How the College’s work is supporting Lancashire’s operations

I was delighted to be welcomed at Lancashire Constabulary  this week, learning more many areas of their operational work and how they’ve taken advantage of the support the College of Policing offers them to ensure they instil the highest standards, consistently in every rank and role across the force. From the chief officer team to student officers, I saw how Lancashire is taking advantage of the wealth of resource available to them to ensure officers and staff have the skills and knowledge they need to best serve the public, keeping them safe and preventing crime.

The new recruits I spoke to – just two and a half weeks into their policing careers – are clearly taking their professional development very seriously. I was particularly pleased to learn they understood the importance of the new Code of Ethics and the unique role that each of them holds as leaders within policing from day one of their careers.

Chief Inspector Jill Halliwell and Inspector Gemma Barr shared the impact of problem-solving policing on their work to tackle anti-social behaviour in Op Centurion. Their effective use of hotspot policing was informed by the College’s evidence base and guidance, and serves as a successful example of problem-solving being implemented, with a rapid increased in the use of court orders and community protection notices.

I also had the chance to see the College’s new public and personal safety training (PPST) in action which has been rolled out to all forces in England and Wales since last April. Officers at Lancashire were positive about the updated scenario-based training, feeling more confident in their ability to protect the public, and themselves.

I met with others from across the force, learning about their far-reaching work including:

• Increasing arrests in relation to domestic abuse
• Engagement with black communities through the Race Action Plan
• The pioneering Robotic Process Automation work led by Gillian Routledge MSt (Cantab)

Each person’s dedication to their work was clear – I came away from Lancashire feeling energised and I hope that they continue to take advantage of all the College has to offer for them, from leadership training to research projects. Many thanks to everyone at Lancashire and CC Sacha Hatchett for welcoming me and demonstrating their continuous hard work, dedication and public service.

Photos taken by Sue Helm-Jones of Lancashire Police.