Decision Notice – FCIU Capital Equipment Purchase

Ref: PCC/D/2023/05

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
There is an opportunity to save circa £5,000 by approving the purchase by the 31st January for equipment that is part of the proposed capital programme bid for 2023/24.
This opportunity has been achieved via negotiation to mitigate against increases in inflationary costs.

PROPOSAL
That the PCC approve capital expenditure of £44,614 to purchase equipment to support the West Mercia Police Collision Investigation Unit.

APPROVAL OF
West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner
I hereby approve the above proposal.

John Campion

PART 1 – NON-CONFIDENTIAL/EXEMPT FACTS AND FIGURES

SUPPORTING REPORT
The 2023/24 capital programme includes a project to purchase £115,992 worth of equipment to support the Collision Investigation Unit (FCIU) and ensure that all equipment meets accreditation standards. The FCIU is one of the new investment areas in the proposed 2023/24 revenue budget, and the capital bid for the equipment has been made alongside this.

A submission has been made to purchase one piece of technical equipment prior to the start of the next financial year as there is an offer of a saving of £5,354 (total cost of £44,614). This is achievable as prices were increased on the 1st January by 12%, but the force have negotiated being able to access the prior year price thus avoiding any further inflationary costs.

The key piece of equipment requiring purchase is “ScenePro”. This is a new piece of equipment that is used to measure the varying factors in a skid and provide data to support the overall understanding of the collision. This is the only validated
equipment available to do this for FCIU. West Mercia does not currently have any of these devices.

STRATEGIC CONSIDERATIONS
This decision supports the following element(s) of the Safer West Mercia Plan:

Putting Victims and Survivors First

Building a More Secure West Mercia

Reforming West Mercia

Reassuring West Mercia’s Communities

The decision supports this/ these objective(s) through the following:

Ensure that the Force have the equipment it requires to be able to deliver good investigative outcomes on Road Safety incidents and reassuring victims. Using the outcomes from the investigation to improve road safety across the region.

Delivering best value for public money.

BENEFITS AND THEIR REALISATION
To ensure the timely replacement of assets and ensure that the force is able to operational capacity with the right assets.

Financial efficiency of circa £5,000

AUTHOR
Name Paul Benfield

Date 20/01/2023

FINANCIAL AND TREASURER COMMENTS
The request is to purchase equipment in advance of the next financial year’s capital allocation. The cost of the equipment is £44,614 and would be capitalised in the financial year in which it was received.

The purchase would result in an 12% saving in costs, and also ensure that we avoid any further risk of price rises during 2023/24 financial year.

Assurance has been obtained from the Force that this is a key piece of equipment that supports the work of the FCIU which is a key new investment in the 2023/24 revenue budget

Treasurer

Paul Benfield

20/01/2023

LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS
By virtue of schedule 11, paragraph 14 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 the Police and Crime Commissioner may do anything which is calculated to facilitate, or is conducive or incidental to, the exercise of the
functions of commissioner. That includes: entering into contracts and other agreements (whether legally binding or not) and acquiring and disposing of property (including land).

PUBLIC ACCESS TO INFORMATION
Information in this form is subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI Act) and other legislation. Part 1 of this form will be made available on the West Mercia Commissioner’s website. Any facts and advice that should not be made
automatically available on request are not included in Part 1 but instead in a separate Part 2 report.

OFFICER APPROVAL
Chief Executive Officer

Gareth Boulton 24/01/2023