Police Family Liaison

by Duncan McGarry

Overview

This is the first practical guide to the sensitive topic of family liaison, aimed directly at the police. It focuses on the key role that family liaison plays in the police service, explains how the role has developed and provides practitioners with a clear understanding of why relatives and friends are entitled to the highest standard of response from the police —and also why no investigation can be truly effective without this relationship being supported, resourced and supervised throughout.

The book covers a wide range of important issues including the development and delivery of training, operating protocols, contacting and establishing relationships with the family, management and mass fatalities.

Highly practical, it includes examples, illustrative diagrams, summary sections and checklists, plus a wide range of case study chapters based on key events, including the the Ladbroke Grove Rail Crash, the 2004 Tsunami, the Bali Bombings, the September 11th attacks and the London Bombings of July 7th. This book is a must for all those who work in this difficult area.

The Blackstone's Practical Policing Series is a collection of highly practical, up-to-date titles covering a range of essential subjects in today's policing arena. Developed from a detailed understanding of police information needs, this series seeks to explain the relevant law, practice and procedure from a police officer's perspective.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199214082
Publisher:	Blackstone Press
Publication date:	04/08/2011
Series:	Blackstone's Practical Policing Series
Pages:	250
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Duncan McGarry is currently the UK National Adviser for Police Family Liaison and he wrote the national guidelines. He has been a Detective for 23 years and a police trainer, mainly serving in the Metropolitan Police. He has worked on the Stephen Lawrence Enquiry, the Paddington train crash, the London Bombings, the Asian Tsunami, New York 9/11, the Bali bombings and the Marchioness public enquiry. He has also contributed chapters to a number of publications.

Table of Contents

Special Features xiii

1 Police Family Liaison 1

1.1 Introduction 2

1.2 The Development of Police Family Liaison 3

1.3 Deployment 4

1.4 Recognition 6

1.5 Stephen Lawrence 7

1.6 Family Liaison Recommendations 7

1.7 The Post-Lawrence Policing Environment 10

1.8 The Nail Bombings 11

1.9 Marchioness Disaster 12

1.10 Family Liaison Guidelines 14

1.11 11 September 2001 15

1.12 Learning the Lessons 16

Notes 17

2 Organizational Support for Family Liaison 19

2.1 Introduction 20

2.2 Organizational Philosophy 20

2.3 National Operating Protocols 23

2.4 Training 25

2.5 Support 27

2.6 Selection Criteria for Deployment 27

2.7 Supervision, Advice and Resources 28

2.8 Chapter Summary 29

Notes 29

3 Initial Contact with the Family 31

3.1 Introduction 32

3.2 Family Liaison Strategies 32

3.3 Family Liaison Plans 39

3.4 Chapter Summary 41

Notes 42

4 The Management and Coordination of Family Liaison 45

4.1 Introduction 46

4.2 Communicating with the Family 46

4.3 Family Liaison Interviews 47

4.4 Family Liaison Interview Strategies 47

4.5 Family Liaison Interview Plans 52

4.6 Indirect Communication with the Family 56

4.7 Exit Strategies 56

4.8 Chapter Summary 57

Notes 58

5 Victimology 59

5.1 Introduction 60

5.2 Three Variables 61

5.3 The Scene 62

5.4 The Suspect 64

5.5 The Victim 65

5.6 Chapter Summary 71

Notes 72

6 Witness Assessment and Interviewing 73

6.1 Introduction 74

6.2 Witness Categorization 74

6.3 Initial Contact with Witnesses 75

6.4 Witness Categorization 76

6.5 Witness Prioritization 83

6.6 Interview Planning 84

6.7 The Interview 93

6.8 Chapter Summary 96

References 96

Notes 97

7 Coroners' Processes 99

7.1 Introduction 100

7.2 Explaining Coroners' Processes 100

7.3 Viewing the Body 101

7.4 Identification of the Body 101

7.5 The Inquest 102

7.6 The Release of the Body 102

7.7 Chapter Summary 103

Notes 103

8 Mass Fatalities and Ante Mortem Collection 105

8.1 Introduction 106

8.2 Community Confidence and Police Family Liaison 106

8.3 Disaster and Police Family Liaison 107

8.4 Lessons from Ladbroke Grove 109

8.5 The Development of the Family Liaison Officer Role in Mass Fatality Investigations 113

8.6 The Ante Mortem Information that Family Liaison Officers Need to Collect 116

8.7 Chapter Summary 119

Notes 120

9 Critical Incidents 123

9.1 Introduction 124

9.2 Missing Persons 125

9.3 Unexplained Death 128

9.4 Deaths Abroad 130

9.5 Other Critical Incidents Abroad 131

9.6 Chapter Summary 132

Notes 132

10 Family Liaison Officer Welfare 135

10.1 Introduction 136

10.2 Getting it Right 136

10.3 The Ladbroke Grove Rail Disaster Debriefing 137

10.4 Points Raised During the Ladbroke Grove Debriefing 137

10.5 'Family Liaison: Making a Difference': a Paper by Dr Anne Eyre 140

10.6 Involving Family Liaison Officers in the Future 142

10.7 Chapter Summary 143

Notes 144

Index 147

Editorial Reviews

"This book is a long time coming. It is an area of Policing that if used correctly will aid the public in their darkest hour."—Alan Phillips, Detective Constable, Essex Police

From the Publisher