Jane Derrick's blog

Starting To Get Busy

The first few weeks of the Policing year have been quite busy on Arun. Already we have seen  a 10% reduction in crime in comparison to last year, specifically around burglary, criminal damage and theft from motor vehicles. Ok, I hear you say how many crimes does that equate to ? Just over 90 less victims, but please don’t be complacent and make sure you do all to prevent crime.

We have recovered more property linked to the Peapod series of burglaries and individuals have been arrested. A Pc was telling me just how much it meant to a victim for us to return sentimental pieces to them.

We have also arrested and charged a number of individuals in Littlehampton, linked to the distribution and supply of drugs locally.More arrests are due I’m told.

We have the launch of Operation Accent looking at understanding the Eastern European Communities across Arun.

In addition to this I have been busy working on some up and coming preplanned protests, some Silver duties and the last home game for the Albion.

The Diamond Jubilee Weekend will be with us soon and will be busy and soon followed by the Olympic Torch Relay and the actual Olympics Event. Starting to get busy I think !! 

Sat 5 May 9:19PM

A Day Away From The Office

I spent today away from the office at Bognor and sadly missed the execution of a number of warrants across Littlehampton targeting those who supply and cultivate drugs and handle stolen property.I’m glad to say that the operation was in safe hands under the direction of DI Jones, Insp Bowman and Insp Webb. 

A colleague of mine asked me if was frustrated by not being at the briefing  - the answer - yes of course, I love being at the sharp end ; but the event I attended this morning was very important.

This was a half  day Leadership Forum , looking at where we are going, the challenges we face and some potential solutions. It also gave me chance to catch up with colleagues who worked on Sunday in Brighton.

I had worked as the Silver for the last home game of the season on the Saturday.It passed off quietly with a few arrests and good feedback from colleagues from West Mids Police as to our policing style and the relationship that we have with the Club.

We had a number of inputs from the ACPO Team. The Deputy Chief Constable spoke about where we are going what we need to do and how there were tough times ahead, but we needed to embrace ‘Innovation’ if we were to maintain our momentum.

He focused in on some notable achievements over the last 5 years , an overall reduction of crime by 27% across the force, a significant reduction in Criminal Damage offences of 44 %  and rightly argued that Criminal Damage is a signal of Anti Social Behaviour ‘ASB’. There has been an overall reduction in Violent Crime over the past 5 years in Sussex of 35% . However we now needed to focus on those drinking to excess at home , ‘pre loading’before a night out or just staying in.   

What he now wants us to focus on is making best use of the Community Resolution Scheme and improving the satisfaction figures around ASB.

There were other inputs , one from ACC Pinkney around closer working with Surrey across our Protective Services; making reference to ’ Lowering the flag but maintaining the standard.’

I was pleased to hear reference being made to the Winsor Report and the implications for our staff. How it impacts upon some staff in a number of ways as some families will have more than one person employed by Sussex.

There were then stations to visit looking at how we can embrace technology , follow other agencies in co locating and finding ways to reduce bureaucracy.  

The final question posed to us was what do we tell our staff, the partners and the public . A colleague more senior than I, who I joined with summed it up brilliantly, he said ’ We are moving forward  with our key values still there.’ 

For me those key values are protecting the vulnerable, doing the right thing and committing to make a difference. When I joined in 1985 I probably used fewer words but had the same principles. 

Today it may sound really cheesy, but that was what staff from Arun, supported by West Sussex Divisional Staff and our partners from Arun District Council  were  doing and will continue to do.

A day away from the office ? Yes but a good day overall …. 

Tue 24 Apr 8:53PM

Op Impact Update

Two months ago we started Operation Impact targeting those who  deal in drugs , handle stolen property or commit crime within Arun .

Since then this operation with the assistance of staff from the Response Investigation Teams , our Professional Development Unit and Special Constables we have achieved the following :

In excess of 30 arrests, 115 stops and an additional 9 drug warrants recovering in excess of 1.65 kilos of cannabis as well as other class A drugs  with  a street value of over £12,640.

If you have any information don’t keep it to yourself call Crimestoppers or 101. 

Thu 19 Apr 9:58PM

Feedback Surveys

Just going through some feedback surveys, there is some room for improvement but the last one stated  ‘I am satisfied overall because the police took me seriously, they did all they could and they were helpful. I couldn’t have asked for anything more from them.’

