New policy on DSI

7 July 2020

Officers involved in any Post-Incident Procedures (PIP) will now be given the protection afforded to those subjected to a firearms PIP.

This comes after the College of Policing yesterday launched a Death or Serious Injury Authorised Professional Practice (DSI APP) Policy.

The policy sets out the steps that should be taken by a force to protect officers legally, look after their welfare and support them during an investigation.

“We welcome this new policy,” says Jon Nott, chair of West Midlands Police Federation, “For many years, there has been a death or serious injury policy in place for firearms officers. This has been thoroughly tested through the courts and sets a standard to ensure officers are protected but also helps them provide the best evidence.

“As the PIP processes are also used for any incident in which there is a death or serious injury following police contact, it makes complete sense for a policy to be in place for any officer involved in a PIP. I would advise all officers to read the APP guidance to make sure they understand the new processes.”

Steve Hartshorn, the national Federation’s PIP lead, added: “We will continue to support our members who are involved in a PIP not only through our Welfare Support Programme but also by ensuring they have the right legal advice. We encourage anyone who finds themselves in this situation to contact their local Federation rep as soon as possible so we can get them the assistance they need.”

Read the policy and find out more

Read the PIP leaflet and Welfare Support Programme leaflet