ACC Sharon Taylor with Devon and Cornwall Constabulary Chief Constable Steve Otter
Preparing for PNAC is something you need to take a two-year run at if you are serious about passing first time. You have got to start having those discussions with your senior line manager as soon as possible. I started having those discussions with (former CCMDP) Lloyd Clarke in 2002-3. Sharon had first been encouraged to think about seeking senior rank by Mr Clarkes predecessor as Chief, Walter Boreham. Both Lloyd Clarke and Walter Boreham were good champions of mine, but if it hadnt been for the very real support of my deputy head of PSD Supt Keith Kennedy, who effectively ran the department in my absence, then I would not have been able to do it. I am deeply grateful to Keith for all the support he gave me, keeping the department running, which enabled me to do that, said Sharon. I also had the support of my own line manager, who by that time was (Director of Personal and Professional Development) ACC Robert Chidley, who allowed me the space, for example, to spend whole days reading and absorbing Home Office strategies and considering what, if I was an ACC, I would do about them. But most importantly of all, there is no way I could have contemplated my career developing the way it has without the unstinting and loving support from Ron and the boys, Robert and Gareth. Especially Ron, when I was away with HMIC, on the SCC and working in Cambridgeshire and then Devon. I just would not have got there without him and his fantastic understanding and willingness to look after the boys and always be there for me. Once she had passed the Strategic Command Course with five outstanding gradings out of 12 Sharon began the task of finding a Chief Officer post. Sharon attended the assessment centre for these posts and was offered one of them on secondment, taking up her duties in June last year and having her appointment confirmed as a substantive ACC in April this year, after a further round of interviews in competition with other officers from around the UK. During the period that I was a temporary ACC here I managed to build a good, effective professional relationship with the police authority. A lot of bits of the business were performing poorly when I got here and I managed to turn around performance in those areas significantly. We went from 37th position to 16th nationally in nine months on citizen focus and customer satisfaction. I had responsibility for all the control rooms and our call handling performance was all red when I arrived, but since then we have hit all our national call-handling targets for the first time in four years. In terms of customer relations, I was able to bring that rich experience I have had in dealing with a variety of customers over a long period of time in the MDP environment into the citizen focus requirements for this Force, said Sharon. Since gaining her full-time appointment in April, Sharons portfolio responsibilities have changed. Currently she is concentrating on shared services joint working with local authorities to improve the overall quality of service to the public and regional collaboration with neighbouring Forces.

It isnt easy and it doesnt suit everyone, but if you are ambitious this is the right Force and now is the right time to think about going for it. I have been looking at our promotion statistics. In recent years, at every rank proportionately fewer women have applied, but proportionately more of those have passed. I asked the Womens Staff Association about this and they said it is normal in other Forces too, and maybe due to women being more cautious about giving it a go. Based on Sharons experience, all I can say to our women officers is: if you want to get on, get on with it! Sharon is happy to keep in touch with ex-colleagues, and can be contacted via email: Sharon.TAYLOR@devonand cornwall.pnn.police.uk
By TalkThrough Editor Norman Hicks Photograph by Paul Kemp
Aim to be first call from Chief
As he marks three years in post as Chief Constable of the MOD Police, Steve Love spoke to TalkThrough, reflecting on the highs and lows of his tenure to date and looking ahead to the future.
How have the last three years been for you?
I have really enjoyed them. It is a job that is not without its frustrations, but actually I think I have seen more happen and seen us make more of a difference in the last three years than in any other policing job that I have ever done before and thats where I get the satisfaction from. We have rolled out body armour The Tactical Support Group at AWE has taken us right to the top end of the firearms capability of any police Force There is a good, professional working relationship between the MDP and the MGS Weve dealt with some very high profile crime cases and have met our crime asset recovery target every year Our joint operations with the Royal Marines on the Clyde have set a new standard for joint police/military security operations Our convoys have got through every time and the training, equipment and vehicles continue to improve Operation Vintage has been our largest external tasking and brought us four new sites and a whole new specialist role Our Unit Beat Officers are some of our greatest ambassadors and the word is spreading about Home Front The Agency College provides some of the highest quality training anywhere in Defence or the police service The Force has grown in numbers and also, I believe, in confidence. And on top of all that, we are quietly getting on with the job. There are too few ethnic minorities and women in the Force. The footprint is a worry. And not yet being able to get hold of the money to standardise uniforms or fix up the accommodation blocks at Wethersfield.

