Police World Edition 4 2014

Vol 59 No.4 2014

The magazine of the International Police Association, Section UK www.ipa-uk.org

ILDEP benefits German officers See Page 8 and 16

InternationalPoliceAssociation SectionUK

EntryForm OverLeaf

Lottery Winners See Page 23

IPA Section UK Clothing Range is Now Available to Order Section UK have created their own clothing store currently selling polo shirts, hoodies and jackets. Mail Order: To order a polo shirt, hoodie or jacket visit: http://ipauk.stitchandprintstore.co.uk/home For all other items visit: www.ipa-uk.org/Shop Items can be ordered by email, telephone or in writing to the International Police Association, IPA HQ - Section UK, 1Fox Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham, NG2 6AJ with a cheque made payable to ‘IPA’. Payment can also be made via a PAYPAL account.

All products are sold with the IPA Section UK logo and can also be personalised. The current product range can be viewed below and will increase in the near future.

Polo Shirt £14 + P&P

Hoodie £21 + P&P

Jacket £44 + P&P

Ladies Polo Shirt £14 + P&P

Specification includes: 17" Gunpowder black alloy wheels, ‘Shark fin’ mobile antenna, premium audio system with DAB radio, MP3 compatible radio/single CD player, body coloured bumpers, LED daytime running lights, gloss black fuel cap, rear bumper insert, side skirts & spoiler, cloth upholstery, hill start assist, Tonneau cover & more... UK RRP: £22,460 You Pay: £18,436.25 / Just £332.15 per month PCP Saving: £4,023.75

Colour Variations Available

For detailed product descriptions visit the website or contact IPA HQ - Section UK by phone 0115 9813638 For overseas orders contact Richard Mattinson direct at ‘Stitch & Print’ on 00 44 16973 43546 or Richard@stitchandprint.biz

NEW

T: 0845 388 0438 E: info@motorsourcegroup.com W: motorsourcegroup.com

BIG SAVINGS ON NEW AND USED CARS AUDI, VOLVO, HONDA, CITROEN, FORD, RENAULT, VOLKSWAGEN, HYUNDAI – ALL MODEL RANGES AVAILABLE! Motor Source Group is an IPA member services provider. Motor Source Group (www.police.motorsourcegroup.com) provide exclusive car discounts for serving and retired police officers and staff. Save up to 30% off your next new car with Motor Source on a wide range of brands. All cars are delivered direct to UK franchise dealerships. For more details of the offers currently available visit: www.ipa-uk.org/Motor-Source-Group and click on a car brand that interests you. How to get these offers Just call 0845 388 0438 or go to www.police.motorsourcegroup.com Please quote ‘ IPA2014 ’ when you make your enquiry. RepresentativePCP financeexample: cashprice£18,436.25,£1000deposit.Amountof credit£17,436.25. Initial installment£372.15.Regular installmentsof46x£332.15. Totalamountpayable£24,149.85.Durationofagreement48months.Guaranteed futurevalue£7,200.RepresentativeAPR11.8 %.Annualmileage10,000,excessmileage charge8ppm.Finance subject to status. Images for illustrationonly.Prices correctat timeofprint.August2014.Subject toavailability.

www

IPA Wallets Vice President Ronnie Dukes has announced that the NEW Section UK Wallets, incorporating a metal badge, are now available for members to order direct from the manufacturer. The wallets are designed and produced by the Metal Badge company in Switzerland. To place an order and for full details of the range available (including prices) visit: http://metal-badge-media.ch/shop/index. php?cPath=21_122 IPA BADGE UK FROM € 37.50 ORDERS AND INFORMATION UNDER: WWW.IPA-BADGE.C

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POLICE WORLD Vol 59 No. 4, 2014

Contents

Police World The magazine of the International Police Association, Section UK

Vol 59 No.4 2014 Features 4-5 Working on Your Behalf News from the National Executive 6 From Strength to Strength

Editor Lee Hemmings

e-mail: lee.hemmings@ipa-uk.org Deadline for article submission for Edition 1, 2015 is 17 November, 2014 . Dispatched January, 2015.

Advertising Michele Rai tel: (+44) 0115 981 3638 e-mail: michele.rai@ipa-uk.org 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

Chris Charlton reports on a Scarborough branch twinning event

7 Gimborn Report

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Tom Chisholm explains how he benefited from his Gimborn experience

8 – 9 Essex Experience

Student police officers from Brandenburg visited Colchester to experience British policing with Essex police

10 – 11 Italian Job

The Scottish Motorcycle Touring Group discover the delight of the Dolomites

12 IPA in Gibraltar

Carolyn Williamson made good use of her IPA contacts whilst on holiday

A guide to Region numbers 1 - Scotland 2 - Northern Ireland 3 - Northern England 4 - Wales 5 - Midlands 6 - Central London 7 - South West England 8 - East Anglia 9 - North West London, Beds & Herts 10 - North East London & Essex 11 - South London & South East England To apply either visit www.ipa-uk.org or request an application form from the general enquiries team *terms and conditions apply. Printed by Bishops Printers, Walton Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO6 1TR Membership 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 of the Police Service. 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 is FREE* and annual renewal is £28. Visit the website to learn about our promotional offers.