Isn’t that what we all deserve ?

Thu 19 Apr 8:07PM

Policing Live Event

I’m not sure what other District Commanders expected from todays event. I wasn’t sure how popular it would be but was pleasantly suprised I have to say.

Today was spent at HQ and finished at the Amex. I have been away from Arun for a few days but thanks to IT solutions and the good old fashioned phone I have been in touch daily and able to see what has been going on.

Someone once said to me the ship has to keep sailing even when the Captain isn’t on the deck.The supervisors on Arun are doing a good job and having some notable successes and are keeping us on a steady course.

Today I spent considerable time looking at a preplanned policing operation.As the Silver commander I have to assess any threats the event will pose. I have to document my rationale for the resources we will deploy to it and if necessary what powers we will use. I am what is known as the Silver Commander and will work to a Gold Commander. They will set out what I have to achieve, agree the resources and sign off my plan to achieve the goals . A Bronze Commander will then implement my plan and will be on the ground overseeing the resources.

We are all set for Saturday, the last home game of the season,following a meeting at the Amex. Tomorrow I will finalise my plan,again in the role of Silver.

Tomorrow will be spent looking at antisocial behaviour on the division , catching up with partners on Arun and then a meeting with Gold for the preplanned operation I mentioned earlier.In between those meetings I will be catching up with staff on Arun .

In some ways technology places more demand upon my time but overall it makes life easier and as seen in the #policing live

Tue 17 Apr 8:56PM

Start Of Another Policing Year

The Policing year runs from the 1 st April until the 31st March and last Thursday I attended  our Divisional Accountability Meeting at Crawley with colleagues from the other Districts within the Division. At that meeting we looked at our recent performance and the plans for the future year.

When I look back to this time last year the Division has undergone a number of changes, with the Police Service overall being set some unprecedented challenges nationally. On West Sussex we merged 2 divisions into one; introduced a new policing model and I individually had to get to know my partners, the local issues and staff, and agree the way forward.

I have been a police officer for just over 25 years and have seen a lot of change during that time, but not so many significant changes all at once. 

Over the past 12 months there has been an 8% increase in crime in Arun. That equates to just over an additional 700 crimes and quite properly I am held to account  for why there has been such a significant increase.

When you look at the increase it mostly relates to volume crime; Easy to commit difficult to prevent and detect. (This overall increase goes against just under a  3% reduction in crime for the previous year.)

I’m not making excuses at all, but we working hard to produce long term solutions, we need to target those who persistently choose to commit crime and reduce their reoffending. Applying a sticking plaster makes the immediate problem go away but it does not apply any long term solutions and the crime is moved to another area.

Over the last 5 months we have changed the way we work, targeting people who commit crime on Arun through Operation Impact, working with the local clubs bars and off licences through Operation Marble, working with our colleagues from Arun District Council to tackle Antisocial Behaviour (ASB) and the causes of it. Making sure our immediate responses are right but we are also applying long term solutions with partners, local businesses and charities. 

Response Officers have achieved some notable successes with strong proactive policing when and where ever it  is needed. They have also faced some challenging incidents over the year and we have had to make sure that  not only do we support the victims of crime and their families, but also our own staff and their families.I am very proud of them and love hearing of the successes they achieve and giving the pat on the back.

There are times when I have to challenge why our response was not as good as it should have been,they are few and far between but I’m not complacent.

We have remodelled our Neighbourhood Policing Teams, ensuring there is a baseline cover across the district, but also putting additional resources into the highest areas of crime deprivation and ASB.

We will shortly see the roll out of Arun Angels into Littlehampton, on the back of their success in Bognor.Whilst in Bognor they concentrate on the areas around the bars and clubs in Littlehampton they will be working in the early evening. Engaging with young people to prevent them getting involved in ASB and crime.

Lastly I have been really impressed with the Arun Youth Council and the work they are doing around trying to engage with other generations and support young people who have or are being bullied.

All good stuff and there are some great results already .

Mon 9 Apr 2:49PM

Humbled

A couple of weeks ago I posted a tweet about my decision to run the Brighton Marathon to support what I know as St Dunstan’s and has recently been renamed the Blind Veterans UK Charity.

I decided to do this for 2 reasons , firstly my eldest son worked there as a volunteer for a while and has learnt so much and shared his experiences with me, and secondly a great uncle of mine is a war veteran and has recently gone blind.He has had some great support and I can’t imagine how I would cope without my sight.

