PW_PROFESSIONAL_180621_pages

IPA Section UK: Professional Development Supplement

www.ipa-uk.org

A taste of what the IPA can bring to your learning and development, through the friendship of colleagues

Dear Reader 3 An introduction to the IPA Contents 4-5 New Jersey Exchange Gavin Todd 6 Close Protection Weekend

Police World

The magazine of the International Police Association, Section UK

Editorial Neil Hallam e-mail: mail@neilhallam.com Advertising Michele Rai tel: (+44) 115 981 3638 e-mail: michele.rai@ipa-uk.org

Martin Turner, Vice President (Professional)

General enquiries IPA HQ - Section UK, 1 Fox Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham. NG2 6AJ tel: (+44) 0115 981 3638 e-mail: mail@ipa-uk.org Printed by Bishops Printers, Walton Road, Portsmouth,

Rob Stenhouse, Defensive Tactics Group 7 Street Gangs to Organised Crime Neil Hallam, Editor 8-9 Spotlight on the Defensive Tactics Group An introduction to the Group Rob Stenhouse, Defensive Tactics Group Police Street Survival Skills Chris Duncombe Defending America Ken Pennington 10 Road Safety Seminar Yvonne Taylor, North Yorkshire Branch. Arthur Troop Scholarship 11 Examining the Evidence Aiden Goundry, Young Members’ Forum 12-13 FBI LEEDA Simon Hensley, Arthur Troop Scholarship Recipient 14-15 Las Vegas Shooting Neil Hallam, Editor Dear Reader The Police World supplements have been developed over the last year to enhance our IPA reach across the Police Family. This edition covers Police Professional with further editions planned: Police Cultural and Social; Police Staff and Volunteers; Police Specials; and Police Re-Start (a look at life after a policing career). I hope you enjoy reading them. If you have an idea for further supplements, please get in touch using vphannigan@ipa-uk.org

Hampshire PO6 1TR Graphic Design by BDS 21 Ltd Membership

A guide to Region numbers 1 - Scotland Region 2 - Northern Ireland Region 3 - North of England including Isle of Man Region 4 - Wales Region 5 - Midlands Region 6 - Central and West London Region 7 - South & Southwest including the Channel Islands Region 8 - East Anglia Region 9 - Northern Home Counties and North and Northwest London Region 10 - Essex and East London Region 11 - Southern Home Counties and South London Region In Section UK, the membership comprises serving and retired Police Officers, Special Constables and members of Police Staff employed by a Chief Constable or other appropriately designated Chief Officer. We also now offer associate membership. The Section has a unique mixture of police personnel who are still serving, retired, or in some instances, who have voluntarily resigned from the police service. For details of who can join Section UK, go to www.ipa-uk.org/Join-Us Joining the IPA costs just £40 enrolment fee and annual renewal is £32. Visit the website to learn about our promotional offers. To apply either visit www.ipa-uk.org or request an application form from the general enquiries team.

Sean Hannigan Vice President (Culture and Communications) National Executive Committee, Section UK IPA

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POLICE WORLD Professional Development Supplement

ISSN No: 0032-261X

Dear Reader

Dear Reader

Welcome to this special edition of Police World , which highlights the many and varied professional opportunities open to members of the International Police Association (IPA), Section UK. I currently hold the professional portfolio, and want to develop as many opportunities as possible for our members.

S ervice Through Friendship is our motto; which translates to professional networking in the 21st century. We have unparalleled access to a multitude of speakers, lecturers, specialists and instructors in a huge variety of subject areas. Our network of contacts is global and based on the friendship that the IPA represents. This edition highlights some of the many opportunities available to members; events in the UK and abroad, the Gimborn seminar and conference venue in Germany, training weeks across the world, opportunities for members young and old, exchange programmes and professional placements. We are increasing our professional opportunities every year, and developing unique seminars that meet the needs of the modern Police Service, often providing CPD in areas that some forces struggle to obtain. The costs to Police Forces are negligible and members can attend most events for free, or at a minimal cost. Chief Officers are realising the many and varied opportunities the IPA can deliver in support of their training and development programmes, without denting their over stretched budgets. As we build relationships with external companies and agencies, we are regularly offered free or reduced rate places at exclusive training days and seminars. Our members can take advantage of these and many other offers open to them.

The future is bright, and as our membership increases we plan to provide even more opportunities to our members. Some of our planned seminars, training programmes and events will cover these areas over the next year or two; • Counter Terrorism

• County Lines, Gangs & Organised Crime Groups • Forced marriage, FGM and modern-day slavery • Economic Crime • Cyber Crime • Project Management • Safeguarding, Human Trafficking and Prostitution • Football/event policing • Roads Policing • Resilience Planning/Disaster Management

• Tactical First Aid • Defensive Tactics • Firearms Tactics • Communications

• Complimentary Policing • Neighbourhood Policing

Seminars and inputs are gradually being delivered to more and more Police Forces at the request of Chief Officers and Senior Leadership Teams across the UK. If you can supply a venue, we can supply the speakers, logistics and advertising. Whether you are reading this edition as a prospective member or a current member of the IPA, I implore you to keep up to date on the many opportunities available within the UK and beyond. There are regular financial incentives to attend such events, covering course fees and / or supporting travel costs. I hope to see you at a seminar or event in the near future.