13 Good Evans

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Martyn Evans explains how he has achieved increased branch activity 14 National Golf Tournament Report Steve Hunt reports on the 2014 National Golf Tournament - hosted by 10 Region

15 Hospitable in Hastings

Donna Powell returns some hospitality to a member from Section USA

16 – 17 Auf wiedersehen

An ILDEP placement allowed two police officers from Section Germany to spend a month with Nottinghamshire police

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News 18 – 26 National News

A round up of the news from Section UK

Regulars 27 Competitions

WIN copies of these fantastic books published by Troubador Publishing Ltd and MX Publishing

29 – 30 Classifieds

Adverts, special offers and notices

31 Diary dates

How do you rate this edition of Police World? What would you improve? What did we get right? What would you have done differently? Send your review to: lee.hemmings@ipa-uk.org

Branch and regional events and dates Police World is a members’ publication. Every effort is made to ensure accuracy. Furthermore, the views expressed in articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Communications Team. If you have any Comments, please contact the Editor: lee.hemmings@ipa-uk.org

ISSN No: 0032-261X

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An Update from the NEC

Working on your behalf

In this the last Edition of 2014 members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) outline the key area of business

they have been involved with on your behalf over the last few months and their plans for 2015. Activity, Activity and more Activity for 2015

A – All inclusive V – Visible I – International B – Benefits R key R – Retain members respecting all views A – Activities N – Networking in Friendship T – Trust and Charity IPA

achieved during June when we climbed over the 10,000 membership barrier and recruited our 1000th new member under the free membership scheme. Our aim as a NEC is to continue on this upward trajectory which is due to all your endeavours, so a huge thank you. In conjunction with R&R my message to the Chairs when we meet on 2 November at HQ will be “Activity, Activity and more Activity for 2015” to ensure that those we have recruited and those that have been long standing members remain with us for the years ahead. Key to recruitment is keeping the current members we have happy and enthused about the association; as the NEC recognise you are our best recruiters. So until the next time, have fun enjoying your IPA membership. Yours in friendship, Mick Luke , National President

Firstly, a thank you to you all for your support on my election on 17 May 2014 and I very much look forward to engaging and working with you over the next three years. Communication is the key to everything we strive to achieve and aim

to accomplish in the future. My monthly Presidential blog which features on the website, I hope, will give you a timely snapshot as to what work the NEC is doing on your behalf. The staff at IPA HQ - Section UK are integral to this process and to ensure your needs as members are met. For example, in May the Member Journey document as it has become known, for new members joining the association, has been reviewed so that it reflects the image we wish to portray. The revisions even saved on costs. This work is continuing into how the branch/regions engage with our new members to deliver A VIBRANT IPA. As well as striving to be ‘A VIBRANT IPA’ we have a mission statement, updated NEC roles and responsibilities, which can be viewed at: www.ipa-uk.org/write/Documents/Roles_ and_Responsibilities_NEC_0714.doc.docx , new VP liaison responsibilities and a renaming of BSAC amongst other things. It would be wrong not to mention recruitment and retention (R&R) and the two landmark moments

the International Learning and Development Programme to other IPA Sections, as well as police staff associations, chief officers and Police and Crime Commissioners in the UK.

Sean Hannigan Having been asked to take on the Vice Presidential portfolio concerning professional development, Sean was appointed to the role of National Liaison Officer to Gimborn and

Ronnie Dukes and Mark Kernohan The two have been working together on improving membership offers and the way information is conveyed to members via IPA media. A new offer organised for members recently includes a discount on new car prices – see page 2 for details. Mark and Ronnie have both met to finalise arrangements for Section UK’s signature

attended the annual meeting there. He was able to raise the number of English/German seminars for 2015 from 1 to 3. Along with Iain Sirrell, the IDLEP National Co-ordinator, he has been busy promoting

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Treasurer Fred Boyd will cover Regions: 2 and 10. Contact: treasurer@ipa-uk.org Vice President Ronnie Dukes will cover Regions: 4 and 6. Contact: vpDukes@ipa-uk.org Vice President Mark Kernohan will cover Regions: 7 and 11. Contact: vpKernohan@ipa-uk.org Vice President Sean Hannigan will cover Regions: 3 and 9. Contact: vpHannigan@ipa-uk.org Each member of the NEC is available to offer advice or support to the Regional Executive assigned to them. They will also attend at least one meeting of their nominated Region - enabling a more personal contact between Region and Branch members. Interested in meeting IPA members visiting London? London Reception Officer (LRO) for the International Police Association (IPA), Section UK, Bob McCormack has provided some updates to the list of advice given to members visiting London. See: www.ipa-uk.org/Travel-Accomm/ Visiting-London The updates follow a meeting of London Region Members during July. Representatives from Regions 6, 9, 10 and 11 were there to discuss the LRO Role and how the four Regions could better match the huge demand for travel assistance from IPA members visiting London. The LRO is compiling a list of members who are willing to help with visitors. Anyone interested should email Bob on: 6region@ipa-uk.org Please give your name, Region / Branch; Contact point; Serving/Retired; Additional skills, eg languages / knowledge of area.