Unexpectedly I was contacted by Jane whose good friend, Sue is blind and felt I should contact her. I rang Sue today and although we have never met I was humbled by her positive attitude but upset to hear how she had been treated by people who just didn’t understand.

We have arranged to meet but I heard how Sue has competed in triathlons, bike rides and races with a guide. How she previously loved sports photography before losing her sight . How she spent 4 hours on a treadmill alone as part of her marathon training.

What upset me was that she did not use the local buses anymore  as the driver often forgot to tell her when she had reached her stop so she often became lost, how members of the public were abusive to her.How sometimes being blind was really frightening

I started to realise that perhaps there was more that Sussex Police could do and other sighted runners, cyclists and swimmers could do to support people like Sue. 

On Arun we have been working with Action for Deafness and I think we also need to include people who have lost their sight to try and prevent them from becoming victims of crime and helping them to feel safe . I’m looking forward to meeting Sue .

It’s a great cause please support it or me if you can 26.2 miles is a long way and the commitment to the training for the event is even bigger than you think. www.justgiving.com/Jane-Derrick0

www.blindveterans.org.uk

Sat 31 Mar 7:25PM

Doing the right thing

Today, like many of my colleagues I attended an event on Human Trafficking. ACC Pinkney is the ACPO lead for this and the Force over the past few months has been looking at how we are, can and should be  tackling it.

I listened to a number of presentations from a number of organisations including Stop The Traffiking, The Salvation Army, NSPCC and colleagues from other Forces. To think that it is not going on in Sussex is naive, I know that is just not true.

So much of it is unseen and because it doesn’t fit within the normal policing arena we have struggled to know what to do at times. I know how to deal with a public order incident or a burglary or a firearms incident but this needs me to think differently and apply a different logic. 

But do something we must; There are men women and children in the UK who are victims of this and we need to work closer with our partners and the Non Governmental Offices to protect them.

One of the last speakers was a young lady who had been a victim and it clearly took a great deal  of courage to talk to us all, but she got across so well just how we have to help those who are victims of this. 

During the day reference was made to the difference between ‘what is in the public’s interest’ and ’ what is of interest to the public.’ Tackling human trafficking is something we must do in the interest of the public.

The event was closed by our Deputy Chief Constable, Mr York who made it clear that dealing with human trafficking is difficult, it doesn’t fit into our normal processes and policies but everyone has a responsibility to do something and it is about doing the right thing. 

Over the next few weeks on Arun, we will meeting a number of people involved in this work so that we can join with them and start to try and do the right thing for any such individuals within Arun.  

Wed 28 Mar 7:04PM

Op Peapod Property Recovered /Update

You maybe aware that there were a number of burglaries over the new year in Bognor. I’m glad to say that Lukasz Ksiezopolski, 27, of Hawthorn Road, Bognor, has been charged with two counts of burglary from properties in Bedhampton and Bognor Regis, one count of attempted burglary in Angmering and two counts of fraud.

As part of the ongoing enquiry we have recovered a substantial amount of property that we are now keen to reunite with the rightful owners. Please take a look at the link and contact us on the normal 101 number quoting Operation Peapod. 

If you look at the property you will see that some of it is easily identifiable and you can do more to keep your valuables safe by marking it,take a photograph of it and making a note of the serial numbers. 

http://tinyurl.com/73cp5nv

Thu 22 Mar 8:09AM

It's all in the preparation

When I was growing up I used to wonder why my Dad spent so long preparing the woodwork before applying the undercoat and gloss coat.

Once the paintwork was done I could see why and it didn’t need redoing for a number of years.

The same goes for policing, both preplanned operations and normal day to day policing and problem solving.

Today we met to start planning for a Brighton home game in April . There does need to be some flexibility but the main plan has been tried tested and reviewed on a regular basis. Every game has slight differences and the planning process allows for that.

This afternoon I chaired our Joint Advisory Group for the last time. This past year has seen us grow together, really understand our priorities and work together on them.

These relationships take time to build and are key to getting the right results. I think that we are match fit and ready to take on the challenges together.

For me the Police are very good and doing the here and now, we are getting better at recognising just how effective our partners can be.

Over the past few weeks I have had lots of conversations with colleagues from Arun and West Sussex County Council. My view is that we have to work even closer and recognise just how strong we are together.

