Frontline magazine - Issue 178

Frontline
THE MAGAZINE OF HAMPSHIRE CONSTABULARY
www.hampshire.police.uk
Issue 178 June 2013
New DCC
appointed
A fitting tribute to
Steve “Slim” Rawson
Operation Fortress –
one year on
Page 5
Pages 14-15
Pages 20-21
Recognising the very best
in policing in Hampshire
Turn to pages 6-7
and the Isle of Wight
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Frontline
How I see it
Chief Constable Andy Marsh
On April 25 I appointed the new deputy
chief constable, Craig Denholm. He is an
experienced and very capable DCC with
a good track record of leadership and
delivery of excellent policing services to
the public.
I look forward to working with him
over the coming years. We have agreed
that he will start with the constabulary on
June 3.
Last month (May) saw the launch of
the new body-worn video equipment and
I thank Chief Inspector Gavin McMillan
and his team for delivering this project.
This technology represents a significant
investment and is the best in the market
at present for police use. I am looking for
really clear leadership from all sergeants
around the use of the equipment. I have
also been able to share our approach with
the Home Office and Her Majesty’s
Inspectorate of Constabulary in line with
Simon Hayes
Police and Crime
Commissioner for
Hampshire
What are the police for?
What is the role of police in society today?
There is a view that following the Peelian
tradition, the key role is the “prevention of
crime” and the preservation of “public
tranquillity”. This stands against the
backdrop of three decades in which
dominant right wing political ideology has
radically altered the style and direction of
contemporary policing.
There was widespread opposition to
the setting up of a police service in 1829
– the purpose being to safeguard the
public from threats of disorder. In order
to get the Act through Parliament,
Robert Peel had to emphasise preventing
routine property crime – a threat that
concerned the then voting minority.
Peel and previous police science
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the drive to free up police time and
suggested removal of some barriers,
particularly around the Police and
Criminal Evidence Act (PACE), which
would allow us to maximise this
opportunity. Examples of this could be for
voluntary interviews, replacing the need
for statement in certain circumstances.
As you will know, I am very passionate
about strong leadership, and head of
Training, Chief Inspector Adi Kingswell, is
developing a new Leadership Charter. As
part of this work staff have been asked
what makes a good leader. Some of
characteristics of a good leader are:
experience combined with a strong
knowledge base
visible, proactive, providing clear
direction and making good decisions
approachable, self-aware and
promotes the CARE values
thinkers identified a police service as
being a small part in a larger mechanism
that protected 19th-century society. They
realised that it was “political economy
and culture that were basic to peacekeeping”. This perspective remained
fundamental to policy making and
criminal justice thinking right through to
the early 1990s.
Since then, there has been a
noticeable political consensus towards a
more punitive, perhaps populist,
approach to crime control, with a
consequent shift away from the Peelian
concept of “crime prevention” to a
tougher stance of “crime control”. With
real policies, as well as political rhetoric,
there evolved a punitive auction between
political parties in the UK. This was made
quite clear by the Conservative
government’s 1993 Police Reform White
Paper – “The main job of the police is to
catch criminals.” The current coalition
government perhaps plays lip service to a
preventative agenda, but then speaks of
“putting the public in the driver’s seat”
in order to cut crime through “common
sense policing”.
Even going back to the 1960s, there’s
evidence, despite the perception that
creates a positive and stimulating
working environment where people
flourish to achieve their potential
The full charter will be published
shortly and will enable all staff to know
what I expect of leaders to ensure the
constabulary is well led.
My roadshows began on May 9. This
is a series of sessions where I will talk to
you about my vision for the
constabulary, what I see as the priorities
going forward as well as the leadership
required to deliver this. I genuinely want
it to be a two-way process and hear
from you about your ideas on how we
can work together to achieve taking the
force from “Good to Great”.
Lastly, I want to pay tribute to Steve
Rawson, who tragically died on duty on
April 3. When I attended his funeral I
felt humbled by the bravery of his wife,
Kerry, in giving her moving tribute. PC
Andy Bowman gave everyone a real
sense of who Steve was, painting a vivid
picture of his sense of humour and
personality, as well as his
professionalism and role as a highly
trusted and valued colleague. It was a
true celebration of his life and strong
personality, and it was reflected in the
rainbow of Hawaiian shirts on display.
police were crime fighters, that most of
the work was providing a service to the
public, with a consensual peacekeeping
role. Law enforcement was only a small
part of policing activity. Police were
described then as “peace” not “law”
officers; “philosopher, guide and
friend”; “specialists in emergency
resolution of problems”; and the
“secret social service”.
The contemporary policy focus on
crime, its control and the emphasis on
simply “cutting crime” excludes any
evidence around what the public
expect from their police service. It’s
clear that the majority of police jobs are
concerned with emergencies and not
crime or law enforcement.
However, policing has become
identified as catching criminals. With
the police service being subject to 20
per cent plus funding cuts,
accountability has transformed into
accountancy. As a society, we need to
decide what it is we want our police
service to be doing. What is the force’s
primary role, indeed what are the
police for?
Frontline
www.wowpixweddingphotography.co.uk
Groomed to perfection
Wearing your work clothes on your wedding day wouldn’t normally impress the in-laws, but PC Matt Simpson was proud to
adopt a uniform approach on his big day. Matt, from Southsea Targeted Patrol team, married his fiancée Leanne Kilbey on March
2 at the beautiful Langstone Hotel, Hayling Island, where Leanne is the director of sales. It was important to the couple that Matt
was able to wear his number 1 uniform for the event. So, with the permission of Chief Constable Andy Marsh, Matt and his
colleagues from across Hampshire Constabulary smartened up the proceedings. The day went smoothly with no real hitches, but
if you see Matt he requests that you don’t ask about the “exploding chocolate fountain”! The couple then went on to spend a
relaxing “minimoon” – in plain clothes – on the sunny island of Jersey.
UK
policing
news
round-up
A selection of police-related
stories from the past six weeks
Merseyside Police Chief Constable Jon
Murphy has said his force cannot afford to
lose more officers if it is to effectively fight
serious crime while maintaining its
commitment to neighbourhood policing.
Mr Murphy said the force needs 4,000
officers to be effective – but it currently
has only around 3,950.
Bike thefts have been reduced by 62
per cent by putting pictures of staring
eyes above cycle racks, researchers have
found as part of a two-year study. A team
from Newcastle University decided to test
the theory that people behave better
when they think they are being watched.
Rates of murder and violent crime
have fallen more rapidly in the UK in the
past decade than many other countries
in Western Europe, researchers say. The
UK Peace Index, from the Institute for
Economics and Peace, found UK
homicides per 100,000 people had fallen
from 1.99 in 2003 to 1 in 2012.
Norfolk PCC Stephen Bett has
declared that speed limits should be
abolished and drivers should be able to
go “flat out” on some roads. Mr Bett
said: “I would abolish speed limits on
motorways and other major roads – we
ought to drive to road conditions rather
than set limits. If we are going to do
anything about speed in villages we
ought to take down all the signs and say
all villages are 30mph and you drive on
roads like they do in Germany and Italy,
as road conditions say.” The views were
condemned as “nonsense” by one
motoring group.
Contact Frontline
Do you have a story?
To contact us, and for all other
editorial enquiries, email the
internal Frontline mailbox or
[email protected]
Alternatively call 79-1436 (internally)
or 01962 875006, or write to us at:
Frontline, Corporate Communications,
Hampshire Constabulary Police HQ,
Romsey Road, Winchester, Hants,
SO22 5DB.
Next issue: July 2013
Copy deadline: June 9, 2013
Frontline is available online via the
Hampshire Constabulary website
www.hampshire.police.uk
The contents of Frontline do
not necessarily represent the
views of the chief constable,
the editor or Hampshire
Constabulary.
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Frontline
Crime falls in Hampshire and the
Isle of Wight for sixth year in a row
The total number of crimes
across Hampshire and the Isle of
Wight fell last year for the sixth
consecutive year.
There were 108,745 offences recorded
in 2012/13, around 20,000 fewer than in
2011/12. The solved crime rate stayed the
same at 31 per cent.
Chief Constable Andy Marsh praised
the work of the constabulary: “My police
officers, police staff and volunteers have
done an absolutely fantastic job of putting
the public first through very difficult times
and personal uncertainty, and we will
continue to do this. I would like to thank
you for your hard work and dedication.”
“I’m committed to making the
constabulary a great place to work where
you can thrive, flourish and deliver on your
vocation and make a difference to the
public, which is why we’re in policing.”
Serious violent crime and serious
acquisitive crime both saw a drop of
around a fifth over the last year.
Meanwhile, national figures for the
calendar year 2012 showed that
Hampshire Constabulary saw the biggest
drop (28 per cent) among all 43 police
forces in England and Wales in the
number of house burglaries. It’s welcome
news for the chief because preventing
burglaries, thefts from vehicles and
robberies has been a focus in recent years.
Mr Marsh added that the force needs
to remain focused: “I took up the post of
chief constable in February and it is my
intention to continue to drive down crime
levels and ensure these positive results
continue. I am clear, however, that there is
no room for complacency, particularly with
further challenges ahead for policing.”
This is the sixth year total crime has
fallen in the two counties since it stood at
around 180,000 with a detection rate of
21.6 per cent in 2006/07.
Since then, policing has seen significant
changes including the introduction of
Police and Crime Commissioners last year,
part of whose role it is to scrutinise police
forces.
Simon Hayes, Police and Crime
Commissioner for Hampshire, said it is
his intention to reduce the figures further:
“I would like to congratulate the
constabulary on the past year’s
performance. While this has resulted in
further reductions in those crimes that
have the greatest impact on our
communities, it creates even greater
challenges for the year ahead.
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The figures
Total crime fell 15 per cent from
128,690 to 108,745 offences.
Serious violent crime fell 21 per
cent from 803 to 631 offences.
Burglaries, robberies and
vehicle crime fell 22 per cent
from 15,589 to 12,180
offences.
The total solved crime rate
remains the same at 31 per cent.
“In this respect I have confidence that
my Police and Crime Plan will meet those
challenges although it becomes increasingly
difficult with the further budgetary cuts
the constabulary has to make.”
“It is my intention to continue
to drive down crime levels and
ensure these positive results
continue.”
Significant work
Hampshire Constabulary’s Major
Investigation Team (HMIT) investigated
nine murders, including four in quick
succession, with a 100 per cent detection
rate. The team also led attempt murder,
manslaughter and serious sexual assault
investigations.
Operation Fortress was launched in
May 2012 to tackle violent, drug-related
crime around Southampton. The
enforcement team works pro-actively on
restricting the supply of drugs and
making life unpleasant for criminals
involved with drugs. The campaign
provides a high-profile, visible
reassurance for communities affected by
drug-related violence and the fear of such
incidents.
It was an exceptionally busy period for
the Public Protection Department, which
led several complex investigations against
the backdrop of a national, high-profile
focus on child sexual exploitation.
Operation Malmesbury secured the
conviction of a man jailed for grooming
and sexually assaulting three children in
Southampton. In March this year,
Operation Cymbal saw two men jailed for
19 and 11 years following an investigation
into the systematic abuse of children in
three families across the country over
Just a few of the initiatives introduced
by the force to help cut crime
three decades.
Tackling domestic abuse remains a
priority for the force. The Speak Out
Today campaign over Christmas and New
Year encouraged victims, their families,
friends and colleagues, as well as
perpetrators themselves, to report abuse.
This led to a ten-fold increase in the
number of people visiting the Hampshire
Domestic Abuse Forum website from 220
in November to 2,201 in December, 2012.
During Smashed, the 2012 police
campaign to target festive drink-drivers,
officers breath-tested more drivers than
ever before, an increase of 4 per cent on
the previous year, and arrested fewer
motorists, suggesting the message is
getting through.