Yours in friendship, Martin Turner Vice President (Professional), National Executive Committee, IPA Section UK

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Professional Development

A New Jersey Gavin Todd , Region 2 I have been to the USA on many occasions both on vacation and as a group of officers from the UK & Ireland to take part in the 9/11 Memorial Service in NYC. I have been a member of the IPA for the last 4 years and when looking through the IPA website I came across the ILDEP officer exchange programme. I fit the criteria they were looking as an officer in the middle of their service looking to further develop their knowledge and skills by experiencing life as a police officer in the USA. As a Public Order Instructor in The Police Service of Northern Ireland I wanted to see their training and how this worked in practice.

I t was arranged that I would work with Fair Lawn PD in New Jersey , staying with one of their officers whilst I was there. I was met at Newark airport by Officer Luis Vasquez from Fair Lawn PD and once I had settled and unpacked at his house I was taken on a quick tour of the town. I cannot begin to describe just how hospitable the people of this town were to be over my whole stay in the US. Within a short time of my arrival at the Mayor’s office the photo of us was uploaded to the towns Facebook page and there after anywhere I went with Officer Vasquez people recognised who I was, and the green uniform! The following day I was taken out to Bergen County Police Academy where the County Rapid Deployment Force (RDF) was doing their training. It was unusual for me to find sunny weather and temperatures of 26º C back home at any time of the year but it was a nice surprise and the good air con helped. I was introduced to the class and the Instructors at the start and spent the day observing their tactics and training, at times being encouraged to add my experience to the training in order to give their students something different. Luckily Sgt Joe Mecionis, one of the Instructors, was fluent in the Northern Ireland accent by now and was able to translate if and when required! I came away from the day with lots of information and experience that will definitely assist me in my role back home. That evening I had dinner with some of the officers from Fair Lawn at one of their BBQ places. It was a really good night with plenty of opportunity to get to know some of the officers and local people who were very inquisitive about the “Irish Cop” and what I thought about my time so far in the USA. Friday morning and up at 6am to start a 7am shift with Officer Vasquez on patrol of Fair Lawn. They have 55 police officers from Chief of Police down to patrol officer and that includes detectives too. This was very different to what I was used to back in NI but I found that it seemed to work as they all knew each other and it created a bond that is hard to describe. They worked a 4 on 4 off pattern with officers doing either nights or days. Upon arrival at the station I was introduced to the rest of the team working the early shift. Briefing over and out to the police vehicle, a Ford Explorer SUV, and we were assigned sector 3 for the day. First up was a general patrol and making sure that all the crossing guards were present at the right time for all the kids travelling to school that day. They have a Police officer in all 3 of their schools full time which gets the kids used to seeing and speaking with police from a young age and gives them a sense of security. I can totally understand this with the current and past experiences in the USA of active shooter incidents. Next was to a minor Road Traffic Collision between three vehicles on one of the main roads that runs through the town. This was dealt with very quickly and reports down on the laptop in the police vehicle. No pen and paper and no having to return to the station to complete. I was then taken back to the station to meet Chief of Police Glen Cauwels who welcomed me to Fair Lawn PD.

After lunch I was off to the gun range to test my skills whilst Officer Vasquez dealt with a report of fraud at the station. Just after he collected me again we attended a report of a female who had overdosed on heroin. Upon arriving it was very similar to NI in the fact the report was not as it seemed and it was merely a very drunk female abusing the staff of a local shop. If this had been the UK there would have been people telling us what to do and how to do it but the public let the cops get on with it and were thanking the officers for attending and dealing so quickly. We attended a number of other minor calls before finishing our shift and heading home for some dinner. That evening we had dinner and drinks at one of the oldest bars in the town where again the hospitality was unreal. On the next two days on patrol I observed many calls and events that were very similar to the UK & Ireland and the way they were dealt with by officers. Whilst in uniform on one occasion I experienced something I have never my career to date and I suppose its maybe one of the aspects that struck me the most about policing in the USA. Whilst waiting to get breakfast on one of the mornings in a local shop I had a lady randomly come up to me in the queue and say “thank you for your service”. To be honest this left me a bit speechless as it’s something I would not be used to but it is one of the aspects that had the biggest effect on me whilst visiting just how openly supportive the public were to their police officers (and visiting ones).

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Professional Development

Exchange

The last day had arrived and I must admit I wanted to stay longer as there were other things I wanted to see and do that had not been possible in the short time I was there (maybe next time). I was left at the airport to start the long trip home again. I would like to take the opportunity to pay massive thanks to Kyle Hardcastle from ILDEP, UK IPA, Region 2 NI IPA and the PSNI for allowing me and assisting me in making this trip possible. I have learnt a number of things from my experiences in the USA and again I can’t describe in enough words the kindness and generous nature of the officers and people of Fair Lawn in New Jersey. I especially want to thank Officer Vasquez and Sgt Mecionis for looking after me and giving me a home whilst I was there.

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Professional Development

Close Protection Weekend Robert Stenhouse , IPA Defensive Tactics Group. The Defensive Tactics Group ran their first course of the year; The Close Protection Course.