When England won the world cup in 1966 everyone knew who scored the goals but no one knew who the boot boy was ,if he had not cleaned the teams boots would Geoff Hurst have been on target ?Who knows.

The point I’m trying to make is that to be successful we have to realise that we need everyone to help,no matter what their contribtion is and therefore everyone has the right to claim the success.

We have a number of challenges on Arun around volume crime and burglary of sheds, garages and commercial buildings.

As a partnership we are stronger and matchfit, our preparation is done, we are starting to see some successes.

Lets hope results continue to come .

Wed 14 Mar 8:26PM

Time To Think Back To 3/3/2003.

A few years ago when I got promoted to Inspector I struggled to sit still in the meetings that I was expected to attend and didn’t appreciate the importance of those meetings.

Like a child I had to learn to concentrate and sit quietly and build strong relationships within those networks .My job at the time was to introduce PCSO’s into the Force and I spent alot time meeting colleagues from other forces and the Home Office to grab as much best practice as I could for the benefit of Sussex.

I look at how the role of the PCSO has evolved since their introduction into Sussex on the 3rd March 2003.

There are still a few of the first PCSO’s with us and they helped to pave the way for their colleagues.Sadly one of the first trance passed away a few years ago and Cheryl will always be remembered by many of us.

As a Sgt and PC I loved being out and about,as an Inspector and Chief Inspector my job is to set the direction for my teams, agree the tactics and make sure we achieve our goals.

So for example,this week I have chaired our Divisional Antisocial Behaviour Working Group and heard just what a difference the new process is making.Helping us to identify in the earliest stages vulnerable victims and doing something to reduce the vulnerability at the earliest opportunity working with our partners throughout.

Knowing that I have influenced that is just as good as dealing with the job itself.

Today I have acted as the Silver commander for a preplanned protest at the RSPCA building.Protestors were very positive as to how we and the RSPCA had supported their right to protest .Again I wasn’t on the ground but influenced the final outcome.

On the way home in the car tonight I reflected upon the week lots of meetings I have attended this week, having taken a breath lots of good things achieved by my staff .

Overall I am very proud of them, we do drop the ball from time to time as all humans do and we are working to get better.

I welcome any feedback as to how we can respond better, intervene earlier and engage with our communities and wider range of ways.

Fri 2 Mar 10:39PM

Just a little bit further !!

I’m pleased to say I finished the extra long half in a respectable time.However at the time I didn’t think it was good,according to my watch I had run just over .4 of a mile further than I should have and I was not happy !! Thankfully with the adjustment I felt better .

I think I will look for new challenges next year,  I have to say the crowds on the second half were very supportive. So thank you, now back to the slog for the big event, the cold dark morning runs are getting easier and brighter, now looking forward to the full event, the  marathon in April .

Thu 23 Feb 8:06PM

Very Nervous But Why !!!

I have been quite busy this week and suddenly realised I have to get up early tomorrow to run the Brighton Half Marathon. This will be my 5th half and is in preparation for the full Marathon in Brighton in April. As ever, I am very nervous but all I keep being told by my family is that you’ve done it before it ‘ll be easy. Really ?? So 13 .1 miles is nothing to be scared of ,the pain and boredom that sometimes comes with it is a figment of my imagination ??

I have decided that I will run the marathon for a charity this year. I know that it’s quite weary with a number of people asking but I think that the work carried out at St Dunstan’s and the RNIB is so very special. I’m not sure how I would cope if I lost my sight as I have to see things to understand them . 

This week started with a day off, following working the weekend as the Force silver. The weekend was not too busy, but I think the weather had something to do with that, although I did get called out at 5 am on one morning.

I worked as the Silver for Op Albion on Tuesday evening. Days before the match on at the Amex ( Millwall v BHA ) I met with colleagues from the British Transport Police and the Club. This was the first time that we used a ‘special train’ for the away supporters and we needed to make sure we were happy with the plans and contingencies.

The match was busy with a number of arrests, some sadly for homophobic chanting, something that I find very disappointing. With both clubs signing up to work with the FA , hopefully this will become a thing of the past , though I think it will take some long term commitment from all concerned.

The special train went well and we will meet again to debrief any points for the future.

On Monday we had an incident at Butlins where a male barricaded himself in. The matter was eventually resolved and I am keen to see what, if any learning  came from it and discuss it with Jeremy and his team at Butlins. 

