National guidance on recording firearms planning meetings

The MPS has issued internal guidance to all SFCs and TFCs that planning meetings for authorised armed operations must have comprehensive minutes recorded to ensure operational clarity and to provide an audit trail. The latest iteration of the MPS Police Use of Firearms Standard Operating Procedure (PUoF SOP) is consistent with APP-AP in relation to this. 18. This recommendation applies only to the MPS Armed Policing Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) which is the document referred to at paragraph [17] above. Amendment to the PUoF SOP however will have a limited effect upon officers in non-firearms roles. The MPS accepted at the Inquiry that there were shortcomings in notes and minutes of meetings from some officers in both the firearms command structure and from the Central Crime Command. The MPS agrees with the broad terms of this recommendation and that such record keeping should be implemented where practicable. Having considered this recommendation in light of the evidence heard at the Inquiry, there has been a meeting between the organisational learning team designated to this Inquiry and the MPS Senior Investigation Officer (SIO) course director in order to review training and policy documents relating to SIOs on such operations to ensure that they and the colleagues they supervise are reminded of the need to keep a proper record during such planning meetings. This will ensure that this recommendation is not confined to officers in firearms roles. 19. The recommendation in relation to the recording of all firearms briefings is still being reviewed in conjunction with the College of Policing and national colleagues. For the reasons given by Superintendent McKibbin during the Inquiry hearings at 29/107/4-108/12, this is a complicated matter, and any solution must be functional, proportionate and effective. The MPS is reviewing this matter but considers that it would not be appropriate to institute the policy until consideration of the issue has been completed at a national level. The MPS has been involved in discussions with key armed policing stakeholders, including at the meeting on 8 September 2022, concerning what instructions from an OFC may be regarded as recordable briefings and as to what systems and safeguards would apply to preserve officer anonymity and the covert nature of armed policing. 20. The MPS understands that following this recommendation the College of Policing will review APP-AP in respect of recommendation 7 (a-c) and in particular the content on the recording of all firearms briefings. Once this is published, the MPS will consider any necessary amendments to the PUoF SOP.

The APP-AP promotes the principles of transparency. However, it is recognised that the current guidance does not include the specific detail that has been recommended. APP currently includes the following guidance: ‘Any consideration in respect of the deployment of AFOs should be recorded along with the decision and rationale for it … Commanders have a responsibility to record their decisions, actions and supporting rationale as accurately and fully as is practicable, using the NDM as the structure. This should be done contemporaneously if possible, commencing at the point at which they begin to consider any incident that may require the deployment of armed officers. The extent to which this can be achieved will depend on the circumstances and the nature of the incident or operation. Where it has not been possible to make a record contemporaneously, or soon after the event, the record should reflect this, the reason why and when it was made. Individual commanders must be prepared to account for their decisions and to explain their rationale at the time that those decisions were taken. All plans should be documented, including options rejected or progressed, together with the reasons why such conclusions were drawn and by whom. TFCs should ensure that a record of all briefings is maintained, including the persons present and information given. The method and detail of recording will vary depending on the nature of the operation, and may include: • contemporaneous notes • use of formal briefing documents • audio recording • ICT systems • body worn video • command and control logs. As far as practicable, the most comprehensive method of providing an accurate record of the briefing should be used. Where officers are being briefed while travelling, or are in a remote location, consideration should be given to using radio or telephone recording to provide a record of the briefing. The absence of secure communication may, however, place constraints on this option in situations where classified or sensitive information is being referred to’. Where armed officers are deployed, the ‘tactical’ talk-group being used should be recorded where practicable, in order to provide an appropriate audit of the deployment and the relevant tactical communication between armed officers and their commanders. Where armed deployment is undertaken in support of surveillance assets, (for example, Mobile Armed Support To Surveillance), tactical armed policing deployment communications should be separate from the surveillance operational communications in order to protect sensitive intelligence or tactics. Commanders and armed officers should consider the requirement to protect covert tactics when communicating via armed policing ‘tactical’ talk-groups’ As a consequence of this recommendation, the College is reviewing the current guidance provided within APP in respect of recommendation 7 (a-c). In consultation with NPCC and stakeholders, the College will review current guidance on the recording of briefing relating to armed operations.

No statement on delivery from National Police Chiefs Council has been found in the sources searched. This is separate from the response above.