T he course was led by two members of the DTG who covered a cross section of essential skills used by Close Protection Operatives in the civilian profession, such as hard and soft unarmed combat techniques, explosives searches, planning, basic protection driving, foot drills, venue protection, anti-surveillance and then finished off with a live exercise. The course was devised because three of the members had recently finished my Security Industry Agency (SIA) close protection course together and all felt like we needed a bit more CPD training before they felt comfortable in the role. Especially as they are all looking to go into the business. Only two could make the first day but this was expected and was used as a planning day. Probably the most important part skill of the CPO is planning. As we know about the 6 P’s, if you can plan it, you can prevent it! The idea is to never get involved in becoming a bodyguard in the first place, avoid an incident whenever possible. So, we drove around the Chester area, planning and plotting. Saturday morning was a meeting venue where we knew we’d get a decent brew. We were joined by four others making a team of six. This is about the right size for a civilian protection team, so very realistic. We started straight away by demonstrating some basic convoy driving techniques as we drove to a local University. We met up with their Self Defence Club and did a couple of hours unarmed defensive tactics under the guidance of one of the DTG Instructors. The techniques differ from normal self-defence because you are not protecting yourself but protecting your VIP (The Principal). You give the illusion that you are being polite or it was an accidental knock. Obviously, there are a few more explosive techniques in there but not too much. Although the Instructor always made them hurt! After that we drove up to an Industrial Estate and carried out vehicle drills such as pick ups, drop offs, ambush drills and convoy driving (within what the law permits i.e. not what the police would have you do!). Then it was off into a town centre to carry out live protection drills in public. Trying to blend in without causing alarm whilst dealing with attacks on the Principal. The guys started off a bit tense but then nicely relaxed into it. Anyone who’s carried out surveillance will verify what an exhilarating experience this is.

Sunday was an excellent exercise in vehicle searching (another key skill of the CPO) in which the instructor had planted several bombs in my car. The team found MOST! of them, worryingly enough. I’m glad they were dummies (the bombs that is!). Then it was a quick briefing before heading out on the exercise. We used two of the team’s wives to act as role players and I must say they should have been nominated for the Oscars. We picked one of them up from a very prestigious Hotel in the centre of popular tourist City on a busy Sunday morning with a full security team, no one even raised an eyebrow. Then we drove in convoy to a retail outlet village. It was manic, with thousands of people and roads blocked off and nowhere to park, which made it a very difficult arena to work in. The team worked wonderfully well even with the number of unplanned events that happened. It worked a treat. Finishing off at the retail park we then drove back to the city for a business meeting in a plush Café. Both the wives met up for a business meeting and they enjoyed afternoon high teas whilst being protected by the team. From there the girls took the team on a 10 minute dash around city and tested both their fitness and ability to keep pace them, to coin a phrase ‘she was like a burglar on her toes’. We picked them up by car and returned to the final venue. Everyone had switched off and was discussing the day, it was brilliant. As we turned into the street the principal was ambushed. Everyone out, in reverse, off. A great finish! So, that was the end of the course. We debriefed the weekend, had a brew and exchanged stories of the day. It was great fun, action packed and immensely interesting. We will be running it again next year if you’re interested. If you don’t feel up to being a CPO then think about being a role player for us. For more information on the IPA-DTG please contact the Secretary, Chairman or any of the team.

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Street Gangs to Organised Crime Seminar, held at Leicestershire Neil Hallam , Editor Arthur Troop envisaged a social network to unite police officers around the world. He achieved this vision, creating fantastic opportunities to travel and meet likeminded people. As the world became a much smaller place, with international travel available to many, another unexpected benefit arose out of our international fraternity. The benefit was the sharing of experience and good practice. With international borders becoming less of a barrier to criminals, the police needed to become more joined up and the IPA provided the perfect vehicle to achieve this. The Street Gangs to Organised Crime seminar, held at Leicestershire Police HQ was a fantastic example. T he day opened with our trans-Atlantic visitors , Brian Dale & Charles Ashaim, from the Portland Oregon Gang Enforcement Team. They began by saying “most visitors never see the side of Portland began in gulags during Stalin’s reign. These are poor quality tattoos, done in prison, with Ink made by burning boot soles, diluting the residue in urine and straining through a bed sheet. Mark has published a book, called Thief in Law, which provides much more detail on the tattoos and their meanings.

we deal with”, which many of us could say about the cities we police. A compilation of videos posted by gang members on social media and CCTV of several carpark shootings, demonstrated just how blatant some of them can be. Brian described the gangs as “super empowered” saying they were not afraid to display their gang association, were armed at all times and always in packs. Steve Knight , from the Gangmaster and Labour Abuse Authority, described his area of work as “slavery in its most pure form”, saying the Gangmasters control lives, take their wages and keep them in captivity. The difficulty of Steve’s work is highlighted by what one worker told him; “I know I’m being exploited, but I can send £100 per week back to Romania. I would only get £30 back home” Dave Magrath spoke about organised immigration crime and its links to street gangs. He said that illegal immigration is not a victimless crime. Even without any criminality, it has a huge cost to taxpayers, through benefits and healthcare. Mark Bullen gave a fascinating insight on Russian organised crime and their tradition of prison tattoos. All Russian criminals who have been in prison have tattoos, which used to be rarely worn by other people in Russia. The tradition

DS Martyn Linton , of Surrey Police, told us about the County Lines problem with travelling drug dealers. Martyn described once being on the periphery of a London gang himself, until some of his friends were involved in a murder. That was his wake up call, which led to joining the police. His work has benefited from him winning an IPA scholarship to spend three days training with Florida Police on drug gangs. Other speakers included West Midlands Superintendent, Rich Agar, on his Operation Jigsaw youth crime project and Nathan Hancock, on the Street Doctors project, where Leicester medical students are teaching kids first aid skills to deal with street violence, and Dr Matt Hopkins, on academic perspectives on criminal gangs. It was a fantastic day’s programme, through which I learned an incredible amount. A big thank you to the speakers who gave us such an interesting day.

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Spotlight on the Defensive Tactics Group (DTG) An introduction from Robert Stenhouse: A year ago, Joe Johnson (IPA US President) and I began the process of exporting the IPA Defensive Tactics Group (DTG) to America. I travelled to the US to help with a course in Green Bay, Wisconsin. My thanks go out to the NEC and the Defensive Tactics Group, with whose help I was able to afford the flights.

