The Origins of the International Law Enforcement Forum (ILEF)
In 1999, there was serious public disorder at the World Trade Organisation meeting in Seattle. This resulted in police using large quantities of chemical riot control agents and blunt impact (baton) rounds. Elsewhere in the United States many law enforcement agencies were looking at adopting and using less lethal weapons of various types both as riot control agents and to deal with violent offenders. In the UK similar work was underway led by the then Association of Chief Police Officers. An Independent Commission on Policing in Northern Ireland, had also been established by the British Governement chaired by Mr. Chris Patten. The report addressed all aspects of policing, one area of the commissions work focused on Public Order Policing and the use of baton rounds in that role.
The Patten report published in September 1999 dedicated a chapter to 'Public Order Policing' and referred positively to the work being led by the Institute for Non-Lethal Defense Technologies (INLDT) at Pennsylvania State University.
In the summer of 2000, the then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, having consulted with UK Cabinet colleagues and others, ‘‘established a UK wide Steering Group to lead a research project aimed at establishing whether a less potentially lethal alternative to the Baton Round is available; and reviewing public order equipment which was then available or could be developed in order to expand the range of tactical options open to operational commanders’’.
As made plain in the Patten Report, such an examination overlaps with incidents involving single individuals who are armed with a firearm or other offensive weapons. The Steering group, quickly took on a UK wide dimension, on alternative approaches to the management of conflict and developed international contacts. The challenge was to find a common, human rights based framework to develop, assess and introduce into service less lethal weapons which would be both acceptable and effective.
In April 2001, a meeting hosted by the Applied Research Laboratory at Pennsylvania State University, brought together a small group of US and UK personnel interested in the development, testing and use of less lethal technologies within policing. At that meeting the concept an International Law Enforcement Forum on Minimal Force Options (ILEF) was born. ILEF was to play a significant role in as the work of the UK Steering Group took on an international dimension as noted in the six published Steering Group reports. It also became key to similar work streams in the US and Canada.
In January 2002 a formal meeting was ILEF was convened. It brought together internationally recognised law enforcement representatives from the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States to address less-lethal and minimal force option concepts, technologies, and deployment at the civilian law enforcement expert practitioner level. Also present were those involved in the development of policy, scientific development, and medical experts in trauma and surgery. Subsequent forums included representatives from New Zealand, Canada, Ireland, the Caribbean, Scandinavian and European countries.
Since then Ilef has facilitated International peer reviews of programmes being taken part in member countries as well as meaningful meetings between the Law Enforcement and the manufacturers of less lethal technologies. Participation has expanded to include NGO's, Human rights based groups and those involved in police oversight. The work of ILEF has been referenced by international commissions, Boards of Inquiry and in academic literature.
It remains our view that the pursuit of minimal force and less-lethal options, the policy and legal aspects of developing and employing such technology, and the surrounding debates, should be conducted openly and on the basis of informed scientific and medical assessment set against clearly articulated operational requirements by professionals who have experience in policy, command, operational theatres of use and tactical deployment. The Forum meetings rotate between the US, Canada and the UK and include representative from many countries. The reports of our meeting can be accessed at the Reports link.