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Hampshire
Constabulary
will soon be
available to a
years ago
worldwide
audience via the
information superhighway. The force is
in the process of having its own
internet site constructed, and
should have it available on the
worldwide web during May. The
site will be limited at first to just 10
pages of information, but if it
proves a success in promoting the
constabulary and its activities
there could be scope for
expansion in the future.
Frontline
Frontline
New DCC appointed
Hampshire Constabulary has
appointed Craig Denholm as its
new deputy chief constable.
Mr Denholm, previously DCC at
Surrey Police, was appointed on April 25
by Chief Constable Andy Marsh
following a selection process.
The vacancy was created upon Mr
Marsh’s promotion to chief constable in
February this year.
Commenting on his appointment,
DCC Denholm said: “I am absolutely
delighted to have been appointed as
deputy chief constable in Hampshire.
“I have had the pleasure of serving
with the force before and look forward
to working with Andy Marsh and all in
the Hampshire Constabulary team, and
helping make what is already a great
force even better.”
In welcoming the new DCC, Mr
Marsh said: “Craig is an experienced and
very capable DCC with a good track
record of leadership and delivery of
excellent policing services to the public.
“He will be a valuable addition to the
team and I look forward to working with
him in Hampshire over the next few
years.”
Hampshire Police and Crime
Commissioner, Simon Hayes, who was a
member of the selection panel, said:
Craig Denholm
“I was very impressed with the high
calibre of candidates and, in selecting
Craig Denholm, I feel certain that our
chief officer team will be strengthened
and equipped to take the force in a
positive direction, protecting people and
places and ensuring Hampshire and the
Isle of Wight remain safe places to live,
work and visit.”
Mr Denholm’s start date was June 3.
Denholm in detail
Craig Denholm was brought up in
Fareham, Hampshire.
His policing career began with the
Metropolitan Police in 1984.
He was appointed deputy chief
constable of Surrey Police in June
2009.
Craig has spent the majority of his
career within the Criminal
Investigation Department,
including periods involved in anticorruption, intelligence, drugs
enforcement and other major
crime investigations. He undertook
senior roles in the National
Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS)
and spent a short term with
Hampshire Constabulary before
joining Surrey Police between 2001
and 2008.
During this period with Surrey he
was appointed the head of the
Crime Management Department
and worked as a divisional
commander before progressing to
assistant chief constable with
responsibility for Territorial Policing.
Craig was posted to the
Metropolitan Police, where he
served as a commander within the
Counter Terrorism area of the
Force's Specialist Operations
department, before returning to
Surrey as deputy chief constable.
Crimestoppers – 25 years’
combating crime
This year Crimestoppers celebrates 25
years of successful crime fighting –
and in Hampshire and Isle of Wight
the public is using the charity’s
anonymous services more than ever.
Crimestoppers has passed 2,324
pieces of significant information onto
the force over the past year – an
increase of 13 per cent on 2011/12,
and 25 per cent on the year before.
The intelligence provided has
contributed to 462 arrests.
As part of the 25th anniversary
celebrations a high-profile, year-long
campaign across the country is
planned to ensure the public
understands and trusts the
anonymous services offered by
Crimestoppers and the role they have
to play in preventing and reducing
criminal activity.
Hampshire has welcomed a new
regional manager, Julia Hughes, who is
employed by Crimestoppers and will
support and work with the volunteer
committee and police partners to deliver
campaigns.
Crimestoppers guarantees the
anonymity of callers (there is no caller
display or 1471 facility involved) and
those giving information online.
Although Crimestoppers information
is anonymous (a caller who wants to give
their details is urged to speak directly to
police), don’t discount its value. Often
the caller is giving information as a result
of a police appeal, a Most Wanted image
or something they have heard on the
radio.
Locally, Hampshire’s use of Most
Wanted continues to bring in
excellent results. The force’s e-fits and
CCTV are displayed on the
Crimestoppers website, and around
70 per cent of appeals lead to
actionable information being
received. The site is soon to be
revamped and will include a ‘Caught
on Camera’ section.
The use of Twitter locally has
increased awareness of
Crimestoppers both within the police
and among the public.
The force Crimestoppers coordinator is PC Simon Wright, who
will happily assist with Crimestoppers
enquiries and Most Wanted appeals.
Follow him on Twitter
@HantsCrimestopp and
@IOWCrimestopp.
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Frontline
Bravery and determination
recognised at awards ceremony
Photos by Brian Platt
The Chief Constable’s Awards were held in March
Members of the Operation Helm team pictured with Chief Constable Andy Marsh. From l-r are Det Con Simon Clifford, Det Insp David Jackson, Det Supt Kath
Barnes, Mr Marsh, Sue Lee, Insp Andy Timms, PC Wendy Steward, Det Sgt Len Rendell, PC Martin Barrett, Sgt Chris Challis and Det Con Stuart Goodyear.
The Chief Constable’s Awards recognise
the very best in policing work, the bravery
both of police officers and members of
the public and those who go above and
beyond the call of duty to enhance the
lives of others and make communities
better places to be.
The awards are held around five times
a year in the Sir John Hoddinott Room at
Netley’s Southern Support and Training
Headquarters.
At the most recent ceremony the
excellence of a team of officers and staff
who helped save a group of people being
held in slave conditions from a site in
Hamble was acknowledged.
Ten people from the Operation Helm
team received congratulations certificates
at the ceremony, which was also attended
by Police and Crime Commissioner Simon
Hayes and Alwin James, acting deputy
commissioner of police in the British
Virgin Islands.
Led by Detective Superintendent Kath
Barnes, Op Helm resulted in the
conviction and imprisonment of three
men for holding 12 people in slavery and
servitude and forcing them to perform
compulsory labour.
The police team worked closely with
adult social care from Southampton City
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Council, health authorities, probation and
the UK Human Trafficking Centre.
Sue Lee, from the council’s Adult
Services, was recognised for her urgent
response in setting up a multi-agency
reception centre with access to care
provision for the victims.
The award also recognised the
extraordinary logistical feat of coordinating the operational day when
police teams swamped the encampment
at Hamble to recover the victims, the vast
amount of cross-agency work which
followed to make sure their needs were
met, the offenders being successfully
prosecuted and the local community
being swiftly returned to normal.
Det Supt Barnes said: “What I most
remember about that day is walking into
the lecture theatre that morning at a
really indecent hour – it was completely
full, standing room only. Even thinking
about it now makes the hairs on my neck
stand up.
“It makes me really proud that in just
two-and-a-half days we were able to pull
officers from multiple specialist teams and
create a plan together to get onto the
travellers site safely and securely and instil
confidence in those 12 people who were
able to walk away free with us that day.”
Saved an elderly lady’s life following
blood loss
Other award recipients included PC Anna
Davies and PCSOs Hayley Notley and
Rebecca Williams, who all serve at
Andover.
On December 12 last year the three
were called to an address in the town to
find an unconscious elderly woman who
had burst a vein in her leg and was
suffering massive blood loss.
Responding swiftly, the team made a
tourniquet and applied it to the woman’s
leg before waiting for an hour until an
ambulance arrived. The officers continued
to assist paramedics with treatment and
were credited by the medical team with
saving the life of the elderly lady.
Helped put organised criminal gang
behind bars
Detective Constable Matt Barnes and
Detective Sergeant Will Whale were
recognised for outstanding
professionalism and dedication to duty
during Operation Amure, a complex
investigation into the activities of a group
of high-profile, organised criminals from
Liverpool, which led to the defendants
being convicted and receiving a total of
33 years in prison.
Frontline
During one incident which took place in
the force area, the victim was woken by
three men entering his bedroom before
being handcuffed, viciously assaulted and
then robbed. At the conclusion of the
investigation, Det Con Barnes and Det Sgt
Whale were cited by the trial judge for their
excellent work.
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Prevented suicidal man from falling to
his death
Sergeant Dave Matthews and PC Jim
Charlton were congratulated for their
quick thinking and bravery in helping to
save the life of a suicidal man. During the
incident PC Charlton was flagged down
by a taxi driver who told the officers that
he had seen a man at a nearby railway
bridge, clearly intent on killing himself.
The man had even removed his shirt so he
couldn’t be grabbed.
In a fast-moving situation, Sgt Matthews
and PC Charlton still managed to grab hold
of the man and held on tight until back-up
arrived and he could be taken to safety.
Their fast action not only prevented his
death but also potentially terrible
repercussions for trains on the track below.
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Expert witness in triple murder
investigation
One of the force’s longest serving
members of police staff, Mark Groothuis,
was also recognised for his
professionalism. The Firearms & Explosives
Licensing officer, who has been with the
constabulary since the long hot summer
of 1976, was congratulated for his vast
knowledge and understanding of his
subject area, especially in his role as
expert witness for the Independent Police
Complaints Commission investigation and
Coroners inquest into the murder of three
women in Durham. The chief singled out
the calm and balanced manner in which
Mark provided his expertise in difficult
and challenging circumstances.
Tackled a pair of burglars
A member of the public was
congratulated by the chief in respect of
his outstanding bravery in tackling two
would-be burglars. Dean Smith then
provided assistance to the police,
including giving officers accurate
information, which led to the arrest and
subsequent conviction of the offenders.
Speaking at the ceremony, Chief
Constable Andy Marsh said: “Police
officers and staff are generally very
modest, which is a reflection of their
good nature and humility.
“I recognise that there are many
occasions when we should have said
thanks but didn’t, so these awards are a
chance to put that right. It’s a demanding
job, often dangerous, and this is a thank
you for that, and also to all the families
and friends for their constant support.”
Police Long Service and
Good Conduct Medals
PC Lynne Ellis (1992), Dog Support Unit,
Park Gate
PC Susan Gill
(1992), Ventnor
Sergeant
Colin Lynch
(1992),
Custody,
Newport
Detective
Sergeant Gary
Shirley (1992),
D/CID, Fareham
Police Staff Long
Service and Good
Conduct Certificates
Julie Chivers
(1992), HR
Advisor, Netley
Ian Stone (1993),
IMU Assessment
Officer, Fareham
Andover life-savers PCSO Hayley Notley, PCSO Rebecca Williams and PC Anna Davies with the chief constable
7
Frontline
Junior PCSOs head over heels about award
Bitterne PCSOs Pauline Granaghan and Steve Burden are pictured with Raglan Housing Association’s Junior PCSOs
A group of primary schoolaged children have been
honoured for their work with
the police in helping to keep
their local community safe,
clean and happy.
The 10 youngsters have been working
with members of Woolston’s Safer
Neighbourhoods team as part of Raglan
Housing Association’s Junior PCSO
scheme.
All the children, who live in Raglan
homes in the area, met with PCSOs from
the force one evening every week as part
of a six-week project to improve the
environment they live in – taking part in a
range of activities from littler picking to
planting flowers. They also learned about
road safety, how to stay safe when
playing outside and gained an awareness
of how anti-social behaviour has an effect
on other residents and the wider
neighbourhood.
The children have been rewarded for
their commitment at a special party as
part of Raglan’s Community Spirit Awards
– an annual event which recognises
members of the community who make
outstanding contributions to their local
areas. Each child received a special award
and certificate, as well as taking part in a
video documenting their work. Alongside
this, the children received high street
vouchers to spend.
A group of the constabulary’s police dogs
paid a visit to a Southsea school in March.
The dogs were at Mayville High
School to show pupils how they help to
fight crime.
Police dogs Blue and Riley found
packages which had been planted
around the school hall.
The pupils were taught how the dogs
also help out with crowd control and
finding missing people.
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The News, Portsmouth
Dog takes
the lead
The first ever Junior PCSO scheme was
set up by the constabulary in 2007 in the
Northam and Chapel areas of
Southampton.
PCSO Pauline Granaghan said: “The
project has benefited the whole
community. Most of all it’s about learning
to have respect for people of all ages and
the area in which they live. It certainly
helps in building good relations between
the young people, the elderly and the
police.
“Every time my colleague, PCSO Steve
Burden, and I appear on the estate the
children come to chat to us and are always
asking when we are going to start the
next session. It has inspired the parents to
hold their community events as well.”
