ACPO COUNCIL TRAINING COMMITTEE MEETING 14 JULY 1987 ADDITIONAL AGENDA ITEM TO BE INTRODUCED UNDER ITEM 13 - ANY OTHER BUSINESS At the meeting of ACPO Council held on 2 July 1987, Mr Payne (Chief Constable, Cleveland Constabulary) produced a paper (COPY attaChed) concerning public order training facilities. Mr Oxford (Chief Constable, Merseyside Police) added his concerns about surveillance and counter terrorism training. It was decided that ACPO Training Committee should be the lead Committee regarding these matters and draw together people from the various relevant sub-committees to produce a feasibility study as to this matter ShOUld be progressed. The Committee are invited to discuss. Scanned by CamScanner 1.1 PUBLIC ORDER TRAINING FACILITIES The Service is intent on improving the quality of its public order training and extending such training to as large a number of officers as possible. However, at present most Forces find it necessary to conduct the training using generally inadequate facilities in unrealistic surroundings. Gommand Band training which 15 giVen within Regions is highly regarded but suffers . from being restricted to table top exercises as there are no facilities available where officers can be given the opportunity to deploy and control multiples of Police Support Units. There is an urgent need for consideration to be given to the establishment of regional public order training centres throughout the country either built or adapted from their present usageviable proposition, such centres would 1ave to be suitably located to serve the needs of more than one region and be within easy access of a number of Forces likely to experience major public order problems. Further, there is a probability that such centres could-be used effectively for force training and inter?force exercises in the field of-public order, firearms and hostage/seige situations. The idea of a purpose-built centre for use by Forces in No. l'and 2 Regions has been the subject of discussions over the past year and a small working Party has assessed the feasibility of providing such facilities, the estimated costs, both capital and revenue, and Force requirements. Their interim report was discussed by the Public Order and General Purposes Committee of Central Conference on 2nd June, 1987 when the philosOphy behind regional public order training centres was agreed in principle but it was felt an analysis ofqnational requirements was required. PUBLIC ORDER TRAINING Following the A.C.P.O. Review of Policing Arrangements for the N.U.M. Dispute 1984/85, a small Working Group under the auspices of the Council Training Committee considered the future develoPment of public order training, with the intention of devising a training programme that would ensure that tactics, manoeuvres and words of command were compatible nationally. A further aim was to provide an integrated and progressive training programme to meet the needs of all officers from the newest recruit to the Chief Officer and ensure that all officers were trained to a common minimum standard. Scanned by CamScanner EH- The proposals of the Working Group were endorsed by 5.C.P.O. Council on 3rd July, 1986 as being a dealreable statement of the training requirements essential for dealing with public disorder. It was that this training would need to be continually appraised in the light of future public disorder. The PropOsals identified the following levels of training as being necessary: Tactical Level 3 -It is recommended that two days training per year is given to all operational uniform Constables, Sergeants and Inspectors likely to find themselves involved in spontaneous outbreaks of public disorder. Tactical Level 2 Four days'training per year for officers called upon to form P.S.U.'s under current agreements for mutual-aid purposes. (C) Tactical Level 1 One day's training per month for officers regularly deployed together as a specialist group. It is recommended that at least 'one session per year at levels 1 and 2 takes place during the hours of darkness as outbreaks of disorder frequently occur during these times. Supervisory Level Courses for P.S.U. Commanders and Ground Commanders cover topics that are complementary to the practical training undertaken by Inspectors at the Tactical Levels. The training packages for these courses have only recanly been completed buP the coursei will be run on a regional basis and it is expected they will be held at the same location as Command Band Training. (eJ Command Level This training for Chief Inspectors to Chief Superintendents consists of informative tuition of tactics and strategy and is reinforced by extensive practical exercises with subsequent debriefing and discussion. It is'designed to equip command officers with detailed knowledge of tactics and a variety of scenarios of rioting and provide senior officers with a realistic appreciation of the capabilities of P.S.U.'s. Scanned by CamScanner 3.1 4-- --. PRESENT FACILITIES Only two Forces, Hampshire and the Metropolitan P011C8, presently have purpose?built training centres. The public order training facility at the Hampshire Constabulary consists of a unit attached to the Force Training School at Netley near Southampton and whilst adequate for the needs of that Force, are basic and do not permit any real variation in training. The facilities provided at the Metr0politan Police Training Centre, comprises of three indoor. training areas, a variety of road and'street configurations with mock-up'building frontages, together with a control building, office and classrooms. These facilities are ideal for the requirements.of the Metropolitan Police. - Other Forces train at a variety of venues, e.g. industrial warehouses, R.A.F. and Army bases, disused brickworks, etc. and are not ideal locations for simulated exercises and the development of training programmes. THE NEED FOR REGIONAL CENTRES Riot is distinct from other crime, representing Open and sustained hostility to law enforcement and can be said to be the ultimate test of policing. Presently the knowledge