Mobilisation

The police service is required to respond to complex policing operations. Some of these may require resources that exceed a force’s own capacity, ie, mutual aid. These types of operations or incidents require people and/or equipment to be coordinated and managed. Mobilisation is the process that supports mutual aid, at the local, regional or national level.

The National Police Coordination Centre (NPoCC) is responsible for the mobilisation of police assets, including general policing, operations and crime business areas.

The mobilisation of crime assets is a new and emerging area in terms of mutual aid and differs considerably from the more traditional uniformed roles.

This business area can be challenging, particularly when the length of an investigation is not known from the outset.

A lead force will be responsible for resourcing nationally-led crime enquiries. The NPoCC should be the initial point of contact for any mobilisation requirements as it can provide advice and national coordination.

Following agreement with the National Crime Operations Coordination Committee, any mobilisation lasting more than 90 days would normally be classed as a secondment and not mutual aid. Cases will, however, be assessed on an individual basis.