PC Lynne Ellis showing her drugs dog Blue, a black Labrador,
to Scarlett O’Shea and Lucy Evans
Handler PC Lynne Ellis said: “School
visits are hugely beneficial, in my opinion,
as they allow the students to see the
human side of what we do.
“Dog handling is very varied work
and most people don’t get to see or
fully appreciate what we are able to
offer to assist our colleagues. It’s nice
to be able to put that across.”
Year 8’s Ben McLeod, 12, said: “It
was interesting. Blue was the best, I
thought. I like his job and I was very
impressed.”
The event was organised as part of
Personal, Social, Health and Economic
(PHSE) day.
Members of Hampshire Fire and
Rescue also spoke to pupils about the
role of the fire service.
Frontline
Putting their best feet forward to
keep people safe on a night out
Police in Winchester are putting their
heart and “sole” into assisting the city’s
Street Pastors during their late-night
patrols by donating flip-flops and personal
attack alarms to help keep people safe on
our streets.
Street Pastors work together with
police and licensed premises in busy
night-time areas to ensure everyone has a
safe and enjoyable night out.
Volunteers from the Street Pastors
scheme walk the streets and provide a
calming influence, helping defuse
situations before they turn violent,
looking after those who may have had a
little too much to drink and providing flipflops and blankets to those in need.
Sergeant Richard Holland, from North
Walls police station, said: “The Street
Pastors provide a unique and hugely
valuable service in support of the work
we do in busy night-time areas.
“They are able to offer a friendly face
to talk to if someone is in distress and
they hand out practical items to help
people get home, such as the flip-flops
we have donated.”
Street Pastor co-ordinator Mark
Bev Wadhams, PCSO Rebecca Williams, Barry Wadhams, Nigel Pool, Sergeant Richard
Holland and Mark Hibbert-Hingston with their flip-flops and personal alarms
Hibbert-Hingston said: “We have been
patrolling the streets of Winchester since
June 2011 and we now have a team of
60 volunteers who provide a presence on
Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
“We are funded largely by the church
with vital contributions from the police, the
Community Safety Partnership and
Winchester Business Improvement District.
“We greatly value our close links and
working relationship with the police and
look forward to this continuing as we
help to make our city a nicer and safer
place in which to enjoy a night out.”
Raising awareness of stop and search – as quick as a flash
by Priya Mistry (Portsmouth News) and Duncan Smith
The police had the right to remain
dancing recently as they took part in a
“flashmob” – where a group of people
suddenly assemble in a public place to
perform – to promote a new Hampshire
Constabulary campaign that aims to
improve young people’s knowledge of
their rights if they are stopped and
searched by police officers.
Around 60 officers, staff and
volunteers surprised shoppers and visitors
at Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth, as they
took part in a three-minute dance
routine. Wearing high-vis jackets, they
danced to Daft Punk’s Harder, Better,
Stronger, Faster as part of the Keep Calm
and Know Your Rights campaign.
Onlookers stopped to watch the
spectacle in the main square, and videos
of the flashmob have gone viral online
with more than 12,000 views so far.
The project lead, Chief Inspector
Annabel Berry, said: “A huge thank you
to everyone who has given us their time
and trust in sharing candid opinions
about stop and search – plus all the police
officers and staff who gave their time for
free on days off to prepare and
The constabulary flashmob in full swing
participate in the launch event.
“Young people were integral to the
creation of this campaign. Speaking with
them directly, we are acutely aware that
being stopped and searched can be a
difficult and frightening experience.
“Some 74 per cent of the young
people surveyed said they wanted to
know more about their rights when
stopped and searched.
“The suggestion of police dancing
emerged from the same consultation – a
flashmob was an idea proposed by
young people with the police as a
creative and compelling way to draw
attention to an important message.”
Ch Insp Berry added: “Stop and
search remains an incredibly useful
power for the police to use appropriately
in catching criminals and keeping
communities safe. The police must put
the communities we serve at the heart of
everything we do – and the views of
young people will continue to be vitally
important in influencing and
implementing this campaign.”
9
Frontline
Volunteer John enjoys custody visiting
role for more than a quarter of a century
John Debenham has been turning up
unannounced at police custody suites in
north Hampshire for 26 years to check on
the welfare of detainees.
He is an independent custody visitor
(ICV), and since 1987 – when the system
was introduced – John has performed this
vital service that helps secure greater
public understanding and confidence in
policing.
John, 80, is part of a group of trained
volunteers who make visits across
Hampshire and the Isle of Wight once
every two or three weeks.
The ICV scheme was introduced in
response to the 1981 Brixton riots to
counter growing mistrust of the police
force and increase its accountability.
Volunteers are approved and selected by
the Police and Crime Commissioner’s
office, formerly the Police Authority, but in
practice they are independent of the force.
The system was made statutory in
Hampshire and Isle of Wight in 2002.
Before that random checks were carried
out by councillors.
The ICV scheme was adopted in other
force areas and spread widely until the
government made it compulsory and a
national body, the Independent Custody
Visiting Association, was set up.
“We are a protection for the
police as well as for the
detainees.”
The visits involve the volunteers
accessing custody immediately upon
arrival and being taken to the cells to
check the detainees’ welfare. Questions
are asked about their treatment, whether
they have been given all the information
they should have, and whether they have
enough food, water and blankets. John
and his fellow volunteers are particularly
interested in checking on the treatment
of juveniles.
John says: “We’re accompanied by a
custody officer when going into the cells.
The cell doors are opened for us but we
introduce ourselves and explain that we
are totally independent. We always take
advice from the police with regards to
our personal safety, but I have never felt
threatened.
He added: “Initially ICVs were
treated with suspicion by some
custody staff but over the years it has
become apparent that we are a
protection for the police as well as for
the detainees.
“I think this is an interesting,
challenging and worthwhile role. I’m
now coming to the end of my time as
an ICV but I’d encourage others to
think about volunteering.”
Police and Crime Commissioner for
Hampshire, Simon Hayes, said:
“Independent custody visitors perform
an important role in our communities.
I will continue to support the visitors in
making sure detained persons kept in
Hampshire Constabulary custody
centres are treated fairly and with
dignity and respect to make sure their
human rights are being adhered to.”
Anyone who is not closely involved
with the police can apply to become a
visitor by contacting the Office of the
Police and Crime Commissioner on
01962 871595 or visiting
www.hampshire-pcc.gov.uk.
ICV John Debenham (right) carrying out welfare checks at Aldershot custody suite with Mike Hill, from the Police and Crime Commissioner’s office, and Sergeant Richard Heard
10
Frontline
Whatever happened
to baby Nigel?
I am the first to admit that I get a
bit rebellious when it is announced
that it is Walk for Health Week or
that tomorrow is Eat no Chocolate
Day and when it comes to a health
awareness event, it’s easy to switch
off unless it affects you directly.
However, a colleague or friend may
be suffering from that very illness
and just knowing a little bit about
that can help you understand what
they have to deal with on a daily
basis.
This year’s Diabetes Awareness
Week runs from June 9-15. Here
are some facts about the
condition:
It was 15 years ago last month
(May) that the force’s PC Nigel
Linford discovered a baby boy
wrapped up and abandoned in
a New Forest car park.
Nigel and several other officers had
arrived at the Brownshill car park after
police received a call from a distraught
young woman saying she had left the
baby there.
“I was acting sergeant for Ringwood
that evening,” recalls Nigel. “A 999 call
made to Dorset Police from a phone box
close to the Cat and Fiddle pub on the
A35 at Hinton was eventually passed to
me via our control room. The woman
who made the call was hysterical and we
had to replay the tape several times to
decipher the words ‘picnic area’, ‘I’ve left
my baby’ and ‘brown’.
“By this time units from all over the
forest were searching various car parks.
The only car park with ‘brown’ in the
name close to the phone box was
Brownhills. As it was getting dark we
decided to meet there.
“After a short search in dense
undergrowth I found a baby.”
“We were holding a briefing in the car
park when, above the rumble of the
engines, I heard a noise.
“I shouted for all the vehicles to be
turned off and then I heard a small cry. I
thought I must be hearing things as none
of the others heard anything.
“I walked in the direction of the noise,
and after a short search in dense
undergrowth I found a baby. He was in a
small, blue plastic box, he was wrapped in
a blanket and was wearing a Babygro
with no nappy.
“He was a little bruiser [he weighed
9lbs] and his umbilical cord was still
attached. He was about 12 hours old.
“I only got to hold him for a short
while as the late PC Jenny Lambert took
him off of me and wouldn’t give him
back!
“We all withdrew from the area
leaving an unmarked police car parked
nearby. I instructed the control room that
if the mother was to phone to inform her
that we had not located the baby, hoping
she would return to the scene.”
The baby was taken to the Princess
Flashback: PC Nigel Linford cradling his namesake in 1998
Anne Maternity Hospital in Southampton
where he was checked and found to be
fit and well.
And it was staff there who decided to
name him after the officer who found
him.
“Numerous media appeals were made
and interviews given, but the mother
never came forward,” explains Nigel Snr.
“DNA was taken from him but to date,
as far as I am aware, the parents have still
not been traced.
“I was asked by the press how I felt
about the baby being named after me. I
think my reply was something like ‘I wish
Richard had found him because I don’t
like the name Nigel’.
“My three-year-old daughter was
upset that I didn’t bring him home. She
once found a camera, handed it in and
after 21 days she got it back. Clearly she
thought this should apply to babies.
“I visited Nigel in hospital the following
day. The hospital had been besieged by
the media but I managed to see him. I
was allowed to feed him his bottle and
was given the honour of changing the
world’s most disgusting nappy.”
The story has a happy ending in that
baby Nigel was later adopted by a couple
who were unable to have children. And in
a move that had PC Linford’s support,
they decided to change his name.
Nigel added: “I saw the baby with his
foster parents when he was six months
old. I signed documentation to say that
he could have my details at any time and
trace me if he wanted to speak to me.
I’ve not heard from him yet, but the
offer’s always there.”
Diabetes affects 4.6 per cent of
people in the UK.
It is second only to smoking as
the leading cause of heart
disease or strokes in the UK.
There are two types of diabetes
– Type 1 and Type 2.
If that all went in one ear and
out of the other, let’s make it closer
to home… Hampshire
Constabulary has a potential
260 officers and staff with a
life-threatening illness called
diabetes.
As with the many illnesses it is
life changing but can be managed,
as Catherine Brown, one of our
Intel Researchers in the North, can
confirm. She said: “I have had Type
1 diabetes nearly all my life and
have never let it stop me doing
anything. It just means I have to
plan a little more carefully than
other people before I rush out the
front door!”
The DSN now has 26 health
mentors ready to lend a listening
ear, and one in particular who can
provide guidance on living with
Type 2 diabetes. Email our mailbox
if you want to get in touch with a
mentor, or try www.diabetes.org.uk
for more information on anything
from treatments to diet to the
latest campaigns.
Francesca Ridley
11
Frontline
Boats in Hampshire given the SmartWater
treatment to help cut crime
Thousands of boats are being marked
with “invisible” SmartWater liquid in a bid
to cut marine crime in Hampshire.
This is the first time an entire harbour
has embarked on such a crime prevention
scheme, which is being backed by both
Hampshire Constabulary’s Project Kraken
initiative and the harbour master.
For the first time all owners who pay
harbour fees on the River Hamble are
being issued with the forensic property
marking system.
About 4,000 boat owners are to be
given the liquid – which is invisible to the
naked eye – to paint their property.
Each system contains a unique code to
help police reunite owners with their
property if it is stolen.
SmartWater shows up under ultraviolet
light and cannot be washed off.
Project Kraken – Hamble River is an
overarching crime prevention scheme
launched by police in 2012 aimed at
sharing intelligence and information with
businesses and sailing clubs to encourage
people to report anything suspicious they
see by the water. It works in a similar way
to Neighbourhood Watch.
The county council, the constabulary’s
Marine Unit and SmartWater have joined
forces for the project.
