Source · IOPC Learning Case

Police officer injured in collision - North Wales Police, February 2017

North Wales Police Ref: 2017/080737 Recommended 17 Jul 2018 Response due 11 Sep 2018

Death and serious injury Road traffic incidents

On 25 January 2016, a North Wales Police officer, who was driving an unmarked police vehicle, was involved in a single-vehicle road traffic collision. The officer sustained serious injuries as a result. A subsequent North Wales Police collision investigation revealed that emergency lights on the vehicle had been covered with nylon material to prevent members of the public identifying it as a police car when the lights were not in use. The force voluntarily referred this matter to us in …

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Recommendations

2 total

Recommendation 1

The National Police Chiefs' Council should introduce national guidance and/or policy concerning any potential modifications to convert lights installed on unmarked police vehicles. Do you accept the recommendation? Yes

Addressed to: National Police Chiefs Council

Linked bodies: National Police Chiefs Council

Accepted

Force response

Accepted action: NPCC fully recognise the need to develop national guidelines in regards to the installation and modifications of covert lighting and have commissioned the development of a national working group, to produce the requisite national guidance.

Recommendation 2

Any such guidance and/or policy on the modification to convert lights will be based on formalised research and analysis of any proposed method. Do you accept the recommendation? Yes

Addressed to: North Wales Police

Linked bodies: North Wales Police

Accepted

Force response

Accepted action: The new national working group will enlist the assistance of expertise and technical knowledge of: and will utilise formal research from academic institution(s).