Operation Ford

Operation Ford is UK Policing’s contribution to the safety and security of elected officials and candidates for any elections (excluding Members of Parliament and candidates for a General Election). When an Operation Ford incident is reported, the Police offer an enhanced service, in support of the Home Office ‘Defending Democracy Policing Protocol’.

An Operation Ford incident is defined as:

Any act committed against any local councillor or a candidate for any of those roles in an election or the Police and Crime Commissioner where it is reasonable to believe that the act has been committed with the intention of intimidating or harassing the elected official or candidate in connection with his or her official position or potential future position.

If a caller makes contact via 999 or 101 in non-emergency cases, or another form of contact (e.g. online reporting) and quotes “Operation Ford”, they will be doing so under the protocol agreed between local Authorities and Police. It allows Police to react swiftly and positively to any incident reported which is reasonably believed to have been committed in connection with their official position.