Incident Overview
A Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officer attached to the Special Escort Group (SEG) was involved in a collision with a pedestrian in the busy Earl’s Court area on the 10th of May.
The SEG officer, escorting the Duchess of Edinburgh at the time, collided with Helen Holland, an 81-year-old pedestrian. Holland later succumbed to her injuries in the hospital.
IOPC’s Response
In response to the incident, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has initiated a criminal investigation into the conduct of the involved officer.
The constable is under investigation for causing death by dangerous driving, causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving, and potential gross misconduct.
However, as the IOPC stipulated, the initiation of a criminal investigation does not automatically result in disciplinary action or criminal charges.
Consequences and Reflections
The consequences of the collision were grave, leaving Ms Holland with multiple broken bones and significant internal injuries.
Her son relayed these unfortunate details to the public.
Upon learning of Holland’s passing, Buckingham Palace announced that the Duchess was “deeply saddened” and had extended her “deepest condolences” to the bereaved family.
The incident has brought the operational procedures of the SEG into focus.
It’s noteworthy that, despite their crucial responsibilities, SEG officers are not allowed to use sirens while escorting royalty.
Instead, they use low-volume, high-pitched whistles to minimise disruption to the public and the escorted individuals.
Role and Duties of the SEG
The Metropolitan Police’s SEG forms a part of the Royalty and Specialist Protection (RaSP) service, providing mobile armed protection to members of the Royal family, Government ministers, and high-risk prisoners during transport.
Having a distinguished history of service, the SEG is known for its involvement in high-profile events such as the funerals of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, and Princess Diana and for escorting dignitaries like US President Barack Obama and Pope Francis.
Their comprehensive training encompasses high-speed riding in varying weather conditions, firearms handling, and public order maintenance.
With their fleet of BMW R1200RT motorcycles and armoured vehicles, the SEG is tasked with ensuring the safety of their charges and, by extension, the public.
This tragic incident inevitably raises pertinent questions.
Central among them is the operational decision of the SEG not to use sirens during escort duty.
Despite the high level of risk assumed by the SEG motorcyclists during these assignments, they are tasked to facilitate the safe passage of their charges while using only low-volume, high-pitched whistles.
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