Collaboration with other Police Forces
The PCC and Chief Constable are committed to exploring collaboration opportunities with other forces to maintain and improve service to the public.
The Constabulary’s approach to collaboration is summarised by the following agreement between Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners across the South West:
“We will pursue opportunities to collaborate, that enhance the effectiveness of policing operations, increase the safety of the public, and deliver improved value.”
In order to deliver this vision, the following ‘Guiding Principles’ have been established:
- Intention – We will operate on the presumption of working collaboratively across all areas unless there is a clear reason not to do so.
- Sustainability – We will take a long term approach to develop collaborative programmes and recognise that investment and commitment are needed to bring benefits.
- Flexibility – We will keep collaborative arrangements under review in order to ensure they remain effective and provide value for money against changing circumstances. Independence – There is absolute clarity that individual Forces retain their own identity and responsibility for local policing. The resources to undertake this can be delivered in the collaborative approach that improves interoperability and resilience.
- Benefits – Efforts will be concentrated on those areas assessed as yielding the most desirable benefits.
- Collaboration will seek to improve policing and financial resilience and improve operational effectiveness and efficiency. Commitments should be reviewed at appropriate benchmarks to determine whether the investment remains justified as circumstances change.
- Governance – Police and Crime Commissioners are accountable to their community for setting the strategic direction for collaboration; agree funding commitments and holding the Chief Constables to account for delivery. Chief Constables are responsible to the public and accountable to the PCC for operational delivery and the leadership and management of those resources through cross force governance arrangements.
Our collaborations
South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU)
Summary: The ROCU hosts numerous capabilities on behalf of forces in the South West region, providing a regional response to serious and organised crime.
Forces Involved: Avon & Somerset, Devon and Cornwall , Dorset, Gloucester, Wiltshire
Counter-Terrorism Policing South West (CTPSW)
Summary:A specialist team from across the region focusing on the development of intelligence to counter any terrorist threat.
Forces Involved: Avon & Somerset, Devon and Cornwall , Dorset, Gloucester, Wiltshire
Major Crime Investigation Team (Brunel MCIT)
Summary:Two force collaboration responding to offences of murder, manslaughter, workplace deaths and suspicious deaths. When not committed, staff are deployed to support local crime initiatives in their home forces.
Forces Involved: Avon and Somerset,Wiltshire
Tri-Force Firearms Training Facility
Summary:Three force collaboration for the delivery of firearms training, including the building of bespoke training facilities.
Forces Involved: Avon and Somerset and Gloucester and Wiltshire
SW Regional Special Branch Collaboration
Summary: Local delivery of the National Police Air Service
Forces involved: National
SW Regional Special Branch Collaboration
Summary: Four force collaboration providing a specialist capability to maintain national security.
Forces Involved: Avon & Somerset, Devon and Cornwall , Dorset, Gloucester, Wiltshire
Forensic Services
Summary: Regional collaboration to deliver CSI, Fingerprint, Footwear, Forensic Submission and Chemical Laboratory services. Also delivers Digital services – Data Forensics (computer and mobile phone examinations), Digital Video (CCTV analysis), and Imaging (photo management and specialist imagery).
Forces Involved: Avon & Somerset, Devon and Cornwall , Dorset, Gloucester, Wiltshire
Minerva collaboration
Summary:
The S.22A Agreement formalises a long-standing collaboration between forces using the Niche Technology Records Management System (RMS), a core component of member force IT infrastructures.
This is an important step forward, giving legal recognition to established governance structures and to the Minerva Delivery Team.
As a growing entity with 28, soon to be 29, force members, the Minerva community is a powerful voice within policing.
It will ensure member forces realise the Minerva vision of “a future where police forces across the UK provide staff with instant access to secure, high-quality information without geographical constraint” and provide consistency in other areas of Minerva work, such as the development of new functionality for NicheRMS365 and the creation of consistent data standards between member forces.
This collaboration came into effect on 11 June 2024.
Due to the nature of this collaboration, the Police and Crime Commissioner and Chief Constable are only publishing the title and overview of this agreement.
Forces involved:
- Avon and Somerset Police
- British Transport Police
- Cheshire Police
- City of London Police
- Cleveland Police
- Derbyshire Police
- Devon and Cornwall Police
- Dorset Police
- Dyfed-Powys Police
- Gloucestershire Police
- Gwent Police
- Hampshire Police
- Humberside Police
- Leicestershire Police
- Lincolnshire Police
- Merseyside Police
- North Wales Police
- North Yorkshire Police
- Northamptonshire Police
- Nottinghamshire Police
- Police Service of Northern Ireland
- South Wales Police
- Staffordshire Police
- Surrey Police
- Sussex Police
- Thames Valley Police
- West Yorkshire Police
- Wiltshire Police
Related documents
- Collaboration relating to Special Branch (PDF)
- Collaboration for Serious and Organised Crime (Zephyr) (PDF)
- Collaboration for the provision of a joint MCIT (Document 1) (PDF)
- Collaboration for the provision of a joint MCIT (Document 2) (PDF)
- Collaboration enabling cross border authorisations under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (PDF)
- Collaboration relating to the provision of legal services (PDF)
- Collaboration for the provision of Firearms Training (PDF)
- Collaboration Signed Agreement (PDF)