L-R are Kieron Madden (SmartWater), harbour master David Evans, PC Mark Arnold, Dave Reynolds (SmartWater) and
Sergeant George White
Local beat officer, PC George White,
said: “Project Kraken – Hamble River has
allowed us to work with professionals and
businesses in the marine environment and
has given us a better understanding of the
issues that they want tackled. The Hamble
River is a safe place to moor your boat but
there is always more that can be done,
and issuing SmartWater is another step in
that direction.”
Councillor Keith Evans, chairman of
Hampshire County Council’s River Hamble
Harbour Board, said he hopes the move
will deter thieves.
David Evans, River Hamble harbour
master, said: “The forensic marking
scheme project is designed to make it
clear to potential thieves that the River
Hamble is not a place they will want to
target.
“We already work very closely with the
police and this is an extra step to help
prevent crime and act as a deterrent to
thieves.”
Feel the burn with yoga
A husband and wife team
at Southampton Central are
offering police officers and
staff yoga classes for
beginners.
David Thomas and his wife, Jazz
Kalirai-Thomas, are registered yoga
instructors. They are offering beginners
the chance to learn Ashtanga and
Hatha yoga three Thursdays each
month.
The couple used a two-month
career break late last year to train in
Goa, India.
“It was a life-changing experience,
and we came back to work reenergised and feeling alive again. We
recognise the massive potential that
yoga has to improve our daily lives
through general fitness and wellbeing,” Jazz said.
Although many people consider
yoga to be concerned with flexibility,
12
Jazz and David say that the holistic
approach to yoga allows the body to be
in equilibrium through doing yoga
postures, meditation and breathing
exercises.
“Most people are not taught how
to breathe properly. Using different
breathing techniques, we are able to
change the body’s physiology and
increase energy levels,” David said.
Ashtanga consists of more flowing
motion posture sequences, and Hatha
features postures which are held for
longer periods.
“This is a real chance to get fit, tone
up and feel re-energised,” said Jazz. “It’s
an exciting opportunity to try something
new, while getting the added benefits of
reduced stress, increased flexibility and
balance, cardiovascular conditioning,
lower blood pressure, stronger bones,
increased oxygen supply and better
immunity,” said David.
Classes are from 5-6pm on Thursdays
at Freemantle Community Centre, Shirley.
David Thomas demonstrating “the tree”
Each session is available at an
introductory £5. To book a space or
get more information, email
[email protected] or
[email protected]
Frontline
The constabulary recently welcomed the
Royal Virgin Islands Police Force’s acting
deputy commissioner Mr Alwin James to
our shores to experience policing in
Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
Mr James spent four months in the
UK – some 4,100 miles from home (pop.
30,000) in the Caribbean – attending
the Strategic Command Course at
Bramshill Police Staff College, but
wanted to further his development by
meeting and liaising with the force’s
Chief Officer Group and other members
of the constabulary.
A hectic timetable of events for our
British Virgin Islands visitor included
attending St Mary’s Stadium when
Southampton welcomed West Ham to
see how the match was dealt with
operationally. Mr James also
accompanied Metropolitan Police
officers on the day of Margaret
Thatcher’s funeral, learning how an
event of such magnitude is handled.
Back in Hampshire he spent time with
the review team, joined Sergeant Rob
Sutton on patrol in Portsmouth, envied
the force’s marine unit equipment and
then patrolled the streets of
Southampton and the Isle of Wight.
Mr James’ itinerary concluded by
meeting up with Hampshire Major
Investigation Team personnel and
attending a multi-agency event at Netley
run by the Operation Fortress team.
Mr James said: “It was an honour and
privilege to work with the Hampshire ACPO
group. I am extremely grateful for the
opportunity to experience policing in a
different landscape. I took away some
examples of best practice that could
improve the services of my force. I was
highly impressed by the dedication
and commitment of the men and
women who serve the constabulary. I
wish Chief Constable Marsh and his
team every success.”
Pictured are Chief Constable Andy
Marsh, Mr James and Police and Crime
Commissioner Simon Hayes.
Body-worn video launch to help investigations
The focus was placed firmly
on the next generation of
body-worn video (BWV)
equipment being rolled out
across the force at a recent
launch event at Netley.
Sergeants and inspectors were joined
by members of the media as Chief
Constable Andy Marsh was joined by
project lead Chief Inspector Gavin
McMillan and project team inspectors
Steve Goodier and Rob Abel in
addressing the assembled audience.
In order to showcase the benefits of
the new RS3 cameras, a four-man team
from the Force Support Unit performed
a vehicle stop-and-search demonstration
to the rear of Victoria House using BWV,
capturing vital physical and behavioural
evidence on the new hardware.
To complete the process, the footage
was then downloaded on to a
standalone console in the Sir John
Hoddinott Room in a matter of seconds,
demonstrating the speed and ease of
use of the latest technology.
Representatives from Reveal Media,
PC Geoff Turner wearing the new device
the suppliers of the new equipment,
were also available to answer any
questions and allow officers to get their
hands on the new cameras for
themselves.
Ch Insp Gavin McMillan,
who is leading the BWV
Project Board, said:
“The roll-out of BWV
cameras is now in full
swing and will continue
throughout May and
into early June, starting
in the Eastern Area,
before progressing to
the West and finishing
in the North.
“The cameras will be
located in 29 response
team locations across
Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, as well
as three additional sites used by either
Roads Policing Unit or Force Support Unit
officers. Download facilities will also be
available at custody sites where there is
no Targeted Patrol team hub.”
Once in place, the cameras can only
be used with a standalone PC terminal.
These will be clearly marked with BWV
branding (pictured), along with details of
who the relevant contacts are for each
location, District and Area.
For more information, search BWV on
the intranet.
13
Frontline
A fitting send-off for “Slim”
When one of us falls, we all stumble.
These poignant words have been paid in tribute by officers and staff
to PC Steve Rawson, who lost his life in a road traffic collision while on
operational duty in Southampton on April 3, 2013.
Steve, who was 40, was the first
Hampshire Constabulary officer to be
killed on duty since PC Pippa Parish, who
died in a collision in Winchester in March
1996.
The force has been rocked by the loss
of one of its own, with hundreds of
officers and staff signing a book of
condolence, and tributes being paid by
colleagues from across the country.
Steve was married to fellow police
officer Kerry, and was father to Gracie,
aged four, and nine-month-old Rocco.
His career with the constabulary
began in March 1996, when he joined
the force as a police staff controller,
working first in the old CWUN in Fratton
before moving to the then new force
control room at Netley, where he
remained until 2003.
Steve was from a family with blue
running through its blood – with his dad
and his older brother Dave both police
officers. He followed in their footsteps
and joined the force as a PC on March 3,
2003, serving at Hedge End for four
years, undertaking several different roles
including area car driver.
Steve joined the Hampshire Major
Investigation Team (HMIT) in April 2007,
where he was a valued member of the
team contributing to multiple successful
investigations. He was serving with them
and on operational duties when he was
involved in the fatal collision.
In remembering Steve, colleagues
who worked with him all describe him
vividly as a larger than life character,
renowned for his sense of humour.
Control room supervisor Caird
Batcheler worked with Steve at both the
old Fratton CWUN and in the new FCR,
and says it was his forthright personality
that stood him in good stead as a
controller.
“Steve worked on the Gosport and
Fareham desk. He always spoke his mind
and that meant he probably wouldn’t
last five minutes in here with things as
14
they are these days! He was very
confident, he really made it his business
to know his area and he didn’t take any
old rubbish from officers or members of
the public.
“All of this made him really great at
his job.
“He totally hero-worshipped his
brother Dave. He spoke of him every day,
about what he’d been doing and wanted
to be like him so it was inevitable he’d
join the job.”
Sergeant Chris Challis was Steve’s
tutor constable and recalls extremely
fond memories of serving with him at
Hedge End.
“My main memory is just how easy
Steve was to tutor, a totally natural
police officer – I would get confused
“Steve was the first to support
and nurture those on the team
who needed help, be it a work or
personal matter.”
about who was tutoring who
sometimes!
“We would just laugh every day, and
it was just an absolute pleasure to be in
his company. He just had that kind of
presence around him, which lifted
everybody’s spirits, and a natural
confidence.”
It was while at Hedge End that he
was given the nickname of “Slim”,
which stuck with him throughout his
policing service.
In paying tribute to PC Rawson, Chief
Constable Andy Marsh said: “Policing is
a vocation that people are passionate
about because it is about making a real
difference to the communities we serve.
It also, thank goodness, remains a job
with a very strong sense of team,
camaraderie and, occasionally, fun.
“Steve contributed to all of these
characteristics in huge measure. He was
doing a job he loved that was incredibly
important; protecting our communities
from the most dangerous and organised
of criminals. This is vital work, often
unseen by the public, and I know that
Steve enjoyed it immensely.
“Without the work that Steve was
such an important part of, the safety and
very fabric of our communities would be
under serious threat. Steve was a great
person to have around the team:
passionate, capable, with a strong sense
of fun, which undoubtedly helped keep
people upbeat in a difficult job. He will
be sorely missed but never forgotten.
The constabulary is poorer for his loss.”
Police and Crime Commissioner
Simon Hayes said: “Steve was very much
valued by members of his team and will
be greatly missed by them and the
constabulary as a whole. His death has
affected us all, and brought home the
danger faced by officers in the course of
their duty.
“The sadness of Steve’s death must
be felt mostly by Kerry and their children.
My thoughts and prayers are with them,
and his whole family, as they seek to
come to terms with their loss. I hope that
they may take some comfort from the
great wave of support and condolence
extended to them by the family that is
Hampshire Constabulary.”
John Apter, chair of Hampshire Police
“Even if you only had the pleasure
of meeting him once, you’d
certainly not forget him.”
Federation, said: “The loss of Steve has
knocked us all. Many will say that the
feeling of being part of the ‘police
family’ is a thing of the past but the
reaction from officers, staff and the
public across the country has shown this
not to be the case. The arms of the
Police Federation will wrap around
Frontline
Police motorcyclists head the cortege at Basingstoke Crematorium
Steve’s family and support them over the
coming months and years.
“PC Steve ‘Slim’ Rawson will remain
in our hearts and memory, he will never
be forgotten.”
At his funeral service at Basingstoke
Crematorium, hundreds of friends and
colleagues lined the route to the chapel,
dressed in Hawaiian shirts, befitting
Steve’s humour.
Slim – down to a T
sledgehammer from a nearby builder and
demolish the front of the house to get in.
Once inside, we unfortunately found two
clearly deceased elderly people. We called
the then Tango WUN and advised them of
the tragic discovery and were warned of
the possible dangers of carbon monoxide,
which may have overcome the occupants.
Having left the address, and awaiting
instruction on what to do next, our old
tutor, Steve Weston, arrived. The three
Steves went back into the house only to
find that one of the ‘dead’ occupants was
actually alive, although she nearly passed
away again when she awoke to find three
blokes stood in her bedroom. Good
lesson… always check for a pulse!
“On a serious note though, Sunday,
April 7 marked my 10th year of service in
the police. Having joined at 20, I was
immature, unconfident and too young to
be a police officer. Fortunately I met Steve
who named me ‘the boy’ before passing
on his experience and helping guide me
toward being the copper I am today.
“It was an absolute privilege to serve
alongside him and an honour to call
myself his friend. The time I spent with
him and his family has left me with
memories my family and I will cherish
forever.
“Rest in peace Steve, you will be sorely
missed.”
PC Chris Davies said: “Steve brought
humour, dependability, friendship and
prisoners. He could lighten up any
situation or put someone in their place
with a well-timed joke or comment.
“He had a way of dealing with victims
of crime that I could only aspire to.
Two of Steve’s closest friends and
colleagues from the force paid their
own tributes to him.
PC Chris Davies and PC Steve Auton both
worked with him for many years at Hedge
End.
Steve said: “I felt honoured when I
was asked to write a passage in Steve’s
obituary and quickly set about meeting
up with our mutually good friend Chris
Davis to discuss the funniest memories.
