Federation calls for data on use of force against officers

THE Police Federation of England and Wales has stated how important it is to have “accurate and full data” of times when use of force is used against officers.

Rick Nelson, lead on Operational Policing for the Federation, expressed support for the recent Use of Force study from the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

The report concluded that a better recording system was urgently needed to improve public confidence in the police service.

The Federation agrees that accurate, transparent and comprehensive data of incidents when use of force is applied is important, said Mr Nelson.

“However,” he added, “it is not just about how we record the use of force on the public, but about providing context to understand the circumstances as to why it was used.

“We would add that while also recording data on use of force by officers, it is important too to have accurate and full data of times when use of force is used against officers, and the impacts of this.”

The Federation is working with the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) on a review of how use of force is recorded, with an aim to have a clearer picture of the instances of when force is used across the country.

David Shaw, lead on conflict management for NPCC, said how, when and where police use force lies right at the heart of legitimacy, public trust and policing by consent.

“There are some very positive findings in the report,” he said. “However, I recognise there is important work to do to collect and analyse data on use of force so policing can learn from the results, and information is publicly available. The review of the use of force that I am conducting is aimed at addressing these issues.”

The IPCC said it was important to ensure the police service consistently collected, analysed and published data about how and when force is used by officers. It has suggested the creation of a national database to record the use of firearms, Tasers and other restraint techniques.

Nevertheless, a survey of 1,302 people included in the IPCC report found that 83% trusted the police to use reasonable force.