T he day before our course, Joe showed me around the beautiful Green Bay area, which is roasting hot at this time of year but has frozen winters. I met with officers from Joe’s station at De Pere and from the local Sheriff’s Department. Over the next few days IPA members arrived from all over the world, 36 from 11 nations; Sweden, Switzerland, Japan, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Denmark, Brazil, Canada, USA, Germany and the UK. It was an amazing mix of people and cultures, which made a fascinating blend of people. The course programme included: active shooter, combat shooting, knife defence and open hand fighting skills. I kicked off with the first

presentation about the DTG. I must say I felt some pressure, but once started I became comfortable with the audience and got into a flow. I explained that the IPA-DTG techniques are formulated by police officers for police officers: with minimum input and maximum output, that are easily taught, easily trained, easily remembered, easily recalled under stress and not gender specific. It is the objective of the Professional Commission to expand the DTG to every Section. It is free to join and if anyone is interested, please contact Robert Stenhouse - robert.stenhouse@sky.com - for more information.

Police Street Survival Training course IBZ Gimborn Chris Duncombe Chris Duncombe was at Gimborn for a course that taught him a whole range of self-defence, active terrorist drills and more. Chris said “It was easily one of the best courses I’ve ever done.” I arrived on the Sunday before the course started, to settle in. The grounds are so peaceful, a real oasis. I spent the rest of with the skills we had learned before and how the psychology of situations affects both you and an assailant. After lunch was first aid skills for major incidents. Then it was into Cologne for dinner and some tourist shopping.

the day in the honesty bar getting to know the others who turned up early. There were officers from everywhere, from South Africa to Finland. Everyone moans about kit and training though, so some things are universal. Day 1 We started with introductory lectures, then onto the Explosive Self Defence System, a method developed by the DTG. This was about gross motor skills to gain control in a defensive situation.. Day 2 The first half of the day was about being in a fight or flight situation. After lunch was a talk about the point shooting technique developed in Shanghai. Only three of us did not routinely carry fire arms so I was apprehensive about this bit. I needn’t have been though, within two hours I was shooting (air soft pistols in lieu of real ones) just as well as everyone else. Day 3 started with knife defence skills, building on day one. I learnt new skills that have given me real confidence in my work. Again, it linked in

Day 4 was fun all the way through. We started with a presentation on marauding terrorist attacks, followed by a practical exercise on defending a room. After lunch it was onto a selection of scenarios to test our knowledge. These were difficult but so much fun including hiding in a dark basement with a hostage and knife attacks in a domestic. Then there was an evening BBQ and beers to round it all off. Day 5 This was a debrief morning, with most people having to get flights at various times. Glorious sunshine helped the sore heads and the goodbyes to new friends. Overall the course has been fantastic, I have learnt so much. I can’t wait for next year and massively recommend it to everyone, regardless of fitness or ability.

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POLICE WORLD Professional Development Supplement

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Bringing Together the Pieces of Mental Health & Wellbeing

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Self Help Be active – physical exercise has many

Police of ficers do a dif ficult and dangerous job on the ground yet seem to get at tacked from all sides. Numbers have been cut, crime and the personal danger to of ficers increases on a daily basis. Of ficers go out to work in the morning to serve the public whatever the day brings. to see their family. Unfor tunately as recent events show this cannot always be guaranteed. The Thin Blue Line UK was set up to enable those who want to show suppor t for the police and to remember those who paid the ultimate price. The only thing they want is to know that they will get home again that evening #itsoknottobeok When it comes to our own mental health and wellbeing the hardest part is being honest with ourselves and to the people closest to us. Too often we hide our emotions with words like “man up” or “it’ll be fine” echoing in our minds. The real challenge is to admit to ourselves when we need support. How do you really feel ? Are you anxious or worried ? Distracted or easily annoyed ? Are you sleeping ? Do you find enjoyment in everyday life ? When is comes to our mental health & wellbeing there is a spectrum of support - starting with self help through to professional support.

benefits, it lifts our mood, releases feel good endorphins and reduces stress and anxiety, as well as helping fitness. It can be as simple as taking a walk, cycling, or swimming. Try a new sport or join a club. Anything that raises our heartrate a little. Relax – make time for a hobby you enjoy, read a book, do a puzzle or brain teaser, watch a movie, try yoga, meditation or just take time out for yourself every day and switch off from the stressors of life. Cut down on the junk food, make time for breakfast, try and eat at regular intervals. Maybe cooking is something you would enjoy ? Don’t forget about your friends and family, meet for coffee, dinner or a chat – remain connected to those that care about you. Be honest with yourself and be honest with them. Open up. As police officers we are often the person that others want to open up to and be with. Let other people in and be open with them too. Helping others can help you too! Showing kindness can lift your own spirits, and you will have a sense of wellbeing, that warm glow of satisfaction. Positive reflection – reflect upon why you became a police officer. You should be proud of the work you do on a daily basis. This can be difficult against a backdrop of public criticisms so it is essential to remember you the work you seek to do – to protect our communities, to keep others safe. We can often be our own harshest critic so It is important to be kind to yourself; seek something positive everyday. See yourself through the eyes of your family and closest friends.