IPA HQ and Section UK staff, Dave is overseeing improvements to the fabric of the HQ building ready for the aforementioned celebrations taking place in December. Establishing additional working hours for Jo Conway (see page 22) to process the increase in application forms and maintain a good quality of member service, was an important item on Dave’s agenda over the summer. New Mission Statement The National Executive Committee (NEC) has refreshed its mission statement. Since allowing police staff to have IPA membership, the previous statement had become out of date. The new mission reads as follows: 1 . To coordinate and facilitate with all Regions, Branches and Special Interest Groups comprising Section United Kingdom to increase their membership, while 2 . Developing and enhancing the collective experience of members and their families by organising and promoting social activities and professional opportunities, and to 3 . Promote the IPA internally and externally as a first class member focussed and inclusive friendship association. Regional Liaison Announced Following changes to the NEC, there is a change to NEC / Regional Liaison Roles as follows: President Mick Luke will cover Region 1. Contact: president@ipa-uk.org Secretary General Dave Taylor will cover Regions: 5 and 8. Contact: secretary-general@ipa-uk.org It was agreed to create a new 3 tier system to simplify the current structure of International documents. The new system will be defined under the categories: International Statutes, International Rules and Procedures. Motions on Commission members and reassignment of tasks for the International Internal Commission (IIC) were also both carried. After a period of extended discussion the motion to restructure the PEB (now IEB) was passed. In future, instead of electing IEB Vice Presidents, delegates will vote for an International Commission for External Relations (ERC) Chair, an International Professional Commission (IPC) Chair and an International Socio-Cultural Commission (ISCC) Chair. One Chair will then be elected to the post of Vice President in standing. Chairs will select members to work on Commission projects. The motion to expel Section Gabon from the IPA

event for 2014 – the Arthur Troop Birth Centenary celebrations in December.

With guests from many overseas Section attending, it looks to be a fantastic occasion. Section UK will use the event, which takes place in Nottingham and Lincoln, to formally re-name the British Section Administrative Centre to IPA HQ – Section UK. Mark argued for a change of name as BSAC no longer fits the corporate style being applied by other IPA Sections. Fred Boyd Section UK’s 2015 National Council Meeting will take place 4–7 June at Theobalds Park Hotel, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. Fred is liaising with the host region – Region 9 – over facilities,

booking arrangements etc. He has been watching closely the interest shown by members in the IPA National Lottery – launched in July. The pot is growing steadily as more members become aware of it. Turn to page 23 for news on lottery winners. To enter the lottery, visit: www.ipa-uk.org/Lottery

InternationalPoliceAssociation SectionUK

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Dave Taylor The Section’s 1st Annual Charity Ball, organised by Dave, was held in June (see page 21). With responsibilities for

News from the World Congress - Potsdam

President Mick Luke and I attended the IPA World Congress in Potsdam, Germany. Below is a report highlighting some of the key points and motions that were discussed and voted upon. The first motion was to increase the Permanent Executive Bureau (PEB) term of office from 3 years to 4 years - this was debated and carried. Following this decision, the motion for no distinction between International Executive Council (IEC) Conferences and IPA World Congress was also carried. There will now be an annual IPA World Congress - with an elective World Congress every 4 years. The change of name from PEB to International Executive Board (IEB) was also carried. A motion to restrict the International President’s term of office was not carried. It was also agreed that a candidate can now only run for one PEB (now IEB) position per elective term.

Mick Luke and Fred Boyd

was carried. A number of motions, from countries including Greece, Cyprus, Ireland, Israel, were debated and then withdrawn. International President, Pierre-Martin Moulin, had the pleasure of welcoming 3 new Sections to the Association, namely Kazakhstan, FYRO Macedonia and Montenegro. All members present welcomed the new Sections with rapturous applause. The good news continued as Section UK were awarded a website Gold certificate of Merit, for the third year in a row. Fred Boyd , Treasurer

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From Strength to Strength Chris Charlton, Secretary of Scarborough branch, reports on another enjoyable branch twinning get together. I n May, Scarborough branch members, Judith Smith and Mark Faunt, and Bolton branch member Bill Lloyd met with members of story goes that at the end of the visit, Her Majesty asked when she would see the horses. Alas, the refreshments, and brief introductions to the Regional Committee and the Section Germany National President, Horst W. Bichl, we joined a guided tour of the historic city.

Royal visit had been made to the wrong town because the horses were at the famous Marbach Stud – about 150 kilometres away. Although the veracity of this anecdote is doubtful, it is often retold! Marbach, a beautiful mediaeval town is known as the birthplace of the classical poet and dramatist, Friedrich Schiller. The walled town has a picturesque centre with several churches and many historical houses, including the house in which Schiller was born. After lunch, we went on a guided tour on foot through the town which included a visit to a local brewery and a small schnapps distillery. The evening was taken up with a scientific event put on by a drink driving awareness group. We

Ludwigsburg branch - Scarborough’s twin branch. Following the successful twinning between the two Branches in 2013, Dieter Bart, the Chair of IPA Landesgruppe Baden-Württemberg (Region), had invited a small delegation from Scarborough to Baden-Württemberg to join the festivities at the Grand Police Benefits Gala in Esslingen, Germany. First on the agenda of a busy weekend was a visit to the police station in Marbach am Neckar where Ludwigsburg branch Chair, Peter Kolwe, is Chief of police. During a typical working lunch, Peter showed us a folder that contained the detailed plans drawn up by the local police for a visit to the town on 24 May 1965 of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The

