JB-15.1 Response Accepted

Clarify separation of SIO and firearms commander roles

Recommendation

There should be clearer guidance from the MPS, College of Policing and/or the NPCC on the separation of roles between the Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) and the Tactical and Strategic Firearms Commanders (TFC and SFC). The guidance should be clear that not only should the SIO and TFC/SFC be different individuals, but the importance of the separation of responsibilities under those roles should also be emphasised.

Published Evidence Summary
The following publicly available evidence relates to this recommendation:
- The Metropolitan Police Service stated on 28 October 2022 that MO19 had commenced an internal review in July 2021 and that DAC Barbara Gray had authorised an interim position separating the Strategic Firearms Commander from the investigation team (MPS Response to Jermaine Baker Inquiry, October 2022).
- The College of Policing updated its Authorised Professional Practice on Armed Policing (APP-AP) in August 2023, incorporating guidance on the separation of roles between the Senior Investigating Officer and the Tactical and Strategic Firearms Commanders (College of Policing APP-AP update, August 2023).
Sources
How was this evidence gathered?
Evidence searched by Claude (Anthropic) on 10 Apr 2026
Checked data held on this site (government responses, progress updates, independent evidence)
This recommendation applies across many organisations. The evidence above reflects central policy activity; adoption in individual organisations may vary.
Jurisdiction
England
Section Reference
15.1
Response
Accepted
Accepted Metropolitan Police Service
28 Oct 2022

MPS formally responded on 28 October 2022 (paras 5-6). MO19 internal review commenced July 2021; DAC Barbara Gray authorised interim position separating SFC from investigation team. Chief Inspector Tom Williams led formal MO19 recommendations paper submitted to Armed Policing Delivery Group 23 February 2022.

Read Full Response
Progress Timeline
Official Report
01 Aug 2023

Status as of College of Policing APP-AP update (August 2023): Completed

Source
Source
Inquiry Jermaine Baker Inquiry
Report Report into the Death of Jermaine Baker 05 Jul 2022
View Source
Responsible Bodies
College of Policing Primary
Themes & Tags
Police investigation management Staff training and development Armed Policing Command Structure Training
Recommendation age 3.9 yrs
Last formal update 1034 days ago