JB-15.4 Accepted

Amend firearms authorisation forms for risk assessment and tipping points

Jermaine Baker Inquiry · Report into the Death of Jermaine Baker · Issued 5 July 2022 · Addressed to: National Police Chiefs Council

Source — verbatim from the inquiry

Inquiry recommendation, 15.4

There should be an amendment to FA (and equivalent) forms to: a. encourage a multidimensional risk assessment (to comply with Article 2) to minimise, to the greatest extent possible, recourse to lethal force; b. include a provision for reference to evidential and, where appropriate, geographical tipping points; c. include a dedicated box on the FA2 form to be completed when no FA1 form has been completed, with an explanation for the reason therefor; d. include the provision (and the requirement) for updating the forms during the course of an operation.

Jermaine Baker Inquiry, Report into the Death of Jermaine Baker · 5 Jul 2022 Source PDF →

Published evidence summary

Publicly available evidence relating to this recommendation:

- The Metropolitan Police Service stated on 28 October 2022 that internal guidance had been issued to CTSFO Tactical Advisors within MO19 on tailoring FA5 forms, and that training time had been set aside for FA form usage and completion (MPS Response to Jermaine Baker Inquiry, October 2022).
- The College of Policing updated APP-AP in August 2023 incorporating amendments to FA form requirements including provision for multidimensional risk assessment and evidential tipping points (College of Policing APP-AP update, August 2023).

Response — verbatim from government

Metropolitan Police Service — initial response

MPS formally responded on 28 October 2022 (paras 12-14). Internal guidance issued to CTSFO Tac Advisors within MO19 on tailoring FA5 forms. Training time set aside for FA form usage and completion.

Metropolitan Police Service · 28 Oct 2022 Written response →

National Police Chiefs Council — follow-up

No formal NPCC response published. MPS response (28 October 2022, paras 12-14) confirms NPCC project reviewing FA form amendments nationally. MPS issued internal guidance to CTSFO Tac Advisors within MO19 pending national outcomes.

National Police Chiefs Council · 28 Oct 2022 Written response →

Evidence trail — what's actually happened since

  • 1 Aug 2023 Status as of College of Policing APP-AP update (August 2023): Completed Source →

Each entry above links to a primary source — gov.uk written statement, consultation response document, or inspection report. The Index does not characterise government intent; it tracks what has been published.

How this page is built

Source and Response are verbatim from primary documents. The Evidence trail records published activity since — written statements, consultation outcomes, inspection findings, parliamentary references. The Index does not paraphrase or characterise intent; it tracks what has been published. Where the evidence is the absence of action (a missed deadline, a slipped timetable), that absence is documented from primary sources rather than inferred.

This recommendation's data is verified periodically against primary sources. The Index is monitored for staleness weekly.