Why we invite all our communities to talk about our professional standards

Policing is a demanding job and our officers make thousands of decisions every day as they strive to protect the public, prevent crime and bring criminals to justice.

Whenever people need help or a crime has been committed, our officers enter what can be volatile and emotionally-charged situations and must quickly decide the best course of action.

This is not always straightforward, which is why there are codes of ethics and practice that act as guidance.

Our officers are aware they are in in a privileged position, and with this comes great responsibility.

Regardless of circumstances, they are expected to act with the highest standards of professionalism and integrity.

This applies whether they are on or off duty.

We police by consent and to achieve that, we are open and honest about our decisions.

Since 2016, we have invited members of the public to join Independent Advisory Groups (IAGs) in each of our districts.

We value our communities and we also invite advisory groups to see our body-worn videos, our stop and search records and see our custody cells, too.

The IAGs are made up of representatives from a wide range of communities across the county who come together four times a year to provide insight and constructive feedback.

They tell us about issues of concern or community tension, as well as providing critical analysis of policing policy and practice.

They help us to drive improvements, too. Our communities across the county tell us that they have high levels of confidence in the police in Essex but that’s never taken for granted.

Watch our video to learn more about IAGs and why we’d like more people to consider joining one.

Detective Chief Inspector Chris McGlade of our Professional Standards Department said:

'We want everyone to understand what we do to keep Essex safe and why we sometimes have to take difficult decisions in order to prevent crime, keep people safe and catch criminals.

“We also want to hear what every community thinks – particularly if we are getting something wrong. That’s why we opened our advisory groups eight years ago, with a Professional Standards group following in 2021.

“We have a very clear set of the guidelines about professional practice and the high standards we expect of all our colleagues. If we get something wrong, we put it right.”

Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Nolan said it is essential the force actively engages with the people of Essex:

"Our aim is to police with the consent of every community in Essex, and we want to hear from a diverse range of voices from all areas of society. Everyone brings different experiences and perspectives, and we welcome contributions from all.

"We are particularly keen to hear from individuals who have not previously been involved in this type of work, as new voices can offer valuable and fresh perspectives.

"Go to the Independent Advisory Groups page on our website you’ll find more details about how you can join an IAG, make your voice heard and make a difference.”

Mohammad Islam-Ruman is a member of the Professional Standards IAG. He said the group is having a positive impact:

“It’s absolutely crucial for the police to have critical friends who have confidence they can talk to officers and have their views taken on board so the police can improve or change the way they do things.

“We have been though a lot of PSD matters and I feel this really helps both ways – we give the community the trust and confidence they need, at the same time Essex Police have areas they could possibly build on and develop.

“We feel policing is listening to us and I’m sure the police feel they get honest feedback.”

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