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Developing a policing plan

Public order public safety — Authorised Professional Practice

All topics

Summary

Public order public safety (POPS) commanders, public order public safety advisers (POPSAs) and POPS planners are tasked with developing an individual policing plan for each POPS event or operation. This topic outlines critical considerations that should be taken into account in the planning process. It emphasizes the importance of legislative compliance, community engagement, impact assessments, and effective communication. In addition, the section covers the role of safeguarding, intelligence gathering, investigation protocols, and the relevance of various forms of media within the policing strategy. The aim is to ensure a comprehensive approach to policing that maintains public safety and order during events.

Key principles

  • 1Develop an individual policing plan for each POPS event or operation
  • 2Emphasize legislative compliance
  • 3Engage with the community and conduct impact assessments
  • 4Safeguard all participants and the public
  • 5Utilize intelligence gathering effectively
  • 6Incorporate relevant media in planning

Defined terms

Public order
A situation that may cause disruption or potential risk to public safety.
Public order public safety (POPS)
An approach to maintaining public order and safety during events.
POPS commanders
Officers responsible for overseeing public order operations.
POPS advisers (POPSAs)
Advisers who provide expertise and guidance during POPS planning.
POPS planners
Personnel who are involved in the logistical aspects of planning public order operations.

Full guidance

This page is from APP, the official source of professional practice for policing.

Public order public safety (POPS) commanders, public order public safety advisers (POPSAs) and POPS planners should develop an individual policing plan for every POPS event or operation.

This section provides information on what needs to be considered in developing the plan.

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Reproduced from the College of Policing Authorised Professional Practice under the Open Government Licence v3.0, as captured on 2026-06-27. APP is amended over time — check the source link below for the current version. This is a reference, not operational authorisation.

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 guidance

Source: College of Policing — Authorised Professional Practice · Crown copyright, licensed under Open Government Licence v3.0. Summary fetched 2026-06-27.