Unified Control Room Policy PDF

**UNIFIED CONTROL ROOM POLICY** **TABLE OF DOCUMENT DETAILS** +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Title | | +===================================+===================================+ | Reference No...

**UNIFIED CONTROL ROOM POLICY** **TABLE OF DOCUMENT DETAILS** +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Title | | +===================================+===================================+ | Reference No | SO OPS 16 | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Relevant Department or Group | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Ownership | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Document Author | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Approved by | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Approval Date | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Implementation Date | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | To be Reviewed Date | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Last Revised Date | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Quality Assured by | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Protective Marking | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Linked to other | [OPS 11 Civil Emergency | | | Plan](https://modgovuk.sharepoint | | Standing Order |.com/:w:/r/teams/25468/STANDING%2 | | | 0ORDERS%202023/Standing%20Orders% | | | 202023/OPERATIONS/OPS%2011.docx?d | | | =wc11c3f7dec1649c49f68bedae9ea373 | | | f&csf=1&web=1&e=4sGH6Z), | | | [SO OPS 4 Responding to Firearms | | | Incidents](https://modgovuk.share | | | point.com/:w:/r/teams/25468/STAND | | | ING%20ORDERS%202023/Standing%20Or | | | ders%202023%20onward/OPERATIONS/O | | | PS%204.docx?d=wc266a3b4d31b418d99 | | | 721824a8e8ee23&csf=1&web=1&e=58ee | | | 0V), | | | [SO OPS 14 Passage of | | | Information](https://modgovuk.sha | | | repoint.com/:w:/r/teams/25468/STA | | | NDING%20ORDERS%202023/Standing%20 | | | Orders%202023%20onward/OPERATIONS | | | /OPS%2014.docx?d=w71df9b3b22de475 | | | 59905c3cb3f66dc64&csf=1&web=1&e=h | | | 1VLNX), | | | [SO OPS 9 Command | | | Structures-Public Order | | | Operations](https://modgovuk.shar | | | epoint.com/:w:/r/teams/25468/STAN | | | DING%20ORDERS%202023/Standing%20O | | | rders%202023%20onward/OPERATIONS/ | | | OPS%209.docx?d=w48c9ab278bad4bea8 | | | 688c1bb24ea5f50&csf=1&web=1&e=zGm | | | 46g) | | | , [SO OPS 10 Tension | | | Indicators](https://modgovuk.shar | | | epoint.com/:w:/r/teams/25468/STAN | | | DING%20ORDERS%202023/Standing%20O | | | rders%202023%20onward/OPERATIONS/ | | | OPS%2010.docx?d=w1769ca91c7e74c2a | | | b5aee8fbb8e380e3&csf=1&web=1&e=Wu | | | f8Tt) | | | , [SO OPS 2 OP | | | Kidemonas](https://modgovuk.share | | | point.com/:w:/r/teams/25468/STAND | | | ING%20ORDERS%202023/Standing%20Or | | | ders%202023%20onward/OPERATIONS/O | | | PS%202.docx?d=wa32b5e6bcf394568a9 | | | 94d1fb4d42693a&csf=1&web=1&e=bTNg | | | nY) | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Relevant Regulation | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ | Pages | | | | | | (including this page) | | +-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+ [Policy statement](#policystatement) [Section 1](#policystatement) ----------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------- ----------------------------------------- [Introduction](#introduction) [Section 2](#introduction) [Resourcing and scope](#resourcingandscope) [Section 3](#resourcingandscope) [Technical support resources](#technicalsupportresources) [Section 4](#technicalsupportresources) [National Decision Model (NDM)](#ndm) [Section 5](#ndm) [Application and Principles](#applicationandprinciples) [Section 6](#applicationandprinciples) [Working together under JESIP](#jesip) [Section 7](#jesip) [THRIVEA](#thrive) [Section 8](#thrive) [Initial handling of calls and investigation](#initialhandling) [Section 9](#initialhandling) [Prioritizing incidents](#prioritizingincidents) [Section 10](#prioritizingincidents) [Deployment](#deployment) [Section 11](#deployment) [Recording decisions & Incident logs](#recordingdecicions) [Section 12](#recordingdecicions) [Review grading criteria](#reviewgradingcriteria) [Page 3](#reviewgradingcriteria)9 [Section 13](#reviewgradingcriteria) [Incident management](#incidentmanagement) [Page](#incidentmanagement) 40 [Section 14](#incidentmanagement) **TABLE OF CONTENTS** **1.** []{#policystatement.anchor}**Policy statement** **1.1** SBA Police is committed in dealing professionally with all calls for service from the public. We want to meet the needs of callers and the expectations of the wider community by delivering a timely and effective response, which is appropriate and proportionate to the Threat, Harm, Risk, Investigation, Vulnerability, Engagement and Appropriate Agency (THRIVEA) of the incident. **1.2 Aims** **1.3 Human Rights -- Equality & Diversity** **1.4 Code of Ethics** **2.