Collision following pursuit - Thames Valley Police, May 2019
At approximately 11.20pm on 13 May 2019, a Thames Valley Police officer pursued a vehicle driven by a woman in Oxfordshire. The pursuit lasted for approximately ten minutes and ended when the woman’s vehicle crashed into a tree. The woman sustained fractures to metatarsals in her right foot.
During the investigation, investigators spoke with the TVP driving school, reviewed the relevant local and national policies, as well as the officer’s driver training history, and obtained several accounts from the officer involved and an account from the woman whose car crashed.
Our investigation found that the officer had transferred to TVP from another force. His training records indicated he had undertaken standard-response and initial-phase pursuit (IPP) training in November 2014. After joining TVP in September 2018, the officer undertook a transferee assessment with a TVP trainer, as a result of which he was authorised as a standard response driver, subject to a maximum speed of 20mph over the posted limit, and was not authorised to pursue vehicles. The officer signed an acknowledgement accepting this, and it was also recommended that he should attend an IPP course to update his knowledge of TVP policy and procedures. The officer’s IPP qualification was removed from his records in October 2018.
Evidence indicated that, having received and acknowledged specific instructions about not being able to conduct a pursuit, he then received a permit that pre-dated his assessment, but contained IPP authorisation. It would appear from the evidence that the TVP driver training school may have contributed to any confusion the driver may have had as to whether he was authorised to conduct pursuits. However, the TVP Driver Policy states that it is the driver’s responsibility to ensure they are authorised and hold a valid TVP driving permit.
We considered that there was insufficient evidence upon which a reasonable tribunal, properly directed could find misconduct in relation to the driver holding an invalid TVP permit. However, we were of the view that the officer’s performance had fallen below what could have been expected of him and suggested he would benefit from management action.
TVP policy stipulates that standard-response drivers are not permitted to drive at more than 20mph above the designated speed limit. Analysis of the police vehicle suggested the officer was driving in excess of this at various points during the pursuit. We were of the opinion that a reasonable tribunal, properly directed, could conclude that to conduct a pursuit over approximately 14 miles, with a duration of approximately 10 minutes, was in itself, inappropriate. The officer also stated that he was fully aware of the guidance regarding the 20mph rule, but continued his pursuit regardless. We were therefore of the opinion that there was sufficient evidence upon which a reasonable tribunal, properly directed could find misconduct.
We completed our investigation in October 2019.
After reviewing our report, TVP agreed that the officer had a case to answer for misconduct, and proposed to deal with this with management action, in the form of a debrief meeting between the officer and the Head of TVP’s Department of Professional Standards to discuss the officer’s driving and understanding of the policy, and to learn from the incident.
We agreed that their proposal was appropriate.
As part of our investigation, we also identified some areas of learning for the force (see below).
TVP arrested the woman in May 2019 for a number of driving offences arising out of this incident. She subsequently pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and other related offences and was sentenced to 14 months imprisonment and banned from driving for two years.
IOPC reference
Recommendations
The IOPC recommends that Thames Valley Police (TVP) makes sure that all relevant checks are carried out before officers who have transferred from another force are authorised to drive with Thames Valley Police. This should include ensuring that officers meet any requirements under force policy, including requirements regarding recent operational driving experience.
This follows a case where an officer re-joined TVP from another force and was involved in a pursuit when they were not authorised to do so under TVP policy.
Our investigation found when the officer provided their driver training records from the previous force, the same authorisations were added to the officer’s Thames Valley Police driving record. Thames Valley Police driving school subsequently established that the officer had not driven operationally for over 12 months.
Do you accept the recommendation?
Yes
Accepted action:
TVP fully accepts this recommendation.
We will put into place a process to review and record training from an external force, this will be undertaken by Driver Training. We will ensure that the officer is aware of the agreed level of transferable skills, and the subsequent driving authorisation for TVP and any training requirements. We will also ensure that the joining officer is briefed in the way TVP manage and deliver driver risk, and ensure that the joining officer is fully briefed on key elements around key driver and risk policies or procedures.
A process and the required recording forms have already been drafted, and Driver Training inputs to the Transferees Course are in the process of revision in line with the new process.
All relevant documents and rationale for decision making will be retained on the officers driver record.
The IOPC recommends that all information regarding an officer’s driving authorisation/category is stored centrally within the TVP driving school and where there is a change the driving school ensures this change is reflected on its records without delay. A driving permit reflecting any such changes should be issued to the officer concerned without delay, with a process to acknowledge receipt.
This follows a case where an officer re-joined TVP from another force and was involved in a pursuit when they were not authorised to do so under TVP policy.
Our investigation found when the officer’s authority to engage in the initial phase of a pursuit was withdrawn, their TVP driving record was not updated to reflect this change for one month. When the record was updated, a new TVP driving permit was printed to reflect this change and sent to the officer via the force’s internal post. However, the officer said they did not receive it. When a document is sent through internal post, there is no way to track it and/or determine if it is received by the recipient.
Do you accept the recommendation?
Yes
Accepted action:
TVP partially accepts this recommendation.
In this case the Officer signed a document as a true record of his driving assessment, which clearly stated that ‘Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES are you authorised to pursue vehicles’. This acknowledgement was recorded on the officer's file on the 17-09-2018 after his Driving Assessment.
However, TVP do accept that the process of posting out a paper licence (which reflects the changes Officers are notified off and have acknowledged in their Driving Assessment) needs to be changed.
We will put into place a process whereby Officers and Staff can view their Driving Record in order to dispense with the need for paper licences.
We will retain the process of requiring Officers and Staff to sign their Assessment paperwork (as they do now) and this will be retained within their Driving Record (as it is now). We will formally remind Driver Trainers that in any instance where a Driving Authorisation has been revoked or changed, more emphasis should be applied by them to ensure the student is aware of the impact, and in all instances their acknowledgement is properly recorded.