Technical Surveillance Unit Team Leader

Job Family Intelligence
Job Sub Family Surveillance
Code INT-SUR-TL-Technical Surveillance Team Leader v1.0

Role Purpose

This profile has recently been updated to include the CVF 2024 and core skills, and the new version can be found on College Learn by entering the Profile title in the search function. Please note this profile is out of date and is in the process of being reviewed.

The TSU Team Leader supervises and plans the provision of covert technical surveillance capabilities for serious and organised crime operations.

Key Accountabilities

  • Lead, manage and develop a team of technical surveillance operatives in order to obtain and secure expert and professional evidence/intelligence from technical surveillance equipment.
  • Take responsibility for the safety, security and welfare of team members and individuals connected with technical solutions to ensure compliance with legal frameworks.
  • Make evidence-based decisions to facilitate the collection and analysis of evidence/intelligence in compliance with legal frameworks.
  • Authorise and approve operational plans for the deployment of technical surveillance equipment.
  • Develop and maintain policies for the purchase, retention and disposal of all technical surveillance assets.
  • Identify, develop and manage partnerships with internal and external stakeholders to provide innovative technical solutions to identified problems.
  • Provide expert advice on technical solutions at all levels of policing during the tasking and coordination process, supervising the planning and preparation of techniques and equipment to satisfy the objectives of an agreed investigative strategy.

Behaviours

All roles are expected to know, understand and act within the ethics and values of the Police Service.

The Competency and Values Framework (CVF) has six competencies that are clustered into three groups. Under each competency are three levels that show what behaviours will look like in practice.

It is suggested that this role should be operating or working towards the following levels of the CVF:

Resolute, compassionate and committed

Inclusive, enabling and visionary leadership

Intelligent, creative and informed policing

Education, Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Prior Education and Experience:

  • Please refer to the College of Policing Surveillance Authorised Professional Practice Manual (Restricted) for more information.

Skills:

  • Able to engage a variety of audiences through a range of media to inform, advise and/or persuade.
  • Able to identify cause and effect and develop a course of action designed to target root causes and mitigate risks.
  • Skilled in using specialised software related to own area of work to extract, analyse and report on data.
  • Able to identify potential applications of new or improved technologies related to own area of work to improve working practices.
  • Able to use organisational financial systems appropriately and manage budgets.
  • Able to manage the introduction of new business processes or ways of working at team level.
  • Able to develop and motivate a team and create strong engagement of individuals with their personal and team objectives and with Force values, behaviours and strategic priorities.
  • Skilled in setting team and individual performance objectives, monitoring performance, assessing progress, identifying emerging risks, issues and opportunities, and taking corrective steps as required to ensure that the right results are achieved.
  • Able to plan to medium term cycles within strategic plans, to coordinate a range of activities appropriately within the unit, to match these to available resources, and to identify and mitigate known risks to delivery.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

  • Personal responsibility for CPD.
  • Instruct and support colleagues in the use of an appropriate technical solutions.
  • Research and refresh own subject matter expertise.
  • Maintain currency of College of Policing Guidance, best practice and any local policy applicable to the operational police context and leading and managing teams.
  • Maintain and update key knowledge, understanding and skills relating to legislation policy and practice across all functional policing areas of operational responsibility.
  • Maintain knowledge and understanding of new approaches identified by evidence based policing research and problem solving and team working and synthesise these into working practice.
  • Maintain a working knowledge and understanding of new and evolving crime threats and priorities; and current best practice to tackle these in order to enable a pro-active and preventative approach.
  • Complete all annual and mandatory training including for example, fitness tests, personal safety training, first aid, and protecting information.
  • Maintain knowledge and understanding of performance management process and ensure they are implemented effectively when managing teams.

Professional Registration/Licenses

Not applicable.

Links to other Profiles

Technical Surveillance Unit – Head of Unit

Technical Surveillance Unit – Operative

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