Conferring – why can’t I discuss the events with other I am a member of the Federation/UNISON – can I

colleagues that attended? have support? Post Incident Management

Officers are not prohibited from conferring per se but there are Absolutely. You are entitled to speak with a Federation or staff
caveats and good practice. association representative as soon as possible and it is vital they What you need to know about procedures regarding a
are involved from the outset. death or serious injury following police contact.
Officers should not confer before making any account on their
honestly held belief or decision making at the time that Some Federation representatives are also trained and ac-
resulted in the use of force or taking certain actions. credited in post incident procedures.
It is natural to want to talk to colleagues to confirm that you
took the right action; but no one can assist you with your
They will be present to ensure welfare considerations are made
and to assist members with access to legal advice.
Guidance for Officers,
recounting your decision making process.
Talking to others could also introduce new information that you The Specials Co-ordinator is also aware of the procedures for Staff and Managers
were not aware of; what is important is the information you had
at the time and explaining why you took certain actions and not
others.
those members of the Special Constabulary.
For Federation members, there is an agreement with the Police
on Post Incident
Use the National Decision Making model where necessary.
Firearms Officers Association (PFOA) to provide a welfare
support programme for those officers and their families that
need it. Speak to the Federation office for further details.
Management
If any other matter is conferred on e.g. descriptions etc., then
then for transparency officers must document the time, date
and place where conferring took place, the issues discussed and
What is Perceptual Distortion?
Procedures
with whom and why.
Also called tunnel vision or selective attention, this is where the
For the same reasons, no debrief should take place directly human mind and body is subject to stress, specifically where a
after the incident. threat to life is perceived; the body is pumped with adrenaline
to facilitate the ‘flight or fight’ response. A police officer does
Only in exceptional circumstances should debriefing take place not have the ‘flight’ option so has to deal with the threat.
when the criteria for post incident investigation have been met.
The brain during these periods does not record like a Criteria as per the College of Policing APP
mechanical recording device. Peripheral vision may have shut
down while you concentrate on the threat. Your brain will not Post-incident investigations will commence in all situations
Why do I need a solicitor if I am a witness? record everything that is happening so your memory of it may following police contact that may have:
be different to others or what is shown on any video.
Good question! The solicitor will offer advice and  Resulted in death or serious injury
representation in order that an officer can give best evidence
whilst protecting and advancing the officer rights. I am a supervisor and we have a death or serious injury  Revealed failings in command
The officer may be a witness but during a protracted after police involvement/contact. What should I do?  Caused danger to officers or the public.
investigation, this position could change.
A PIM coordinator (PIMCO) is available for call out at all times Incidents that have revealed failings in command or have
Remember that ultimately the investigation is to determine and should be consulted whenever a potential incident caused danger to officers or the public should follow the Post
whether the use of force was justified and whether anyone requiring post incident procedures is identified. Incident Procedure.
should be held responsible for his or her actions.
Call the control room to find out who is on call and speak to the If the above criteria are not met, the force should still
The solicitor also has legal professional privilege so an officer PIM who will guide you. If in any doubt, speak to the on call consider the proportionate application of these procedures,
can discuss the matter in confidence, which is helpful given the PIM for advice. where appropriate.
restrictions on conferring.
Assistance may also be required for the Coroner’s inquest Worried/Concerned?
where an officer can be cross examined by the lawyers acting About this leaflet
for the family and the Constabulary. However, remember that It is understood that you may be concerned by these procedures
the misconduct process does not necessarily follow a PIM but the police service is accountable for all its actions and This leaflet will give some key information about Post
investigation. inactions and these procedures are designed to aid the Incident Procedures (PIP), particularly death or serious injury
investigation whilst looking after your welfare and needs in what following police contact.
Often no public complaint is made. The investigative process is may have been a traumatic incident.
often about internal procedure and whether there are any
lessons to be learnt. The PIM and your staff association representative will assist Full details are contained in the College of Policing APP
every step of the way. (Authorised Professional Practice).
What is a PIP/PIM? What should I expect to happen if I am involved in a What are the four account stages?
PIM? Stage 1 is the situation report.
