Section 22A Collaboration Agreements – Eastern Region Counter Terrorism Security Advisors and Regionalisation of Prison Intelligence Officers

Decision

To approve the signature of two Section 22A Agreements:

1. To regionalise the Counter Terrorism Security Advisers (CTSAs) and place them under the line management of the Counter Terrorism (CT) Units; and

2. To establish a regionally collaborated (Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex and Hertfordshire) Prison Intelligence Unit (PIU) by collaborating the Prison Intelligence Officers (PIO) of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex and Hertfordshire under the line management of the East Counter Terrorism Intelligence Unit (ECTIU).

Decision Summary

The Eastern Region Collaboration exists across the counties of Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk for the purposes of providing effective policing in those areas. The Police and Crime Plan 2013-16 states that work will continue with local, regional and national partners to maintain the momentum on collaboration.

1. Chief Constables nationally agreed in January 2013 to seek to regionalise the Counter Terrorism Security Advisers (CTSAs) and place them under the line management of the Counter Terrorism (CT) Units. While each region interpreted this decision and created the structure in different ways, the Eastern Region intends to create a regional structure under a section 22A agreement.
2. The Chief Constables of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex and Hertfordshire wish to create a regional Prison Intelligence Unit (PIU) which will undertake the functions of Prison Intelligence Officer’s on behalf of the four Chief Constables. The PIU will be managed by the Eastern Counter Terrorism Intelligence Unit in order to provide a single joint management structure for the cadre. This will provide efficiency and effectiveness as a result of having one line management under the joint unit.

Each of the respective Chief Constables and Commissioners are being invited to consider and sign the Section 22A agreements. The Commissioner is asked to approve the signature of the formal Section 22A agreements to be delegated to the Chief Executive prior to the commencement of operations.