A Police Family Liaison Officer (FLO) is a role of an officer either of uniformed or plain-clothed Criminal Investigation Department (CID) role, although some companies and schools have FLO's the best known and most used are of the Police's. Every territorial police force has a pool of trained FLOs, FLOs who have passed their probationary period and have gained the national qualifications in detective work are then allowed to fulfill the role. The FLO is usually assigned to the family by the Senior Investigative Officer (SIO). FLOs are usually assigned any situation where a point of contact between the family and the police is deemed essential, such as a high profile murder investigation, or a case of a missing child. The Metropolitan Police Service has occasionally send FLOs to families who have lost relatives in terrorist attacks or major disasters. An FLO can also be used to gather intelligence on the behaviour of a member of a family where they are a suspect in the case.
FLOs need good communication skills as they are often the person who reports investigative advances in the case, and are a "shoulder to cry on" for the family. Most FLOs dress in civilian style clothes rather than police uniforms, so as to appear more sympathetic. Sometimes the FLOs will give a statement to the media if the family do not wish to.
Some Private, fee-paying schools have FLOs, although the position differs from the one in the UK Police Service, but is still based on the same guidelines of friendly and approachable staff who is the first point of contact between the authorities and the other party.
British Armed Forces also have Royal Military Police trained FLOs for families of killed service men/woman.
Students applying to be a trained FLO will do day to day police work in their parent department and will only be brought in as an FLO and taken off normal duties when the need arises. Students will initially have a 5 day training module to gain the necessary requirements to be an approachable and friendly FLO. Training is disciplined and structured to make sure all potential FLO's become both professional and supportively in the execution of their duties. FLO's will be trained to a moderate level of basic physiciatry so they are able to "read" people to gain an understanding of what makes them angry, violent or upset, that may aid the investigation to work out what the person is like.
FLO Course Content is made up of:
Upon completion of the first module, FLOs train further in three subjects, which may include major crime and road death. The course is made up of a total of seven days training, divided into two modules held on consecutive weeks.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Waldren, Michael J. (2007). Armed Police, The Police Use of Firearms since 1945. England: Sutton, 224. ISBN 0750946377.