Cambridgeshire Constabulary
Ethics Playing Cards
Copyright © 2025 Compass Ethics
6
You speak to a concerned member of the public on the phone. It does not sound as if a crime has been committed. When should you respond in person anyway?
Case Studies
- What if many people are involved? What if no one else is involved? Does that context matter?
- There has been a car accident. The two parties involved have asked if the police can come. It will just be to help fill in insurance forms. Should you go?
- How should you handle the situation if the call came in just hours before your annual leave was due to begin?
Discussion
There is a difference between what you are obliged to do, what you are permitted to do, and what it would be good to do. Although time is often in short supply, a physical presence when possible, even where a crime has not been committed, can fulfil a significant public reassurance function.
- Public perception, public reassurance, public trust, and public confidence are all connected. Building community relationships takes time, but is an essential part of effective policing.
- PCSOs could be used as a supporting resource in many cases where ‘legal powers’ are not required. A summer fete or community fayre is unlikely to actually ‘need’ a police presence, but it is the type of place where visibility can enhance public confidence.
- It may even be that a well-handled phone or video call can achieve the same result, although do not underestimate the effect of a physical presence.
This is really about how to intelligently manage limited resources, both in the short term and in the long term.