Recommendation JB-15.12: Written guidance for covert monitoring posts
From Report into the Death of Jermaine Baker, published 5 July 2022.
Recommendation
There should be clear and unequivocal written guidance for the CMP from the TFC as to the key information and intelligence that is being sought.
In brief (written by this site)
The Inquiry recommended clear written guidance from tactical commanders to covert monitoring posts. In October 2022, the Metropolitan Police Service reported that an amended Surveillance Manual of Standards addressing the recommendation was in draft under National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) governance following review by the National Covert Monitoring Post Working Group (Metropolitan Police Service response, Oct 2022). Earlier in October 2022, Chris Haward, NPCC Lead for Surveillance, stated that the manual would be updated to require post decision logs to record written guidance from commanders on key intelligence sought (Chris Haward response, Oct 2022). The record holds nothing dated later than the response of October 2022 (Metropolitan Police Service response, Oct 2022).
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 2 Oct 2026. The record below is the sources' own words.
Government response
The recommendation that written guidance be provided by the TFC to CMP operatives as to the nature of the operation and intelligence sought has been reviewed by the National CMP Working Group, at which the MPS is represented. An amended Surveillance MoS is now in draft which directly addresses this recommendation under the governance of the NPCC lead.
This recommendation is covered in the MOS which will be updated to reflect the recommendations made in the JBPI Report (shown in purple text) Covert Audio Intrusive Surveillance & Covert Monitoring Posts CMP Manager (Extract) The CMP manager acts as a liaison point for: • Senior Investigating Officer • Intelligence Officer(s) • Tactical Firearms Commander (TFC) - where operationally appointed and is also responsible for: • Maintaining a CMP decision log CMP Decision Log (Extract) The CMP manager will maintain a CMP Decision Log, recording the day-to-day events relating to the management of the CMP, decisions taken within it and will include the time, date, and rationale of any decisions. Where a TFC is operationally appointed, it will also contain clear and unequivocal written guidance from the TFC as to the key information and intelligence that is being sought. To be included in the General Decision Log Entries: • Information and intelligence passed between the CMP Manager and TFC.
How this response relates to the recommendation
Site note: This is the letter of 20 October 2022 from Chief Constable Chris Haward (Lincolnshire Police), NPCC Lead for Surveillance, who signs it. A document-properties block on its last page names another officer as author; that block is a template left in the file, not a second author.
Delivery
No statement on delivery from College of Policing has been found in the sources searched (last checked 2 October 2026). This is separate from the response above.
Responsible bodies
Themes and tags
Who has spoken
- Metropolitan Police Service
Response - National Police Chiefs Council
Response