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Helping Others In our line of work it is important we are also mindful of our colleagues - to support our police family on a daily basis. Do you notice a work colleague or friend becoming quieter at work, more withdrawn, not joining in where once they did, going through the motions, showing an unusual lack of enthusiasm? Is their work of a lower standard, are there more delays in their submissions? Do they put themselves down more, is this a joke that is hiding something more? Where once they took pride in their appearance and themselves - has this changed? Are they drinking more alcohol than usual? Are they more distracted or more clumsy? If you are concerned and identify with any of the questions above it is important to ask your colleague if they are ok. The question is often asked with no anticipation of an honest answer. So be prepared that someone may not be OK and may want to talk. Ask in a way that shows that you are ready for any answer by using open questions. Do you want to talk ? Are you OK ? - I am concerned about you and want to help How can I help you ? Lets have a coffee and a chat ? We need to actively listen to verbal and non- verbal responses. Do not force someone to talk; be genuine in your desire to listen and help. If someone does open up remember that open questions are key. Questions that elicit a yes or no response can sometimes close the conversation down. Remember not everyone will open up; just knowing that someone is willing to listen and actually cares can make a real difference. There are however times when professional help is required and it is important you know how to signpost someone for support.

Professional Help Police Care UK – National Police Care Champion Program – local officers, local station – listening ear, advice, point to professional help. www.policecare.org.uk 0300 012 0030 (9am – 5pm Mon-Fri) Mental Health and support is available through the PTC Psychological Wellbeing Programme on a residential basis at both Police Treatment Centres. The PTC are also working closely in conjunction with Police UK in expanding the delivery of mental health support in terms of providing an improved treatment plan to greater numbers of officers in the future. Police Treatment Centres – www.thepolicetreatmentcentres.org. Police Federation of England and Wales – Man up – if you hear this – think Man Down. This ties in with the active listening and being careful around our own words. The Federation have been working to promote mental health support and rid the forces of the stigma, whereby ill mental health is considered a weakness www.polfed.org/our-workwelfare-support- programme-wsp The Samaritians – www.samaritans.org 24/7 Helpline 116 123 Mind – www.mind.org.uk Campaign against Living Miserably (CALM) – www.thecalmzone.net Shout – www.givesusashout.org Call4BackUp – www.call4backup.org/ findsupport Contact your GP Flint House – www.flinthouse.co.uk PTSD999 – www.ptsd999.org.uk

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Professional Development

Defending America: Defensive Tactics Group Crosses the Atlantic Martin Turner, Vice President (Professional) With the help of a £300 bursary from the IPA, Martin Turner crossed the Atlantic to take part in the Defensive Tactics Group’s (DTG) first trans-Atlantic course. I spent my first day in Chicago sightseeing , attending a Chicago Cubs Baseball game at Wrigley’s Field and climbing up the Willis After a dinner of pizza we headed to a nearby gym to have a go on the MILO use of force simulator, using laser enabled Glocks to deal with scenarios such as domestic violence, active shooters, suicidal persons and traffic stops. Amazingly all of my shots hit the target! fun! After lunch we used one of the houses in the ‘town’ to practice room clearing, building containment and various tactics, moving inside and out of the building. We also watched Jefferson

Tower. I had submitted an IPA Travel Form and local members supplied tourist tips for the city. That evening I was collected in a Chicago Police Department Ford Interceptor SUV. Officer Kane and his partner took me out for a ride along. I was equipped with body armour and although offered a Taser (I hope in jest) I was confident the heavily armed officers I was with could protect me! We toured the roughest areas of the district, popped by Barack Obama’s family home and ended with the ‘Breaded Steak Challenge’ which consisted of a baguette rammed full of bread crumbed steak,

County SWAT team practice on the house next door including blank rounds and flashbangs. They practiced their scenarios over and over again throughout the morning at full intensity and speed, with actors playing the ‘bad guys’. For dinner that evening, Kenyan members cooked us a traditional meal, delicious and extremely generous of them. Plates were literally licked clean. The fifth day began with tactical shooting on the indoor ranges at Fox Valley Technical College. Practice on the rifle and handgun from various

Day two covered suicide bomber behaviour, terrorist attack methodology, and explosives, from the Toronto Transit Police. It was also time for photos in our ‘formal’ uniforms. It is always interesting to see the differences in styles across the world. Day three had participants split into two groups. First of all one group headed off to a local shooting range. We were shown around the

cheese and marinara sauce. I couldn’t finish it! The ride along enabled many discussions around the policing challenges and differences between London and Chicago. The four or five ‘shots fired’ calls we attended told a grim story, especially when coupled with three armed robberies in the space of a few hours. The next morning I took a Greyhound Coach up to Green Bay, via Milwaukee. Day one started with an amazing breakfast cooked by the Brown County 911 dispatch ladies. Then we headed to the lecture theatre for a welcome by Joe Johnson, President of Section US and an overview of DTG from Rob Stenhouse. Introductions were followed by a really interesting talk on narcotics, crime scenes and drug trends from Sheriff’s Deputy Joe Keil - an expert in the field and author of a book full of useful info. After a lunch of sub sandwiches we had talks on human trafficking and sex offending from Brown County Sheriff Office Sergeant Matt Wilson and social worker Dawn.

