Policing

At certain sports grounds and for certain matches or events the presence of the police may be required to maintain public order and prevent the commission of offences.

Whether there is a police presence or not, responsibility for the enforcement of ground regulations remains with the ground management.

Under standard operational conditions, police officers should not be expected to carry out safety duties during an event, or overcome any inadequacies in the ground’s own safety management operation.

If there is to be a police presence in or at the sports ground, management should consult with police in advance and draw up a Statement of Intent. This should set out the division of responsibilities and functions and make clear who will assume responsibility in particular circumstances.

The responsibility for determining the number of police personnel who will be in attendance always rests with the chief police officer, and that the numbers might depend on prevailing threat and risk levels.

There also needs to be agreement on access for police vehicles and on where, if necessary, those vehicles and any other vehicles used by the emergency services will be parked during an event or during the response to an incident.