Events
Public Order Public Safety — Authorised Professional Practice
Summary
The Events section of the Authorised Professional Practice (APP) provides guidance for police officers regarding the management and safety of public events. It emphasizes the responsibilities of event organizers for public safety, as outlined by the Health and Safety Executive's 'The Purple Guide'. Key elements include engaging with Safety Advisory Groups (SAG) to ensure comprehensive safety planning, assessing the need for police presence based on gathered intelligence, and coordinating emergency responses as necessary. The guidance covers legal frameworks, operational advice, and the significance of maintaining safety during events, with references to relevant legislation like the Public Order Act 1986 and the Licensing Act 2003.
Key principles
- 1Event organizers are responsible for public safety.
- 2The Safety Advisory Group (SAG) plays a crucial advisory role.
- 3Police actions are guided by core responsibilities like preventing crime and ensuring public order.
- 4Police presence at events is determined by a risk assessment based on intelligence.
- 5Coordination of emergency responses is vital during major incidents.
Defined terms
- Safety Advisory Group (SAG)
- A group that provides advice on specific areas of responsibility for event organizers.
- Public Order Act 1986
- Legislation that allows police to prohibit public processions.
- Licensing Act 2003
- Legislation that allows the police to object to temporary event notices.
- Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Principles (JESIP)
- Principles guiding coordinated emergency response.
This is a brief, factual summary. The full APP guidance — including operational detail, statutory references and case studies — lives on the College of Policing website. APP is the authoritative source for UK policing practice.
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.