Police World Edition 1 2014

Article

Magnifico Opportunity Mandy Kernohan, from Region 2 Northern Ireland, represented Section UK at Section Italy’s international police week. Mandy describes the highlights below. E very two years Section Italy hosts an international police week which is held in the Jesolo area, twenty meeting tourists and watching the surprise on the faces of holiday makers from Northern Ireland as they met me.

miles east of Venice. The week captures in essence the cornerstones of the IPA - in that different police cultures come together for both professional and social activities. I was very grateful to be allowed to represent both Section UK and my own service, the PSNI, during the week. On arrival at the airport I quickly spotted an IPA logo. When I approached it I met its owner, Fabrizzio, who could speak about the same amount of English as I Italian - so we communicated by way of iPad translation whilst waiting for other colleagues to arrive. Over the following six evenings I met many more colleagues representing twenty countries including USA, Poland, Canada, Holland, Finland and Belgium. The week had several professional inputs on topics such as fraud - in relation to driving documents across Europe and the judicial system in Italy - in relation to tourists and details of common crimes both committed on tourists and by visitors to the region. I appeared the first morning in my uniform and had to explain twenty times that even though my uniform was green and I was from Ireland I was a member of Section UK. We were based in Jesolo - a holiday town with a nine mile beach, hotels and tourist shops and restaurants. The town was full of tourists from all over Europe and each night I had the privilege of going on patrol along the main street and piazzas accompanied by the Italian police mounted section. I particularly enjoyed

One memory that will stay with me is when I spent a morning on traffic patrol in the front passenger seat of a Lamborghini and admit I closed my eyes as we travelled at speed along the motorway. On the penultimate day we went into Venice and had an opportunity to patrol in a police launch along the Grand Canal (no gondolas were speeding) and also enjoyed a seven course lunch near St Mark’s Square. On the social side I had the opportunity to go to the beach. I also was witness at the proposal of marriage by one of my USA colleagues. On the last evening I attended a social event which included the Italian police orchestra, a 14 course meal in the presence of the local MP, Mayor and the International President Pierre-Martin Moulin - who called in to visit. It was a wonderful IPA experience and I would encourage others to take up similar opportunities in the future.

Mandy opened her eyes once she was out of the car!

Proud to be in uniform with fellow officers

Mandy Kernohan , Northern Ireland

Mandy with the Italian police mounted section

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