Call for commitment to PCSOs as forces overwhelmed by Covid rules

A £60 million funding boost for police and councils to deal with coronavirus lockdown rules would be better spent on long-term funding for PCSOs, according to Unison, the trade union which represents their interests nationally.   It has called for an increase in PCSO numbers to help deal with lockdown rules… Police staff union Unison has said the £60m funding boost to help enforce lockdown rules has highlighted the negative impact of some forces seeing PCSOs as "redundant". ...

Data driven: how one force is using apps to inform HR and learning

Getting honest and detailed feedback from staff in any big public sector organisation is not straightforward. There may be cultural and hierarchical barriers in place and the results to a set of static questions may not yield a lot of insight for management on how things could be improved. March’s… Avon and Somerset has received a national award for an initiative that uses technology to keep abreast of how the organisation ‘ticks.’ Gary Mason reports ...

Inspectors' exam decisions will be made this week says College

The College of Policing has pledged that the people caught up in last week’s online exam cancellation will get decisions on whether they passed and what happens next by Thursday this week. Frustrated entrants have been lobbying the College for answers following the suspension of the Inspectors’ exam due to… Exam papers from the glitch affected inspectors’ tests are being assessed manually in a bid to get results to candidates....

Third largest BAME force highlights importance of mentoring

Bedfordshire has the third highest proportion of BAME officers in the country. “We've got probably one of the most reflective forces nationally in relation to diversity,” said Det C/Supt. Thomas. “We are doing well but we can always do better.” Two Bedfordshire officers who drove forward work to improve diversity… Detective Chief Superintendent Karena Thomas is the force’s People and Workforce Development lead. She championed the value of mentoring those who are under-represented in policing....

First webinar to discuss link between sport and officer wellbeing

TeamPolice will be holding a series of webinars over the next six months to debate and promote the importance of sport to officers’ overall health and wellbeing. It is working closely with Police Sport UK (PSUK) and sponsor partners who also want to support the service. The aim is to get… Event including input by three chiefs will hear from forces pioneering surf therapy to combat PTSD...

NPCC hiring new role of Chief Scientific Advisor

The role will report directly to the Chair of the NPCC and will provide independent scientific advice to the policing service and will advise on emerging research and innovation to advise police chiefs on strategic opportunities and risks. The CSA will help policing “underpin decisions with evidence, science and technology”.… The National Police Chiefs’ Council is hiring a Chief Scientific Advisor (CSA) as "resident expert on the use of science and technology in the policing sector"....

Lincolnshire re-starts search for chief after admin error

Police and Crime Commissioner Marc Jones has halted plans to confirm Derbyshire’s Assistant Chief Constable Paul Gibson as his new Chief Constable. The force is starting again to find the replacement for Bill Skelly after an administrative error put confidentiality at risk. Police Oracle understands that the problem does not… Lincolnshire is re-starting its Chief Constable recruitment process after an error nearly led to disclosure of sensitive information....

First recruits from fast-track detective scheme join Sussex

The 19 new officers are amongst the first nationally to undertake the intensive two-year Detective Constable Degree-Holder Entry Programme (DHEP) which offers specialist training in investigations.  The programme brings together practice and theory with "real world experience" in the workplace and learning based on the national curriculum which is assessed… The first trainees on Sussex Police’s new fast-track detective development programme joined the force this week....

Interview: ‘Some of the best cops I worked with didn’t have a degree’

Supt Sukesh Verma has some interesting ideas about recruitment in the uplift. University educated with a degree in politics he highlights the mix of people required to make a police force work really effectively. His father was a superintendent and when Sukesh left university he joined Notts on an accelerated… The police degree system will not move the dial on BAME recruitment according to Nottinghamshire Superintendent Sukesh Verma. He tells Gary Mason why...

Federation warns of funding gap over Specials membership

The Police Federation says it is unable to absorb the cost of representing thousands of Specials who carry out unpaid work for forces across the country. Dave Bamber, the Fed’s lead for recruitment, training and development, told Police Oracle: “Money is the only issue. We can’t offer everything for free. It’s… Plans to enable Special Constables to join the Police Federation have hit a stumbling block over who pays for their membership....