Ethics and values - Kent Police

Student NotesNOT PROTECTIVELY MARKEDAuthority.Despite being assaulted, the child may still want to remain at homewhere the people and surroundings are familiar to them. You will needto be sensitive in your communication skills to explain to all relevantparties what you are doing and why.Some decisionsmay have thepotential tocausecommunityconflictSome decisions that you make might result in conflict with acommunity group, even though you have properly carried out anappropriate decision. Consider the following example:Information believed to be correct, indicates that a large quantity ofheroin is being kept at a house on a local housing estate. Theoccupants of the house are three adults, one of whom is known to thepolice for supplying controlled drugs, and three small children betweenthe ages of seven and 2 years. A warrant is obtained and it is decidedthat a search will be conducted for the controlled drugs at 5.30amwhen all the occupants are expected to still be in bed asleep.Code B of the Codes of Practice to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act1984 gives clear guidance on the conduct of searches. One of themany considerations that the officer must make is the time of day thata search is conducted to limit the disruption and disturbance to thoseinvolved. Whilst 5.30am can clearly be considered to be very early inthe morning and possibly the most disruptive time to all the occupants,in particular the children, it is a necessary and legitimate decision toconduct the search at this time in an attempt to prevent the drugsbeing disposed of before the police have an opportunity to contain thepremises and possible suspects.To minimise the possible conflict, the officer should take theopportunity to explain the reason to the occupants, as soon as ispracticable, the reason that the search has been conducted so early inthe morning.Such situations can also result in conflict within the community. IfIND01(AS)_EthicsandValues_SNVersion 1.01 NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED Page 67 of 82© College of Policing Limited 2013