Home Affairs CommitteeSupplementary written evidence submitted by the Association of Chief Police Officers [LSP 21c]
Police Officers Working Abroad
I write in relation to your query about the number of British police officers working abroad. As you will know, UK policing has a worldwide reputation for excellence and for bringing progressive policing practices to the international arena. International policing assistance provides opportunities to support UK national security and international development priorities and can help tackle organised crime, terrorism and illegal migration at its source.
Through the International Affairs portfolio led by Deputy Chief Constable Colette Paul, ACPO provides the support necessary to ensure the UK policing can provide a seamless deployment of police resources. It brings together experience and expertise in overseas policing deployments and provides a forum to share best practice in delivering effective policing overseas.
The interdepartmental International Policing Assistance Board, chaired by DCC Paul, sets the strategy for police assistance overseas and considers requests. Forces intending to provide assistance require the approval of their Police and Crime Commissioners, on the basis of recommendations from Chief Constables.
UK officers are routinely involved in a range of international assistance work including:
Peace support operations, including: conflict prevention; post-conflict stabilisation and recovery; peace enforcement and peace keeping.
Security and justice sector training, reform and development activities supporting foreign state police agencies and government authorities.
The deployment/secondment of police officers and police staff to foreign states and international organisations in order to build relationships and liaison mechanisms which improve police operational capability both at home and abroad.
Strategic international engagement, in order to share best practice, develop doctrine and provide networking assistance to UK forces and agencies.
Through the International Affairs portfolio we are aware of 36 serving officers deployed overseas, selected from forces across the UK, including MoD Police and Scotland. These are as follows:
Afghanistan—21
Kosovo—9
Sierra Leone—1
South Sudan—1
Liberia—1
Libya—1
Occupied Palestinian Territories—1
Yemen—1
You may also be interested to know more about the work of the International Academy (IAB) based at Bramshill. On an ad hoc basis police officers seconded to the College of Policing will take part in delivering training in operational policing and police leadership through the IAB. 12 police officers were deployed within the last year with their home forces being:
Hampshire X 2
BTP
Sussex
South Wales X 2
Lincs
MPS
PSNI
D&C
Dyfed Powys
SOCA
In addition seven seconded police officers work within the IAB and frequently travel overseas as part of their duties. These officers are from the following forces:
D&C
Hampshire X 3
Surrey x 2
Humberside
The Contributing to European Police Cooperation through Learning (CEPOL) programme is also based at Bramshill. The overseas courses it runs each year attract approximately 107 UK police officers and around 160 overseas police officers or staff. CEPOL currently has eight foreign police officers attached to it from the following countries:
Hungary
Latvia
Germany
Greece
Denmark
Sweden
Italy
Slovak Republic
In relation to your enquiry as to whether foreign police officers are working within the UK, I am not aware of any officers from overseas deployed in an operational capacity. That said, a number of scholarship and secondment agreements do exist with various countries, whereby police officers and staff support learning programmes at institutions overseas. We currently have a superintendent from Hong Kong as a visiting tutor at Bramshill, while each year up to four senior officers support a number of courses on the Senior Leadership Programme at the Australian Institute of Police Management (AIPM).
I hope this information is of use to you.
Sir Hugh Orde OBE QPM
President of the Association of Chief Police Officers
May 2013