After a sumptuous evening meal, together with the 300 guests, we listened to music played by the State Police Orchestra of Baden-Württemberg - which played a wonderful range of classical and contemporary pieces. We were also entertained by magician Jorgos Katsaros and Crimestop - a local band of police officers. In addition, a total of 5000 Euros was raised in aid of a local hospice. The following morning, we were joined by several members of Ludwigsburg branch before being whisked off for a tour around the nearby Porsche Museum where the phrase ‘child in a sweet shop’ came to mind. Never had I seen so many splendid sports cars under one roof! After a walk through the city of Stuttgart, the evening was spent with local members in a restaurant close to the IPA apartment in Ditzingen where we enjoyed a final convivial meal together. Forming strong professional, cultural and social friendships with police officers in other countries was what Arthur Troop had in mind when he formed his first ideas about what the IPA should stand for. It is part of the Association’s history and Scarborough branch’s friendship with Ludwigsburg is going from strength to strength. As far as we are concerned, it is also part of the future and we very much look forward to hosting and entertaining 22 members from Ludwigsburg when they visit Scarborough in September. Chris Charlton , Scarborough branch

could eat and drink as much as we wanted providing we recorded what we consumed and agreed to be breath tested at intervals during the evening – an interesting method of raising awareness about a very serious issue. The next day, we went to the nearby city of Esslingen am Neckar where the Baden-Württemberg IPA Regional Meeting was taking place. After

State Police Orchestra of Baden-Württemberg

Chris Charlton enjoying a test drive

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Gimborn report Tom Chisholm, from Birmingham West Midlands branch, reports on the ‘Violence Against the State’ seminar he attended at the IBZ Gimborn conference centre, Germany. T his was my third trip to Gimborn, having spoken at two previous seminars on the subjects of Organised Crime and Illegal interesting view shared by some of the delegates, but not those present who work for the tough German riot police. For those who haven’t been, the conference centre is based within an old Castle situated approximately 30 miles from Cologne, Germany. The hamlet of Gimborn has a population of about 28 people and is located in a rural area, surrounded by forest and open fields. Left to right: Sven Shutt, Tom Chisholm and two German Colleagues - Felix and Stefan

Drug use. The ‘Violence against the State’ seminar attracted attendees from Ireland, Germany, Cyprus, Sweden and the UK. Its purpose was to identify and discuss the issues of organised violence directed at police or the state and the issues faced by police in dealing with it. Paul Anderson from Nottinghamshire police was the first speaker. Paul was able to share his experience as a policing Commander in a UK city and reflected on the UK riots of 2011, discussing the policing of the disorder as it reached Nottinghamshire. Paul also discussed the daily compromises of resourcing a large area that required intense policing to deal with serious violence and gang crime (Nottingham city centre), and the impact in removing services from other areas. A final discussion on the ethics of the use of force by police challenged officers to consider the potential impact of using force and how such force can be interpreted by the public. The second speaker, Robert Reilly, of Garda Siochana, provided a fascinating insight into the history of the IRA, from its emergence in 1913 to its continued existence today. Robert was able to shine a light on the various splinter groups and provided comment on the challenges now faced by the IRA from organised crime groups within Ireland. On Wednesday, the delegates attended a lecture at Dortmund police station where they met Volker Kraja, a prominent social scientist from the University of Dortmund. Volka discussed a wide range of topics, living up to his reputation as a controversial speaker by challenging the behaviour of police officers, presenting an argument that the presence of heavily armed riot police actually presents a gladiatorial challenge to crowds and encourages rioting. An

The lecture was followed by a tour of Dortmund police station, led by the Chief Officer of the operations centre who proudly showed us his newly acquired major incident control room. On Thursday, we were joined again by Volker Kraja who provided another interesting and controversial lecture on violence committed by the state. Volker was able to use events in German history to explore social norms and generate an ethical debate about the police’s representation of the state. Our final lecture was provided by Mike Behrens and Julia Refardt from the Munster state riot police. The officers provided case studies of violent groups within Germany, ranging from the far left activist, the ‘Ultra’ football movement, to far right Nazis and the sinister ‘Unsterlichen Bautzen’(mask wearing neo nazi ‘flash mobs’). The officers discussed their tactics and training and provided footage of public order situations they had experienced. It was clear that there are many parallels between German far left and right groups and those experienced here in the UK. On Friday, the delegates were tasked to consider a range of pre-emptive tactics to prevent violence and present to the group, where a clear and consistent theme emerged regarding communication with groups prior to, and throughout, any demonstrations. Those who have been on previous seminars will already know how great the Gimborn experience is. The seminars are always well planned and the subjects are always interesting, provided by informed speakers who are able to provide many different experiences and view points. One will always leave Gimborn with many new friends, and the realisation that we share many similar experiences and values with colleagues around the world.

