New Post-Incident Procedure suite at Federation Headquarters is a great asset for members

7 October 2021

The new Post-Incident Procedure (PIP) suite at Kent Police Federation’s headquarters in Maidstone is a great asset to Federation members, providing “an extra layer of stability and comfort for officers”.

Post-incident investigations will commence in all situations following police contact that may have resulted in death or serious injury, revealed failings in command or caused danger to officers or the public.

The suite is in the Federation’s newly refurbished offices rather than being owned by the force, which Chairman Neil Mennie said was “psychologically important” so that members felt they were “under the umbrella of the Federation”.

Neil said: “Being subject to a Post-Incident Procedure can be a very frightening experience – it only tends to be applied when officers have been in a fairly extreme situation where someone’s been badly hurt or sadly lost their life. So I think it’s really important that they’re able to do it in a comfortable environment, under the umbrella of the Federation, in a good-quality conference room.

“We’ll feed colleagues, we’ll look after them, their barristers and solicitors will be there if they’re needed, and it really just puts an arm around them, because it can feel like they’ve done something wrong. They’ve not done anything wrong. They’re witnesses, and that is the absolutely critical part of Post-Incident Procedure.”

Neil said the word “procedure” made some officers nervous, but that it shouldn’t do, as it was a robust process. He said: “If it’s done properly it looks after the individual and protects them and extrapolates the best information from them. So it’s really, really important.”

The refurbished office was an asset to the Federation and its members, Neil said. He added: “It’s an investment in our officers and colleagues, it’s located in an easily accessible location, with a car park, not far from the training school.

“We encourage all our Reps to drop in and see us, and indeed members if they want to. We’re always happy to welcome people.”