AT OUR CORE

Lawful Observers are setting the new standard, but we must first look at the fundamental values and principles that underpin all policing functions so that we can raise the bar.  

The personal conduct required by all who work for the police service is to “behave in a manner, on or off duty, which does not bring discredit on the police service or undermine public confidence in policing”.  We are to maintain these standards if we want to challenge what we are seeing being playing out, and we should adopt the very same set of values in a manner that evidences that they can be maintained.  We are to hold ourselves as equals and accountable to the same values that we expect.

Make it your duty to familiarise yourself with:

the College of Policing’s Code of Ethics, A Code of Practice for the Principles and Standards of Professional Behaviour for the Policing Profession of England and Wales [July 2014], found on their website

Code of Ethics [www.college.police.uk]

Sir Robert Peel’s 9 Policing Principles: the very definition of policing by consent.  Pay close attention to principles 5 & 7: 

Definition of Policing By Consent [www.gov.uk]

the 7 Principles of Public Life are also standards by which all public servants and officials are measured.

The 7 Principles of Public Life [www.gov.uk]

Learn them and live them out.

They are healthy principles on which to stand.

Knowing these simple codes of conduct and ethics will help us to shape our conversations, behaviour, and interactions with the police and other officials. At the very minimum, Lawful Observers are expected to know and practice the following nine core values:

  • Accountability

  • Fairness

  • Honesty

  • Integrity

  • Leadership

  • Objectivity

  • Openness

  • Respect

  • Selflessness