We sat down for an hour reminiscing and
giggling like little girls over the time we all
spent together on shift and as friends
outside of the work environment but
quickly realised that we couldn’t publish
the majority of it!
“What we did establish is that while
Steve was liked by everyone he met, in
equal measure his natural ability of being
good at everything he did was mildly
irritating because it made everyone else
look rubbish, but in a good way of
course.
“On the surface it would appear that
he was perfect, never putting a foot
wrong. But the man was fallible! While
we were both still in our probationary
period, Steve and I were sent to an
incident where milk bottles were piling up
on the doorstep of an address and the
curtains were closed in the middle of the
day.
“Concerned for the occupants, we
didn’t wait for the big red key. No, it was
much easier for Steve to borrow a
A squadron of motorbikes
accompanied him on his final journey,
with members of a local Harley Davidson
club joining forces with Roads Policing
Unit officers in tribute to their fallen
colleague.
The heavy bass roar of nearly 50
motorcycle engines was an extraordinary
sound. It was heavy and loud, but not
quite as deafening as the silence once the
engines had stopped.
PC Steve “Slim” Rawson is survived by his
wife, two children, mother and brother.
However, he had a way of dealing with
his more difficult customers which
needed refining. He was an old-school
copper in a youngish PC’s body. Steve
didn’t hold back when something
needed doing. People usually knew
when they’d been ‘Rawsoned’.”
“Out of work, Steve was one of
those mates that you could not see for a
few weeks or even months, but you
would fall straight back into the banter
the moment you met.
“He had a great love for fast cars,
rugby and motorcycles. Trips to
Twickenham, the local rugby club and
numerous pubs regularly led to
mischievous phone calls to Kerry, telling
her that she needed to go and collect
him from a local police station and
stories which can’t be mentioned in
public.
“He would give anything a go; I
managed to get him on a snowboarding
holiday once. Trust me, the sight of
Steve rolling down a mountain is
something that never leaves you.
“When Steve first started seeing
Kerry, we couldn’t work out what a
sensible young lady could see in our
mate, whom we kindly regularly
described as ‘Hagrid’. But the more you
got to know Steve, you realised there
was a far softer, kinder side to him than
the front he put up when at work –
which was visible when seeing him with
his two children.
“Take care up there, mate. You’ll be
sorely missed. Daisy.”
9
15
Frontline
Postbag
Send your letters to Frontline, Corporate
Communications, Hampshire Constabulary HQ,
Romsey Road, Winchester, Hants, SO22 5DB.
Email: [email protected].
Please keep submissions to no more than 200 words.
Taser for all?
I read with intrigue in the local
news about the Police and
Crime Commissioner and chief
constable’s desire to equip all
frontline officers with Taser. I
appreciate that this plan is very
much in the early stages and
while I have no strong feelings
either way on Taser, I am
aware that this would be a
first for the UK.
Since the constabulary
deems that officers are at
enough risk to consider further
personal protective equipment
(PPE), can I be assured that
Special constables, who face
the same risks and attend the
same jobs, will not be
forgotten and that the plan to
include all frontline officers
truly includes all frontline
officers?
Name and address withheld
Chief Inspector Duncan
Weston, Critical Incident
Cadre, replies: Following the
announcement from the chief
constable and commissioner,
funding has been provided to
purchase additional Taser
devices and train a further 200
Specialist Taser Officers (STOs)
across the 10 mainland
districts of the force. This will
be the first time that Taser is
available to mainland officers
outside of the Firearms
department or Force Support
Unit. Our capability on the Isle
of Wight will remain
unchanged.
The number of STOs will
bring us in line nationally with
other forces and I am sure all
will agree this roll out is a
welcome addition in keeping
all our frontline staff safe.
Taser, however, is not PPE; it
is classed as “specialised
equipment”. As such it can
only be issued to, and deployed
by, officers selected for and
trained in the role. It will not be
issued to every officer.
16
STOs will be members of
district Targeted Patrol teams
working the 24/7 shift
pattern. This will ensure we
maximise the opportunities to
provide the best spread of
cover to colleagues all day,
every day.
At the present time there
are no plans to select and
train STOs outside of TPT.
Safety of our staff is at the
heart of our business so how
we use and deploy Taser will
be kept under review to
ensure we have it available in
the right places and at the
right times when needed.
Selection for STOs has
already begun and public
order training are gearing up
for delivering the initial threeday courses required to qualify
as an STO.
Working alongside STOs
will be incorporated into next
year’s officer safety training
packages so within the next
year or so all frontline
staff will have an appreciation
of the capability of this device.
Rights and wrongs
In issue 177 of Frontline I was
disappointed to see an article
entitled “Officers vote for
right to strike”. The article
was about the recently held
ballot on whether the
membership wanted the
Police Federation to fight for
industrial rights.
I had made it very clear to
local media, officers and the
public that this was not about
getting the right to strike, it
was about employment rights.
It was well known that
even if this ballot was about
the right to strike (which it
wasn’t) then we would never
achieve it. This is why I was
disappointed that our own
internal magazine chose to
use such a sensationalist
headline which suggested the
ballot was about officers
wishing to strike.
I have come to expect
certain national tabloids to
ignore the facts but I don’t
expect the same from our own
newsletter.
In future can I ask that
when Frontline covers a story
about the Police Federation
the editor speaks with us so
the facts can play a part in the
article?
John Apter, Chairman,
Hampshire Police Federation
Lucy Dibdin, Media
Relations Manager, replies:
The use of the word “strike”
in the article wasn’t intended
to be sensationalist; in the
headline it was used to express
what we felt was the main
point of the story. It was
subsequently used in equal
measure alongside “industrial
rights” and “industrial
action”. As I understand it,
when officers vote for full
industrial rights this includes
the right to strike. Industrial
action is defined as “an
occasion when workers do
something that is intended to
force an employer to agree to
something, especially by
stopping work”.
I don’t feel that we ignored
the facts. I do, however, agree
that in future we should make
it our responsibility to consult
with the federation when we
plan to publish references to
the National Police Federation,
Hampshire Police Federation or
quotes from you which are
already in the public domain
to ensure our interpretation of
events is accurate.
Blue in the face
Until recently I had a “force”
issued mobile phone. This
phone had Bluetooth enabled.
Being on call out, the ability to
use my phone en route to an
incident was crucial. My car
has hands free, voicecontrolled Bluetooth. It works
brilliantly. I am able to talk to
the force control room and
others without touching my
phone or even taking my
hands off the steering wheel.
From an operational and road
safety perspective this was
excellent.
I then get a BlackBerry and
it all starts to “crumble”. No
Bluetooth. If I want Bluetooth I
have to have a BlackBerry
headset, which is difficult to
use and distracting. I am told
this is due to a security risk.
What risk? Is there any
evidence that an officer’s
phone has ever been hacked
via Bluetooth and data stolen?
Surely actual operational
effectiveness and officer/road
safety have to outweigh the
theoretical hacking of my
BlackBerry or a mechanic
going to the trouble of
accessing my phonebook
while servicing my car?
Also, my built-in Bluetooth
is free. An earpiece costs
about £20 and the fitting of a
cradle in excess of £60. I feel
some common sense is
needed here.
Inspector Kevin Baxman, Force
Control Room
Inspector Kevin McCarthy
replies: As the force’s mobile
data lead I totally understand
the frustration the current
position causes but, as always,
it is a balance of operational
use versus the need to secure
the data held on, or accessed
by, the BlackBerry. In this case,
I accept the safety, operational
and cost benefits stated by
Insp Baxman but I also
know that the use of
Bluetooth presented a risk to
the information on it.
I do agree that the
current position needed
reviewing and, to that effect, I
have been working in
partnership with the joint
Thames Valley and Hampshire
Information Assurance team to
review the policy. The outcome
is that, by mid-June, new
national guidelines will be
published allowing the
BlackBerry to connect to invehicle Bluetooth, subject to
some reasonable
restrictions regarding those
with sensitive intelligence or
community contact
information. When then new
standards are in place I will
contact all BlackBerry users
with new guidance.
Frontline
World Police and Fire Games
– Belfast 2013
Would you like to compete in any of 56
sports against police and fire colleagues
from 70 countries? Belfast is the host of
the games which are being held from
August 1-11, 2013. Any serving or
retired police officers can enter with no
Caption
competition result
pre-qualification required. More details
about the games can be found by
visiting www.2013wpfg.com.
Alternatively contact Hampshire Police
Leisure and Sport by emailing
[email protected]
Do you have what it takes
to be Fit in Kit?
Organisers of a Fit in Kit Charity
Challenge are looking for police teams
or individuals to take part in a
Portsmouth event on June 29.
The Admiral Lord Nelson School
will host the challenge, which has
three levels of difficulty, offering
something to suit everyone.
Fit in Kit involves a run followed by
a “gym test”. The day also includes a
large community fair with displays,
attractions, stalls and refreshments.
The event, which coincides with
Armed Forces Day, promises to be fun
for all the family.
Any money raised will be donated
to Hounds For Heroes, which provides
specially-trained assistance dogs for
injured and disabled members of the
armed forces and emergency services.
For more information visit
www.fitinkit.com. Any queries should
be directed to Garry Botterill, at
Sussex Police, on 07542 364896.
Hard cell to raise cash for Georgia
Three officers from Hartlepool in the
Cleveland Police force area arrived in
Hampshire in March as part of a unique
charity drive which saw them travelling
over 1,500 miles in three days throughout
England and Wales in aid of a Hartlepool
schoolgirl.
Sergeant Dave Halliday, PC Keith
Robinson and PC Lorene Haworth stopped
at Aldershot custody suite during their
mission to visit all 42 other police forces.
The drive, named Jailed 4 Georgia, was
organised to raise vital funds for 16-yearold Georgia Hart, who was diagnosed with
Friedreich’s Ataxia (FA) in March 2012
following routine checks.
The progressive disease attacks and
damages the central nervous system
resulting in co-ordination and balance
problems, painful curvature of the spine
and severe fatigue.
As part of the challenge Dave, Keith and
Lorene staged a fake arrest of Georgia’s
assistant head teacher, Lee Chapman, in
front of pupils from High Tunstall School in
Hartlepool and then took him on the road
to be photographed in each custody suite
they visited. All money raised from
donations is going towards helping Georgia
travel to America for clinical trials, which
will cost around £30,000.
In issue 177 of Frontline we asked
you to caption the above image. We
received a warren-full of replies, but
the winning entry – as chosen by the
editor – is this from Detective
Constable Dave Sheppard, Fareham:
“Rabbit catches mouse, station cat
on leave!”
Thanks to Detective Sergeant
Damon Kennard, Shirley, for
submitting the photo, though we’re
still not entirely sure what was
going on in the office that day!
10
PC Lorene Haworth, “prisoner” Lee Chapman and PC Keith
Robinson chugging at Aldershot police station
Dave, Keith and Lorene used their spare
time to take part, gather sponsorship and
raise awareness of Jailed 4 Georgia.
Sgt Halliday said: “We have had
excellent support from Hampshire
Constabulary in allowing us to make a
quick stop at their custody suite.
“I don’t think it’s something that has
ever been done before, it’s certainly a
challenge to travel from place to place in
such a short space of time, but we are
dedicated to raising as much money as
possible for a great cause close to our
hearts.”
The officers managed to complete
1,502 miles in 50 hours. It’s not too late to
donate by visiting
http://shareagift.com/pages/giftpage.aspx
gosport
man richard
Kemp was
sentenced
years ago
to life
imprisonment
at Winchester
Crown Court for the
murder of 15-year-old Danish
student Camilla Petersen on the
Isle of Wight in July 2002. Camilla
had been visiting the island to
spend three weeks studying
english. Her body was found on
July 16. she had been indecently
assaulted and strangled to death
by Kemp, who had met her while
she was drawing at the beauty
spot. after disposing of any
forensic evidence linking himself
to the murder, Kemp handed
himself into police the next day.
sentencing Kemp, 53, the judge
recommended that he should
never be released.