County SWAT truck and then got to fire some of their carbines from the truck door and roof turret. Then we did some tactical shooting with a variety of handguns from .22 up to .45 calibre. The afternoon consisted of a defensive tactics input, focusing on unarmed combat and knife defence tactics, from the very capable and experienced Rob Stenhouse. The skills he taught were effective and something all officers should receive, particularly in the UK where we often don’t have a Taser or a firearm to hand. On the fourth day we visited the amazing facility of Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton, where Law Enforcement, Fire and EMS staff from across the state of Wisconsin learn their trade and carry out CPD. The facilities were fantastic and included a full sized jumbo jet, derailed train, tunnels, trenches and a small town. The morning session focused on vehicle ambush tactics including how to defend yourself from a vehicle and how to use tactical cover. I even got to drive the Dodge Patrol Car at speed across the skid pan - amazing

positions was carried out with expert guidance from Brown County Sheriff’s Department Officers. After lunch we had an input from the FBI on how they tackle gangs, using Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs as an example. The fifth and final day marked the course coming to an end. As usual, it was terribly sad to say goodbye to all the lovely friends made through the IPA. Lots learned and unique memories made.

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Professional Development

Gimborn Road Safety Seminar Yvonne Taylor , North Yorkshire Branch We have been to Gimborn many times, and personally, I love it. For me, it is the IPA’s best kept secret and I’m sure there really is something to interest everyone. Our trip this year was slightly different; we would usually fly. However, with two of us travelling together, it was cheaper to travel by ferry. So we sailed from Hull to Rotterdam, and had a little ‘road trip’. D ue to our slightly late arrival, we missed the introductions and we were unaware that the first presentation could not go ahead as planned. The presenter was a serving Chief Officer and an ongoing Disaster Victim Identification and how this could be utilised when dealing with multiple road traffic fatalities.

The entire week prompted some great discussion and debate on various aspects of road safety, and I’m sure we have all taken something away with us to think about further. For us, we return to Gimborn in March for the Disaster and Crisis Management seminar, where no doubt, we will make more new friends and colleagues. The Gimborn Seminars for 2019 have been announced. The English-speaking seminars next year are: • Disaster and Crisis Management - The Challenge of Dealing with Disasters. • Crime Scene Internet - Crime in Digital Spaces. ASP Instructor Course. • Motorcycle Gangs - Faces of Organised Crime. • Police Street Survival Training. • Security Risk Radicalisation - Understanding & Preventing Radicalisation. • Environmental Crimes - Illegal Profits and Cross Border Crime. • Islam and Europe - Islamisation or Peaceful Co-existence. • The Use of Non-lethal Weapons within the Police – Taser. • Virtual Reality Training for the Emergency Services - Understanding the Technology & Benefits. • Violence around Football Games - Ultras and Hooligans in the Orbit of Football Games. • Terrorism - A Threat to Freedom & Security Please visit the IBZ Gimborn website for dates and more information about each seminar.

operation required him to be at work. Undeterred by the change of plans, one of Thursday’s speakers stepped up with an interesting presentation on adopting a holistic approach to protecting vulnerable road users from large vehicles. That left us with a burning question at the end of a case study – “Should the driver have seen the pedestrian?” On Tuesday, it was our turn. Dave was up first, with his presentation, When is a Crash not an Accident. He presented two unusual cases from his experience as a Forensic Collision Investigator with North Yorkshire Police. I then led the afternoon session, presenting on my ongoing research into Shift Work and Driver Fatigue. On Wednesday morning, we learnt about the prevalence of drivers in Ireland stating the position of the sun was the main contributory factor in their road traffic collision. From personal experience, this isn’t something that has been raised in too many collisions that I have investigated in the past, but was a good discussion point. In the afternoon, we visited the Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt) for a very interesting afternoon learning about their research. We saw the crash test areas, including some brand new cars waiting to be deliberately crashed. We even had an opportunity to try out the driving and cycling simulators. Following that, of course, we had some free time in Cologne, sightseeing, shopping or sampling the delights of German food. On Thursday morning, we learnt about the work of the European Transport Safety Council on the ongoing road safety work in Europe and where each member country stood in various ‘league tables’ for road safety. Due to Monday’s revised schedule, there was a gap on Thursday afternoon to fill. Dave and I volunteered to deliver another presentation. This one related to

Arthur Troop Scholarship is open for applications May-Britt V.R. Ronnebro , Chairperson of the Professional Commission Arthur Troop Scholarships are awarded annually and preferably at least one will be granted to each continent in which we have member sections – Africa, America, Asia, Australasia and Europe. E ach scholarship consists of a bursary of up to €2500 to be used for a seminar at IBZ Gimborn, or at a comparable institution. Applicants must have been an IPA member for at least 2 years Applicants are required to submit an application form setting out their reasons to support their selection.

The Arthur Troop Scholarship Application Form can be found on the international website at www.ipa-international.org/Arthur-Troop- Scholarship. The deadline for applications is 31 March each year.

before applying and the scholarship must be taken between 1 January and 31 December of the following year. Arthur Troop Scholarships may be awarded to any IPA member who is a serving law enforcement officer, but are predominantly targeted at our younger members.

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Examining the Evidence at Gimborn Aidan Goundry , Young Members’ Forum I am part of the young members’ forum, tasked with the recruitment and retention of younger officers to the IPA. So, I had already decided that I needed a working understanding of Gimborn and knew that this could only come from attending a course. Without visiting, I could not promote Gimborn properly and emphasise its benefits as one of the jewels in the IPA crown. U ntil now I had struggled to find any courses that fitted my remit as a Community Support Officer - whilst I had heard that the ASP instructors course was fun, it wasn’t really practical and I did need

to justify any course I attended. The timing of the Evidence Based Policing course was appropriate, as just weeks before I had attended a course at my Headquarters about the practical applications of evidence-based work. With this in mind, I thought it a great opportunity to build on that learning. There was a broad range of attendees, most of whom were serving officers. These included a group from Greece, a Cypriot officer, a few Germans and Austrians, an Irish officer and interestingly, a Brit who was serving with the German police, all of which contributed to a range of views in the later debate. We were also very lucky with the quality of lecturers, a balanced split between senior police practitioners from England, Germany and Sweden, balanced with academics from Germany and England; notably from Cambridge University. The range of topics covered were incredibly interesting. In one session we had a discussion on techniques for digital policing; elements of which I had already discussed with specialist intelligence officers in my own force. There were also a few myths put to bed, including there being no evidence that crime just moves when counter-measures are implemented, but that it is, in fact, reduced.

