Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has called for urgent reforms in how police officers are held accountable, particularly when using force or during pursuits. He criticised the current system as “long overdue for reform” and full of “imbalances” that hinder officers and damage public trust.
Sir Mark praised Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s announcement of a review into police oversight, with a focus on the Metropolitan Police. In an open letter, he acknowledged that the Met is making progress but emphasised that the system still fails to adequately support its officers.
Among Sir Mark’s top recommendations to fix the flawed system is changing the legal test for self-defence in police misconduct cases. He advocates switching from an objective civil test to a simpler subjective test, which he says would speed up justice and better protect the public.
He also proposes applying the criminal standard of proof in unlawful killing inquests to align coronial findings with court outcomes. Additionally, Sir Mark warns that the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) sometimes launches investigations prematurely, undermining public confidence. He suggests adopting a “reasonable suspicion” threshold similar to that used in other criminal cases.
Other suggested changes include stronger legal protections for officers who use force, with a review of Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) policies to clarify charge decisions and reasoning. He calls for time limits on IOPC and CPS investigations to prevent prolonged inquiries that can be punishing for officers, ensuring quicker justice whether officers are cleared or found guilty.
Sir Mark also recommends improving how incident details are shared with the public to reduce community tensions. He advocates for providing fuller context from the outset to create a more balanced information release.
Highlighting the challenges faced by frontline officers, Sir Mark noted that firearms officers attend around 4,000 armed incidents each year but rarely discharge their weapons. He stressed that these officers need clear legal protections to act decisively and safely without being hindered by excessive red tape.
The proposed reforms have received backing from the Chief Executive of the College of Policing and the Chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, signalling that these changes could soon begin to improve police work across the UK.
Originally published by UKNIP.