Accommodation is provided either within the castle or at two separate annexes nearby, many guests share a double room, although it is possible to have a private single room for a small additional fee. Meals are provided at the nearby ‘Schloss’ Hotel’, opposite the castle. Tom Chisholm , Birmingham West Midlands branch Gimborn Appeal Gimborn UK Liaison Officer, Sean Hannigan, has made a direct appeal to any serving UK officer who can speak particular languages to contact him with a view to their attending Gimborn seminars, or even participating as key-note speakers. The list of languages referred to are: Polish, Norwegian, Romanian, German, Dutch, Italian, French and Spanish. Replies can be sent direct to Sean on vpHannigan@ipa-uk.org Terms and Conditions Change Section UK members can get a refund of the participation cost once in every three calendar years (except for single room supplement and extra nights). This means those who participated in 2013 can receive a refund during 2016; if participation was during 2014 a refund will be due during 2017. This offer is not available to those enrolling under the free membership promotion, although an option to pay the standard enrolment fee is available. For more information visit: www. ipa-uk.org/Gimborn-About

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Essex Experience Student police officers from Brandenburg visited Colchester to experience British policing with Essex police. Steve Hunt, 10 Region Secretary, reports on their experience. F ollowing contact from IPA colleagues at Brandenburg Germany (the area that surrounds Berlin) I made arrangements for student police officers Johann Schmidt and Nico Birnbaum to spend time with various ANPR procedures (automatic number plate recognition) and another day with an ‘all partners day’ involving customs etc. Many foreign HGV’s were stopped and the drivers were surprised to see Brandenburg police officers

Nico Birnbaum, Stephen Kavanagh and Johann Schmidt

departments of Essex police whilst based at Colchester police station. I also arranged accommodation with Essex police employees. A full itinerary for two weeks in June was kindly devised by Inspector Jason Scrivener stationed at Colchester police station. For the first two days Johann and Nico were based with a local Neighbourhood Policing Team. One of their first tasks was to attend a Chief Constables ‘Road Show’ with Essex Chief Constable Stephen Kavanagh. They then spent a day with the local Operation Saturn Team which is a small group of local officers formed to tackle local drug dealers and suppliers - executing search warrants and following intelligence received from many sources. The Team was led by Detective Sergeant Andy Stott who was so impressed by the Brandenburg visitors’ enthusiasm for their role that the he personally telephoned me and requested their services again - should any of their future deployment arrangements fall by the wayside. As it transpired two serious crimes were committed in Colchester which changed their itinerary a couple of times. On both these occasions Johann and Nico were again welcomed back by the Operation Saturn Team - who made good use of them in raiding houses. At one house, they both assisted in searching and watching suspects. Johann discovered around £5,000 worth of class A drugs

assisting with questioning, checking documents and enforcing penalties .

formally show appreciation for their dedication enthusiasm and hard work during their secondment. Truly a successful visit proving the worth of the International Learning & Development Exchange Programme (ILDEP). Impressed with the IPA’s role and influence into their visit, both have subsequently joined the IPA in Brandenburg and are busy spreading the ethos of ‘Servo per Amikeco’. Steve Hunt , 10 Region Editor’s note: Owing to Johann’s current job role, his true identity has not been revealed.

In their limited free-time in Colchester they were shown around Colchester’s newly refurbished castle by an official guide - which they enjoyed very much. The guide was a family friend of their hosts. The tour was really impressive, so much history within one place! Their last day in Colchester saw their planned visit to Essex Police Air Support cancelled because of operational reasons. So, to a last duty visit with the Operation Saturn Team assisting with more arrests and drug seizures. Grateful for their assistance, the Team took them out to a local pub to celebrate and thank them for their help. The Brandenburg lads returned home the next day - exhausted. They were both clutching official letters of thanks from the Detective Inspector in charge of Operation Saturn and the Road Policing Officers involved with Operation

Mermaid addressed to their commanding officers – to

hidden in the loft insulation. Other attachments to road

policing teams saw them involved with

Nico Birnbaum, Steve Hunt and Johann Schmidt

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Outside Ipswich police station

With members of the Operation Saturn Team

With members of the Essex Road Unit

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Riding through a section of the Stelvio Pass

Main image: taking a break high in the Dolomite mountains

A view of the Stelvio Pass

The Scottish Motorcycle Touring Group was formed about a year and a half ago to complement the Section UK Motorcycle Group allowing local rides - often at the last minute, bearing in mind the ‘great’ Scottish weather. The Group’s popularity has grown and it now has over 160 members on its Facebook hub. Tom McInally reports on their latest adventure. L ast year we organised 15 events ranging from evening rides to a trip to Germany involving our IPA friends in Holland and various parts of the UK including Norwich, Wales, Yorkshire and various parts of Scotland.


Many of us were meeting each other for the first time at the ferry terminal in Newcastle but it was one of those moments where we realised we had a great bunch of people and the banter was soon in full swing. We boarded the ferry and off we set for Holland. Amusingly, two of our members decided to take a nap in their cabin before dinner. On waking they noticed that the time was 09.30, which, they thought, was half an hour after disembarkation! On with the bike gear and they insisted that the staff take them to the car deck. After some resistance the staff obliged and on entering the area they noticed no bikes had disembarked and no one else was there... Yes... it was 9:30pm and not 9.30am so red faced they returned to their cabins. 
 Arriving safely we were met by our IPA Netherlands Motorcycle Club friends and had breakfast with them before exchanging gifts. They then led us almost all the way to the German border which was a great start to the day.
That evening we reached Bad Lauterberg in the Harz mountains where we were to stay for three nights. In the morning we booked a guided motorcycle tour of the mountains and organised a BBQ for

