Policing UK 2013 - Police Federation

POLICING CHALLENGES
“It was vital that the operation was protected and
buffered from the pressure of the media and the
range of requests from government and other
agencies for information and reassurance.”
of armed officers, as well as specialist
search assets from across the country.
Deep ravines and disused remote farm
buildings were searched as well as dense
woodland with waist high foliage. New
tactics were devised and many of the
options chosen had never been tried or
tested before, such was the complexity
of the environment. Advice was sought
from the military and survival experts as
well as non-conventional decisions being
made, which reflected the challenge that
Moat posed.
The search resulted in a protracted
stand off with Moat as he was located
near a riverbank in othbury on 9 uly.
The stand off lasted through the night
in torrential rain and after hours of
negotiating, Moat took his own life with
the firearm he had used to commit his
offences.
Demand for resources
Northumbria had to seek assistance
from other police forces to manage the
demand for resources created by these
events. It came from 1 different forces,
as well as invaluable expertise from
the Serious Organised Crime Agency
culminating in 10 per cent of the entire
country’s armed police assets being
deployed in Northumbria at one point.
Such assistance did not come without
a cost, the overall bill was more than
1.4m, with 0.45m being claimed
back from the Home Office. This is an
extremely rare reimbursement which
reflected the unique challenge that
Operation Bulwark presented.
The management of the operation
was complex and required 24-hour
command and control with a huge
logistical support. The Chief Constable
needed to remain in an oversight
position in relation to the operation
itself without stepping in to a command
role. It was vital that the operation was
protected and buffered from the pressure
of the media and the range of requests
from government and other agencies for
information and reassurance.
The media role in particular was
extremely demanding, with a 24-hour
thirst for information accompanied by
on the ground intrusion, which began
to impact on the effectiveness of the
operation. This could not be performed
by the Gold Commander and fell to the
Chief Constable.
The Chief Constable undertook to
ensure that the public were reassured
and led the organisation while creating
the environment in which the operation
could succeed. This extended to
ensuring partner agencies and politicians
were kept appraised of the situation
and the confidence the public had in
Northumbria Police was not impacted
upon. The critical importance of this
cannot be overstated.
Challenging days
The Police Authority was briefed
throughout to ensure that it was sighted
on the impact financially, but also in
terms of the force’s reputation, its impact
on public confidence and performance.
It was crucial that it was able to satisfy
itself as to the professionalism of
the operation so it was confident in
supporting the Chief Constable in the
face of growing pressure as the days
passed without Moat being found.
This additional buffer effect enabled
the Chief to lead the organisation
through a challenging and demanding
nine days, with the additional
responsibilities of managing business as
usual and the implications of the CS,
which resulted in a successful operation
that withstood the highest degrees of
scrutiny through an IPCC investigation
and a full Coroner’s inquest.
Although the operation lasted nine
days, the implications for the Chief
Constable have continued to this day.
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