Recommendation JB-15.11: Training requirement for covert monitoring post officers

As the Inquiry is aware, significant work has been undertaken in recent years to improve CMP practices within the MPS. These steps have continued following the publication of the Inquiry Report. Representatives from the MPS Covert Policing Command (MO3) and Covert Governance Command (MO5) have worked in tandem to ensure that the provision and quality of training to relevant operatives is in line with the recommendations. A Senior Leadership Team meeting was held on 27 July 2022 to discuss those efforts. 24. Guidance has been issued within MO3 and MO5 reaffirming the position in Surveillance Manual of Standards (MoS) 2021 (and the previous Manual of Guidance 2019) that only officers who are trained and authorised to perform CMP roles may perform those roles, and no CMP can be instituted without the appointment of an accredited CMP Manager. A significant amount of work has been done to increase the numbers of appropriately trained officers. 25. In line with the Surveillance MoS, the MPS requires the SIO in a given operation to appoint the CMP Manager. It is then the responsibility of the CMP Manager to appoint appropriately trained staff to operative roles within the CMP. The TSU operative dealing with an application for technical surveillance support must check that a CMP Manager has been appointed during the initial strategy meeting with the investigative team (at the end of which the TSU confirm or refuse technical support to the operation as planned). 26. All CMP operatives are now trained in line with the requirements of the applicable MoS. Between 2014 to C2018 55 MPS officers attended the “H2 CMP” course provided by the College of Policing. In 2019 the MPS Covert Standards Board approved the creation of a CMP Working Group with a view to taking on the governance of training in relation to CMPs and improve the standard of delivery. As a result of the work of this group, the MPS now has 172 H2 trained staff. There are 4 more courses being delivered through to January 2023, this will provide a further 60 H2 trained managers to the existing pool. 27. In addition to this, a one-day MPS CMP operatives awareness training input course was introduced. This training covered key aspects of what an operative might encounter within a CMP, how it should be recorded, dealt with and the decision making process. During February 2020, this training was provided to 350 officers who are now appropriately trained CMP operatives (not managers). Since that original awareness training package, there has been further training delivered to around 130 more operatives.

This recommendation was already covered by MOG and is carried into the MOS: Covert Audio Intrusive Surveillance & Covert Monitoring Posts Staffing (Extract) Monitoring covert surveillance devices is a specialist skill requiring appropriately trained and experienced staff. Training (Extract) CMP staff must be occupationally competent and licensed/authorised. On completion of training, the staff member who is to fulfil the role must be able to: • demonstrate the practical application of the equipment to be used in the CMP • possess an in-depth knowledge of the procedures required for the conduct of a CMP as set out in Surveillance Manual of Standards: Covert Audio Intrusive Surveillance & Covert Monitoring Posts. As a result of the recommendation made, the MOS has now been published on the College of Policing Learning Hub giving better access to CMP practitioners. This has been widely communicated with relevant parties to ensure everyone is aware of the requirements made in the MOS reinforcing the standards therein. CMP staff must be competent to fulfil the roles assigned and will receive authorised or accredited training, with an ambition to move swiftly to a position where all training provision is provided by • the College of Policing, accredited by the National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) or; • via a recognised training provider. Where the latter is commissioned it will be the responsibility of the commissioning force / organisation to ensure the course meets the National (Occupational) Learning Standards held by the College of Policing on behalf of the NPCC Lead.