Germany. It wasn’t long before demand for a longer ride gathered support and the Italian Job 2014 plan was hatched. Section Italy was organising their 4th motorcycle gathering in Panchia in Northern Italy and it coincided perfectly with our plans. Soon we had 13 members signed up for the trip.
The interim committee, consisting of Tom McInally, Dougie Wright, Start Blaikie and Ian Buchanan, was formed and the responsibilities were shared out and the work on a plan commenced. We were determined to keep the cost to £700 for the 14 nights which included everything including the ‘Chunnel’ home. With the ferry and tour booked and deposits paid a guide brochure was printed and it was green for go.
 Unfortunately a tragic event occurred only weeks before we left when one of our team, Alex Brown, a former support staff member from Lothian and Borders Police, tragically died in a motorcycle accident on the Isle of Skye. Needless to say the whole team was devastated by this news but, on the insistence of his family, we continued with the plans for the trip and on 30 May we set off from

In the Dolomites

the following evening. The Harz mountains have some fantastic twisty roads - with one section boasting 35 bends covering only a few kilometres of downhill road. Up and away we headed for our hotel just south of Munich before heading to Austria and through the alpine Grossglockner pass and glacier into Italy and our destination in

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this attraction. Off to Dunkirk to prepare for the tunnel home the following day. The trip was fantastic and lived up to the Group’s ethos…‘just a bunch of friends going for a ride on our bikes’. On this occasion it was a great bunch of people, friends, great roads, great memories and all looking forward to the next one.
 Tom McInally , Region 1 Scottish Motorcycle Touring Group

an accordion as Ian Buchanan plays in a Ceilidh band in Scotland. At the presentation of gifts we stole the show with Ian playing a medley of Scottish tunes before playing an appropriate tune for all the countries represented at the dinner. A real talent!

After dinner Ian played into the wee small hours and full Scottish country dancing was taught to and performed by all our IPA friends.

 The following day we headed west to the Alps and to a place called the Albergo Rosa Hotel in Carenno, situated in a village overlooking

the Dolomites. We arrived in Panchia to a warm welcome from the IPA members from all over Europe. Our host, Mauro, the owner of the Albergo Panorama hotel updated us on the timetable. The following day we all met in the local town square in Predazzo with over 100 bikes on display with Stuart’s 1992 BMW nicknamed ‘The Steed of Steel’ being the oldest bike of the entire gathering. Under escort from the Carabinieri, we headed on a tour of the magnificent Dolomite Mountains before some of us broke away, after lunch, to tackle the famous Stelvio Pass. The pass is one of the steepest and most challenging motorcycle rides in Europe and it certainly lives

Bergamo. It was a family run hotel and ‘Mamma’ made our evening meal that was to die for. The car park was turned into our exclusive bike park and had table and chairs for drinks overlooking the magnificent views of the mountains and distant Bergamo. Off we went in the morning and headed for France and Annecy. What a beautiful city and we were glad that we had a free day to explore and relax. We hired boats and sailed across the huge lake adjacent to the city. The weather was fantastic and we made it a

up to this reputation. At the top they were still digging out the shops from the snow. On our return to the hotel we had noticed that the international flags, flying proudly outside the hotel, had a notable omission... the Scottish flag. Fortunately we had a couple of flags with us and decided to climb up and place them on the roof. Whilst up on the roof we were spotted by the hotel owner - Mauro’s dad. He shouted something at us, which we immediately took as appropriate chastisement. However, a few minutes later he arrived on the roof with his toolbox and proceeded to

At the formal dinner

More Delight in the Dolomites Peter Atkinson, from Bolton branch

habit to gather every evening and have a laugh and a beer. Most of us brought along a folding chair on the bikes which is a brilliant piece of kit and allowed us to gather in the evening outside the hotels in relative comfort. We also used these when we stopped for tea or lunch and were a source of amusement for other travellers.

 Onward north to Luxeuil les Bains and on to Metz in northern France. We were met at our hotel by Georges, the IPA president for the Moselle Region, who had assisted us in booking the hotel. Next day we had organised a trip to the Maginot Line fort at Hackenberg - Georges kindly led the way. We hooked up with IPA members from the Toronto region of Canada who were also visiting

construct two flag poles for our flags. The following day we unpacked our kilts and ‘trews’ and took our place at the formal dinner and presentations. Needless to say the kilts went down a storm and it became a bit of a photo shoot. Ian had also managed to get 20 sponsored kilts from the Irn Bru company which were for the Commonwealth Games but they wanted them tested on a foreign audience. As you can imagine they were a massive hit and all had a real laugh. I think the kilts have now become the standard dress for Mauro and his dad. We had arranged with the hotel for them to get hold of

attended the same event in Italy. The event is named Fiemme & Fasse which is named after two valleys in the Dolomites mountains. Read peter’s story at: www.ipa-uk.org/News/ delight-in-the-dolomites

The reception from the Dutch members

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Article

IPA in Gibraltar Carolyn Williamson had a holiday in Gibraltar, during which she made good use of her IPA contacts. She has met some officers from Gibraltar several times over recent years, when they come over for the Police Federation of England and Wales conference and as 95% of the force are apparantly IPA members, there is a good connection!

