Ceremonial duties and events

On notification of an event Derbyshire Constabulary along with a multi-agency panel (when necessary) assess the event. From the police perspective we look at the event with regard to the maintenance of law and order. If core police roles are required then we provide police officers to the event at no charge. If the organiser requests services for their own benefit then this constitutes special police service and they are charged at full cost recovery rate.

More minor events of a restricted or localised nature may be dealt with in the Operational Division on a one to one basis with the organiser by purely providing some advice on matters of safety etc. Where possible local officers may attend but this is more in the capacity of involvement and support of local community activity and looked on as a way of engendering local goodwill. We do not tend to separately record many of these events as such but merely include them within duty information for local officers to attend and assist if possible.

Football match policing

A contract covering financial reimbursement for the policing of matches is agreed in overall terms but the actual costing for a season cannot be calculated until the next year's fixture list is published. A schedule of outline costs would be included as a part of the contract between the club and the Force. The specifics of negotiated contractual information is information which if disclosed may substantially prejudice the opportunities of both the club and the Force in terms of agreed levels of commitment and financial recompense with other commercial and public service entities.

The following is a general summary of the overall involvement and action which takes place and is in essence the high level framework of the contractual agreement.

At an early stage, the club representatives and our operational staff who have direct responsibility to assess the matches, consider the individual fixtures and apportion from evidence and intelligence what level of policing is likely to be required inside the ground at each individual match (League fixtures).

This provides an overall approximate cost for the season for policing these matches and the sum is divided equally into monthly payments. As the season progresses this may need to be amended in the event of further intelligence or other circumstances in respect of specific matches, success or otherwise at the club etc. Similarly other matches such as "friendly" and Cup matches have to be assessed as they are known, but again this is usually verbally undertaken and agreed, again face to face and within the framework of the contract and schedule. Amendment to scheduled payment may be necessary.

The policing of football matches are seen as a Force-wide policing commitment, therefore where necessary staff required may be drawn from all over the Derbyshire Constabulary force area. The number of staff provided by each territorial division is proportionate to Force-wide establishment.

We will not provide specific information which would disclose officer deployment or numbers because to do so would reveal policing tactics which could be detrimental to future football and Force-wide policing. The above however provides much useful general information regarding the methodology of determining policing levels.