Recording, Monitoring and Training

We're here to serve the public and that's at the heart of everything we do. 

Our officers respond to hundreds of incidents across Cambridgeshire every day, upholding the law and keeping people safe. The majority of these incidents are resolved safely and without any kind of conflict, but there are occasions when our officers need to use force to protect themselves and others from harm.  

The ‘Use of Force’ includes everything from deploying of specialist resources such as dogs or Taser trained officers, to using PAVA spray or a baton, or even the use of handcuffs when making an arrest. It also includes taking hold of someone’s arm to calm them. 

Recording and Monitoring Uses of Force  

Every time one of our officers employs a use of force that officer is required, where practicably possible, to record it on their Body Worn Camera on. That officer must also, always, record the use of force on TuServ (the software used by Cambridgeshire Constabulary to record the written records concerning use of force and stop and searches). Together these mean that there is transparency in the way that we police the county.  

Recording every use of force allows us to ensure that we police the county fairly by allowing us to scrutinise our uses of force. Internally, use of force by Cambridgeshire police officers is monitored at a monthly Strategic meeting, which discusses the internal reviews, via dip-sampling, of individual use of force records. Find out more about the varying ways we monitor uses of force at Internal Scrutiny and Review Processes Note: Use of Force by Joint Protective Services (JPS) including armed incidents and dog deployments are monitored internally by JPS themselves.  

The Body Worn Video and TuServ record is also essential to allow our Independent Community Scrutiny Panel to review a dip sample of all uses of force within Cambridgeshire when they meet bi-monthly. As well as, allow the Constabulary to host Community Conversations with people who live, work and study in Cambridgeshire.

Use of Force Training 

Officers are trained to use force proportionately, lawfully, and only when absolutely necessary. Recording every use of force helps us to identify and act on any instances where this is not the case and helps us to inform and train officers. 

Every new officer undertakes two weeks of Personal Safety Training focusing on safe, proportionate, and lawful use of force. Every officer must also undertake a use of force refresher annual. For those officers who are taser trained they also undertake an additional taser refresher annually. In additional multiple continuous professional development inputs are given around use of force.