Exigency of Duty

What is an Exigency of Duty?

 Police Regulations require officers to be given advance notice of their duties, including Rest Days, Bank Holidays and duty times. Once a duty roster has been published, any subsequent changes must arise from the exigencies of duty, unless the change has been requested by the officer or otherwise agreed.

The term exigency of duty is used throughout Police Regulations and can be open to interpretation. In simple terms, it relates to a pressing operational requirement that was not reasonably foreseeable when the duty roster was originally published and that makes a change to duties necessary.

When Can an Exigency Be Used? 

There is no definitive list of circumstances that constitute an exigency of duty. However, examples that would generally justify changes to a published roster include:

• Unforeseen public order incidents
• Court attendance
• Intelligence-led operations
• Essential training requirements
• Unexpected shortages in critical staffing levels due to sickness or compassionate leave

The key consideration is whether the operational requirement was reasonably foreseeable at the time the roster was published.

When Would an Exigency Not Normally Apply?

 Events and policing demands that are known about well in advance would not generally be considered exigencies. Examples may include:

• Christmas and New Year policing operations
• Halloween and Bonfire Night
• Large-scale planned events and festivals
• Annual events where demand can reasonably be anticipated

The Federation's view is that where major events are foreseeable, duties should be planned and communicated with sufficient notice. Good workforce planning benefits both operational effectiveness and officers' work-life balance.

Hampshire Police Federation's Position

The Federation regularly engages with Force Resource Managers regarding the use of exigencies and seeks to ensure they are used appropriately and only where genuinely necessary.

Where duty changes are proposed, we encourage Resource Managers to provide a clear explanation of the operational requirement and the rationale behind the decision. We work to ensure that alternative options have been considered before exigencies are implemented.

Need Advice?

If your duties have been altered due to an exigency and you do not understand the reason provided, or you would like advice on whether the change is appropriate, please contact the Federation Office at federation@hampshire.police.uk or call 02380 478 920.

We are happy to discuss the circumstances and provide guidance where required.