We have been working hard towards implementing the Board’s Human Rights Advisor’s recommendation, on the publication of PSNI Policy Directives and Service Procedures to make them publically available.
To provide some specific details regarding our publication scheme, a total of 54 Service Instructions and 23 Service Policies have been published. A further 16 Service Instructions are currently undergoing review and will be published upon completion.
One additional Service Instruction is currently undergoing an external consultation exercise, after which it is our intention to publish this document too. This leaves four remaining Service Instructions in which the decision not to publish them has been taken due to the nature of their content. The Chief Constable is content to brief the Policing Board in Private session on the nature of these policies and explain the sensitivities in making them publically available.
A fundamental review of our corporate policy has been taking place since November 2015. A key driver for this review was to make the policies much more user-friendly and succinct to support our officers and staff in frontline roles. Our policy documents have therefore been subject to review and amendments over the past two years.
By way of explanation of our new policy documents, they fall into the two categories of ‘Service Policy’ documents and ‘Service Instructions’.
Service Policy documents have been replacing what were known as Policy Directives. Service Policy documents are defined as the principles to govern the organisation, reflecting the Chief Constable's vision.
Service Instructions have been replacing Service Procedures. Service Instruction documents are practical instructions for service delivery to inform decision making in line with Service Policy.