PW_1_2024

Professional Development

Frankfurt visit Amitav Sarkar, West Midlands Branch Over a long weekend in August, I attended an event for serving police officers, organised by the Frankfurt IPA Branch, and led by Commander Christian Henkel, a senior police officer in the Hessen State Police. The event was attended by officers from around the globe, including; France, Luxembourg, Italy, Japan, Israel, Ukraine, Romania, Hungary, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, and myself from UK. W e attended a packed program of educational and cultural experiences, ranging from meeting with the senior

Clark, who took them through the last century of policing on the borough, including the Krays Twins, World War Two and recent terrorist attacks in Docklands. Following the tour, Pia and Lars spent the afternoon attending calls across the borough with Ryan and his team. The pair saw a number of stop & search scenarios, grade 1 calls to robberies, phone snatches and other offences. Both Pia and Lar were thrilled with their experience of proactive policing, and it was clear the high speed driving was something new to them. Ryan then organised a quick stop at the MO7 Taskforce Mounted Base at Bow Stables, where a few of Ryan’s colleagues and friends gave Pia and Lars a tour of the stables, the horse boxes, and introduced them to the resident horses, each of whom had their very own unique characters. The visitors enjoyed the trip to the stables, and got an understanding of how critical the mounted unit is to the Met, especially in public order situations and football matches. Their final day started with an early morning tour of the Palace of Westminster, courtesy of a fellow IPA member. This is a venue that very few serving officers get to see, so an opportunity not to be missed. In the afternoon, IPA member and serving BTP Inspector Martin Turner, organised a ride along with the British Transport Police at Kings Cross & St Pancreas Stations. Ryan tagged along, as this wasn’t an opportunity Met officers get very often. The trio attended St Pancreas, and were met by specialist search officers, explained that a high profile visitor was attending the station to catch a train up north, but nobody knew who it was. Pia, Lars and Ryan accompanied the search officers and dogs around the station and trains, to make sure everything was safe for the VIP. Shortly after, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and his protection team came running through the station. Firearms officers from BTP then showed Pia and Lars around their armoured vehicles, showing them the various weapons and kit issued to them. A great chance for the pair to compare with what they have back home. To top the visit off, a few serving BTP officers came for a chat with Pia and Lars, to find out more about the exchange program and the benefits of IPA membership.

command of Hessen Police, a visit to the helicopter unit, the force control centre, and a display by their tactical firearms unit, who have access to military grade weapons systems. We enjoyed meals at various local eating restaurants, where I sampled local delicacies and the famous “apfelwein,” which is a German variant of cider. A special foot patrol along the festival area, around the river Main, took place on Saturday, where we walked in groups of four. Two delegates, accompanied by two local officers, who were of course armed for our protection. This was followed by a pleasant trip on the river, in the official police boat. We had an excursion to Rudesheim, a town outside the city, famous for its beautiful vineyards, and enjoyed an exhilarating cable car ride. The highlight of the trip was the opportunity to visit the tactical firearms range, at a top secret location outside the city, and test fire the range of weapons they use. My favourite moment was firing the Accuracy International sniper rifle, which is made in England, and rated the most accurate weapon of its type in the world. I enjoyed meeting the local officers, all of whom spoke excellent English, as well as the officers from other countries, all of whom brought their own unique take on policing to the event. Overall, this was a most exciting and excellent event, brilliantly organised by Commander Henkel.

POLICE WORLD Vol 69 No.1, 2024

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