Just Stop Oil publication scheme - Costs and resourcing and arrest data

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.24.035802

I note you seek access to the following information:

In the Just Stop Oil publication scheme - Costs/resourcing and arrest data - October - December 2022 excel spreadsheet a large portion of the stated cost is 'opportunity cost'. How is this figure calculated? And from which sources?

Decision

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

Please find below information pursuant to your request above.

Opportunity cost is the cost of officer time on the event minus overtime. By way of example, if an officer was due to work eight hours patrolling in a London borough and then they are directed to work on Just Stop Oil (JSO) and they work on the JSO protest for ten hours; then the first eight hours represents the opportunity cost as although that has not had a cash cost for the Met, we have lost the opportunity for that officer to be patrolling their London borough for eight hours. We can put a value on that opportunity cost based on the hourly rate of the officer. In this example the extra two hours over and above the eight hours would be a direct cost to the Met in overtime.