Policing of elections
Public order public safety — Authorised Professional Practice
Summary
The policing of elections presents unique challenges and considerations, primarily due to the potential for protest activity. As part of the response, police forces may need to establish a public order public safety (POPS) command structure and deploy trained officers across various POPS roles. Specific guidance on the Policing of Elections can be found in the relevant APP documentation.
Key principles
- 1Elections pose distinct challenges for policing.
- 2Public order public safety (POPS) command structure may be required.
- 3Deployment of trained officers in various POPS roles is essential.
- 4Protest activity may be associated with elections.
Defined terms
- Public order public safety (POPS)
- A command structure and deployment of trained officers to manage public safety during events.
Full guidance
This page is from APP, the official source of professional practice for policing.
The policing of elections provides distinct challenges and associated key considerations, as well as having the potential to attract protest activity.
Forces may require a public order public safety (POPS) command structure and the deployment of trained officers, across a variety of POPS roles, as part of the policing response to elections.
Specific guidance on the policing of elections is contained in the Policing elections APP .
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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.