Police Use of Force Ch Insp Neil Williams
Force Lead for Use of Force • To Improve internal scrutiny for instances where force has been used by Nottinghamshire Police personnel. – Performance / Organisational risks / Training requirements. • To develop structures for external scrutiny. • To make instances where force is used more open and transparent to the communities of Nottinghamshire. • To ensure that all force used by Nottinghamshire Police personnel is recorded effectively. • To provide feedback at a National level to allow improvements across the Force area, the region and Nationally.
Police Officers are lawfully allowed to use force in the following circumstances: • To prevent Crime / for lawful detention of offenders or suspected offenders or persons unlawfully at large – Section 3 Criminal Law Act 1967. • Officers can use force when using any of the powers authorised to them under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984(PACE). – Section 117 PACE. • If a person has an honest held belief, that they or another is in imminent danger, force can be used to avert the danger (Self Defence). – Common Law. • Article 2 of the Human Rights Act supports the use of force where it is necessary to defend any person from unlawful violence, affect a lawful arrest, prevent the escape of a person lawfully detained and to quell a riot or insurrection. Any Force used by Officers must be reasonable in the circumstances and never excessive.
Personal Protective Equipment - PPE Police officers carry personal protective equipment to protect themselves and others, to assist in control and restraint. All officers are trained to the national standards set by the College of Policing in the use of the equipment they carry which may vary dependant on their role. • Batons / Asp • Handcuffs • Irritant Sprays • Limb Restraints • Shields
Authorised work related equipment. Appropriately trained Police officers are also authorised to carry specific work related equipment. This includes: • Firearms • Attenuating Energy Projectiles (AEP) • Taser Prior to the use of this equipment officers must consider the lawful authority to use force in conjunction with specific legal requirements around the use of firearms and also health and safety legislation.
Unarmed Defence Tactics - UDT Police Officers and PCSO’s are trained in unarmed defence tactics. These tactics include empty hand, kicks and knee strikes for close quarter defence allowing the officer to protect themselves and others and to control and restrain the subject. Once initially trained officers must be reaccredited in these tactics on an annual basis.
There now follows three scenarios to consider if force was appropriately used.
Scenario 1 PC X and PC Y are on duty in uniform as part of the Nottingham City Knife Crime team. It is 19.10 on the 8th November. A report is received of two males and a female being seen on Forest Road, East, Radford. The two males are suspected of having knives as they were seen by a third party to be showing them to the female member of the group. PC X and PC Y attend the location and identify two males and a female who fit the description. The officers are happy that they have grounds to search the males. The males are both compliant however the officers make a decision to handcuff both males before they search them. The grounds for the use of the hand cuffs is to prevent the males from escaping and to prevent injury to themselves or others. Was the use of Force in this scenario justified?
Scenario 2 PC Z is on duty as part of a serial of Officers sent to Police a Protest at Sherwood Forest near Ollerton. A small section of the forest is being cut down to allow expansion of a local housing development. An environmental camp has been set up in close proximity to the building site. It is 08.30 on 2nd February and a company of tree surgeons has arrived on site to start felling some trees. A small group of protestors have arrived at the location and have proceeded to make a human chain around an old oak tree to prevent it being cut down. PC Z’s serial have been deployed to remove the protestors from the tree to allow the tree surgeons to begin working. A five step appeal has been given to the protestors and officers are now directed to remove the protestors. PC Z approaches one protestor who is holding on to protestors either side of them. PC Z then applies pressure to an area of the Protestors neck which is a recognised pressure point. This leads to the protestor releasing their grip on the other protestors allowing PC Z to pull the protestor away from the tree and detain them. Was the use of Force in this scenario justified?
Scenario 3 PC T is on duty at 23.00 in Mansfield on a Friday night in December as part of the night time economy operation. PC T responds to a call from door staff at a local bar on Clumber St where a male has been ejected and is now threatening staff. Upon arrival PC T see’s a male outside the front door of the premises threatening two door staff. As PC T arrives the male grabs hold of one of the door staff and puts him in a head lock. PC T takes hold of the male and tries to release his grip on the member of door staff. The male does not release his grip but continues to hold onto the door supervisor. PC T uses a series of knee strikes on the male to make him release the grip on the member of the door staff in order that he can detain him. Was the use of Force in this scenario justified?
Questions ?
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