Sussex Police Fitness Levels Revealed

Policy Document: 149/2008

Title: Public order establishment and training policy

 http://www.sussex.police.uk/foi/policies/docview.asp?id=149/2008

Abstract: This policy details the forces mutual aid commitment, establishment of public order trained officers and associated training

Policy

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Sussex Police has to provide sufficient trained and equipped officers to police outbreaks of public disorder and pre planned public safety events such as demonstrations, bonfire events and some football matches. The vast majority of these commitments rely on the deployment of Level 2 Police Support Unit (PSU) trained officers.

1.2 There is currently a national requirement set by the Home Office for Sussex Police to provide up to nine level 2 PSUs trained and equipped to Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) common minimum standards (CMS) as set out in the ACPO public order training manual.

1.3 This policy is an amendment to an existing policy. It details the numbers of officers who are to be trained and maintained in each public order discipline for Sussex Police to meet the mutual aid and in force requirements, the number of training days for each discipline and the pre training health and safety assessments.

2.0 Application

2.1 This policy is immediately applicable to all police officers, in particular those who are trained in a public order discipline and replaces policy 149/2001.The policy does not apply to police staff, CPSOs and Special Constables.

3.0 Purpose

3.1 To ensure that Sussex Police has a sufficient number of trained public order officers to fulfil the mutual aid commitment set by the Home Office and to satisfy the requirements of Basic Command Units (BCUs) in relation to pre planned public safety events or outbreaks of public disorder. Within Sussex Police the term BCU means a Division (policing area).

4.0 Scope

4.1 This policy applies only to level 2 PSU, Evidence Gathering Team (EGT)/Forward Intelligence Teams (FIT), Operational Support Medics (OSM) public order disciplines and to Public Order Commanders. It does not apply to Method of Entry trained officers or Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) trained officers.

5.0 Policy Statement

5.1 Sussex Police will train and maintain a set number of level 2 PSU, EGT/FIT and OSM officers.

5.2 These officers will be trained in CMS in accordance with the ACPO public order training manual. This will allow officers from Sussex Police to be deployed and work effectively with PSUs from other forces. It will be advantageous that all officers will all be trained to the same standard enabling effective fast time deployment.

5.3 Level 2 trained PSU officers will not be multi skilled as EGT/FIT and/or OSMs because at times of high demand this will improve the Force's resilience within these specialist roles

5.4 The role of EGTs and FITs is combined.

6.0 Benefits

6.1 By setting the number of officers trained in public order disciplines Sussex Police ensures that it has sufficient resilience to respond effectively to in force and mutual aid requests for public order trained officers.

6.2 Training to ACPO CMS ensures that Sussex Police is complying with national best practice. This will result in more professionally trained public order officers who have the ability to work effectively with PSUs and Ground Commanders from other police forces in public order deployments.

6.3 An increased professionalism may also result in less injuries to the public and police officers during a public order deployment and increase in public confidence of the police to manage public order incidents and events.

6.4 Not allowing Level 2 PSU trained officers to be trained as EGT/FIT and/or OSM will ensure that the force has sufficient resilience within these individual disciplines.

6.5 Combining the role of EGT/FIT role reduces the number of officers who need to be trained. This will save training and uniform costs and also reduce the number of training days for BCUs.

7.0 Responsibilities

7.1 The Superintendent, Public Order, Operations Department is responsible for conducting a yearly review of this policy. This review will be conducted in the context of current public order threats within the force and nationally.

7.2 Divisional Commanders are responsible for ensuring that their BCU maintains a set level of qualified level 2 PSU, EGT/FIT and OSM trained officers and for nominating officers for these specialist roles.

7.3 Training and Tactical Public Order Unit (TTPOU) are responsible for delivering all public order training, ensuring that this conforms with the ACPO CMS and for maintaining training records.