Cambridgeshire Constabulary
Ethics Playing Cards
Copyright © 2025 Compass Ethics
A
Your Sgt is sleeping in the vehicle. It is 3am and they say they are too tired to drive. The radio is on, so they are still technically available to respond to an emergency. What do you do?
Discussion
Shift work will always be necessary in policing. However, it is known to cause sleep reduction and disturbances and is therefore associated with increased sleepiness, as well as increased risks of impaired decision making and performance degradation (see College of Policing link to shift work).
Note, sleeping on duty can be considered a conduct matter and can be formally disciplined under misconduct. The advice states that if you are not fit for duty, you should not be at work. However, in a dynamic, resource-stretched environment, managing fatigue is clearly a very real issue.
Note, sleeping on duty can be considered a conduct matter and can be formally disciplined under misconduct. The advice states that if you are not fit for duty, you should not be at work. However, in a dynamic, resource-stretched environment, managing fatigue is clearly a very real issue.
- What is the current tasking – if on response, how important is it that the public sees you driving around? If parked somewhere quiet, does it matter? Does it matter if a member of the public sees the officer asleep? What would the social media response be in terms of reputation?
- Balancing safety versus duty is a constant challenge, but are you confident that this is not simply being used as an excuse?
- If sleep is required, does Control know not to task with low importance calls? Could the other officer drive instead?
- If you are the junior officer in this situation, the imbalance of power can make raising any kind of objection difficult. Where would you go for help, advice, and support in such a situation?
- Is it harder to report if your colleague is from an underrepresented background?
Note that both the risk and the duty of care do not stop at the end of the shift - an officer or police staff member driving home at the end of a night shift or when very fatigued can be putting themselves and other members of the public at risk.