Operational partnerships - Critical incident management policy (O01)

1. Summary of changes

1.1. This policy has been reviewed in November 2023 – minor updates to paragraphs 3.3 and 6.1.

2. What this policy is about

2.1. Kent Police invest significant resources in to the effective management of critical incidents and are mindful that any incident could become critical. This policy and linked procedure outlines the Kent Police response to critical incidents and their management.

2.2. A critical incident is defined as any incident where the effectiveness of the police response is likely to have a significant impact on the confidence of the victim, their family and/or the community.

2.3. Effectiveness: this is a measure of the professionalism, competence and integrity evident in the police response to an incident.

2.4. Significant impact: ‘significant’ should be interpreted as being particular to each incident but critically relates to the ‘impact’ on the individual, family and/or community.

2.5. Confidence: this is a reference to long-term confidence in policing by victims, families and/or communities.

3. Statement of policy

3.1. This policy and linked procedure complies with national guidance from the College of Policing.

3.2. Kent Police manage critical incidents based on the College of Policing nationally accepted three stage practice of:

• preparing for critical incidents
• managing critical incidents
• restoring public confidence

3.3. Public involvement is crucial to the effective management of critical incidents. Strategic engagement with Kent Police is achieved in partnership with the Independent Advisor Group (IAG).

3.4. Independent Critical Incident Advisors (ICIA) are on hand to advise Kent Police throughout each stage of a critical incident.

Kent Police Critical Incident Management policy complies with national guidance from the College of Policing Authorised Professional Policing website.

3.5. The Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015 places a duty upon specified authorities (which includes the police) to ensure that their functions are discharged having due regard to the need to prevent people being drawn into terrorism. The contact which all officers and staff have with members of the public provides them with opportunities to identify concerns and trigger the appropriate prevent response to ensure their protection. It is essential that officers and staff understand the issues of radicalisation, are able to identify why people may be vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism as a consequence of it and how to obtain support for people who may be being exploited by radicalising influences (details are contained within the prevent duty and the channel duty). This policy has been reviewed and assessed that the CTSA duties could be relevant.

3.6. Kent Police will adhere to the JESIP principles in all operational aspects of their duties. Best practice and organisational learning identified will be shared between police and other JESIP partners by way of the joint organisational learning database in adherence to these principles.

4. Implications of policy

4.1. Finance/staffing/training - All police officers are trained to respond and undertake initial command and control. There is a mandatory eLearning package for all front-line staff to recognise and manage critical incidents according to their role.

4.2. Risk assessment - this policy has been assessed as medium risk.

4.3. Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) - an EIA has been carried out and shows the proposals in this policy would have no potential or actual differential impact on the grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, transgender, disability, age, religion or belief or sexual orientation.

5. Consultation

5.1. Consultation has taken place across the county amongst Gold, Silver and Bronze Commanders and with members of the Force Control Room, Response Command and Neighbourhood Officers at the initial instigation of this policy. Corporate consultation has taken place with Information Security, Finance, HR, Legal, Health and Safety. Further consultation is taking place with key stakeholders as above in order to further refine the structure of critical incident management within Kent Police and to ensure that best practice and learning points are captured and briefed not only in relation to declared critical incidents but also other significant events where it is identified that organisational learning or best practice should be promulgated.

6. Monitoring and review

6.1. A quarterly Operational Learning Board is chaired by the Tactical Operations Superintendent. The structure of this Board has been refined to ensure that wider learning is also identified by the group, relating to other significant incidents in addition to those declared as critical. Further the revised structure ensures that key learning is also shared between the Operational Learning Board and other key Boards – JESIP Board, Learning the Lessons Board, FCR Operational Review Committee. Lessons are disseminated to the force through the publication of a regular force command bulletin.

6.2. This SOP will be reviewed yearly with the next review due in November 2025.

7. Security

7.1. Kent Police have measures in place to protect the security of your data in accordance with our Information Management policy.

8. Retention and disposal of records

8.1. Kent Police will hold data in accordance with our Records Review, Retention and Disposal policy.