LGA publishes guide on Operation Ford and policing crime against elected members

The LGA noted that protecting councillors and other locally elected representatives from intimidation, harassment, and violence is “essential to local democracy”.

The guide has been produced for:

• Councillors and candidates “seeking a clear, practical route to support”.
• Officers supporting councillors, including monitoring officers, democratic/member services, and political group officers in England.
• Returning officers responsible for delivering elections.

“This guide is not for parish or town councillors or officers who support them, as Operation Ford does not extend to the local council level,” it noted.

The guide covers:

• Who the guide is for
• Key messages
• What is Operation Ford?
• What is an Operation Ford incident?
• The FEOA role
• Reporting potential crimes to the police
• When to report safety concerns to the police
• Reporting safety concerns and incidents to the council
• What can the council do to support councillors?
• Elections: what changes during campaigns?
• Further reading

In the key messages section, the LGA said: “Each police force now has at least one Force Elected Official Adviser (FEOA) who will be responsible for delivering Operation Ford and coordinating responses to security concerns related to locally elected roles. The FEOA also supports nationally elected politicians with their security under Operation Bridger.

“The FEOA provides briefings on personal security to the council and helps coordinate relevant intelligence on threats/risks to elected officials in the local area.”

However, it added that the FEOA is “not responsible for taking reports of or investigating crimes; crimes must still be reported via 999/101/online, making clear that the incident is an “Operation Ford” incident. This allows for appropriate triage and response to the incident through the usual mechanisms, as well as ensuring the FEOA is aware that an Operation Ford incident has been reported.

“During elections, FEOAs liaise with returning officers to offer candidates timely security advice; ROs can lawfully share candidate details post‑nominations in line with local Data Protection Officer advice – however, candidates must provide contact details.”

The guide includes case studies involving Middlesbrough Council, Leeds City Council and Cardiff Council.