PW_2_2021

Professional Development

York on Patrol 2021 Martin Turner , Section UK: VP (Professional)

Section UK IPA Partners Network Forum The idea for a Section UK IPA Partners Network Forum stemmed from a Tweet by a new in-service Metropolitan Police Officer, who was looking for support for his partner. You can see from the likes, comments and retweets in the screenshot that it is an issue for many police officers and staff. T his is something the military and fire services use extensively , but nothing seemed to exist for the police. Locally, very few forces have such a scheme in place, other than WhatsApp groups and similar informal initiatives. Of course, a support network does exist to some extent within the IPA but is something of a subtlety within all IPA events and meetings. Our support for the Thin Blue Line charity, and the growing involvement of Section UK in the ‘Police Family,’ provided an opportunity to ‘plug a gap’ in UK policing. As an example – Chris Duncombe’s branch (BTP) are a national branch and fairly unique within Section UK. During the pandemic, his branch supported members and non-members across the UK, by checking on relatives, delivering essentials, providing local contacts and so on. This network could offer much needed support to our members, without much effort at all. So why is this relevant to the IPA? • Fundamentally we’re a friendship organisation. • We need to continuously evolve the IPA for newer members to remain relevant. Offering something that members cannot get elsewhere, is another major benefit of IPA membership. • We also provide something of value to help retain members, especially in the current pandemic where travel and other traditional IPA activities are in short supply. • Keeping partners on-side is especially important to serving officers and staff. My other half is very understanding of my job, but it does take a toll on her. Helping give her a bit of mutual support means that I can continue to do my job with less worry about looking after her. This is a remarkably simple initiative which has been set up on a secure Facebook Group (same as the IPA Section UK group) and membership of which is dependent on supplying a valid Section UK membership number for the spouse or partner. The Network is for UK members only, due to security/privacy safeguards. Please encourage your partners to join the Facebook group and if you have any issues finding it/the link – get in touch with me. Martin Turner: VP Professional: vpturner@ipa-uk.org BTP Branch Secretary Chris Duncombe came up with this concept and my thanks to him for getting it up and running. The tweet that started it all My wife, along with other IPA members’ partners, have found benefit in meeting other spouses and partners of police employees. It enabled her to see that she isn’t alone in living with the impact policing can have on their relationships and life in general. The policing family should encompass the families of its members, and the IPA can help support towards this aim.

Back in 2019 I attended the inaugural ‘Europe on Patrol’ event in Detmold, Germany, along with a handful of other Section UK members. T his long weekend featured inputs, and operational deployments about cross-border policing and how the German Police do their job. It was interesting and a great operational training weekend. The social aspect was also phenomenal and as with all IPA events, I made many friends from across Europe. This event sparked a roll out of ideas across Europe, with Sections Poland and Netherlands planning events for 2020, which were of course postponed. Section UK members have signed up for the rearranged dates and I’m sure, like me, you will look forward to reading about their trips in Police World in due course. ILDEP coordinator David Hunter is working with the Young Member Forum in planning York on Patrol, which will be Section UKs version of the event later in 2021. The long weekend will be operational focussed; with visits to North Yorkshire and British Transport Police in York City Centre. Demonstrations, deployments and station visits will be arranged for around 20 people. A social and cultural programme will accompany the professional element and Region 3 / York Branch of Section UK will be heavily involved with supporting this event. Several spaces will be available for Section UK members, keep an eye out for the advert to find out more and apply.

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POLICE WORLD Vol 66 No.2, 2021

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