Deployment planning
Operational Planning — Authorised Professional Practice
Summary
This page covers deployment planning in the context of operational policing. It outlines how a bronze (operational) commander is tasked with developing deployment plans in accordance with tactical plans, with a focus on resource deployment and contingencies. The page emphasizes the importance of command and control structures, particularly during multi-agency incidents, recommending adherence to the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Principles (JESIP) and the need for a Joint Dynamic Hazards Assessment. It also provides guiding questions for commanders to consider when forming deployment strategies and highlights the necessity of clear communication and understanding among officers regarding their roles during operations.
Key principles
- 1Deployment plans should focus on resource allocation and contingencies.
- 2Plans must account for the continuous updating of officers during deployment.
- 3Clear understanding of the legal basis for actions is essential.
- 4Officers should be briefed on tactical objectives and parameters.
- 5Effective briefing and debriefing processes are crucial for operational success.
Defined terms
- bronze (operational) commander
- A commander responsible for developing deployment plans relevant to their area of command.
- Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Principles (JESIP)
- A framework for joint working between emergency services.
- Joint Dynamic Hazards Assessment
- A process for assessing risks in multi-agency responses.
- policing style
- The approach or manner in which policing is conducted.
- briefing
- The process of preparing officers with information and instructions.
- debriefing
- The process of evaluating actions and outcomes after an operation.
- command protocols
- Established procedures governing command and operational response.
- disclosure
- The process of sharing information, often in a legal context.
Full guidance
This page is from APP, the official source of professional practice for policing.
In accordance with the tactical plan, and if practicable, the bronze (operational) commander may be required to develop deployment plan(s) relevant to their area of command (functional or geographic).
A deployment plan is likely to be primarily focused on the detailed deployment of resources and contingencies.
In incidents, spontaneous or otherwise, involving a multi-agency response, Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Principles (JESIP)(opens an external website in the same tab) should be followed when devising deployment plans in line with a Joint Dynamic Hazards Assessment using the joint decision model(opens an external website in the same tab) .
Commanders may find the following questions useful in deciding the police actions and contingencies that will form part of the deployment plan.
What if the police encounter resistance to these tactics? * What if individuals/groups attempt to disperse or evade the police when these tactics are used? * If the subjects immediately comply with an escalation in the level of tactical force, what action should follow? * What are the health and safety implications for officers and members of the public who may be affected by police action? * How do these considerations affect policing style?
Plans should anticipate and include the need to continually update officers during any period of deployment.
Once the tactical plan is in place, the bronze commander implements the relevant part of the silver commander’s plan, using appropriate tactics within their geographic or functional area of responsibility. Implementing the tactical plan involves actions and contingencies that are reasonable and proportionate to the circumstances.
Commanders should ensure that officers understand the terms of their deployment. This may include:
the actions they are required to carry out * the legal basis for each action * the tactical objective they are to accomplish * any relevant tactical parameters
how actions may be escalated or de-escalated in response to the circumstances
Officers undertake roles as directed. Effective and consistent briefing and debriefing processes and command protocols are crucial in the success of a police response.
It is essential that each officer fully understands the actions they are expected to carry out. There will also be circumstances in which officers are required to make their own assessment of the situation and act accordingly. This may extend to identifying, locating, containing or even neutralising an immediate threat.
This should capture summarised information regarding a mobilisation of police resources and primarily provides a timeline of activity for the unit.
The content of the record of deployment is subject to disclosure and should not be used to record sensitive information. It is not intended to be a record of evidence or welfare issues during an operation. Officers are to be encouraged to record such information separately, either using the appropriate forms or their pocket notebook.
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APP is the authoritative source for UK policing practice and is updated over time. For the current, official version — including any operational detail not reproduced here — go direct.
Read the full APP guidanceSource: College of Policing — Authorised Professional Practice · Crown copyright, licensed under Open Government Licence v3.0. Summary fetched 2026-06-27.