Post-Incident Procedure: "Officers have 24 hour help if they need it"

25 October 2019

Kent Police officers can be assured that 24-hour help is available to them should they need it as part of the Post-Incident Procedure process.

That was the message to Kent Police officers following the Police Federation of England and Wales’ Post-Incident Procedure (PIP) Seminar this week.

PIP processes kick in when there has been a death or serious injury following police contact and they are there to protect and support police officers, according to Dan Pearce, Secretary of Kent Police Federation.

Dan said: “There is good knowledge of the process from officers within firearms departments but often officers can be like rabbits in headlights as it can be quite unnerving to be taken away from your colleagues and advised not to talk about or write anything down.

"It feels almost the exact opposite of what police officers would normally do. My advice is to try and listen, the process will be fully explained to you and if you have any concerns ensure you let your Federation Representative know."

Dan added: “There is a misconception within some in the police service that PIP will occur where an officer has made a mistake or the organisation has some vulnerabilities. The process is exactly the opposite, it is only available to witnesses, not suspects, so if there is any indication that an officer may have some criminal or misconduct vulnerabilities then the PIP process is unlikely to occur for that officer.”

Kent Federation provides a 24/7 on call rota of accredited representatives that will attend when a PIP is declared. The representatives will ensure that officer welfare is looked after and will act as a liaison between their legal advisor, the Post Incident Manager and where appropriate PSD and or the IOPC.

The representative and legal adviser will also ensure the officer’s status as a witness is confirmed before they are asked to give an account.

Dan added: “The process is entirely about achieving best evidence following what is likely to have been a traumatic experience. The framework has built in time delays that are scientifically proven to aid recall. This about ensuring that any evidence you do give is the best and most accurate it can be.”

Federation representatives met in Warwickshire this week (23-24 October) for the fourth annual seminar on Post-Incident Procedure.