Powers of entry

The powers to inspect sites under the Arms Control Disarmament Act 1991 (as amended in 2003) are extensive and are not limited to MOD or Crown property. Should a privately owned site be selected for inspection, the Secretary of State has given the police the power to gain entry to the site, by force if necessary. Having a police liaison officer able to fully explain police powers in relation to the inspection could prevent a potential confrontation and disruption of the inspection. Other than the first site to be inspected, upon arrival into the UK, very little is known about the other locations we are expected to escort JACIG to, until it is announced by
By Inspr Andy Ramsay Photographs by Paul Kemp
Around a year ago, the MDP was approached by the Joint Arms Control Implementation Group (JACIG) based at RAF Henlow, asking if the Force could provide a police escort during UK arms inspections.

Op Rebecca

Under the operational name Op Rebecca, the Special Escort Group has been involved in a number of live convoys and training runs, one of which was joined recently by TalkThrough. JACIG is comprised of commissioned and non-commissioned military personnel from all three armed services. Its role is to inspect the conventional armaments from the other nations which have signed the Vienna Treaty. In turn, these nations are entitled to inspect the UKs conventional military assets.
establishments throughout the UK, dependent upon the teams point of entry to this country. Failure to meet these time constraints could lead to JACIG failing to meet the UKs obligations to comply with the Treaty, and in the worst case scenario, jeopardising the relationship with the inspecting nation. These same rules apply when JACIG inspect other nations,
therefore it is important that we provide a professional service to ensure the smooth and expeditious arrival at the site to be inspected. The visiting inspectors are afforded diplomatic status and as such receive certain diplomatic privileges when in the UK. The number of foreign inspectors varies greatly, which can alter the number of SEG vehicles used to escort the foreign inspectors.

The legal authority

Provision for this was made by the Secretary of State under the Arms Control Disarmament Act 1991 (as amended in 2003). This is where the Special Escort Group comes in. Once the visiting nations inspection team has arrived in the UK, strict time limits apply during which JACIG must facilitate the inspection of military CONTINUED.

OSU IN ACTION

SEG background
The SEG forms part of Operational Support HQ, and is based at AWE Aldermaston, near Reading. Op Rebecca is one of three taskings on which the SEG is currently employed. The other two are on behalf of DE&S, and involve Defence nuclear movements. Officers who work within the SEG must be discreet, because of the often sensitive nature of their work. They must also have a flexible approach to their duties, which can involve lengthy, unsociable hours, along with extended periods of time away from home and often at short notice. There is a considerable training requirement for all ranks to be qualified as an officer on the SEG,

be it specialist training for Defence nuclear movements, driver training or extensive firearms training required for the role. Whilst demanding, the role of an SEG officer is unique providing many opportunities for training and development, allowing the officers to travel and work with other Agencies throughout the UK. The Special Nuclear Materials Convoys were the first involvement MDP had with such convoy work. They started nearly 26 years ago, in 1978, and their purpose was to escort the MODs Special Nuclear Materials around the United Kingdom. It was because of the excellent service provided by this specialist section of the MOD Police, over a
period of nearly 22 years, that the Ministry of Defence decided to bring the escorting of all Defence Nuclear Materials, NW and SNM under one roof. At this point, and during the handover of the convoys, the RAF took on a training role with the Special Escort Group, training MDP to escort Nuclear Weapons convoys. From March 2002, the RAF handed over the training task to MDP and this now takes place primarily at Aldermaston, but also at other locations. The SEG occasionally advertises for vacancies, and welcomes interested officers to call and speak to them further about the role. Contact details are on the MDPGA Intranet, under the Operational Support pages.

By Judith Slater

The OSU Cutting Team assessing the situation
MDP officers have twice swung into action at one of the gas processing plants being guarded by the Force under the Critical National Infrastructure Protection tasking, to help deal with unplanned incidents there.
As reported in TalkThrough 133 in December 2007, CNI Protection duties require the Force to provide armed defensive policing at several key sites in the UK, to deter any would-be terrorists. The role is restricted to armed security and does not involve general policing, which is still being provided by local Forces. The first unplanned incident, at the Norfolk site, involved an explosion and fire within the water processing plant at the gas terminal. Norfolk Constabularys Major Incident Plan was put into operation and MDP officers established a Rendezvous Point, liaising with the local Force and on-site security officers to establish a cordon. The Operational Support Unit (South) maintained the integrity of the incident site, which was treated as a potential crime scene until the cause of the explosion could be established by fire and police investigators. Meanwhile, regular MDP armed patrols continued under the terms of the protocol with Norfolk Constabulary. The second unplanned incident involved a call from the Norfolk Force for assistance with fossil fuel protesters who were blocking the highway outside the gas terminal in an attempt to prevent access to and from the plant.

