Page 15 - Top Cover Issue 4

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travelling in, to intervene when there Inquests and potentially public inquiries Officers and some great characters and I
was sufficient evidence and before they takes a long time and this has resulted would want to be part of that. To answer
were able to complete the robbery, were in principal Officers being left in limbo your question I would probably follow
necessary and proportionate to the level of for years. T is is bad for the Officers and my heart.
threat posed.” potentially worse for the bereaved relatives
who want to know what has happened to +U VJG 2QNKEG 5GTXKEG FQKPI GPQWIJ VQ
6JG KPSWKT[ EQOOGPVU QP VJG OGFKECN their loved one. RTQVGEV VJG CPQP[OKV[ QH 1H»EGTU! +U
EQPFKVKQP QH #\GNNG 4QFPG[ CHVGT I suspect you are asking why don’t senior VJGTG C EQP¼KEV HTQO YJCV VJG UGTXKEG
GCEJ UJQV ­ UWTGN[ PQ QPG ECP GZRGEV Officers do more to support principal YCPV CPF YJCV VJG 1H»EGTU YCPV!
(KTGCTOU 1H»EGTU VQ OGFKECNN[ CUUGUU Officers in the media? T e reality is that T e Police service can not grant anonymity,
CHVGT GCEJ UJQV YJKNUV GPICIGF KP C we are unlikely to be in a position to only a court can do this following an
NKHG QT FGCVJ EQPHTQPVCVKQP! exonerate the Officers, where appropriate, application. We should have adequate
Firearms Officers are individually until the matter has been investigated; procedures to protect the identities of
accountable for their decisions to use force there are some notable examples where Firearms Officers in the event they are
and indeed for decisions to refrain from this has been attempted in the past and involved in a shooting, this will include
using force. If, based upon their honestly it has gone badly wrong. T is has made using call signs instead of names on
held belief, they can justify opening fire the service very cautious and the IPCC command and control logs and protocols
then the number and sequencing of rounds has primacy on statements to the media. agreed with the IPCC. If the view is we
fired will depend upon the circumstances I accept that we could do better and the are not doing enough, I am happy to look
that exist at the time. lessons from a number of deaths following into this.
I have posed the following question: “Is Police contact is that we sometimes need
it ‘reasonable’ to expect a Police Firearms to put information into the public domain 9JCV CTG [QWT XKGYU QP UGITGICVKPI
Officer to shoot, reassess the threat, shoot, to reassure the public and this is an area of 1H»EGTU KOOGFKCVGN[ HQNNQYKPI C
reassess and so on?” T e conclusion, based ongoing debate. UJQQVKPI!
on legal advice, is that what is ‘reasonable’ It would be impossible to segregate
can only be decided by the circumstances 6JKU #4+ CPF TGEGPV *GCNVJ CPF 5CHGV[ Officers immediately after a shooting
of each individual incident. T ere may 6TKCN KP /CPEJGUVGT JCXG QPEG CICKP and therein lies the flaw in the argument.
be cases where a requirement for a Police ECVCRWNVGF VJG YQTM QH »TGCTOU KPVQ When shots are fired the incident is not
Officer to pause and reassess after each VJG OGFKC URQVNKIJV KU VJGTG C PGGF over and there will be a phase to render
and every shot is potentially dangerous HQT OQTG RWDNKE GFWECVKQP QP QWT first aid and to ensure the threat has
and, therefore, unreasonable. TQNG! %CP VJG 2(1# RNC[ C RCTV! been neutralized. T is could involve
T ere are already some great examples searches and an ongoing containment.
+U VJGTG PQY C PGGF VQ GZRNQTG PGY across the country of public engagement If segregation is intended to prevent
YC[U QH JGCTKPI GXKFGPEG CV CP involving schools, social media, public collusion prior to the preparation of the
KPSWGUV GPSWKT[ KPVGN GVE ! meetings etc. T e more we can do to Officers’ initial accounts then it would be
Yes, and this is one of the recommendations ensure that the facts are available to the ineffective as for operational reasons they
of my review. T e nature of the intelligence public, the better. I am currently involved may remain together for hours after the
in this case meant that it could not be in the production of a short film intended shots have been fired.
considered by an Inquest. T is has resulted to bust some myths about Police firearms What is the problem we are seeking
in a public inquiry eight years after the and this will be on You Tube and used to to solve here? T e national guidance on
event and this is not fair on any of the help educate young people. post incident procedures is very clear on
parties involved including Mr. Rodney’s collusion. Post Incident Managers are well
family and the Officers. (KTGCTOU 1H»EGTU JCXG C TGURQPUKDKNKV[ trained and the IPCC investigators attend
VQ VJGOUGNXGU CPF VJGKT HCOKNKGU the designated place. T e guidance on post
(QNNQYKPI C 2QNKEG UJQQVKPI VJG ±LQD² 5QOG 1H»EGTU JCXG DGGP CTTGUVGF incident procedures has been subjected to
CTG XGT[ TGNWEVCPV VQ EQOG HQTYCTF CPF RWV QP VTKCN HQNNQYKPI UJQQVKPIU scrutiny within judicial review proceedings
CPF UWRRQTV VJG 1H»EGTU KPXQNXGF QVJGTU JCXG DGGP VQNF VJG[ PCTTQYN[ and found to be adequate.
CPF KPUVGCF CRRGCT VQ URGPF OQUV QH CXQKFGF RTQUGEWVKQP +H [QW YGTG We are embarking upon a project to
VJG VKOG CRQNQIK\KPI ­ YJ[ KU VJKU! UVCTVKPI [QWT ECTGGT CICKP YQWNF [QW reconsider the use of body worn cameras
Depends what you mean by “support”, EQPUKFGT DGKPI C (KTGCTOU 1H»EGT! in firearms operations. I say reconsider,
the Post Incident Procedure is designed to My head says “no” on the basis that a split because for good reasons they have been
balance the welfare needs of the Officers second decision that I make under intense rejected in the past, but the technology
with the requirements of the investigation stress will be scrutinized with the benefit has moved on and the time has come
and my experience is that principal of hindsight for many years. My heart to reassess whether body worn cameras
Officers and their families are supported. says “yes” on the basis that someone’s got would build public confidence and protect
I do accept that the current legal process to do it and I find Police Firearms teams the Officers ■
with IPCC investigations, CPS decisions, to be made up of highly professional