** []{#introduction.anchor}**Introduction** **2.1** The UCR will operate as a focal point of command and dispatch. Calls will be received, assessed and thereby relevant resources will be dispatched accordingly. This policy must be read in conjunction with relevant policies especially those applying to operational handling and dispatching of resources and the general management of incidents, such as Standing orders [OPS 11 Civil Emergency Plan](https://modgovuk.sharepoint.com/:w:/r/teams/25468/STANDING%20ORDERS%202023/Standing%20Orders%202023/OPERATIONS/OPS%2011.docx?d=wc11c3f7dec1649c49f68bedae9ea373f&csf=1&web=1&e=4sGH6Z), [SO OPS 4 Responding to Firearms Incidents](https://modgovuk.sharepoint.com/:w:/r/teams/25468/STANDING%20ORDERS%202023/Standing%20Orders%202023%20onward/OPERATIONS/OPS%204.docx?d=wc266a3b4d31b418d99721824a8e8ee23&csf=1&web=1&e=58ee0V), [SO OPS 14 Passage of Information](https://modgovuk.sharepoint.com/:w:/r/teams/25468/STANDING%20ORDERS%202023/Standing%20Orders%202023%20onward/OPERATIONS/OPS%2014.docx?d=w71df9b3b22de47559905c3cb3f66dc64&csf=1&web=1&e=h1VLNX), [SO OPS 9 Command Structures-Public Order Operations](https://modgovuk.sharepoint.com/:w:/r/teams/25468/STANDING%20ORDERS%202023/Standing%20Orders%202023%20onward/OPERATIONS/OPS%209.docx?d=w48c9ab278bad4bea8688c1bb24ea5f50&csf=1&web=1&e=zGm46g) , [SO OPS 10 Tension Indicators](https://modgovuk.sharepoint.com/:w:/r/teams/25468/STANDING%20ORDERS%202023/Standing%20Orders%202023%20onward/OPERATIONS/OPS%2010.docx?d=w1769ca91c7e74c2ab5aee8fbb8e380e3&csf=1&web=1&e=Wuf8Tt) and [SO OPS 2 OP Kidemonas](https://modgovuk.sharepoint.com/:w:/r/teams/25468/STANDING%20ORDERS%202023/Standing%20Orders%202023%20onward/OPERATIONS/OPS%202.docx?d=wa32b5e6bcf394568a994d1fb4d42693a&csf=1&web=1&e=bTNgnY) **3.** []{#resourcingandscope.anchor}**Resourcing and scope** **3.1** The UCR will be supported by operators from the Police, Customs and Military. The Team will be supervised by a police officer of the rank of Inspector who will have the role of the Initial Tactical Firearms Commander (ITFC) for the force. - - - - - - - - - - - **4.** []{#technicalsupportresources.anchor}**Technical support resources** **4.1 ANPR -- The Automatic Number Plate Recognition System is installed and will alert the** Unified Control Room **with identification of stolen vehicles, pending warrants or criminal investigations, including persons of interest on behalf of the SBAP or CyPol. The system will also support Customs and Police service at the Check Points in Dhekelia. Such data / information provided by the ANPR will enable direct police responses as well as pre-planned operations, deriving from data analysis and trend identification.** **4.2 Dispatcher** -- This system will give us the capability of having a visual (GPS) of the location of all the Police and Customs radios of officers on patrol and at the same time, will provide an effective mobilisation of resources and a security coverage. **4.3 Building CCTV** -- All close circuit television systems installed at the Police Stations, Her Majesty's Prison (HMP), Check Points (external & internal) will be monitored from within the Control Room. **4.4 Passport Scanners** - It is anticipated that there will be a monitor in the Control room which will be providing information in relation to the passport reads that will be conducted at the 2 crossing points and flight terminal of RAF Akrotiri by SBA Customs personnel. The SBA Customs Control Support officer will be responsible to monitor the data provided by the reads and report to the UCR Inspector. **5.** []{#ndm.anchor}**National Decision Model (NDM)** **5.1** The National Decision Model (NDM) is the primary decision-making model used in the SBA Police. The NDM is inherently flexible and is applied to the development and review of all policy, procedure, strategy, project, plan, or guidance. Understanding, using, and measuring the NDM ensures that we can make ethical, proportionate, and defensible decisions in relation to policy, procedure, strategy, project, plan or guidance. - - - **5.2 The model** - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - **6.** []{#applicationandprinciples.anchor}**Application and principles** **6.1** The UCR is a Headquarters Unit and will be accommodated at the WSBA M1 Police Station. It will be responsible for the handling of incoming emergency and non-emergency calls and the deployment and management of resources to incidents across the SBA's. - The Tasking & Co-Ordination Units (TCU) of both Divisions will be responsible to provide full details of the availability and abstractions of divisional resources for the information of the UCR, daily. - When assuming duty the Response Team Supervisors from both divisions will be responsible to brief the UCR Inspector on their operational taskings, commitments and plans for their tour of duty. The programming and resourcing of teams will be the responsibility of the team supervisors, whereas dispatching resources to spontaneous incidents will rest on the UCR Inspector. - Routine public non-emergency requests for police service will be delegated/transferred by the UCR to the appropriate unit or department of the relevant Division. The UCR operators will make every effort to resolve any such non-emergency / routine requests if possible before delegation to avoid any unnecessary deployment. This may be achieved by determining whether the person they wish to speak to is available, taking a message, providing advice, or sign-posting the caller to another agency. Where this cannot be achieved, the first contact officer may arrange for a scheduled appointment. Alternatively, the call should be