Recurring concern
Unreliable police pursuit management and authorisation
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Request correctionFirst reported 13 Jul 2015•Latest report 24 Oct 2025
What this concern includes
Includes failures in the dedicated police pursuit management process, including pursuit recognition and classification, continuation authorisation, control-room decision-making and timing expectations, policy and training alignment, operational guidance, risk assessment and dissemination of pursuit-safety learning.
Not included
- Excludes ordinary police driving, vehicle-control or road-safety failures that are not part of managing or authorising a police pursuit.
- Excludes generic police training, communication or control-room deficiencies unless they directly impair the police pursuit management process.
- Excludes emergency response or investigation failures after a pursuit has ended when pursuit management itself is not deficient.
- Excludes unrelated police powers and authorisation processes, including communications-data authorisation, unless the assertion explicitly concerns police pursuit management.
- Reports
- 7
- Individual concerns
- 10
- Date range
- 2015–2025
- Stated actions
- 9
Distinct published reports
A report can raise multiple concerns
First to latest report issue date
Described in published responses
Reports over time
Reports over time
Reports about this concern issued each year.
* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.
Most frequent recipients
Most frequent recipients
Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.
Concerns and responses across reports
Only concerns grouped under this recurring concern are included. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.
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Concerns raised1
Single-manning of pursuit crews requiring one officer to undertake all pursuit tasks
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.3
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Position
Default double-crewing for pursuits cannot be adopted because available resources would reduce specialist roads-policing coverage across the wider network.
Stated by South Wales Police
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Position
Single-crewed pursuit training and national standards are considered sufficient to prepare officers for live operations and dynamic risk decisions.
Stated by South Wales Police -
Position
Chief Constables are responsible for operational crewing decisions and deployment of available police resources, based on local problems and demands.
Stated by Home Office
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Concerns raised1
Inconsistent training of standard police drivers on spontaneous pursuits
This report raised 3 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.4
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Action
Review current police pursuit training requirements, including national standards and authorised training arrangements.
Stated by College of Policing -
Action
Continue working with NPCC leads and police forces to align national guidance and training with best practice and safe operational decision-making.
Stated by College of Policing -
Action
Continue monitoring and addressing inconsistencies in police pursuit training delivery through quality-assurance frameworks and feedback mechanisms.
Stated by College of Policing
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Action
Disseminate learning from the case nationally through operational learning channels, bulletins, and training-material updates.
Stated by College of Policing
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
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Position
Chief Officers are responsible for arranging pursuit-driver selection, training and authorisation, and determining operational deployment in accordance with national standards.
Stated by College of Policing
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Concerns raised1
Lack of a consistent expectation among police officers about police controller decision-making times for pursuit authorisation
This report raised 3 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
-
Position
A fixed timeframe for obtaining pursuit information cannot be aligned because each pursuit presents different circumstances and requires case-by-case assessment.
Stated by Metropolitan Police Service
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Concerns raised1
Insufficiently refined parameters and guidance for spontaneous police pursuits in residential areas
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.2
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Action
Re-evaluate local pursuit arrangements.
Stated by West Yorkshire Police -
Action
Liaise with national pursuit and driving standards leads to assess compliance with national standards.
Stated by West Yorkshire Police
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.3
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Position
Existing dynamic risk assessment, trained decision-makers and ground commander primacy are retained rather than imposing more limited pursuit parameters.
Stated by West Yorkshire Police
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Position
Redefining pursuit parameters using statistical data requires national-level discussion to ensure consistency across police forces.
Stated by West Yorkshire Police -
Position
Operational policing, including spontaneous pursuits, is assigned to the Chief Constable, while the Mayor’s role is limited to accountability without fettering operational independence.
Stated by Tracy Brabin
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Concerns raised2
Failure to seek authorisation to continue a police pursuit
Failure to identify a police pursuit in accordance with the standard operating procedure
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1
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Action
Review pursuit guidance following the inquest and retain the existing policy unchanged.
Stated by Metropolitan Police Service
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
-
Position
Review found no systemic issues or specific lessons requiring changes to existing pursuit policy, training or management.
Stated by Metropolitan Police Service
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Concerns raised2
Failure to ensure explicit communication of wrong-way dual-carriageway travel during police pursuits
Failure to align local police pursuit policy and training with national guidance
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.2
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Action
Emphasise timely risk updates, train pursuit commanders to call off inadequately informed pursuits, and require OCC inspectors to prompt and challenge risk assessments.
Stated by West Mercia Police -
Action
Align pursuit policies, driver-training materials and learning outcomes with College of Policing Authorised Professional Practice.
Stated by West Mercia Police
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
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Position
No separate Alliance or force pursuit policy is maintained because the forces follow College of Policing Authorised Professional Practice.
Stated by West Mercia Police
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Concerns raised2
Insufficient learning from police pursuit deaths
Failure to disseminate police pursuit lessons about impacts on third parties to officers promptly
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concernsEach statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
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Position
There is solid quantitative and qualitative evidence that lessons from Safer Driving 3 improved management of vehicle pursuits.
Stated by Metropolitan Police Service
Data last updated 7 September 2026