Initial intelligence indicated there were demonstrators in front of the terminal, so thats where we headed. On arrival, there were many protesters, part of a group calling themselves Earth First, at the main gate, and these were being contained by Norfolk Police.
We were directed by the Norfolk duty Sergeant to deal with the protesters at the rear, who were blocking the main approach road by means of lock-ons. Norfolk officers were waiting for our arrival and, more specifically, our specialist cutting teams. Evidence gathering was covered by video and stills. Kevin described the procedure: We are getting descriptions of the persons being arrested, videoing the five step appeal and any warnings given, and also videoing any other demonstrators on the periphery, in case they committed offences later on that day. This was all done in an overt fashion. Everyone there knew they were being filmed and photographed.
When hypothermia sets in, this can cause real difficulties because the protesters become too numb, and lose their fine motor skills and dexterity, and with that the ability to self-release. Then there is no option but to cut them free. On this occasion it took at least ten minutes before they were able to release themselves.
Praise from Norfolk Superintendent
Sergt Collier continued: We provided Norfolk Constabulary with the ability to rapidly deploy a Protester Removal Team. Norfolk Superintendent Jo Parrott expressed her gratitude and, during
the de-brief at a nearby local police station, thanked us for our professionalism. This highlighted the fact that protesters are our business and were good at what we do, whether it be the OSUs, the Scottish Divisional Support Groups (DSG), Aldermaston or Devonport Cutting Teams.
Bringing out the Cutting Gear
Said Mark: We brought out a generator and a specialist cutter, capable of cutting up to 30 tonnes, and placed the generator close to it on the road right next to the three protesters. It is quite an imposing and intimidating piece of kit. It worked, because only about 15 minutes later, the protesters unlocked themselves and were arrested. Those demonstrators who had not been locked on were also arrested later.
An Overview from ACC John Bligh
TalkThrough asked Director of Operations Support ACC John Bligh, for his view of the way MDP officers had responded to the protester incident. He said:
based on the ever-changing and developing tactics used against us. Our ability to operate seamlessly alongside English, Welsh and Scottish colleagues to resolve situations effectively and expediently is a testimony to the professional skills of our officers and the standards that the Force demands of our people. Ultimately, we act in the Defence and the national interest and are highly regarded and welcomed by constabulary colleagues and customers countrywide as a consequence. We will continue to provide that little bit extra and make a difference into the future. That is our business after all.

MDPs role at the CNI sites is primarily a Defensive Armed Policing one, tasked to provide a level of security that host Forces would have difficulty maintaining for a number of reasons. However, we bring much more than that, as this incident illustrates. MDP is UK Policings foremost protester removal specialist, with over 1,000 successful removals over recent years. We constantly update our equipment and techniques and expand our capabilities,

A F G H A N I STA N

MDP involvement in International International
Policing and Training Training
By Judith Slater Photographs by Neil Parry
Meet Ch Inspr Paul Jordan, New Head of International Policing and Secondments Office (IPSO)
I have been with the MDP for nearly 34 years and have now taken on what I see as the biggest challenge of my career. While I was aware of the work that the department does I was not fully conscious of the workload undertaken by the department as a whole. In the short time that I have been the Head of IPSO I have realised the tremendous effort and care that the whole team put into everything they do and I have a great deal of respect for all of them. Kosovo remains a challenge as the Mission evolves
from UNMIK to EULEX and the uncertainty keeps
everyone guessing. This has a considerable affect on
morale for those in the Mission and its up to us at IPSO
and the FCO to resolve the issues where we can.
Afghanistan is without doubt the most challenging Mission for the Department to deal with. It is the first time that UK police have been deployed to forward positions in what is still essentially a conflict area and from my perspective it is probably only the MDP which has the capability to undertake this role, at least at this time. Officers deployed in these areas suffer considerable hardships and must be commended for their resilience and determination to succeed. Mentoring, monitoring and advising are difficult at the best of times but the conditions that exist in Afghanistan exacerbate the situation. Nonetheless the officers have already made considerable progress in a very short period and have led the way for others to follow. Some of my colleagues have implied that I should be taking a back seat and keeping my head down at this time
of my life and career. I cannot do that and want to play a pivotal role in what must be one of the most exciting times in the progress and development of the Force. As a consequence of our Afghanistan involvement I can only see the stature of the MDP growing in the eyes of the MOD and hopefully UK policing as a whole.

