for the last three months of 2023, please provide the number of messages for those months.
If no data is available at all regarding message volume, please indicate that in your response.

The OWL system is in use in the following Basic Command Units: West Area, Central East and East Area. Please find information relating to these BCUs below.

West Area BCU:
2022: 1,953
2021: 1,615
2020: 1,736

Central East BCU:
2022: 306
2021: 251
2020: 213

East Area BCU:
August 2023 - October 2023: 501