Post incident investigations will commence in all situations
where there has been a discharge of a weapon by the police
which has or may have resulted in death or serious injury, During the investigation ‘key police witnesses’ will be
identified; they will be those directly related to the decision to This is likely to be the original report from the scene that
revealed failings in command or caused danger to officers or generated PIP being instigated.
the public. These procedures are also scalable and used as use force, or those who actions or decisions were involved in
necessary for any death or serious injury following police informing or making critical decisions. Stage 2 is the PIM Basic facts
contact. The management and planning of any deployment may You should not be isolated from others apart from specific
also be subject to investigation reasons such as preventing forensic cross-examination. The PIM is responsible for establishing the basic facts of what
The Post Incident Manager (PIM) manages and ensures the has happened. This can be either verbal or written but not
You may find yourself directed to a PIM suite with others. Here generally from the key police witnesses. Legal advice can be
integrity of the post incident procedures. They are trained and the PIM will explain the procedures and inform you what is
accredited. They are required to facilitate the investigation, sort and a staff association representative can be present. PIM
happening. Basic Facts confirm who was at the scene, briefly that their role
ensure the integrity of the process, ensure that the principal was and if relevant, who discharged their weapon.
officers’ needs are addressed in a manner which does not Be prepared to be at the suite for some time.
compromise the investigation process. They are generally of Stage 3 is the Personal Initial Account (or first account)
the rank of Inspector or above. Welfare needs will be considered including any immediate
need for first aid or other medical assistance, the provision of
It is important that these procedures should be open, refreshments, showering and a change of clothes and contact Subject to legal and medical advice, officers should provide a
transparent and that the integrity of all actions can be with family members. personal initial account before going off duty recording their
demonstrated. role, what they believe are the essential facts and outline their
In some situation it may be necessary to seize weapons and/or honestly held belief that resulted in the use of force or their
police equipment/clothing or provide samples. The PIM will decision to take some action. Your representative or legal
advise if this is the case. advisor will assist with this.
Why do we have special PIP/PIM investigations?
On incidents that are more serious the PIM will consider any Stage 4 is the Detailed Account/Statement
Under Articles 2 of ECHR (European Convention of Human threat or risk assessment that needs to be made to ensure your
Rights) there is a positive duty on the state to conduct an safety. The need for anonymity will also be considered by the This is not normally obtained immediately unless it is being
effective official investigation when individuals have been killed PIM and you may be given a pseudonym. treated as a lower level investigation. The advice is that a
as a result of the use of force by agents of the state (i.e. the You will also be asked for an account of what happened as a minimum of 48 hours should pass before making a detailed
police). This can extend to any situation where death or serious witness. There are four stages of account in these procedures. statement. This is your full account as a witness and your legal
injury occurs during an incident or operation in which police are You will be entitled to legal assistance before making any advisor/representative will assist with this. It may be taken by
involved. The investigation determines whether any use of account. the investigating authority (IOPC/PSD) or provided by the
force used was justified or the actions of officers where witness (officer/staff member).
appropriate. The investigating authority (PSD/IOPC) may want to release
information to the media. Precautions should be taken to The IOPC has the power to compel a witness to attend an
Whatever the circumstances the deceased or seriously injured protect you and your families from unwanted publicity. To aid interview but cannot compel the witness to answer questions.
subject will have family that will need to understand what has this, you should avoid discussing the details with others not As a witness, you can be accompanied to any interview.
happened and have questions that need answering. involved in the incident in order to protect the identity of those
involved and avoid uninformed rumours.
The PIM and/or your representative should keep you informed Why can’t I make my full statement immediately?
Who are the investigators? during what can sometimes be protracted investigations and
processes. In lower level, PIP’s or for those not deemed as principal officers
The Professional Standards Department (PSD) will make the this may be appropriate but for others it is not.
initial assessment. They may have to refer the matter to the
Independent Police Complaints Commission (IOPC). An early A person involved in a traumatic or life-threatening encounter
referral is key. Why am I being asked to attend a PIM/PIP suite? will often experience physiological and psychological responses
that may determine their perception of time, distance, auditory
The IOPC will then decide whether they will attend and/ or Where the full PIM procedures are followed, you may be asked and visual stimuli and chronology of events.
investigate or whether they are content for a local investigation to attend a location where you will be met by the PIM. This
by PSD. After an incident shock and the adrenalin that naturally occurs
assists in securing the integrity of any scene and enabling the in moments of high stress may affect you. This may affect the
The IOPC has the power to investigate any matter where there post incident procedures and investigation to be followed ability immediately after an incident to recall what may be
is an indication that a person serving with the police may have whilst assessing and dealing with your welfare and medical important detail. Perceptual distortion may also be an issue.
committed a criminal offence or behaved in a way which would needs. Recall tends to be better after some rest and it is more helpful
justify the brining of discipline proceedings. Lower level PIM procedures will not require attendance at a to the investigation if an officer’s account is as full as possible
PIM suite and can be dealt with via other means. on the first occasion. Making an immediate statement and then
recalling further detail as you recover can lead to
inconsistencies that lead to questions about integrity.