Assessing the situation

ACC Robert Chidley then directed further work, looking at feasibility. The first step was assessing the requirement, the capability and durability of MDP to take this on. Following discussions between MDP and COS Ops at Permanent Joint Headquarters, which provides command and control for the UKs international operations, it was decided that a visit to theatre was needed in order to progress this concept further. A ground visit by Chief Inspr Sheridan, Inspr Aitken and Colonel Iain Smailes was made in the Summer of 2007. Inspr Colin Aitken recalled, We had a tick list. We had to ask ourselves the following: What is the job, what is the role, who will we be working with, what security measures are in place, what is the risk to staff and officers and do we have the capability to fulfil it?

The initial visit

Colin explained, We were given a warm reception by the SSR Cell (British Security Sector Reform Cell) which, in post conflict society, consists of police, justice, penal management and rule of law. You cant bring a society back to normality without all these factors in place. By talking with the FCO staff,
Children receiving basic medicines
Travelling with the military

The findings

With a high illiteracy rate (75 per cent of men and almost all women) any task teaching basic policing skills is going to be hard. Chief Inspr Sheridan commented: We will advise and mentor, and wont be doing the policing ourselves. We will tie in with the District Chiefs of Police and mentor them. Well be working towards local ownership, in other words show the police how to, for example, check a vehicle over and open the bonnet safely. The Afghan police CONTINUED.
out mentoring. We will be working towards developing a more efficient and effective local policing. John Harvey, who has served as an officer overseas in places as diverse as Kosovo, Pitcairn and Jordan, is well aware of the difficulties ahead and listed them on his questionnaire as: austere conditions, communications, language, logistics and lack of rule of law. David McIlwraith said he volunteered for this mission, having already served in Baghdad and Kosovo, because: Afghanistan presents a new challenge for me and will allow me to utilise my knowledge and skills in a difficult environment and, hopefully, provide positive results. Mike Ellis, also experienced in overseas policing, had this to say: I want to be a part of something that contributes in some size to improving and developing the Afghan Police Service.

Nick with some local children
For Christian Linetty, who has served twice in Kosovo, he expects this mission to be a unique opportunity towards which hell be giving 100 per cent. Personally, hes expecting to come out of this experience with a broader outlook. Colin Aitken, a former Director of Operations in Kosovo, where he has served for nearly five years, gave as his reason for going: Like many other officers, I am loyal to the MDP
Inspr Aitken explained the existing set-up with the police force. He told TalkThrough:
a strategic level, if deployment was possible. Subsequently, agreement was reached between David Milliband (Foreign Secretary) and Des Browne (Defence Secretary) to deploy MDP operationally to Afghanistan. Confirmation of deployment authority was received in mid-January 2008.

Who has been deployed?

On 27 January the team deployed with Colin Aitken (DTR Team, Wethersfield) and Nick McKeown (HMNB Clyde) being sent to Gereshk. As Colin Aitken told TalkThrough, Our six officers will be responsible for different areas. Movement around the theatre is by armoured vehicles supported by ISAF/Coalition military protection forces, or by helicopter. We will be accompanied by armed military personnel as well as living with the battle groups. Christian Linetty (RAF Fairford) went to Sangin, John Harvey (HMNB Devonport) initially to Lashkar Gar to assess the local Afghan police, Mike Ellis (HMNB Devonport) is with the CSTC-A in Kabul and David McIlwraith (FIB, Wethersfield) is working with the Counter Narcotics team in Lashkar Gar. Stephen Butler and Alistair Eivers were deployed two months later to Musa Quala. Before they left, Alistair Eivers told TalkThrough: I think the mission will be a taxing environment. We will produce Assessment Plans for the local area, working with partners, local police and carrying
Nick McKeown has worked out in Kosovo. His aim is to help establish a reputable police force in Afghanistan.
and I want to see it thriving; this is our ideal opportunity for MDP to develop into the UK lead for international policing in support of Peace Support Operations. Strategy and targets will be set by the Provincial Reconstruction Team on arrival. Personally, I enjoy the challenge of helping others in adverse conditions. A normal society, in any country, just wants security and the chance to get on with their lives.