17
Frontline
by Kathy Symonds
Branch Secretary
Research by UNISON reveals
that since the coalition
government took office in
2010, some 875,000 – yes that is eight
hundred and seventy five thousand –
public sector jobs have been cut.
Every day since the last general
election an average of 446 jobs in the
police and local government sectors have
been deleted.
Further cuts to police budgets are
likely. We are involved in further reviews
in force that could result in another
tranche of police staff job losses. Any
losses could impact greatly on women,
many of whom are part-time workers.
The proposed impact on the Isle of Wight
would be considerable, and see hundreds
of thousands of pounds taken out of the
local economy.
While all this is going on, it was
enlightening to read in the Daily
Telegraph that a life peer, who has served
a sentence for submitting false expenses
claims, has pocketed £21,000 since April
2012 for attending the House of Lords on
70 occasions, despite not speaking in
debates or contributing to parliamentary
business.
Am I the only person who thinks the
balance is a bit skewed?
Surely if the size of the public sector
has to be reduced, the government
needs to look a bit closer to home to see
what can be saved there. They could start
by slashing the £6m subsidy given to the
House of Commons bar each year.
The introduction of blue tops for
uniformed police staff has had a mixed
response with some staff being pleased
to ditch their ties and others saying that
the lack of shirt and tie has resulted in
the public treating them with less
respect than before. The issue led to
complaints from some staff, who say
they were not consulted on the
proposed change. Well I can confirm
that UNISON members were consulted
and consequently voted in favour of
the change, which goes to show that
UNISON membership allows staff to
influence decisions taken in force.
We are very pleased that the chief,
prompted by numerous requests,
complaints and pleas, has taken the
decision to allow staff with visible
tattoos on their arms to wear short
sleeve tops if they want to.
Award for Tracey’s inspirational
disability champion role
A PCSO has been recognised for her
“outstanding” work supporting people
with disabilities.
Tracey Britton was awarded a silver
Citizen Focus tie pin for her
“inspirational” role as a disability
champion in Portsmouth.
She was nominated for taking an
active lead in meeting with disability
groups and vulnerable people who
wouldn’t necessarily otherwise speak to
the police.
Tracey has built up links over a number
of years and said the award came out of
the blue: “I was quite shocked, really,
because there are lots of people doing
this sort of work.
“It’s a very important part of the
community and one of these days it will
be needed because something will be
reported to the police as a result of the
link we’ve built with that community.”
Tracey works with groups including
parents of disabled children, Connect
Advocacy, the blind centre and learning
Police
Federation
18
PCSO Tracey Britton receives her award from
Superintendent Paul Brooks
disability charities, to break down some of
the concerns people might have about
approaching the police.
“Some were quite frightened by the
police but we’ve overcome that,” she
For regular updates from Hampshire
Police Federation please visit our website
at www.hampshirepolfed.org.uk. You
will find a great deal of information
on the website, including up-to-date
explained. “It doesn’t happen overnight
but it could be something that could
change their life because now they’re
going to feel comfortable reporting
crimes and incidents to us.”
Inspector Fiona Quade, lead disability
champion for the Eastern Area, said she
nominated Tracey for going the extra
mile: “Her commitment and
professionalism towards this piece of
work have been absolutely outstanding.
She has been inspirational and led the
way for other PCSOs.
“Tracey’s enabled me to scope the role
of local disability champions and, as a
result of the work she’s done and what
she’s put into it, we’ve now rolled it out
to the whole of the Eastern Area.
“Other disability champions across the
Area have used Tracey as a role model
and she’s trained a lot of them up. I’ve
got a cracking group of PCSOs and
officers working for me now in the role
and they all support each other.”
offers and updates on the Winsor
and Hutton reviews. You can also
follow the federation on Twitter
@Hantspolfed or follow the
chairman @Hantsfedchair.
Frontline
Obituaries
James “Joe” Shields
sitting in his chair, in his house, holding
his wife’s hand. He had made sure he had
told everyone he could that he loved
them.
The following obituary has been adapted
by Rianne Horner from the eulogy written
and read by Kim Shields (Joe’s daughter-inlaw) at Joe’s funeral.
James “Joe” Shields joined Hampshire
Constabulary on September 3, 2007, as
a station enquiry officer at Cosham and
then later at Gosport, where in no time
at all he had the respect of those serving
alongside him.
As many of you know, Joe loved
talking with people, and on certain topics,
such as the navy, he talked at people. But
his main form of communication was
action. His sense of humour sometimes
made him sound arrogant because of the
authority in his voice, but in actuality he
was extremely humble and neither
bragged about nor advertised his
generosity or his good deeds.
He never shied away from the difficult
matters, never shirked his duties. Joe
spent 42 years in Her Majesty’s Royal
Navy, first as a “skimmer”, then as a
submariner. His dedication to the navy
earned him friends, respect and a
moment in time where Queen Elizabeth II
pinned an MBE to his chest and thanked
him on behalf of herself and of Great
Britain for his faithful service.
After retiring from the navy, Joe
We regret to announce the
deaths of the following
retired police officers:
The force’s microfiche records are currently being
scanned in order to complete our transition to an
e-filing system. As a result, we apologise that some
obituary details are missing from the entries below.
immediately joined the constabulary. He
loved being of service to his community,
and he respected his brothers and sisters
in the force for the essential and
undervalued service they provide. A few
winters ago, when we had record
snowfalls, he hiked the five miles to
work in the snow and was at his desk in
time to answer a call from a colleague
who lived a mile from the station house
who was calling into work because they
were snowed in. Joe always went the
extra mile.
While Joe’s life was cut much shorter
than any of us would have liked, find
comfort in those cherished memories.
Also know that as his time grew to a
close, he went out on his own terms:
National Police Memorial Day
details released
The tenth National Police Memorial Day
honouring officers who have given their
lives in the line of duty will take place in
Cardiff.
The event, at St David’s Hall on
September 29 at 3pm, will be attended
by officers and officials from across the
police service as well as government
officials and families of fallen officers.
Sgt Joe Holness, who founded the
concept of a National Police Memorial
Day in 2004, said: “The British police
service is renowned worldwide and its
unique and priceless reputation is entirely
a reflection of the professionalism of the
men and woman who proudly perform
the role.
“Sadly, each year police officers give
their lives in order that we may all live in
peace. They place the safety of others
above that of their own – they do so
with pride and because they are the
best.
“National Police Memorial Day
ensures that our fallen colleagues are
never forgotten and their unique,
proud legacy is forever treasured.”
Last year’s National Police Memorial
Day at York Minster attracted a
congregation of more than 2,000
people including officers, their families,
politicians and members of the public.
The Archbishop of York, Dr John
Sentamu, described those officers who
had given their lives are “the bravest of
the brave” while Home Secretary
Theresa May read a prayer followed by
one read by Emma Barker, the daughter
of PC Bill Barker who died when a
bridge was washed away during the
floods in Workington, Cumbria, in
2009.
The event is open for everyone to
attend but people must register in
advance by calling 07843 293958 to
receive an invitation.
Diana Smith (nee Lawrence) died in
April 2013. She served as a member of
police staff at Winchester Guildhall Station,
Andover and Eastleigh from 1950-1959.
Superintendent Stuart Mervyn
Leonard Swift died on April 13, 2013.
He served with Hampshire Constabulary
for 33 years before retiring in September
1998.
Police Constable Roy Jarman died
on March 29, 2013. He served with
Hampshire Constabulary for 32 years
before retiring on December 15, 1998.
PC Anthony Bertram Eyers died
on March 15, 2013. He served with
Hampshire Constabulary for 30 years
before retiring on December 24, 1985.
Pin badge for Slim
Following the sudden
and tragic death of PC
Steve “Slim” Rawson,
the constabulary and
Police Federation have
been giving whatever
support his wife Kerry and
their two small children, Gracie, 4,
and Rocco, nine months, have
needed.
Additionally, one of Slim’s
colleagues, PC Gary Morgan, from
Portsmouth, has had pin badges of
the Thin Blue Line symbol made so
that officers and staff can show
their solidarity in tribute to Steve.
The sale of these badges will help
to support Steve’s family.
The badges cost a minimum of
£2 each. Please send cash or
cheques, made payable to PCC for
Hampshire PPPSR, to the
Hampshire Police Federation office
at Police HQ.
19
Frontline
Restrict supply, reduce demand,
Operation Fortress –
one year on
Jenny Chase, from Lee-on-Solent, spent thousands of
pounds rehabilitating her son through heroin addiction.
She was praised for supporting the Operation Fortress
schools programme.
In January, the Portswood Safer Neighbourhoods team had
a suspected drugs den closed down under Operation
Fortress. Figures show crimes often associated with drugs
are down across the city between 2011/12 and 2012/13.
Violence against the person, for example, is down 17 per
cent, serious violence down 22 per cent, dwelling burglary
17 per cent and robbery 21 per cent.
More than 300 blades
were deposited in
secure bins during a
knife amnesty in March
2013 run under the
Operation Fortress
banner. Jen Singleton,
whose son Lewis was
stabbed to death in
Woolston six years ago,
said: “Even if it’s only
keeping one knife out
of the wrong hands on
the streets, it’s
successful.”
20
When Operation Fortress was launched on May 30, 2012, to a
chorus of doors being kicked in on police warrants across
Southampton, the message to drug dealers was clear: we’re
going to make your life as unpleasant as possible.
One year on and the criminals involved are waking up not just
to co-ordinated police action but to a whole community
strengthened by a growing campaign.
“We started with a working strategy that was being led by lots
of different people,” said Operation Fortress lead Detective
Superintendent Kath Barnes.
“While we’ve been very successful in implementing that
strategy, it’s also evolved as we’ve learned things along the way.
“One of the biggest achievements is the way we’re delivering
drugs education to young people. Through Operation Fortress
we’ve built links with people directly affected by drug use such as
Jenny Chase (pictured top left) and the Rewind project in
Southampton which supports ex-offenders through rehabilitation.
“With them, we’re going into schools and, rather than the
police lecturing young people, we’ve delivered a hard-hitting
message from those who can talk about the real and personal
impact of drugs on their and their family’s lives.”
From the outset, it was clear Operation Fortress was not just
about running a drug squad, but finding long-term solutions to
reduce the risk of organised crime and serious violence linked to
drug trafficking throughout the Southampton area.
Alongside police enforcement efforts to restrict the supply of
drugs, the campaign works to reduce the demand for drugs and
In September 2012, teams across the force, the UK Border
Agency and British Transport Police came together to run a
“ring of steel” operation around Southampton. It was one
of a number of Operation Fortress-led enforcement days to
make life unpleasant for drug dealers in the city.
Frontline
rebuild communities
help communities rebuild themselves free from the fear of drugrelated violence.
Partnership working is key said Det Supt Barnes: “Operation
Fortress is like the glue that binds us all together; while we’re
seeing joint working with other agencies, we’re also seeing closer
links between the different parts of the force itself.
“It’s a brand everyone should feel part of, and everyone who’s
already been involved deserves a big thank you; from those
who’ve supported enforcement days at short notice to
neighbourhood teams who’ve helped spread the message.
Thank you to all of you.”
The next 12 months
For Det Supt Barnes, the future of Operation Fortress is
very much about evolving the strategy: “We’ve developed
an operating model that’s proved successful. Our next task
is to get that model operating with partners across the
force in different areas in order to tackle organised crime
by focusing, in this instance, on drug trafficking.
“I’m very excited about the future possibilities and the
opportunities we can create with our partners, getting
them and our communities on board to tackle these issues
and help reduce the risk of harm it causes to the people
we serve.”
The Operation Fortress brand and
message has been used widely across Southampton
including these branded leaflets dropped through
letterboxes after every drugs warrant.
The stage adaptation of a
play that tells the story of
drug addiction on family
life was commissioned for
Operation Fortress in April
2013 and shown in
Southampton. Other forces
have already picked up on
the idea and are looking to
follow suit.