Henry Bautista, Carolyn Williamson, Ryan Quigley and Henry Sacremento

S o, with IPA contacts, and spurred on by the Channel 5 series “Britain in the Sun”, the decision to head to Gibraltar was made. The first use of contacts was when she was looking to book the holiday, and suspected that the hotels being offered by British Airways were actually in Spain. An email from IPA Gibraltar member Henry Bautista resolved the issue as he confirmed her suspicions - together with a list of hotels that are in Gibraltar. Another Henry, Henry Sacramento – Vice President and force welfare officer – promised to meet her at the airport and all was set. However, the outward journey was not without incident, resulting in a very much delayed arrival. There was initially a delay of about an hour at Heathrow, as the aircraft had developed a fault with the controls for its reverse thrust mechanism, and as the runway at Gibraltar is extremely short, this facility is essential. On arrival in Gibraltar, around 5 pm instead of the expected midday, Carolyn was met by two uniformed police officers, who explained that Henry S was off sick, and Henry B was unable to make it, so had arranged for them to do the job. As they were in a marked police carrier it caused a bit of consternation at the hotel initially! On the Thursday Henry S took Carolyn on a

personal tour of the Rock and its various tourist spots, and as he has lived there all his life he made an excellent tour guide. Gibraltar has a lot of history behind it, from pre-historic times to the present. The trip ended at the IPA Club in the town centre, where Carolyn had lunch with Sgt Ryan Quigley – one of the ‘stars’ of “Britain in the Sun” - and presented a Section UK pennant to Henry Sacramento - together with centenary pins to all 3 hosts.

Henry Bautista, Carolyn Williamson and Eddie Yome

Before she left, Carolyn was able to meet up with Anna, another IPA member, and they had a good natter over dinner. She is looking forward to renewing the contact in Cardiff next year. Carolyn can recommend the hospitality of our Gibraltar colleagues, and said, “ The IPA Club is certainly worth a visit.”

The ‘Henrys’ had also arranged an appointment with the Commissioner of Police, Eddie Yome, so that Carolyn could tell him about the International Association of Women Police conference that she is helping to organise in Cardiff next year. He agreed that two delegates should attend, and even nominated one of them, Anna Jones, there and then. Carolyn presented the Commissioner with a Welsh slate cheeseboard and an IPA centenary pin.

Lunch at the Club In July, Simon Payne from 11 Region in Sussex also visited Gibraltar with his wife - he was met by the Vice President of Section Gibraltor, Henry Scaramento. After a tour of the Rock, taking in the siege tunnels, Simon and his wife Sue were taken for lunch at the IPA club.

Henry Sasramento receives a plaque

Sue and Simon Payne in the siege tunnels

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Article

Good Evans! London (North of the Thames) Branch - formerly Middlesex branch - has risen from its slumber in recent months and a key mover in its re-awakening has been Martyn Evans, branch Secretary. Section UK's Communication Manager, Lib Jones, noticed the activity in social media and asked Martyn to explain how it is he’s achieved so much in such a short period of time. M artyn writes: Before being an IPA member, I put off applying for months until one day I was asked to conduct a

Martyn Evans

becoming more family orientated. My second task was to start building contacts with other branches and that was easily done. I turned to Facebook and Twitter where I learned that a number of branches had groups; I very quickly jumped on the band wagon and promoted this. This was the start of what would become massive growth (from my starting point). Members of varying ages quickly signed up. This has enabled me to post news stories, add upcoming events where members can click to indicate if they are attending and more importantly it has helped us bond with members worldwide. I myself have personally made friends through this. I also turned to Twitter (username @sec_middxipa). Not only could I connect with members I was able to speak with non members, many of whom had never heard of the IPA. I use the account to promote news stories, current affairs within the police and to promote the IPA by referring people to the IPA website. This approach has been extremely valuable and I can honestly say that it has helped me to get new members. I am also trialling a Region 9 blog page. So far, it has seen a number of people signing up for instant notifications of new posts and has received positive feedback.

When I realised the hard work was not reflected in the number of new applications being received I discovered ‘Middlesex’ branch was being overlooked and people were joining other London branches. I went to the branch Chair and Regional Chair and explained what I had found out. A vote by members to change the branch name soon went ahead. During my short time as Branch Secretary I have seen a MASSIVE transformation of the branch which has been widely recognised. We are now receiving new applications every week. I personally contact every new member to introduce myself, tell them of upcoming events and to encourage them to join our social media groups. Keeping new members engaged from day one is paying off. We are taking steps to encourage visitors to our region and we have built up relationships with popular London tourist attractions meaning we can access a number of venues with visitors. I am also in the process of speaking with management from the Metropolitan Police about increasing our ability to host visitors on development exchanges.