firearms officers get to train on in any Force. All this took three days. On the fourth day they received familiarisation on the foreign weapons theyll encounter out in Afghanistan, such as the AK-47 and the Demarco rifle. Trainer PC Chris Fisher described the SIG P299 pistol: Its a precisionmade kit with two distinct consistent

RED CLASS

Back Row: PCs ANTHONY LEWINS, GARY McBRIDE, ADAM WALTON, ANDREW LAVANCHY, DAVE RANDALL Middle Row: PCs JOHN McDONALD, JOE PRIOR, STEPHEN POTHAN, SAM BYRNE, SCOTT LAUGHTON, GARY RAMSAY Front Row: PCs CAROLINE CAMPBELL, NICOLA PORTEOUS, Sergt SCOTT McBRIDE, Sergt JOHN MacFADYEN, PCs LIN JAMES, ALEXANDRA FULTON
Results looking good. L to R: Firearms Instructor PC Russ Simmons, John Harvey, David McIlwraith, Mike Ellis

BLUE CLASS

Back Row: PCs PHILIP WEAVER, TIMOTHY SALT Middle Row: PCs CARL GITTUS, ASHLEY TAYLOR, BENJAMIN WILLIS, CARL SHEPPARD, JUSTIN WILLMENT Front Row: PCs CLAIRE FOLEY, ROWAN GRIFFITH-MALLEY, Staff THERESA JEFFREY, Sergt NATHAN GABRIEL- LOVELL, PCs RACHEL PERRY, PAUL MOORE

The ROA needs you!

The Ministry of Defence Police Retired Officers Association was formed in 1989 to promote and sustain friendship between retired members of the Ministry of Defence Police.
The President of the ROA is the serving Chief Constable. The Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and six Committee members are all retired officers and are elected annually. Membership is open to all retired members of the Ministry of Defence Police and their spouses/partners. Officers who retire from the Service of the Ministry of Defence Police can apply to join the Association. Membership of the Association will ensure that retired officers will continue to receive a copy of the official MDP publication TalkThrough to keep in touch with the progress of the Ministry of Defence Police and maintain an active interest in the day to day activities, both in the UK and overseas, by its officers still serving. In addition to this, members will also receive a copy of the newsletter of the Ministry of Defence Police Retired Officers Association and will also be invited to attend a yearly reunion/AGM weekend in October at various locations within the UK. Members of the ROA maintain a close link with the Defence Police Federation (DPF) and have access to the DPF Free Legal Advice Scheme as and when necessary, in addition to access to travel insurance organised by the DPF head office, which offers competitive holiday and travel insurance to the ROA.

GREEN CLASS

Back Row: PCs JAMES HARRIS, CALEB SANDERS, MARK BARROW, STEVEN HOLLOWAY, ROBBIE BLACKER, ANDREW McLOONE, SAMUEL BRADLEY Front Row: PCs SCOTT WOOD, ZOE BELCHER, Staff CAROLYN PANTLIN, Staff KEVIN LAING, PCs JOANNE MOORE, MARK ALDWINCKLE

