Information about Baton Guns

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.23.030464

I note you seek access to the following information:

1. The total number of baton guns held by the Metropolitan Police Service. Please provide the current figure and the figure for each calendar year since 2013, using the same date to identify the number held each year.
2. The total number of baton rounds held by the Metropolitan Police Service. Please provide the current figure and the figure for each calendar year since 2013, using the same date to identify the number held each year.
3. The total amount of money spent by the Metropolitan Police Service on the acquisition of baton rounds. Please provide the figure for each calendar year since 2013, including 2023 to date.
4. The total number of Metropolitan Police Service officers trained in the use of baton rounds. Please provide the current figure and the figure for each calendar year since 2013, using the same date to identify the number of trained officers each year.
5. The number of occasions that the Metropolitan Police Service has granted authorisation for the deployment of baton rounds ahead of public order incidents. Please provide figures for each calendar year since 2013, including 2023 to date.
6. The number of occasions that the Metropolitan Police Service has deployed officers armed with baton rounds to incidents. Please provide figures for each calendar year since 2013, including 2023 to date.

Decision

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

Please find below information pursuant to your request above.

Q1 - The total number of baton guns held by the Metropolitan Police Service. Please provide the current figure and the figure for each calendar year since 2013, using the same date to identify the number held each year.

From May 2013 to May 2022 we only have a total figure

18 May 2013 to 17 May 2022 Quantity 95
18 May 2022 Quantity 125
18 May 2023 Quantity 125

Q2 - The total number of baton rounds held by the Metropolitan Police Service. Please provide the current figure and the figure for each calendar year since 2013, using the same date to identify the number held each year.

Q3 - The total amount of money spent by the Metropolitan Police Service on the acquisition of baton rounds. Please provide the figure for each calendar year since 2013, including 2023 to date.

Please see the table low for questions 2 & 3. We do not hold information for dates before FY2017-18.

FIXED DATE OF 22ND MAY USED EACH YEAR
Training Year (April-March)	Rounds In Stock	Cost of Rounds Purchased For Training Year	Additional Information
2017-2018	0	£500,183.76	At point of data collection no rounds held - delivery was imminent
2018-2019	7489	£321,948.00
2019-2020	7915	£210,651.84
2020-2021	5834	£401,000.40
2021-2022	7154	£0.00	Use of round restricted - supply issues
2022-2023	86	£121,176.00	Use of round restricted - supply issues
2023-2024	5876	£0.00	Use of round restricted - supply issues

Q4 - The total number of Metropolitan Police Service officers trained in the use of baton rounds. Please provide the current figure and the figure for each calendar year since 2013, using the same date to identify the number of trained officers each year.

Please see below table:

MPS Baton gun trained officers total as of 31 March annually	Total
2013	731
2014	667
2015	649
2016	684
2023	684

We do not hold information for 2017 to 2022 as the yearly data was no longer required to be captured in this way from 2016 onwards.

The 2023 data is a live snapshot.

Q5 - The number of occasions that the Metropolitan Police Service has granted authorisation for the deployment of baton rounds ahead of public order incidents. Please provide figures for each calendar year since 2013, including 2023 to date.

All pre-planned Baton Gun authorisations for a public order events are made at Assistant Commissioner or Deputy Commissioner level having reviewed the intelligence relating to the event. In all the occasions listed they have only been held on stand-by as a contingency and not deployed ‘on the street.’
AEP (Attenuating energy projectiles) have been made available as a tactical option by the Assistant Commissioner of MO (Met Operations) for each Notting Hill Carnival. It was also made available in 2020 for the Black Lives Matter protests. The call sign for this is “Kestrel” deployed. For it to actually be seen on the streets, and used, then the event Silver must also authorise it. This is called Kestrel Authorised. From 2017 to date a silver has not given the final authorisation.
Data prior to 2017 is not held.

Q6 - The number of occasions that the Metropolitan Police Service has deployed officers armed with baton rounds to incidents. Please provide figures for each calendar year since 2013, including 2023 to date.

Information not held. ARV and CTSFO officers train in a number of tactics that will include a less-lethal option in way of a baton gun. Crews will draw a baton gun from the armoury each shift and these will be deployed when appropriate. Officers do not record each time they deploy with a baton gun as part of the tactic / incident.