value in a practical setting. This was compounded by the limited data that is available for academic research purposes, which made me question some of the results we were presented with. The most significant of these was a study which suggested that, based on conviction data, a number of local policing teams in the UK could not identify their worst hotspots and criminals. The serving officers present unanimously agreed that they found this hard to believe, as official data would not necessarily be reliable as crimes are not all reported, and the ‘good’ criminals were ones that did not get caught! In these circumstances local knowledge, which is unfortunately un-quantifiable, would be far more valuable than statistics. What was made very clear across the course was that obstacles to ‘Evidence Based’ policing were not specific to one country, but far more generalised. These came down to many issues, not least of which being initial investment, with significant factors being time challenges and potential repercussions for negative outcomes. Equally, when officers are presented with studies they believe are inaccurate (as with the one previously mentioned), that will make them more reluctant to implement the new methods. Needless to say, media criticisms are always a concern, and in the UK this is certainly prominent. Of course, we did spend some time enjoying ourselves outside of the classroom. There was a very enjoyable trip into Cologne, where a few of us visited a traditional Bier-keller. Naturally a few hours were passed propping up the Turmbar at Gimborn. The best part of all this was when our Hellenic friends put together a fantastic evening meal of kebabs and other Greek delicacies; most impressively all cooked on a BBQ , despite the December chill. This great night also saw me knighted by one of the guys, using a hastily borrowed sword from one of the nearby suits of armour. All in all, it was a very educational trip and as ever, in keeping with the best of IPA traditions, some more great friendships were made.

Another area of interest for me was ‘Near-Repeat Victimisation’ and I was interested to see that there was virtually no difference to the approach we use at home. Due to my local policing role, it was an area I already had some practical experience in, but it was very interesting to be able to apply figures which reinforced the importance of what is my daily work. The other topics were equally educational, but I found them more challenging. The academic nature of some research made me query its

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Professional Development

Arthur Troop Scholarship Simon Hensley - Arthur Troop Scholarship Recipient In February I applied for the Arthur Troop Scholarship and I was delighted to learn in September that I had been successful.

I did a lot of research before submitting my application and noticed that there was a discrepancy in the United States between the number of law enforcement employees (third largest in the world) and the number of IPA members (only 1% of members). My application was to attend an FBI LEEDA Command leadership institute, which is an intensive and challenging week long programme to prepare law enforcement officers for command positions. FBI LEEDA is attended by law enforcement professionals from across America, so I thought it was ideal for my own development and also to promote the IPA to as many organisations as possible.

the streets were relatively empty and the normally fast flowing Chicago River was frozen over. Prior to leaving the UK I sent a travel form to Chicago IPA, via Section UK. I had arranged to meet them on the following day but had no idea what they had planned for me. I was met at my hotel by Cook County Sheriff Officer and IPA member Rob Moon. Rob picked me up and drove me to the lovely Gayle Street Restaurant, where we met Mary O’Connor, the local Chair, Arcee Cain, one of the Vice Chairs, Greg Bronsberg and another 12 members of Chicago IPA. We had a

lovely meal and a few drinks; their hospitality was outstanding. They made a real fuss of me and were most generous with gifts, I only wish I had taken more items to trade but my suitcase was filled with thermals. A lovely touch was the flag display on the table, it featured the Chicago flag, the Illinois flag, the USA flag

As the date approached I was concerned about the US Government shutdown and how it might affect my trip. As I was not US Law Enforcement I had to undergo a rigorous vetting process to access federal buildings. All appeared to be going well until I received an email two weeks before the course, telling me that the vetting department was affected by the shutdown and it was unlikely that my application would be processed in time. A few tentative days passed

and the Union Jack. During the meal I noticed one of the Chicago members had brought a taxidermy friend along, affectionately called ‘Woodstock Willie’ her Groundhog. Curious; I asked the obvious question. It turns out that 2nd February is Groundhog Day, which is a slightly quirky American tradition from their agricultural past, marking the halfway point to the Spring Equinox. The groundhog forecasts whether spring will be early or not by

until I received the news that I had been cleared to access the building. I then started to consider what to pack for the trip. The weather forecast for Chicago and Milwaukee anticipated extreme weather, due to a Polar vortex. In the days before my flight, temperatures plummeted to minus 60°C and 1500 flights to Chicago were cancelled. People were told not to go out unless absolutely necessary, as frostbite could set in within five minutes. I started to feel like my trip was doomed. However, as I drove to Heathrow, the temperature warmed slightly and everything was scheduled to depart as planned. After a nine hour flight, I arrived in Chicago and the cold hit me; it was still minus 30°C. Descending over Lake Michigan, I could see it was frozen and looked like a Polar landscape. I had some time to explore Chicago, where

whether they see their own shadow. This year the groundhog did not see his shadow, which predicts an early spring. What was apparent however, was that bringing a stuffed groundhog to a restaurant is not the norm, but it certainly attracted some attention.