member of crew or vehicle entering or transiting the UK, and those travelling between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, in advance of their journey. This information will be matched against watch lists of those known to be of interest to UK authorities or whose behavioural traits in the travel process match those of earlier suspects.
Have there been any memorable situations at work you can remember, involving either one, or both, of you?
CLAIRE: Working at Whitehall has allowed us to experience many a situation when you pinch yourself and think how lucky are we? The Queens jubilee, the last flight of Concorde, the Tour de France, the Queen Mothers funeral. All these memorable days I have policed and been able to share the experience with my husband. Not many people have had that privilege. MITCHEL: Working at Whitehall, we have been involved in several memorable experiences. I remember, when being attacked by a male, who stated afterwards he wanted to kill a copper, Claire being first on the scene to help. After the event, this seemed very strange and, rolling around with a very large individual, naked from the waist up as he had ripped all my upper clothing off, seeing my wife above him, baton in hand, coming to my rescue. I always thought it should be the other way around.
Police national counter terrorism (PNCT) website
With the formal transfer of management of the police national counter terrorism (PNCT) website from the Met. Police to ACPO (TAM) in mid 2007, the decision was taken to redevelop the website and roll it out to all UK police officers and staff. ACPO (TAM) didnt have the web communications expertise to develop a professional website, so approached the Met team doing the handover who suggested that MDPs Tracey Webb was the best person to do the redevelopment, given her work with them on the MDPGA web pages on the current PNCT website. This set in train an initial threemonth secondment working in the ACPO (TAM) operational support unit based at the ACPO HQ in London. Working with police officers and staff from the Met and other UK police Forces, Tracey got a front row view of police work on counter terrorism and domestic extremism. This was a rewarding experience for a government communicator and gave me a wider insight into police work said Tracey. I came into contact with a variety of senior police officers including some of the national coordinators who have lead responsibility for national areas like ports, Special Branch and military liaison. I also dealt with officers in the MDPs Operational Support Unit (OSU) who were recent transferees from the Met Police safer neighbourhood teams, so I learnt more about what its like for a police officer out on the beat in London. That was interesting for me since I live in London. Working with ACPO (TAM), counter terrorism advisers and web content managers from police Forces and related agencies to ensure that the website navigation structure and content was user-friendly for its intended audience was a challenge, given the need to take into account both national and Force level policies and procedures, as well as the different counter terrorism legislation in Scotland. When I finished the secondment at Christmas, the website was nearly ready to go live, said Tracey, having been through a period of initial user testing with positive feedback from Met Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke (ACPO (TAM) Chair), ACPO (TAM) members and counter terrorism advisers.

CLAIRE: We are both PCs. However, Mitch has on occasion been the acting Sergeant and turned me down for time off in lieu. That was a hard one to digest, but the things I turned him down for as a result was sweet justice! MITCHEL: We are both of the same rank so this does not affect our relationship; however, my wife is always the boss!
How did you meet and how have you ended up working together?
CLAIRE: Our eyes met across a rather dingy meal room at APT Woolwich. MITCHEL: We met on the APT at Woolwich, when Claire transferred from Coulport. Other than a very short period of about two months, we have for the last eight years worked on the same shift.
Do you think that by both working for the same organisation you provide added value to the team? If so, in what way?
CLAIRE: I believe that you each bounce ideas off one another and as you are both working in the same environment at least one of you has something good to say about the organisation. That aside we both have many years service and are always on hand to help our fellow colleagues and two brains are better than one. MITCHEL: I believe we add a lot of value as a couple, because we constantly push each other. We also bounce off each other well when confronted with a situation. We also find we are

Reputation booster

Working on the three websites for a body as prestigious as ACPO (TAM) has given me an opportunity to showcase my web communications knowledge and skills to a wider audience, while also enhancing the reputation of MDPGA, Tracey commented My work with ACPO (TAM) has shown that MDPGA can offer a variety of skills and knowledge to partner organisations like ACPO, not only in the traditional policing areas but also in the specialist roles where both police officers and non-police staff can come to the fore and play their part in policing areas like counter terrorism.
How do you manage to leave work behind on your off-duty hours?
CLAIRE: From the very start we have always left work behind when we go home and it is successful. I think we talk less about work in the home than other couples do. You dont feel the need to discuss incidents as, invariably, Mitch was with me when they occurred. MITCHEL: Its very easy really, because we are here together, everything is discussed at work; so, when we leave, its our time.
National Co-ordinator Ports Policing (NCPP) and e-Borders websites

e-Borders website

Traceys work on the PNCT website led to an approach by the National Coordinator Ports Policing team for her to develop a website for police officers and staff. This website would focus on the police role in the UK Borders Agency programme to roll out e-Borders at UK borders and ports. e-Borders will capture the details of every international passenger,
Is it working alright with you both in the same team? What do your colleagues think about it? 28