station tour for ten Swedish Officers. I was pleased to conduct the tour and having met some brilliant people who had interesting stories to tell I signed up that day – in November 2012. I joined the Hertfordshire Branch until I went to work for the Metropolitan Police in the Enfield Borough. I transferred to the then named Middlesex Branch. I remember my first IPA meeting where I learned that the Branch was inactive apart from a small number of people and saw this as a shame given the location of the branch and that people across the world come to London. I put forward a number of suggestions to bring the branch back to life and ended up walking out of the meeting having been voted Branch Secretary. It was time to start work. My first task was to get existing members to reconnect and become involved again. I started contacting members to get a feel for who was who and to get ideas of the things they as a branch wanted. I also asked for feedback on what we as a branch can do to reignite the branch and gave members my personal contact details to add a personal touch. The feedback was varied and in short consisted of members wanting to get together socially, getting involved in hosting visitors and

Feedback In a survey of members enrolled between 1 January – 30 September 2014, we received the following positive feedback: A : Good magazines, online section and networking. A : Very similar in most ways but the IPA feels more personal/friendly. Q : What particular aspects of service to you as a member do we do well? A : Facebook... networking is very good. I love reading the magazine. A : Administration. A : Updates and news.

A : The UK website is kept up to date and contains useful information and the staff are all really helpful. A : Keeping me informed via the magazine and emails. A : The network of like-minded people and the opportunities to meet others. The survey also provided the Section with ideas for improvement and all points are being considered and action taken. Those completing the survey were invited to

Q : How does the IPA, as an organisation, compare to other membership organisations of which you have experience? A : About the same; A : Very good... multiple ways to contact and keep updated; A : Very highly. Since joining the IPA I have become involved and warmly welcomed by my branch; A : I am still exploring the benefits that the IPA offer. So far I have been mainly involved in the Defensive Tactics Group which has been excellent and goes from strength to strength. I look forward to sampling some of the other elements of the IPA, in particular education and courses/seminars.

POLICE WORLD Vol 59 No. 4, 2014 example would be my request to meet up with officers in New York city. I was put in contact with very helpful IPA members there. A : The IPA is a very professional organisation as well as a friendly one. Since joining I have had a few occasions where I have contacted the IPA both by email and on the phone. On all occasions my queries have been answered quickly. A : Newsletter. A : First class information networking and putting officers in contact with people who can help. An

enter their names into a prize draw. The winner of the draw was Chris Beards of Birmingham, West Midlands Branch. Chris won an IPA T-Shirt.

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Article

The hosts: Steve Jennings, Pete Coley, Andy Hughes and Neil Offord

Tournament Report Steve Hunt reports on the 2014 IPA National Golf Tournament - hosted by 10 Region. O n 2 July, excited participants from Regions 1, 6, 10 and 11 descended on the famous Stoke by Nayland Golf Club for the 2014 National Golf Tournament. The venue is situated on the borders of Essex and Suffolk - not too far from ‘Constable Country’. After registration there was just enough time for some chat and to renew old friendships before the day’s play. Golfers teed off on the Gainsborough course. With near, if not perfect, playing conditions the first thought for some players was identifying an appropriate excuse for non perfect play. The challenging course meant some players were out for a draining five hours so the sumptuous three course meal at the venue’s hotel was more than welcome. Following that ‘servo per ameko’ kicked in with members enjoying a party like atmosphere until late in the evening. The following morning, players teed off at just after 1000hrs. Thankful of being on the less demanding Constable course. The players set off in even warmer conditions but at least there was a breeze this time - which was a saving grace. It did mean that I was kept busy in the ‘water buggy’ - keeping all the thirsty players well hydrated. After a cracking lunch, of ham off the bone, egg and chips, the participants settled down for prize giving by the event organiser, and Chair of 10 Region, Steve Jennings. Paul Fenn, 6 Region, the overall event winner, was presented with the Tournament Trophy. The winning team this year was 6 Region. See the table (right) for the full list of results. Steve Hunt , 10 Region Secretary

The winning team: 6 Region B - Martin Roache, Dick Clinch, Andy Lamb and Paul Fenn

Andy Wilkin receives his prize for overall Stableford format winner

Paul Fenn receives the Tournament Trophy from Steve Jennings

Tournament Results

Prize

Event

Player

Golf balls Golf balls Golf balls Golf balls

DAY 1 Nearest the pin on 7th

S. O’Brien

DAY 1 Nearest the pin in 2 on 12th S. Jennings

DAY 2 Nearest the pin on 8th

A. Hughes

DAY 2 Nearest the pin in 2 on 16th P. Fenn

Cup, voucher and golf balls Overall Stroke

P. Fenn

Voucher and Golf balls

Overall Stableford

A. Wilkin (146) N. Offord (41) P. Fenn (36) A. Wilkin (35) N. Offord (66) P. Fenn (72) S. Jennings (73)

Voucher Voucher Voucher Golf balls Golf balls Golf balls Voucher Voucher Voucher Golf balls Golf balls Golf balls

Stableford Day 1 winner Stableford Day 1 2nd place Stableford Day 1 3rd Stroke Day 1 winner Stroke Day 1 2nd Place Stroke Day 1 3rd Place Stableford Day 2 winner Stableford Day 2 2nd place Stableford Day 2 3rd Stroke Day 2 winner Stroke Day 2 2nd Place Stroke Day 2 3rd Place

To view a selection of images from the tournament visit: www.ipa-uk.org/ 2014 National Golf

C. Dines (39) P. Fenn (36) A. Wilkin (35) C. Dines (71) P. Fenn (72) A. Wilkin (73)

Wine and towels

Winning Team

Region 6 Team B

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