Page 16 - WMPF Federation Dec2018-flip_Neat

Seeking fairness

Conduct reps express

concern over new

IOPC guidelines

est Midlands Police Federation
conduct leads have voiced their
Wconcerns over the interpretation
of new guidelines from the police watchdog.
The Independent Office for Police event where a member of the public has
Conduct (IOPC) says the guidelines will apply died.
across all fatalities or serious incidents “It is an area that we will be watching
arising from road traffic incidents, firearms closely to ensure that officers are treated
operations, incidents in custody or other fairly and not made to feel like suspects
police contact. rather than the witnesses they invariably
It is currently a draft document, but if are.”
ratified by the Home Secretary, it will compel The Federation also takes issue with
all 43 forces in England and Wales to follow aspects around officer anonymity,
the set procedures. particularly if IOPC staff are in possession of
But the Federation is concerned about personal details, as is suggested in the
the way investigators might interpret some guidance.
clauses, especially across three key areas, Federation national chair John Apter
most notably: said: “If this information were released, it
l The ones covering separation of officers would massively impact on officers and their
following incidents George McDonnell, West Midlands Police families and wreck any trust in the IOPC
l Anonymity of officers, and Federation discipline lead. from our members.
l The ability to allow officers to review matters on relevance, including PIP, policy “There are still also unanswered
their own body-worn video (BWV) and recent incidents and we currently have a questions on the ability of officers to view
footage before providing detailed good, professional working relationship with their body-worn video and the speed and
statements. the IOPC locally.” extent of initial accounts expected from
George McDonell, discipline lead at West He continued: “In this latest draft, there officers.
Midlands Police Federation, said: “Our has been some movement by the IOPC in “However, the Federation is committed
representatives will continue to use and relation to the statutory guidance and to working with the IOPC to ensure that any
apply the College of Policing Authorised softening of the language used. However, death or serious injury (DSI) investigation
Professional Practice when dealing with there are still concerns about how it will be gets the level of co-operation and
post-incident procedures (PIP) - as this is the interpreted by its investigators. information needed to properly satisfy public
only statutory, approved guidance to follow “Some consensus appears to have been scrutiny whilst affording the appropriate
at this time. reached on the separation of officers, but protections to all parties.”
“West Midlands Police Federation the IOPC still maintain it is its ‘preference to He said that the success of co-operative
conduct and performance lead officers separate key policing witnesses’. This is an working would be largely dependent on the
(CaPLO) regularly meet with the IOPC at its emotive issue for our members, who may IOPC ensuring its investigators received the
“ and it is only right that when these tragedies
appropriate training, adding: “Any death
have been through an extremely traumatic
regional office at Quinton to discuss local
following police contact is a tragic incident
All we ask is for our members to be treated
occur they are properly investigated.
fairly during the process of any subsequent

“All we ask is for our members to be
treated fairly during the process of any
subsequent investigation, rather than our
experience of investigators trying to find
find fault and someone to blame.”
previous experience of investigators trying to
George concludes: “It’s definitely a work
fault and someone to blame. in progress and something we will need to
closely monitor in order to safeguard our
members.”
16 federation December 2018/January 2019 www.polfed.org/westmids
investigation, rather than our previous “