transferred to the most appropriate department or contact having assessed the caller's needs and ensure that there is a proper handover to a colleague who is able to assist. - The UCR Unit will use the Dispatcher to locate and task the nearest deployable police resource to the incident to ensure that there is a prompt response. The Controller will assert control and decide on the most appropriate resource to send to the incident. Patrols must not self-deploy to incidents without the authority or knowledge of the UCR Inspector. - The SBA Customs and Military will appoint representatives to operate as daily liaison operators in the UCR, with SBA Police staff. - The UCR will operate as a focal point of command & control at **[Silver Level]** in the event of any emergency response. Relevant command and control handing over procedure will ensue as appropriate, based on Command Protocols. - In the event of an emergency where no operator(s) from other Emergency Services is actively present in the Control Room, the UCR Inspector will call out all liaison representatives to attend. - All Emergency Services will establish a call out list for their 'Nominated Call Out Operators' for the UCR and an estimated time of attendance (ETA). - The Emergency Line (112) and Confidential Line (1443) is installed in the Control Room. In the event where members of the public have contacted any other officer outside the Control Room, through a different internal contact number about an incident, the officer must relay any such information to the control room, for information and/or action as necessary. - An 'enquiry' may be a caller requesting or providing information, or contact by a member of the force or contact or action by another agency - Those first in contact with the caller should conduct a risk assessment in accordance with the THRIVEA (See further below) and identify whether the matter is an 'enquiry' or an 'incident' and strive to meet the caller's needs. - Effective risk management involves the identification, assessment, and prioritisation of risks. It should lead to the appropriate use of resources to minimise, monitor, and control the probability and/or impact of the incident. This continues throughout the duration of the incident and must continually be assessed as the situation changes so that the threat and risk assessment is revisited, and action reviewed in line with the NDM. - A Grading System will apply (See below), to enable sound decision making in the prioritisation of responses. The response to an incident should be indicated by the incident priority given. It is very important that the correct response is initiated. The response must continually be assessed and if the situation changes the response level must be changed. Active incidents should be regularly reviewed using the NDM Model, so that if further information comes to light, the incident is reviewed and re-prioritised to reflect the current situation. Any changes to the priority level afforded to an incident must be properly recorded and the rationale documented. [No change in the priority status of an incident can ever be made because of non-availability of police resources.] - **Dispatched resources must provide relevant feedback and keep the UCR briefed, on the progress of their activities.** - **All incident/dispatch decisions and related details will be chronologically recorded in our Daily Occurrence Record (DOR) and where appropriate and necessary a relevant 'Incident Log' will also be initiated for cases.** - **The UCR recording system will be switched on dealing with firearms and critical incidents, anything other than these incidents the use of the system will be subject to the judgment and the directions of the UCR Inspector.** - **General continuity and investigation records on routine non-emergency actions delegated from the UCR, must be made by the officers to whom the action was delegated to. This will establish efficient communication between the units.** - **Routine Hand Over -- Take Over procedure involving issues like, equipment, firearms, ammunitions, property, cash bail, fines, warrants, persons in custody, etc., will be the responsibility of the Police Team Supervisor on duty.** - **Communication between the UCR and dispatched resources will be via radios. This will enhance communication and general awareness standards. Land telephone lines and mobile phones will only be used if the radios fail or are not functioning properly.** - **All pre-planned operations such as execution of warrants or joint operations will be undertaken by Divisional resources under the knowledge and control of the senior management teams. The UCR will respond to spontaneous incidents only.** - **The Initial Tactical Firearms Commander will deal with all initial firearms incidents, if the incident is prolonged or pre-planning is needed a Cadre Tactical Firearms Commander will be called out.** **7.** []{#jesip.anchor}**Working together under JESIP** **7.1 The UCR will ideally be resourced in the future with representatives from all the Blue Light Services.