Post-incident procedure explained and why you should pay your Fed subs

28 March 2024

'This is exactly why you should pay your Federation subs - the legal advice you receive during a post-incident-procedure is second-to-none,’ says Detective Chief Inspector Gareth Eaton.

Gareth, a post-incident manager, is reassuring members that the post-incident procedure is there to protect you, not hold you accountable.

Here, Gareth talks us through the steps involved in a post-incident procedure and why officers must join the Federation - calling the support they can provide, ‘priceless’.

“I want to dispel the myths surrounding post-incident procedures and reassure officers that the process is in place to protect them, not because they’ve done anything wrong,” said Gareth.

“I know officers worry when they are involved in a post-incident procedure but it’s important for them to remember that the incident is being investigated, not them. You are a witness, not a suspect.”

Gareth is one of eight trained and accredited post-incident managers at Derbyshire Police Force. Their role, which is in addition to their day job, is to manage and ensure the integrity of the entire post-incident procedure.

“If an incident involves a death or serious injury, and there’s no concern of misconduct, then a post-incident procedure may take place, depending on the circumstances” explained Gareth.

“I must stress, that misconduct cases do exist, but they are not the same as post-incident procedures - we cannot confuse the two. The post-incident procedure is there to capture all evidence and support the officers involved and it involves four stages.”

If it is decided by the on-call post-incident manager that an officer should be called to provide an account, the first step is to create a situational report.

“The situational report should be taken as soon as possible, to give the most honest account. It’s usually taken over the phone and is given by someone not directly involved in the incident,” said Gareth.

Step two involves calling the officer into the post-incident suite - the suite is independent of other buildings and has its own on-site facilities like a kitchen and a shower.

“The officer’s journey is recorded throughout - and this is purely to protect their integrity. Their identity will also be protected, for their sake and their families,” continued Gareth, who explained that during this stage the officer will be asked to confirm that they were at the scene and furthermore, to describe their role during the incident.

“It’s at this point that the Federation is called to support the member. Throughout the entire process, the officer’s welfare is our top priority.

“The Federation can then offer support and offer any legal advice, external to the Force. The Federation offers a holistic approach, providing officers with immediate advice, guidance and simply a friendly face or an arm around them when they need it most.

“It’s times like these that demonstrate exactly why you pay your Fed subs. The legal advice I’ve seen officers receive is of the highest quality. That support is priceless.”

Following this, the officer - with legal advice - is asked to describe their thought process around what happened during the incident. At this stage, they do not have access to CCTV or body-worn video footage - and so it is usually only a few lines.

Once an initial statement has been taken, the officer goes home.

Gareth added: “Referrals are put in place to ensure the officer is looked after. We appreciate every person’s situation is different.”

At least 48 hours following this, the officer is asked to give a more detailed account of what happened. This takes place either at the suite or the Federation office.

The officer is then advised to have some paid-for time off - the length of which should be determined by the severity of the incident. This occurs between stages three and four but can be extended in consultation with the officer’s management team.

“Even once all evidence has been given, we will still protect the welfare of the officer until the investigation is complete. We also ensure a detailed intelligence and community impact assessment is completed in relation to the individual involved and the incident, in order to give the officers involved peace of mind and to allow us to make further considerations around the protection of their identity,” said Gareth.

Chair of Derbyshire Police Federation Tony Wetton explained how there is a Fed rep on call at all times, in case a member needs their support.

“As soon as we are called to support a member, we will head there immediately,” said Tony, who explained that the Federation will also ensure all evidence submitted has been approved by a solicitor.

“The role of the Fed during a post-incident procedure is hugely important. Our purpose is to protect the rights of our members and their position, as well as their welfare and mental wellbeing.”