Recommendation JB-15.16: Requirements for sustained public protection operations
From Report into the Death of Jermaine Baker, published 5 July 2022.
Recommendation
APP-AP should be amended to cover the following: a. Sustained public protection should never be the object of an operation unless and until there is a clearly recorded note of the possible charge(s) that are anticipated, the evidence that will be required to establish guilt, the evidential (and, if appropriate, geographical) tipping points, and the probable sentence – expressed if necessary as a range within which the sentence is likely to fall, at the conclusion of any trial. b. This may necessitate the involvement of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), whose early advice should be sought if there is any uncertainty as to any of the matters set out in paragraph 15.16a. c. Written sentencing guidelines exist for almost all serious offences and, like the Criminal Procedure Rules (see paragraph 15.21), should be readily accessible to inform any opinion as to the probable sentence (see paragraph 15.16a).
In brief (written by this site)
In October 2022, Andy Walker for the College of Policing and NPCC Armed Policing stated that the bodies were seeking legal and Crown Prosecution Service advice regarding necessary amendments to current guidance (Andy Walker response, Oct 2022). The Metropolitan Police Service stated in the same month that it was considering the recommendation and any contribution it could make to the response, observing that sustained public protection is broader than conviction and imprisonment alone (Metropolitan Police Service response, Oct 2022). The record holds no update since the Metropolitan Police Service's 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, 26 Sep 2026. The record below is the sources' own words.
Government response
The MPS is carefully considering this recommendation and any contribution it can make to the College of Policing’s response to it. The MPS considers that sustained public protection is a broader concept than simply the conviction and imprisonment of offenders for specified periods. The MPS nonetheless welcomes the invitation to the authors of APP-AP to give further and more detailed guidance on the matters to be considered and recorded when sustained public protection must be considered.
As a consequence of this recommendation, the College and NPCC are seeking legal and CPS advice in respect of necessary amendments to current guidance.
How this response relates to the recommendation
Site note: This is the College of Policing's letter of 27 October 2022, signed by Andy Walker, Head of Delivery, Uniformed Policing, College of Policing. The letter says it is "provided on behalf of the College and NPCC Armed Policing". The site files it under the College of Policing, whose words these are, including where the recommendation is addressed to the National Police Chiefs' Council.
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 - College of Policing
Response