Use of force
From 1 April 2017, a new way of recording use of force tactics became mandatory for all police forces, with officers required to fill out a form every time any type of force is used in the course of their duties.
Each officer present at an incident involving a use of force tactic must submit a use of force form, therefore the number of forms submitted will be greater than the number of incidents involving use of force tactics.
The use of force form records a variety of data including the types of tactics used in any one incident. These include (but are not limited to) both compliant and non-compliant handcuffing, the use of a form of restraint, the deployment and/or fire of a Taser, or an irritant spray. More than one tactic can be used in a single incident therefore the number of tactics recorded will be greater than the number of forms submitted.
Each officer will complete a use of force form. The options on the forms are set by the Home Office.
Downloads
Please note: The downloadable files below may not work well with some assistive technologies, such as screen readers. Contact us if you need this information in a different format.
We have provided the information in an excel document, please see below.