** The need for a joint response is not new. The findings and lessons identified by public inquiries and inquests have highlighted cases where the emergency services could have worked better together and shown much greater levels of communication, co-operation, and co-ordination. Applying simple principles for joint working are particularly important in the early stages of an incident, when clear, robust decisions and actions need to be taken with minimum delay, in an often rapidly changing environment. Therefore, it is very important that UCR staff are well aware of the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Programme (JESIP) which was established to address this deficit. JESIP provides agreed joint working practices to improve the way the police, fire and ambulance services work together when responding to incidents. - - **7.2 METHANE Model** **7.3** **The Joint Decision Model (JDM)** - - - - - - - **The UCR will play a vital role in managing the early stages of a multi-agency incident. There cannot be a coordinated multi-agency response or effective communication if the UCR does not deliver a swift and joint approach to handling them.** **This policy is intended to give guidance in the interoperability framework building consistency into the procedures and working practices of the UCR. It also sets out what responders can expect from the UCR when attending a multi-agency incident. This guidance is divided into three sections, which align to the principles for joint working:** - **Communication** - **Shared situational awareness and joint understanding of risk** - **Co-ordination and co-location** **It is important for the UCR, especially when fully resourced with all the Emergency Services representatives to ensure that dispatched resources are deployed and coordinated in such a manner as to minimize risks and enhance efficiency and effectiveness in the overall command and control incidents.** **8.** []{#thrive.anchor}**THRIVEA (Threat, harm, risk, investigation, vulnerability, engagement, appropriate agency)** **8.1** When using the NDM, UCR staff should use the THRIVEA principles to ensure that they use the information available to make informed decisions. THRIVEA sits within the 'Assess risk and develop a working strategy' element within the NDM. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Consideration must be given to whether the victim is a greater risk due to their vulnerability even where the threat itself may be low in other circumstances. A simple way of assessing vulnerability is through the **Vulnerability Assessment Framework (VAF) which is a** tool to prompt identifying vulnerability in all circumstances where the police have contact with victims, suspects and witnesses. It enables officers to build a more detailed record of the circumstances and information that led them to identify someone as vulnerable and in need of assistance, arrest or referral. When officers are using this tool, they are expected to recognise signs of vulnerability. They should record and relay this information effectively using each letter (ABCDE -- see the bullet list below) and related elements as a cue or framework for their report. Officers can provide this information to ambulance staff, healthcare professionals and/or police custody staff without delay, either verbally or in writing via a formally recorded risk assessment or statement. Information concerning the individual's vulnerability at the point of arrest or detention may prove valuable for medical diagnoses and risk management. The ABCDE system is as follows: - **Appearance and atmosphere:** what you see first, including physical problems such as bleeding. - **Behaviour:** what individuals are doing, and if this is appropriate behaviour given the situation. - **Communication:** what individuals say and how they say it. - **Danger:** whether individuals are in danger and whether their actions put other people in danger. - **Environment:** where they are situated, whether anyone else is there and what impact the wider circumstances may have on the individual's health and safety. **9.** []{#initialhandling.anchor}**Initial handling of calls and investigation** **9.1** The point at which a member of the public initially reports a crime/incident to the police can have a lasting effect on the investigation, in terms of how it is investigated thereafter and in terms of the level of confidence taken away by the victim. There is only one opportunity to make a good first impression to the public. - Provide all victims with support, advice, and assistance - Conduct a thorough initial investigation, obtaining as much information as possible so an informed screening decision can be made at the earliest opportunity and thus better manage victim expectations from the outset. - The initial investigation must include as a minimum: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. **10.** []{#prioritizingincidents.anchor}**Prioritizing incidents** **10.1** Incidents will be assessed and graded as requiring either an emergency or non-emergency response as below: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - **11.