that exists is based on the experiences and debriefing of those Forces which-have had to cope. with the problem and regional facilities would provide the focal point for-studying riot policing and sharing and disseminating information. Police Forces accept the concept of mutual aid, either providing or receiving it, and if different Police Forces are expected to work together in close order in situations as dramatically testing as a riot, it is essential they should plan and train together. DeSpite the efforts to standardise tactics and training, variations inevitably evolve. There are definite advantages if all units use the same words of command, observe the same tactical rules and work to a common system of command and control. A common training programme at regional centres would be a powerful influence towards uniformity and ensuring 0 all officers are aware of their responSibilities. A realistic training scenario is essential to enable officers to test their abilities and develop. their capacity to reSpond to serious disorder. They therefore must in large formations and face a realistic challenge. with large numbers of men, monitoring and marshalling and a large and life-like location. A scenario would also involve the use of Scanned by CamScanner 4. .9 horses. These are probably beyond the resources of most, if not all, individual Forces. To develop new tactics, test contingency plans and new equipment. To ensure that Police tactics are not outmoded by tactics devised by the rioters, we must keep tactics under constant review against the most recent experience and a joint approach to training is essential to meet this requirement. .Training through a series of drills and table top exerCises is not sufficient. P.S.U.'s and Forward Commanders need experience in tactically deploying numbers in a realistic scenario, coupled with the sheer noise, confusion and limitations of visibility and information within which the vital decisions are made. Regional facilities will provide this training and also test the logistical systems which tend to be a problematic area. Training programmes in a locus remote from realistic dimensions have promoted an artificially defensive and static approach to tactics, leaving the Service to resort to slow head?on engagement or impasse. Regional training will permit tactical initiatives to be taken with speed, diversion, innovation and mobility, allowing the Police to assume the advantage. Police officers are trained as individuals for normal policing with supervisory officers commanding in that knowledge. The policing of riots is different, with officers working as a team with morale and effectiveness dependent upon group trust and loyalty. There must be the recognition that public order incidents require distinctive management with a clear command structure. To this extent public order training requires an organisational base to make such training effective. It is clear from the above that Regional facilities would provide effective training on a realistic scale, reproducing the reality for all officers concerned and providing an economy of scale and cost to each Force. This would encapsulate recommendation 164 of the report on the N.U.M. dispute which said, "Regular multi Force exercises should be.he1d". FACILITIES The provision of new centres in three or four locations nationally and the extension Of the existing facilities at Hounslow and Netley isrecommended.Due to the distances of travel likely to be involved, the centres would reguire a residential block providing accommodation: recreation and catering facilities for both instructors and students. Scanned by CamScanner 5.3 The oEntres should ideally be between 7-9 areas located in a non-residential area and be capable to catering for present and projected training schemes. A similar model to the Centre at Hounslow is envisaged. with both indoor and outdoor training areas and varying types of roadways and street configurations. Dependent upon how it is financed, it would be managed by a Management Committee involving either tripartite representation (Home Office, Police and Local Authorities) or Chief Constables from constituent Forces. Staffing levels would be entirely dependent upon the range of courses offered. FUNDING .The centres could be financed in several ways: Common Police Services - The Central Committee would set the budget and levy a per capita charge for each Force to recover the cost of running these establishments. However, the C.P.S. would have to significantly increase its budget to cater for Regional Public Order Training Centres. Collaboration Agreement - By all Chief Constables and a Committee would approve the budget and staff seconded would continue to be paid salary, allowances and expenses by the home Force. Costs would be recovered by way of per capita charge based on the authorised establishments and use of the centre of participating Forces. Funding by One Force - All finance would be made available by one Force, which would than recharge all participating Forces. However. due to the burdensome expenses falling upon the host Force, this option is considered unlikely. The capital expenditure on acquiring and adapting premises is foreseen as a major hurdle. There is a need for regional centres which would operate five days per week throughout the year. Centres would cater for all levels of training except level 3. which would continue in-force. Scanned by CamScanner . A dEtailed'feaSibility study needs to be carried out in consultation with_the Home Office to ascertain: The Public Order Training needs of all Forces. The locations of possible centres. How such centres could be administered, including finance, management committees, staffing and maintenance. How regional centres could be set out, including permanent and temporary buildings, accommodation, catering, etc. Additional usage of the centres, e.g. firearms training, hostage/seige situations, etc. The Views of the Association of Metropolitan Authorities and the Assoc1ation of County Councils. 29.6.87. Scanned by CamScanner