COLLEGE OF POLICING
WILL BE SUPPORTIVE AND HELP EVERYONE DO THE RIGHT THING, IN THE RIGHT WAY, FOR THE RIGHT REASONS
Assistant Chief Constable Tom Harding tells POLICE magazine the College of Policing has re-written the Code of Ethics so it’s easier to use and more supportive of policing professionals to ultimately provide the best service to the public
The Code of Ethics has been around for almost ten years, is taught to every new recruit and on a poster in most stations, but now it’s about to change. Introduced in 2014 by the College
of Policing, the code set out nine policing principles and ten standards of professional behaviour. “It was quite long and difficult to remember,” says ACC Tom Harding, the College’s Director of Operational Standards. “We wanted to refresh the code so it was fit for modern policing and more supportive for officers and staff,” he adds.
The new Code of Ethics is simpler and
easy to remember with just three ethical policing principles, courage, respect and empathy and public service. Tom says: “The new code is much easier
to work with and will support everyone in policing to do the right thing, in the right way and for the right reasons. “The great thing about the new code
is that it’s been written by policing and for policing. We carried out extensive consultation and heard from hundreds of officers and staff on what should be in the code. Everything in it has come from feedback from within forces.” There is guidance to accompany the three new principles that will help them be embedded and there is a Code of Practice requiring chief officers to support everyone in their force to use the new ethical policing principles.
The new code gives policing a duty of candour following a recommendation from the Hillsborough Families Report.
The College says the
consultation on the draft code in March was one of its most successful ever, with hundreds of responses. Tom says: “We incorporated a lot of the feedback we received and I’m delighted with the response we’ve received so far to the new code, from every rank. People are telling us the new code is much more supportive rather than punitive, which was a key thing for us. The new code should not be used to penalise officers and staff. It is there to help them make the right decisions.”
The three principles
come alongside guidance on how to put them into action, such as being open, honest and candid, treating all people with fairness, dignity and respect and challenging or reporting unprofessional behaviour. “We all want a police service we can be proud of,” says Tom. “Policing is
incredibly challenging but it is also very rewarding. The College is committed to supporting the frontline as best we can so they can keep people safe and feel proud of our profession.” For more information on the new Code of Ethics, you can visit the College of Policing website.
33 | POLICE | FEBRUARY | 2024 NEW CODE OF ETHICS COLLEGE PLEDGES
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