Welcome

Frontline policing: a new challenge – and learning opportunity – every day. 

Welcome to this edition of Learning the Lessons, looking at frontline policing, where officers interact with the public and deal with difficult and unexpected situations on a daily basis. These interactions present an invaluable opportunity for officers to build the public’s respect and trust, but there is also the risk of damaging that fragile relationship if things go wrong.

Officers face daily challenges, usually being the first on the scene when there is a crime, serious incident or crisis. They have to make snap decisions under pressure, in fast-changing and difficult conditions. The IOPC hears the stories of when police contact with the public hasn’t gone well, and we are here to help officers, staff and forces learn from when things go wrong. We also get to see examples of first-class police work, practices and officer bravery, and it is important to share these stories too.

In this issue you can find out about work to transform local policing and increase confidence, via the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, and research on what people really want from the police. Officer wellbeing is also featured, including important information on suicide prevention, mental health, and how we at the IOPC safeguard police witnesses and subjects in our investigations. 

Two of our articles address interacting with young people: how to prevent falling into the trap of ‘adultifying’ the young, and how overlooking neurodiversity can lead to unnecessary escalation.

We look at important practicalities, such as how the Met are reforming their first aid training. Officers from Warwickshire Police share their reflections on a case demonstrating the importance of body-worn video: captured footage showed them going above and beyond to try to save a driver in a fatal incident. 

We also provide ten case studies from real-life incidents that we have investigated or reviewed, involving issues such as use of force, equipment, and encounters with young people. These provide an opportunity for learning, discussion and reflection: what would you have done in the same situation? We include the actual outcome of the cases, any recommendations made and what forces did to prevent the same problems occurring again.

I thank everyone who has contributed to this edition of the magazine. 

Every interaction between police and the public offers an opportunity to build trust and confidence in policing. To that end, I hope you find this magazine interesting, thought-provoking and, above all, useful. 

Rachel Watson 

Director General, IOPC