Recommendation - Metropolitan Police Service, August 2023
We identified organisational learning from a review following a local police investigation.
A pre-planned firearms operation, which also involved non-firearms officers, stopped and detained a man that they believed to be the wanted suspect.
This became a case of mistaken identity and the firearms officers left the man without providing the correct documentation.
Non-firearms officers spoke with the man but also failed to provide the correct documentation which would have explained the reason for the stop. The accounts from the officers indicated confusion between the departments in regard to who was responsible for completing the forms.
IOPC reference
Recommendations
The IOPC recommends that the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) establish and formally record/document which department is responsible for the completion of the Stop and Search reports required during a pre-planned operation.
This recommendation follows a review of a complaint investigation in relation to a pre-planned firearms operation. The operation also involved non-firearms officers whereby a male, believed to be the wanted suspect, was stopped and detained. It was discovered that this was a case of mistaken identity and the firearms officers left the male without providing the correct documentation. Non-firearms officers spoke with the male but also failed to provide the correct documentation which would have explained the reason for the stop. Accounts obtained from the officers indicated confusion between the departments with regard to who's responsibility it was to complete the forms.
Accepted:
The Metropolitan Police Service (“MPS”) has considered and accepts this recommendation.
The College of Policing’s Armed Policing Authorised Professional Practice (AP‐APP) outlines a number of key responsibilities for each level of command (Operational, Tactical and Strategic). Specifically for Strategic Firearms Commanders there are 20 responsibilities in the AP‐APP, three of which are:
- Should consider the need for a community impact assessment
- Should consider declaring and managing the event as a critical incident
- Should consider consulting partners, stakeholders and interest groups involved (if any) when determining the working strategy.
Similar responsibilities commensurate with their roles are reflected within each of the levels of command. Our interpretation of this responsibility to assess impact on the community is broad. It includes wider community impact on confidence and trust, and specific impact upon the individual(s) subject to or directly impacted by an armed policing operation. In this context, we recognise that ‘service recovery’ includes operations where police action has been necessary and proportionate, but might still have had significant impact upon those effected by or proximate to that police activity.
Therefore, the MPS’ view is that to meet this recommendation there is not a requirement for new policy, but that it is appropriate to remind commanders and practitioners within armed policing about these responsibilities within the AP‐APP. Specifically the AP‐APP talks about a ‘timeline’ for when firearms command is required. This defines the point at which an armed operation ceases to be required, and therefore the firearms command structure is stood down. Input to firearms commanders will be refreshed around ensuring appropriate handover to local commanders when a firearms operation is stood down in line with the AP‐APP. This will include ensuring that all firearms commanders are familiar with the well‐established structures which allow 24/7 access to local commanders for effective briefing and handover of ongoing matters. In the first instance this will be achieved through a circulation to all commanders before the end of October 2023 , and a formal input will then be delivered as part of the next round of annual refresher training which all firearms commanders must complete to maintain accreditation.