Over the past couple of days I have had a number of meetings , one was the Rape and Serious Sexual Assault Prevention Working Group. We are looking at how we, as a multi agency group can prevent anyone from becoming a victim; through  a number of strands. Alcohol and locations have a part to play so we will be working through a number of plans for the coming months. What is clear is that we need to increase people’s confidence in reporting such incidents. 

I also attended our JAG ( Joint Advisory Group) where we discussed how we can get people to take responsibility for their valuables with the recent rise in volume crime. 

I was really disheartened to be told this by a  PCSO. They’d attended an address as part of some house to house enquiries after a car had been broke into. Whilst making those enquiries they pointed out to the householder that their Sat Nav was openly displayed in their car and they may have the same happen to them. The householder replied  that they didn’t care if the car got broken into because the company insurance would cover it.

The comedian Miranda Hart often says rhetorically ’ Is it Me ?  ’

I find myself asking the same question having heard this story .

Sat 18 Feb 12:39PM

Well Done Michelle, Engagement At It's Best!!

I met with Kevin on Monday from one of our local newspapers . He wanted to do an item  on my first year at Arun.

When I first joined the Police I was taught to be very suspicious and tell them nothing. Where did that come from ??

I think it was linked to the Police’s inability to trust the public and thinking we were the best thing since sliced bread!! We have come a long way but I still have a nagging worry that I might have said something that will be misinterpreted.I will have to wait to see and it’s probably  more about how I communicate than what Kevin has written !

As he left Kevin paid us a very big compliment and it’s primarily down to the work of Michelle, one our staff at Bognor. He said that she was really engaged, always willing to help and pro actively updating him and his colleagues with items of news.Something he’d never experienced before.

That maybe down to Michelle’s understanding of the part the press play locally and we need to now develop that further .. So well done Michelle; Onwards and Upwards !

If you want to follow what is going on in Bognor Littlehampton or Arundel we have Twitter and Facebook accounts as well as Community Messaging. Look out  for us and Michelle and her colleagues will be in touch. 

Wed 8 Feb 5:46PM

What's special about being a Special ?

I have worked a split shift today to go back in tonight to attend a meeting with our Specials on the District to discuss our local plans and how they fit into the Force’s plans.

A few years ago as an Neighbourhood Policing Team Inspector in Hove I sat down with a highly motivated Sgt on the Professional Development Unit (PDU). I wanted  to see if there was any scope for the PDU to not only train our newly appointed Student Officers but also our new Specials. In my eyes we needed to train them to the same standard. Whilst there were areas they didn’t need to be competent in, for example investigating offences of Voyeurism , they needed the same basic skills, knowledge and understanding.

Thanks to the support of Sgt  Lumb, Lou the Specials Coordinator and Ch Supt Bartlett we pulled together a pilot. Very quickly we went from strength to strength with the Specials in Hove and they helped us reduce crime and ASB significantly in areas where we had previously struggled. 

I’m pleased to say that some of those first Specials went onto join the Force as regulars and I have watched them move on in the Force from afar. Others stay committed to volunteering when they can and I still see them from time to time.

A year or so later I left Hove and other colleagues have developed the first steps we took in Hove and rolled it out across the Force. Alot of hard work has gone on since then my colleagues and I across the Force are now seeing the benefits of that hard work.

The Specials I am meeting tonight have been trained by our local PDU and their commitment enthusiasm and professionalism is  clear for all to see. Sgt Hodder and Insp Bell have  developed a plan to really give them the opportunities they desire and to contribute to the Policing in Arun. 

These plans include asking them to commit to some plain clothes and overt operations, targeting low level crime, disrupting low level drug dealers and providing a hi visibility team presence along the seafront area during the Summer months.

There is something about someone who is willing to volunteer to become a special, yes they get the chance to be at the coal face and experience some of the buzz you can get in Policing.They also experience the lows, getting cold, wet and bored carrying out a specific task.

Specials have the same powers as a regular officer, the same equipment but even more commitment than many of their regular colleagues.

They like the regulars also carry a  great weight of responsibility whilst on and off duty but for very little reward, except they can say they have made a difference. 

That’s what makes a Special special.

We have a plan to grow our number of Specials on Arun to 30 by the end of this year. If you want to find out more or feel like joining us check out the Force Website for more information.

http://www.sussex.police.uk/about-us/work-with-us/specials/

Wed 8 Feb 5:30PM