The Operation Fortress van was used for reassurance
patrols following the drug-related murder of Jahmel Jones
in Southampton. “We’re here to try and prevent violence
of that magnitude happening in the first place,” said Det
Supt Barnes, “but that will not come as any reassurance
to Jahmel’s parents. We can’t afford to be complacent.”
She added: “Having Operation Fortress meant we’ve been
able to hit the ground running and the relationships we’ve
developed over the last 12 months have helped gather
intelligence quickly.”
Operation Fortress has brought together partner agencies
across Southampton at two planning days. Colin
McAllister, from the Southampton Drug Action Team, said:
“We are working with police custody medical services
providers to investigate how we can improve medical
interventions provided to detained people with issues of
addiction. This work has developed from a contact made
at the December partnership day.”
21
Frontline
Community event had the WOW factor!
From murder most foul in the local library
to judging who had the biggest catch of
the day in the Freshwater fishing
competition, residents of West Wight,
young and old, endured the terrible Easter
weather to support Week out West!
The six-day extravaganza was the
brainchild of West Wight Safer
Neighbourhoods team officer, PC Jeff
Rogers, who wanted to put together a
series of events to showcase individuals
and organisations in the community after
the success of the police-led Day out West
in 2011.
He said: “Day out West was extremely
popular, especially with the young people,
so our aim was to build on that and
engage all age ranges, which we did with
the help of the local parish councils, youth
groups and volunteers organisations.
“The week was summed up for me
when the West Wight Community bus,
which had got stuck in a very soggy field,
Helping to rebuild paths in the country park behind Fort Victoria are members of the IW Green Gym, an island-based group
of volunteers who carry out conservation work
was pushed out with the help of the local
children. As the youngsters rallied
A crime scene investigation scenario for young people proved very popular
together with an effort better than any
team building exercise I’ve ever
undertaken, the show of gratitude from
the elderly people who were all stranded
and waiting to get home made the fact
we were completely caked in mud worth
it!”
There were over 40 events in all, which
included circus skills workshops, open
evenings with Freshwater fire station,
Army cadets and Freshwater Independent
Lifeboat, photography workshops,
archery, the Alzheimer's Café, stories and
games at the library, and even a mock
recruitment event to allow people to
practice their interview skills at job
interviews.
Week Out West concluded the week’s
events with a procession through West
Wight, a youth football tournament, live
music, street dancing, a funfair and lots of
happy faces!
The power of the voice in staff engagement
In February the force launched a new
intranet feature called the Employee
Voice Poll (EVP). This was created as
part of the People Strategy to promote
better engagement in the workforce,
which is one of the chief constable’s
key priorities for 2013/2014.
Tom Doughty, an HR manager who
is supporting the People Strategy, said:
“Employee voice polls are a new
method of raising engagement levels
with our staff. Leading private sector
organisations have been better at
promoting engagement for some time
but the importance of this is now
becoming more understood in the
public sector.
22
“In March 2011, the government created
the Engage to Success taskforce which
demonstrates the level of importance
placed in this area. Employers that
engage well with their staff have a
workforce that knows that they are a
driving part of the business, involved in
the decision-making process and
fundamental to the future success of the
organisation.”
The EVP asks staff one new question
every two weeks and shares the results of
the previous answers.
Tom said: “The force hopes to be able
to build a dialogue with its staff to
appreciate what is important to them as
individuals both at home and at work. If
the organisation can better understand
the values and circumstances of our
team through engagement, we can
better support them as an employer to
help them achieve their best.”
By mid-April over 2,800 responses to
five questions had been received on
subjects such as how staff travel to work
every day, ambition and charitable work.
The results, which are shared every
fortnight, have provided some useful
information in these areas. They are also
being used to support several areas of
the People Strategy.
A new question is released on the
intranet every other Wednesday, under
the Corporate News section.
Frontline
The Extended Police Family
CSAS teams attend counter
terrorism and crime prevention workshops
by Darren Guy
PC Melissa Miles addresses delegates at the Prevent workshop
In February and March, Hampshire
Constabulary’s community engagement
co-ordinators delivered a Workshop to
Raise Awareness of Prevent (WRAP) to
Accredited Persons under the Community
Safety Accreditation Scheme (CSAS)
Prevent is part of the government’s
counter terrorism strategy, Contest, which
aims to reduce the risk we face from
terrorism so that people can go about
their lives freely and with confidence.
The aim of the half-day workshop was
to give Accredited Persons an
understanding of what Prevent is, how it
works and who to contact if they have
any concerns.
Jason Bellman, one of Hampshire
County Council’s team leaders, said: “I
attended and found it very beneficial. It
gave me a real insight into what to look
Crime prevention training package
Hampshire’s Accredited Persons (APs) are
in the process of attending workshops
about crime prevention advice.
The constabulary’s crime prevention
advisors have developed a bespoke
crime prevention training package for
Accredited Persons, which has been
running since April and ends in June.
The package was created following the
feedback received from the accredited
teams about what they would find
most useful in carrying out their
community safety roles.
The training package contains
modules which offer a range of practical
crime prevention interventions/solutions
relating directly to their roles when
dealing with anti-social behaviour, rural
crime etc.
It will enhance existing knowledge
and is a great opportunity for APs to
learn more, ask questions and share
ideas with colleagues that may help to
reduce crime.
For more information on Contest and
Prevent please see page 14 of issue 176
of Frontline or search “Contest” on the
intranet.
out for in terms of behaviour patterns
and unusual activities of individuals or
groups possibly intending to do harm to
others.
“Before attending the course
I thought I would have a good idea of
your average potential terrorist, for want
of a better description, but I had that
very wrong, I learned it could be just
about anyone potentially fitting the
bill.”
Stuart Fox, another council team
leader, stated: “The course was very
informative about what we should be
looking out for and certainly highlighted
that no matter how insignificant you
think a piece of intelligence may be, you
might be providing the missing piece of
the puzzle.”
Under the Community Safety
Accreditation Scheme, approved
employees are accredited by the chief
constable to exercise limited but
targeted powers to help them become
more effective in their role and
contribute to community safety and
security, as well as combat crime and
disorder, public nuisance and anti-social
behaviour.
23
Frontline
SPOTLIGHT
brains I have, but the brains I can
borrow”; and “If you can’t change
the way you feel about something,
change the way you look at it.”
What is your best quality?
Modesty. That’s the best way to
answer that question.
Under the glare of
the spotlight this
issue is the Reducing
Unnecessary
Bureaucracy (RUB*)
lead, Inspector
Steven Bowen
How long have you been in the
force?
Twelve years. I joined in 2001 and have
been mainly based in east Hampshire.
I’ve also worked in specialist training at
Southwick Park and more recently
Farnborough. I’ve also completed
secondments to Hampshire Fire and
Rescue Service and the Prince’s Trust. I
now work all over Hampshire and the
Isle of Wight.
How did you get into the job?
I wanted to relocate to sunnier climes
from Manchester, so I packed my
sunscreen and headed south. Hampshire
Constabulary is where I ended up. My
background was in entertainment and
hospitality. I used to open new
enterprises and venues and managed
restaurants, theatres, pubs and
nightclubs.
Describe a typical day for you.
The only regular part of my day is that
my BlackBerry goes off nice and early. I
try not to have too rigid a plan because
my work can be dynamic. I go to
Fareham in the morning and then,
wherever the business is, I go. I spend
time shadowing frontline officers and
staff on patrol. My days are long and
varied and involve working with people
of all ranks and roles. Every now and
24
again I pack a lunchbox and head off
on the train to visit colleagues at the
Home Office.
What has been your most
memorable experience working for
Hampshire Constabulary?
My most memorable experience is
receiving a Queen’s Commendation for
Bravery for trying to save the life of a
man who had set himself alight. I was
invited to 10 Downing Street and got
the chance to meet the prime minister
and eat some of his sandwiches. It was
humbling to be recognised for what we
had done, as I’m sure others in our
position would have done the same.
Although the initial incident was both
sad and tragic, it ended positively.
What’s been your worst or most
embarrassing moment?
When I met the new chief constable
and had to break the news to him I
was a Manchester United fan. He’s a
Liverpool supporter. Thankfully I
avoided drinking my tea from the
Liverpool mug.
What are you most likely to be
heard saying?
There’s a few: “Rub it out!” (*see what
I did there?); “Short-term pain for longterm gain”; “Not only do I use the
What is your worst quality?
My boundless energy, enthusiasm
and positive outlook on life.
What annoys you most?
That high-pitched noise that you
sometimes can hear when you’re
watching television, but can’t work
out where it’s coming from.
What is your dream job?
I don’t really have a dream job, but
do often think that it would be nice
to sit in a tractor and plough fields.
If you could go back in time,
where would you go?
I would go back to Manchester
during the Industrial Revolution. It
was a time that showed how exciting
it can be when ideas aren’t preconceived. Also, a pint and buses
were much cheaper then.
In which actor’s shoes and in
which film would you like to have
appeared?
Will Smith in The Pursuit of
Happyness.
What would you spend a lottery
win on?
I would pay off my friends’ and
family’s mortgages, give money to
Cancer Research and buy my cat, Ray,
a new toy (and probably a new
collar). If it was only a £10 win then
I’d probably reinvest.
Tell us one thing about you that
no-one else reading this will
know.
I once auditioned for Family Fortunes –
long before Vernon Kay hosted it
though.
Frontline
Past Times
Produced in partnership with Hampshire Constabulary History Society
Enduring chiefs and Black Marias
by Cliff Williams
Captain Adams-Connor was chief constable of the Isle
of Wight Constabulary for nearly 36 years – an
impressive feat by anyone’s standards – but his terrific
tenure is small fry compared with long-serving chiefs
nationally; there are about 60 others who served for
37 years or longer. The record is held by George List,
of East Lothian, whose occupancy lasted from 1840 to
1893 – a staggering 53 years. The longest serving
chief of an English force is James Kellie-McCallum, of
Northamptonshire, who spent 50 years in residence
from 1881 to 1931. The longest serving Hampshire
chief constable was Captain Forrest, who served as the
top officers for 35 years from 1856 to 1891.
Capt Adams-Connor retired from the army in 1899
after 20 years’ service, including Boer War action. He
served in an Irish regiment called the Connaught
Rangers. He received many honours including the
Order of Charles III from the King of Spain in 1908;
the Royal Victorian Order from King George V in
1909; and he was appointed a Commander of the
Order of St Stanislas by the Emperor of Russia in 1909
(the emperor also presented him with a gold and
jewelled cigarette case bearing the imperial arms).
Capt Adams-Connor was chief on the island until
1935 and lived at Beechwood, Carisbrooke. I am
grateful to Paul Malpas, General Secretary of the
Connaught Rangers Association, for the information
on his honours.
Isle of Wight senior officers circa 1907 - back row:
Inspectors Coleman, Cass, Bignell and Salter; front row:
Chief Constable Adams-Connor and Supt JH Gallaway
(deputy chief constable)
Insp Salter became the deputy chief constable in 1922 and
retired 10 years later after 40 years’ service in the force.
Retired army captain Harry George Adams-Connor is
shown here with other senior officers at a time when the
Isle of Wight was a separate force. It was amalgamated
with Hampshire in 1943.
Memories of Maria
its
lt in the 1870s has closed
A Portsmouth prison bui
on
gst
Kin
P
HM
nstruction on
doors for the last time. Co
eet.
Str
ny
Pen
in
l
gao
er
e an old
started in 1874 to replac
1879.
The new gaol opened in
horse-drawn police “Black
the
This photo shows
h
for secure police vans wit
Maria” – the nickname
n of
atio
ort
nsp
tra
the
for
d
use
separate locked cubicles,
mises.
prisoners – outside the pre
7 in
recorded as early as 184
is
ria
Ma
ck
The term Bla
of
ary
tion
Dic
r’s
we
ler. Bre
the Boston Evening Travel
Maria
ts the name came from
ges
sug
le
Fab
and
ase
Phr
’
ors
sail
a
of
black keeper
Lee, a large and fearsome
p
hel
for
on
l
cal
uld
wo
police
boarding house, who the
with difficult prisoners.