** []{#deployment.anchor}**Deployment** - Take command of the Divisional resources of the respective Division where the incident took place. - Initiate and maintain constant liaison and communication with the station duty officer. - Consider the notification of any other persons and/or agencies internal or external which may be in any way likely to be implicated or have interest in the incident, including the Senior Officer on Call. - Evaluate incidents and once there will be no further need for any further coordination of resources and/or agencies and the incident will move into the investigation phase, the control room inspector will not get involved any further. - Expect and demand updates regarding all actions and further information from the responding officers attending any incident, which must be fed back to the UCR. - Maintain close monitoring of the progress of the incident, the Divisional Duty officer will have the responsibility to update and/or make an additional entry on the DOR (including Sitrep) and to inform the UCR Inspector of the final outcome of the incident. - Be responsible to quality assure all Sitrep entries and ensure that they are in accordance with the relevant standing order. - Be responsible to notify the Senior Officer On-Call and the updating of any other agencies (military, CyPol, Fire Brigade, Medical Services) in relation to any incidents. This will include the checking and quality assuring of the Sitrep before circulation. The following is a non-exhaustive list of matters where a police resource would be deployed to: - To save life and/or prevent serious injury - Security issues - Prevent or deal with public disorder - Sudden or unexplained death - Sexual offences within the forensic seven-day evidential window - Serious violent offences - High public interest - Offender detained or still in the locality - Where the scene needs to be preserved - Where evidence is likely to be lost - Fatal and injury RTCs, any RTC involving serious traffic disruption - Missing persons - The victim is considered vulnerable - Crimes that have a significant impact on the victim or have special circumstances - Any Crimes or incidents that have been identified as a Force priority. - Road blockages, obstructions, Traffic Control, Diversions **12.** []{#recordingdecicions.anchor}**Recording decisions and incident logs** **12.1** The determination of whether a call is an emergency or non-emergency will be made from the information and intelligence available and not by the way in which police are contacted. In other words, the public's perception of an emergency is subjective, and the police will not assume that the selection of a particular route of contact is determinate of the level of risk posed. - Serious crime cases - Serious road traffic collisions - Security threat - Illegal immigration/facilitation - Major sea or land pollution - Civil Emergency - Riots & Assemblies - Live Exercises **13.** []{#reviewgradingcriteria.anchor}**Review grading criteria** **13.1** UCR staff should seek the advice of the Inspector in the event of being unsure as to the appropriate response grading to give to an incident. All incidents will be recorded in the DOR and the Incident Logbook, (where appropriate) and will be graded to indicate the appropriate level of response required. - Further information provided by the caller or victim. - Intelligence or information which reduces or enhances the threat to the victim/public - Where the supervisor believes the initial response, grade was in error. - Assess any additional information or intelligence. - Ensure that appropriate checks have been made using local Intelligence and previous reported incidents; and - Record on the incident their actions and rationale for downgrade or upgrade. **14.** []{#incidentmanagement.anchor}**Incident management** **14.1** All incidents initiated by the UCR, will remain with UCR until they have been resolved or delegated and undertaken by a different authority, ie CyPol, Fiscal Officer, Cyprus Joint Police Unit (CJPU), etc. There will be situations where it will be appropriate or there may be multiple incidents to be dealt with at the same time that an incident may be delegated to the Divisional Duty Officer after a briefing of the incident has been carried out and relevant entries have been made in the incident log or DOR that clearly state the change of command. - - - - - **Save** life and prevent further loss of life in conjunction with the other emergency services - **Prevent** escalation of the incident - **Coordinate** the response phase of the incident (some exceptions apply) - **Coordinate and communicate** between the emergency services, local authorities and other supporting organizations both at the scene of the incident and elsewhere - **Secure, protect and preserve** the scene - **Provide** traffic management and identify evacuation routes (in consultation with the highways authorities and local authority) - **Investigate** any criminal offences, obtaining and securing evidence in conjunction with other investigative bodies where applicable - **Collate and disseminate** casualty information - **Coordinate** the provision of public information in conjunction with other agencies - **Recover, identify, reconcile and repatriate** the deceased in a timely and dignified manner on behalf of the coroner - **Prevent and detect** crime - **Conduct** a thorough investigation with appropriate authorities - **Lead** the establishment of a survivor reception center and a family and friends reception center - **Establish** documentation teams - **Develop** an accurate and coordinated media plan - **Restore 'new normality' to the community**.