PW_1_2026

Keeping you informed

Keeping you informed

Building for a better future Since World Congress, things have remained very busy indeed. Over the Summer, Section UK was invited by the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) to organise and deliver the British Overseas Territories (BOT) Women in Policing Awards 2026.

T his request was made because of the ongoing engagement work that we have been doing throughout the year with officers from the BOTs led by Assistant VP Learning and Development Lorna Corbin. The awards will be held online on Wednesday 29th April 2026 and represent a coordinated effort between BOT Commissioners, Governors, Section UK and Investigo Government Solutions, who are sponsoring the event, to recognise those officers working in the Territories who are going that extra mile day in day out to serve their communities. In early October, I had the pleasure of welcoming a team of four members of the Danish National Police to the UK for a three-day program of activity focused on evidence-based policing. These experienced police analysts were keen to understand how Police UK dealt with use of data, to direct crime reduction tactics and strategy, as well as our response to online economic crime. Where better then to take them to meet the ‘What Works’ team at the College of Policing offices in Canary Wharf, to understand what the policies and procedures are (including the latest research being undertaken by the college to support crime reduction), then to Thames Valley Police (TVP) where they were given presentations outlining practical tactics and problem solving measures in this space (and shown round the TVP Museum by Branch Chair Bill Butcher and wife Val). Their final day was spent with the City of London Police – leaders in economic crime investigation and prevention. As well as the information sharing and learning that was achieved, they also managed to fit in a visit to the Ceremony of the Keys and the Old Bailey during this whirlwind visit. Their presence was also well-received by the respective hosts, particularly when they did a presentation for those present at TVP about the same issues being encountered in Denmark. October was a particularly difficult month because my father passed away on the 5th following an unsuccessful battle with Covid. During this period though, I found great comfort in IPA friendship, most notably in IBZ Gimborn, where I was chairing a seminar for the SHEisIPA network between 23 - 27th.

A few days prior to that, I hosted one of the seminar speakers in the UK – former Acting Chief of the US Capitol Police – Yogananda Pittman. She came to London ahead of her visit to Gimborn and we arranged for her to meet members from the LRO team led by Colin Shead and experience some London highlights. On the second day she attended Thames Valley Police to give a presentation to Chief Constable Hogg and his Senior Leadership Team about ‘Leading in Chaos – Lessons Learned’ about her personal experience of the Capitol Hill riots on January 6th, 2021. TVP streamed her presentation live to staff across the Force area, and three hundred (yes, three hundred!) joined online. Being around IPA friends in the UK and Gimborn was the tonic I needed to manage those otherwise dreadful few weeks. I also made it into the cockpit of the plane coming home – an amazing experience. November was similarly busy with the business of Section UK. The National Executive Committee (NEC) has continued to meet regularly to discuss the ongoing financial situation, the ongoing police investigation and other projects happening that will start to see improvement for members, such as the new website launch. It was a month that saw National Council convened to consider the adoption of the new Values and Behaviour’s Framework for Section UK – providing the detail about who we are and what we stand for. This will help us now move forward with the piece of work led by VP Kieran English to better connect us to Police UK through National Police Chiefs Council and develop further our patron network. November also saw the publication of the Financial Review Team (FRT) report to members with a presentation from its Chair, Steve Chalmers (Region 11). Although redacted so that it did not in any way conflict with the police investigation which remains live, it provided a chance for the members to understand what a thorough investigation Steve, Ken Davies and Neal Brand have done on their behalf.

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POLICE WORLD Vol 71 No.1, 2026