8 at a
acquired in October 187
The pictured Maria was
en
driv
s
wa
and
rs
one
10 pris
cost of £177.10s. It carried
in use
ed
ain
rem
It
bs.
om
Co
nt
for many years by Sergea
was
r horse-drawn prison van
until 1921 when anothe
re
we
ses
hor
t
il 1929 tha
purchased. It was not unt
for prisoner transport.
ort
nsp
tra
tor
mo
by
replaced
de HMP Kingston,
A “Black Maria” outsi
Portsmouth
torised
ria was replaced by a mo
In Southampton, the Ma
ught
bro
s
wa
van
row
-Ar
Pierce
version in 1920, when the
in
van
on
eded by the Star pris
into use. This was supers
1928.
cribe
term Black Maria to des
Does anyone still use the
prisoner transport today?
Don’t forget to visit us at
ry.org.uk
www.hampshireconstabularyhisto
25
Frontline
Puzzles
Sudoku Prize Puzzle No 178
Prize Crossword No 178
The winner of this issue’s Sudoku prize
puzzle will receive a copy of Alan Sugar’s
autobiography, What you see is what
you get. He’s the boy from a council
estate who became a lord. The market
trader who became a market leader. The
chairman of Tottenham Hotspur who
became the star of hit TV show The
Apprentice. Now he’s telling his story, his
way. Whether it’s making millions or
making waves, he’s never less than his
honest, funny, outspoken self.
To solve the puzzle, every digit from one to nine must
appear in each of the nine vertical columns, in each of the
nine horizontal rows, and in each of the nine boxes.
Hampshire Police Leisure and Sport
provides serving and retired officers and
staff with support to participate in a
variety of sports and outdoor pursuits,
as well as enjoying a range of benefits
and discount schemes. Find out more at www.hpls.org.
Thanks to HPLS, Frontline is offering the sender of the first
all-correct crossword entry to be drawn from the hat a pair
of tickets to see a film at the Vue, Cineworld or Odeon
cinema of their choice.
SOLUTIONS TO 177
The winner of puzzle 177 is
PCSO Andy Leeks, Park Gate
Across
Down
1. Member of a Christian sect in
Provence who believed the material
world was evil (6)
4. Frederic, Polish composer, lover of
George Sand (6)
9. 1932 novel by Graham Greene (8,5)
10. Letter in the Greek alphabet
transliterated as o (7)
11. Domesticated mammal, Equus
caballus (5)
12. Genus of plants some species of
which are the source of sisal (5)
14. 1995 Brad Pitt film (5)
18. Alfred, Austrian psychiatrist who
died in 1937 (5)
19. Tall Asian palm whose large fanshaped leaves are used for thatching
(7)
21. English explorer who discovered
Lake Tanganyika with John Speke
(7,6)
22. In Judaism, the earlier part of the
Talmud (6)
23. Bird of the tropical and subtropical
order Psittaciformes (6)
1. In mythology, son of Leda, twin of
Pollux (6)
2. 1983 John Landis film starring Dan
Aykroyd (7,6)
3. Ann ---, city on the Huron, site of
the university of Michigan (5)
5. Accessory on a camera through
which electrical contact is made for
the operation of a flash device (3,4)
6. Drink consisting of raw unbeaten
egg, vinegar, salt and pepper (7,6)
7. Fridtjof, Norwegian explorer who
won the 1922 Nobel peace prize (6)
8. Robert, Scottish poet whose works
include Tam o’ Shanter (5)
13. Plant of the genus Verbena with
purple, blue or white flowers (7)
15. --- grass is often planted to stabilize
sand dunes (6)
16. Sam, detective creation of Dashiell
Hammett (5)
17. Heavily built marine bird with a long
stout bill (6)
20. Miss Dern, actress who appeared in
the film Jurassic Park (5)
SOLUTIONS TO 177
Across: 1 Southernwood; 7 Brest; 8 Llama; 9 Oat; 10 San Marino; 11 Bolero;
12 Morris; 15 Wehrmacht; 17 Boa; 18 Radio; 19 Robin; 21 Caribbean sea.
Down: 1 Sailor Beware; 2 Hoe; 3 Retina; 4 Walkabout; 5 Okapi; 6 Baron Scarpia;
7 Betel (nut); 10 Stromboli; 13 Rabin; 14 Scarab; 16 Hydra; 20 Baa.
The winner of puzzle 177 is Mr R Tompkin, Fareham
Send entries to Prize Puzzles, Frontline, Corporate Communications, Hampshire Constabulary Police HQ, Romsey Road, Winchester, Hampshire, SO22 5DB. Closing date
June 14, 2013. Prize puzzle draws are open to all serving and former Hampshire Constabulary employees. Entrants may only enter the draws in their own name.
26
Frontline
Leisure & Sport
All the news and action from Hampshire Police Leisure & Sport
That’s the Way to do it!
Coming up against a fellow newcomer to
the semi-professional ranks, Andy Way took
on Shey Roberts in the welterweight division.
Driven on by the cheers of the crowd,
Way started with a takedown, grabbing
Roberts’ back and getting his hooks in.
Roberts defended well and got back to his
feet, only to be taken back down by Way
once more.
Both fighters battled for a dominant
position, but it was Way who came out on
top and took the full mount.
From this position Way attempted an arm
bar, which Roberts defended well. Roberts
then reversed and turned into half guard, in
an attempt to give him hope in the ground
battle.
However, it wasn’t to be as Way hip
escaped and took full advantage, giving
Roberts no choice but to tap out.
Red Creative
A Hampshire officer who is a
member of the Police National
Judo Squad made a winning start
on his semi-professional debut in
mixed martial arts at Portsmouth's
Mountbatten Centre.
Tough stuff: Andy Way celebrates his victory (inset) after defeating Shey Roberts
Hampshire out of national cup
The force’s men’s football
team crashed out of the
quarter-finals of the Police
Sport UK national cup – the
furthest they’ve advanced in
more than a decade – after
gifting Strathclyde Police
three goals.
Played at Tally Ho! in Birmingham,
Hampshire started the game nervously
but absorbed the early pressure
applied by their Scots opponents.
Eventually Hampshire found their
rhythm, keeping good possession and
going into halftime on a high.
Frustratingly the second half started
with what appeared to be a perfectly
good goal for Hampshire being
disallowed by the referee, who adjudged
Matt Rain to have pushed a defender as
he nodded the ball onto Aaron Smith to
head into the net.
Hants came close again a few minutes
later following a good run from Aaron
Brown on the left, who cut the ball back
to the oncoming Mark Robinson to lash
the ball from 25 yards only to see it
come back off the post.
Kev Burnand then went on a mazy
run, taking the ball past the Scots’ right
back before pulling the ball back across
the six-yard box for Mitch but the striker
fizzed his shot over the bar.
Then it all went wrong for Hampshire
as a hopeful long ball out of the
Strathclyde defence bounced in the
Hampshire box and straight over the
keeper to make it 1-0.
Moments later it got worse as
another long ball out of the
Strathclyde defence took another
wicked bounce over the Hants
defence into the path of the striker
who was clean on goal. His shot
was well saved but the ball fell
kindly to an advancing midfielder
who stroked it into an empty net.
Rubbing salt into the wounds
was a third goal, scored after Hants
were dispossessed in midfield,
allowing for a through ball to be
played to the forward who tucked
the ball away. Final score 3-0.
27
Leisure & Sport
All the news and action from Hampshire Police Leisure & Sport
Victory for Vets in John Davies romp
Hampshire Constabulary FC Veterans used
all their experience to claim the John
Davies Memorial Cup for the first time
after overcoming Southampton District in
an 8-2 victory.
The 2013 final took place at Aldershot
Town’s EBB Stadium in April after the
teams had previously drawn 2-2 in the
group stages of the tournament.
On this occasion the Vets controlled
the early stages of the game with a neat
passing game, while Southampton were
content to soak up the pressure and break
with a more direct strategy.
The Vets drew first blood when Andy
Alderson found Pete Kurton with a great
pass that put him through on goal,
Kurton beating the advancing goalkeeper
Jamie Wiseman with a superb lob.
Southampton responded by upping
their game and were soon level with an
equaliser that had a hint of offside
about it.
The Vets were looking ragged at this
stage, but managed to soak up constant
Southampton pressure with Andy Dunne,
Rich Croucher, Alderson and Steve Whyte
marshalling the defence.
Some of the kneeling Vets didn’t make it back up again!
Aaron Brown was a constant thorn in the
Southampton sides for the Vets, linking
up well with Martin Parker.
The Vets’ second goal came as a result
of some excellent goalkeeping by Matt
Rain. Unfortunately for Rain he wasn’t the
keeper and he was duly given his
marching orders for deliberate handball
from Darren Ford’s shot. The resulting
spot kick was dispatched by Ross Toms to
put the Vets 2-1 up at the break.
Southampton came out all guns
blazing in the second half, but the Vets
pulled on all of their experience and
soaked up the initial pressure before Ben
Burfitt had a shot well saved by Wiseman,
only to see it deflect off a Southampton
defender for an own goal and a 3-1 lead.
The Vets were now cruising and
making their man advantage pay off as
Dunne nodded a Burfitt cross back across
the penalty box for Ford to make it 4-1.
This signalled Vets boss Richie
Bateman to make wholesale changes
with Steve Hopes, James Rudge, Rob
Jones, Mitch While and Martin Livermore
coming on for Kurton, Ford, Toms,
Alderson and Burfitt.
Jim Mullen in goal for the Vets was
little more than a spectator as they
continued to dominate, running out
8-2 winners with further goals from
Man of the Match Brown (2), Jones
and a collector’s item penalty from
56-year-old Livermore.
This is the first time the Vets have
won the JD Cup and the trophy was
presented to the winners by Chief
Constable Andy Marsh.
A special mention goes to Det Con
Gary Steward, who has been instrumental
in the resurgence of the force Vets
football team and is stepping down from
organising the John Davies Memorial Cup
competition after seven years.
Ladies find their feet in exhibition contest
Hampshire Constabulary FC Ladies
played their inaugural game after
recently reforming when they took on
the experienced Army Medic Corps.
Coached by Steve Hopes and
managed by Julie Way, the exhibition
game at Aldershot’s EBB Stadium saw
the ladies come up against a fit and
strong Army squad.
As a result, it was backs to the wall
for most of the first half for Hants, and
it was no surprise when the Army took
the lead, their centre forward finding
time and space to coolly slot past the
advancing Katie McGloin in goal.
Hants battled away and worked hard
at keeping possession and quelling the
constant Army barrage, with Keeka
Way, Sam Jennings, Marie Maskell and
Julie Way working their socks off.
However, the Army doubled their lead
for a 2-0 half-time advantage.
28
number of players still to join the ranks,
the future looks bright for ladies’
football within the force.”
Anyone interested in joining the
squad should contact Hopes or Julie
Way.
Hampshire Constabulary FC Ladies
After a reshuffle and some coaching
advice, Hants gave a much better account
of themselves in the second period,
spurred on by a decent crowd in the
stands. Lorrae Rowan and Lisa Cooper
linked up well to keep the Army on their
toes, but Hants were unable to turn
possession into goals and the Army
eventually ran out 3-0 winners.
Steve Hopes said: “This was an
excellent test for the ladies and they
responded well to the task. With a
Hampshire Constabulary FC Ladies are
aiming to put together a squad to
compete in Britain’s largest women’s
football tournament later this summer.
The Keele International Cup will be
held over the weekend of July 20 and
21, with the Hants squad setting off on
the Friday via minibus.
Accommodation is £99 per person
for individual rooms with en suite
facilities (food not included).
If you are interested in finding out
more, contact Steve Hopes or Julie Way.
Full details will be provided once
interest has been established.