From: Supt C Downham, Devon and Cornwall Constabulary
Will you please pass on my thanks to your officers led by PS 4857 Gary Smith from the Marine Unit, who provided mutual aid to south east Cornwall officers in dealing with anti-social behaviour in the Cremyll area during the early hours of Saturday 10 May 2008? This assistance was truly appreciated in a busy weekend where resources were stretched and went a long way in providing public reassurance to the residents of Cremyll who had been subjected to rowdy behaviour from six drunken youths. Once again thank you and please pass on my sincere gratitude.
From: WO (ATC) Z Dunn, 1143 (8th Edinburgh) Squadron Air Training Corps
nnie Blair to carry out the Thank you for allowing PC Vi

rnet safety while

Think You Know presentation on inte itating the on our visit to HMS Caledonia and facil at Craigiehall and
section visits to MOD Police section rnational fire and HMS St Albans ship visit and the inte rescue service. ions. Could you
We all had a fantastic time at all the sect made our visit a
please pass on our thanks to all who visit again soon.
success and hope we can do another essional in his
PC Blair was extremely helpful and prof ve visits. We
presentation and facilitation of the abo to cadets and would have highly commend his approach other units in the
no hesitation recommending him to work he does for the community.
What do you ask for when posed the question: If you had a wish list, what would you ask for that would improve our training in protester removal? This is just what Chief Inspr Chris Yates asked PC Chris Johnston of OSU South at the beginning of 2007.
A tower of strength Were you lucky?

and invention

By Judith Slater Photograph by Paul Kemp
See who won the MDP Central Sports and Welfare Associations Lottery draws in January, February and March 2008.

JANUARY 2008

1st 3,000 DC M E Steele, CID Lisburn 2nd 2,000 PC P E Ford, RAF Menwith Hill 3rd 1,000 PC C C Swallow, HMNB Clyde 4th 850 Mr R V Gilbert, Retired Officer 5th 700 PS J S Clelford, Gosport 6th 650 PC I Causer, AWE Burghfield 7th 600 PC J M Sutherland, Clyde Marine Unit 8th 550 DS I J Osborne, CID Portsmouth 9th 500 PC N F Turner, AWE Burghfield 10th 450 PC M P Wall, HMNB Devonport 11th 350 T/PS I P Ardis, AWE Aldermaston

left so the climbers have to stretch out further, or we can buy smaller hand holds. The expectation is that on average the Rope Access Team will use this tower once a week for a couple of hours; overall, they have to do 80 hours training a year. OSU recruits need to be training up from scratch if they are to be part of the Rope Access Team. This facility adds to what is already available at Wethersfield for specialist training and is situated
close to both the Public Order Training Village and the Method of Entry Training Rig. Chief Inspr Yates added:

FEBRUARY 2008

1st 3,000 PC D N Koch, AWE Division 2nd 2,000 PC P B Smith, Stafford 3rd 1,000 PC M A Towler, RAF Welford 4th 850 PC P Smith, DSTL Porton Down 5th 700 PC E A Tripp, MDP FS, Wethersfield 6th 650 PC M J Harding, AWE Aldermaston 7th 600 MR A J Taylor, Retired Officer 8th 550 PC A V Edwards, HMNB Clyde 9th 500 PC G G Looker, AWE Aldermaston 10th 450 PC T M Knapman, RNAD Coulport 11th 350 PC T G Scott, AWE Aldermaston

MARCH 2008

1st 3,000 PC D J Jones, Hereford 2nd 2,000 PC R J Clay, DCSA Oakhanger 3rd 1,000 PS E M Shaw, AWE Burghfield 4th 850 ACC J P Bligh, MDPHQ Wethersfield 5th 700 PC D S Hounsome, RAF Fylingdales 6th 650 Inspr B Abram, MDPHQ Wethersfield 7th 600 PS G G Reid, CMU 8th 550 PC M G Wagstaff, HMNB Portsmouth 9th 500 PC D W Bartlett, AWE Burghfield 10th 450 Mrs P A Thorn, HMNB Clyde 11th 350 PC A R Phillips, RNAD Coulport
This enables us to interlink training disciplines and replicate realistic protester scenarios, as well as reduce our dependency on other organisations for training facilities. The reverse may well be the outcome and I can foresee other policing organisations looking to hire our facilities in due course.
As one of the Rope Access Supervisors, Chriss obvious response was a climbing tower. This was to be no ordinary tower, but an exclusive model which would meet the training and fitness enhancing needs of the Rope Access Team in particular. The result is a structure 10 metres high with two open surfaces for Fall Arrest Climbing. The Auto-belay device, explains Chris, is like a braking system which you can clip