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On Thursday night a group of us met for a bite to eat and a few drinks on the eclectic Brady Street in Milwaukee. It was nice meeting up with new friends in a foreign city. The Safe-House pub in Milwaukee is like nothing I have ever experienced, with a Spy theme, and the Swinging Door bar was sublime. Friday was graduation day. It transpires that I am the first and only British citizen to ever attend an FBI LEEDA Course. I was described as Christopher Columbus by Ron; I was not sure whether to take

After the meal I presented an IPA Section UK Pennant to Chicago IPA President Mary O’Connor. This was the first time that I had completed a Travel Form and it is now something that I will do every time I travel. It felt like a family meal and I felt right at home in Chicago. After the meal, Rob Moon drove me back to my hotel. On the way he showed me around parts which are known to locals, but are rarely visited by tourists. On Sunday I collected my hire car and drove from Chicago to Milwaukee. The experience of driving ‘on

that as a compliment or not. I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the course and am proud to be a member of the FBI LEEDA Alumni. I met numerous people who I am arranging to meet up with again. Special thanks must go to Ron & Les for training us and Special Agent Darin for hosting the event at the FBI Milwaukee office. I was genuinely sad to be leaving, but whilst in Milwaukee I contacted one of the Chicago IPA members, who had lined up a special treat for my return to Chicago which would end my trip with a bang. Greg Bronsberg served in the US Armed Forces before joining Chicago Police Department. He worked in Homicide, Undercover and the Bomb Squad before retiring. Greg now works part time at a shooting range. Greg took me on a fantastic insider’s tour of Chicago’s lesser visited sights and key Police locations, such as Precinct One, the Police Academy and then to the scenes of grizzly homicides he had dealt with. At the range Greg gave me a hands-on introduction to firearms. After the briefing we donned ear and eye protectors and took to the range. I fired nine different firearms, ranging from

the wrong side of the road’ was not as harrowing as I imagined and I was soon in my Airbnb Condo. As it was Super Bowl Sunday I went to the bar, but I couldn’t really understand the rules. I was exceptionally early at the FBI Field Office on the first day, due to jet lag and a six hour time difference. I was escorted to the main building by Special Agent Darin, where I met my FBI LEEDA instructor, a retired Scottsdale Police Commander named Ron Bayne. Being the only non-American, I attracted a lot of attention. All delegates were keen to hear about my Arthur Troop Scholarship. I hope that I did the organisation justice and we can add a few more IPA members. The day’s inputs flew by; they were really informative. Ron is an exceptional instructor, who has an energetic and charismatic style to his teaching. He used his own experiences to draw out learning points and encouraged collaboration to break down barriers between the various different organisations in the room.

Everyone was very keen to recommend local Milwaukee attractions for me to try. On the first night I visited the Lakefront Brewery, which is a fantastic independent brewery in the heart of Milwaukee, although confusingly it was on the river front not the lake. I took a tour, hosted by an enthusiastic brewery employee, whose light hearted tour included shouting and singing. The tour ended with deep fried cheese curds, which were exceptional.

9mm semi-automatic pistols and revolvers, right through to an MP5 machine gun, an Assault Rifle and a Winchester pump action shotgun. After spending a good three hours on the range, Greg drove me back to Chicago via some more interesting historical locations, which included some of Al Capone’s old hangouts. I am so grateful to Greg for taking time out of his schedule to show me around

It transpires that I am the first and only British citizen to ever attend an FBI LEEDA Course

his city and to his range. This is what the IPA is all about: service through friendship. Since I have returned to the UK I have been in discussion with Greg about his visit to the UK to return the favour. At Chicago O’Hare airport, to begin my long overnight journey home, I met Fidelis, a K9 statue which is hand painted and honours fallen CPD Officer Brian Strouse, who was killed in the line of duty in 2001. This left a lasting image and made me think that despite all the tensions which are frequently reported in the media between US Law enforcement and the community, there is still pride and respect. I believe we should learn from our US colleagues and do more to remember and celebrate our fallen heroes, like the way Fidelis honours Officer Strouse, in a prominent and public place. I will never forgot my trip to Chicago and Milwaukee, I have so many positive memories, lots of new friends and am so grateful to have been a recipient of

The following day we had a new instructor; retired Buffalo New York Chief of Police, Les Kachurek. Les was an extraordinary story teller, who used the catastrophic consequences from some of his high profile decisions to showcase authenticity, credibility and leadership. I presented Les with an IPA Section UK Pennant which he said would take pride of place in his house. He said he would show it to his 92 year old mother, who was born in Manchester. After class on the second day, I followed another recommendation, by visiting the Harley Davidson museum. Harley Davidson started life in a small shed in Milwaukee and their headquarters have been in the city ever since. The museum was fantastic and really showcased the heritage of this unique company. There were numerous Police bikes on show as well as Harleys made famous in films such as Easy Rider and more recently, Captain America’s Harley.

the Arthur Troop Scholarship to allow me to have this opportunity. If you are reading this thinking about applying, then do it. I was successful on my second attempt, but even if it takes you ten years, it is something that you will treasure for the rest of your life.

Wednesday morning was a solemn morning as we learnt that a Milwaukee Police Officer had been killed whilst executing a warrant. There were several Milwaukee Police Officers on our course who had worked with the fallen officer. It was comforting to see everyone in our class offering condolences to those who worked with Officer Matthew Ritter. In these situations; departments do not matter, agencies do not matter, nationality does not matter and when one falls, we all feel it. The highlight on Wednesday was visiting the Milwaukee public market in the historic Third Ward neighbourhood. This was a bustling place with lots of fresh produce and street food. Thursday was another full day in class, where topics included challenging conversations, managing problematic staff and more about credibility.

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