Post-Incident Procedures being looked at by College of Policing

BETTER protection for officers involved in death and serious injury incidents is being looked at by the College of Policing.

It’s begun a consultation period on proposed new Post-Incident Procedures (PiPs) around deaths and serious injuries following non-firearm police contacts. The new DSI Authorised Professional Practice (APP) will provide guidance on post-incident procedures, management, and the welfare and legal issues officers may face.

It also aims to ensure that accounts by officers given as part of PiPs will be reported chronologically and sets out approaches to post incident learnings and debriefings.

Currently, existing PiPs relating to deaths and serious injuries resulting from firearms contacts are used even though the number non-firearms fatalities are much higher.

In 2016/17 there were six fatal police shootings and over 200 non-firearm related deaths.

Officers are being urged by the PFEW to have their say on the issue.

“The consultation is great news,” said PFEW Vice Chair Che Donald.

“The ratio of firearms to non-firearms related deaths and serious incidents demonstrates the urgent need for this new guidance.

“What tends to happen now is that the firearms guidance is adapted for other incidents. It is not designed for this purpose and the failure to provide appropriate guidance for non-firearms-related DSI’s puts our members at risk,” he added.

“I appreciate that this is only the start of the process, but it shows the College has been listening to our concerns. The door is open, and we are one step closer to getting what we want.”

For more information and to get involved visit; https://www.app.college.police.uk/consultation/death-and-serious-injury-consultation/