Grapevine Spring 2009:Layout 1 - BAWP€¦ · Grapevine Spring 2009 cover section:Layout 1 12/3/09 10:02 Page 1. GRAPEVINE Spring 2009 I 1 I am really pleased to have the opportunity

Grapevine Spring 2009 cover section:Layout 1 12/3/09 10:02 Page 1

GRAPEVINE Spring 2009 I 1

Iam really pleased to have theopportunity to edit this edition ofGrapevine in the absence of our

usual editor Kim Madill, who is currentlyenjoying her maternity leave with newson Gabriel. I am sure you will join mein sending all our best wishes to Kimand her family. Well our Spring issue ishere, despite some very non-springlikeweather of late.

We have some great features in this edition including inspirationalstories from women officers in the Ministry of Defence Police as wellas a fascinating insight into Jane Townsley’s trip to Bangladesh for thelaunch of their women’s network.

Make sure you log onto the BAWP website at www.bawp.org forthe full details of the BAWP best practice guide supporting GenderAgenda, see the article on page 3.

The Policing Pledge is undoubtedly high on agendas in forcescurrently and the article on pages 12-13 gives the Home Officeinterpretations of the actions needed to meet ‘The Pledge’.

If you have problems with the uniform for women in your force,turn to pages 6-7 to see how one officer has worked to makechanges in Kent Police.

Now, back to babies, we continue with health advice from DrPeter Bowen-Simpkins, Medical Director at the London Women’sClinic, who this time focuses on whether there ever is an ideal timeto have children.

Speaking as an ‘old Mum’ there is some really useful informationin this article. Don’t forget if you would like us to focus on anyspecific health or other issues, do let us know.

Finally make a note of the dates for your diary below.

Dates for your diary2009

Senior Women in Policing Conference – ‘Women’s Contribution –Policing in the 21st Century’– Exeter University. March 30 to April 1.

Spring Professional Development Day – Personal v Professional –Achieving a Balance. Stratford Holiday Inn. Wednesday April 22 (awardsdinner) and Thursday April 23.

47th Annual IAWP Training Conference – Seattle, USA, September 20-24.

Autumn Professional Development Day – Personal Development –It’s Your Responsibility. Stratford Holiday Inn. Monday October 12.

Guest Editor: Gill Donnell email: [email protected]

Grapevine is produced by the BritishAssociation for Women in Policing.

Tel: 0870 766 4056email: [email protected]

Assistant Editor: Nicky Phillipsonemail: [email protected]

Design and production: Brookhill Design Studio LimitedTel: 01438 722710email: [email protected]

Copy deadline for Summer issue is May 22, 2009

All rights reserved. No part of this publicationmay be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the permission of the BAWP.

Focus on: Ministry of Defence Police 8-9 Learn more about the rolesavailable in the force from twowomen who work in it.

In the Spotlight 10DC Pauline Thomas answers our ten questions

The how to of meetings 11Find out how to prepare for them, act in them and get yourself heard

The Policing Pledge explained 12-13

IAWP News 14-15

First Vice President JaneTownsley reports on hertrip to Bangladesh to attendthe launch of their women’snetwork – the first in the Asiansub-continent.

Membership details 16

FEATURES

NEWS

Gender Agenda Best Practice 3 BAWP launches bumper document

Female officers top 32 per cent in Cumbria Police 4

Mentoring in action: Vicky Skeels shares her experiences 5

Kent Police introduce new uniform for women 6-7

Health Matters: Age and pregnancy – how old is too old? 7

From the Editor

Cover photograph: Reproduced courtesy Ministry of DefencePolice. Read the feature on pages 8 and 9

Grapevine Spring 2009:Layout 1 12/3/09 09:50 Page 1

The grant application form we have to completeeach year to bid for funding from the Home Officealways makes us stop and reflect on the past year’sachievements. I think we all suffer from thehamster wheel mentality at times, failing to

appreciate, recognise or even reward ourselves forwhat we have done, but instead always chastisingourselves for what we haven’t. Well I have decidedto buck the trend and share the year’s BAWPhighlights, which are:

staging two successful professional developmentdays which were attended by more than 220people; a national awards ceremony; the SeniorWomen in Policing Conference which attracted 350plus delegates; two seminars for force contacts andregional co-ordinators; the creation of a uniformsub-group within the committee to look at andcontinue to lobby on uniform issues; theproduction of two leaflets, a good practicedocument (see page 3) and four issues ofGrapevine; taking part in a joint research project;an initiative to support women looking to apply forthe High Potential Development Scheme and

finally a whole raft of presentations at force events,organisational development days and courses(both national and international). All in all a verybusy year – which isn’t bad considering our limitedbudget and resources.

We are already planning for the next 12 monthsand looking forward to recruiting our new nationalco-ordinator and wishing Liz well in retirement.Our 2009/10 plans include further lobbying on theever present uniform issue (although I see KentPolice are already making real in-roads – see pages6 and 7), we also intend to run some mentoringcourses to encourage women to support theircolleagues. Finally we are commissioning somelong-needed research into women’s sicknessabsences. It is time to get a grasp of this issue anddiscover what if any reasons lay between thediffering sickness rates of men and women.

From the President’s Desk

2 I GRAPEVINE Spring 2009

Essex Police has sponsored YoungPeople of the Year or 'YOPEY' whichis described by its founder Tony

Gearing as “the antidote to all the badpress about the younger generation”.

YOPEY rewards young unsung heroes andsets them up as positive role models. It in turncreates many pages of positive publicity toimprove the reputation of young people inthe area.

Police forces have been increasingly involvedin YOPEY since it started in Hertfordshire fouryears ago. But Essex Police is the first force tobecome a main sponsor alongside Essex PoliceAuthority.

Assistant Chief Constable Peter Lowton, whois responsible for Essex young people as partof his Territorial Policing remit, said: “In our dayjobs, Essex Police deal with the minority ofyoungsters who give the younger generation abad name.

“But we want to encourage more goodbehaviour and we feel that by sponsoringYoung People of the Year we will be helping tocreate positive role models for the youngergeneration of Essex to admire and copy."

The entries to the competition were varied.They included boys who diverted from anti-social behaviour by organising music events, ayouth mayor who gets young people involvedin clearing up her town, young carers andleading members of youth organisations, suchas the Scouts and Guides.

To date 25 YOPEY contests have been

completed – with thousands of young peopletaking part in the six-month long campaigns –in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire,Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex andNottinghamshire. There has also been a YOPEYcontest in a national women's magazine.

Police forces have been involved since thestart with senior officers on YOPEY's 'virtual'judging panels – all the judging is done via theInternet rather than by meeting in time-consuming committees. Other judges rangefrom local dignitaries, including representativesof the Queen, bishops, mayors and MP, toyoung people who belong to the growing‘YOPEY VB’ (volunteer board).

Among the high-ranking officers who havejudged YOPEYs are BAWP President Julie

Spence, Gillian Parker, Chief Constable ofBedfordshire Police, and Francis Habgood,Deputy Chief Constable of Thames ValleyPolice.

Mrs Spence has been involved in YOPEY forthree years. She said: “I have seen somewonderful young people properly rewarded fortheir selfless work and been impressed by thepositive impact it has had on them, theirfamilies, their schools and their communities.”

Mr Gearing toured Essex schools, takingassemblies and giving citizenship lessons toencourage young people to take part in thislatest contest.

Find more information www.yopey.org orcall YOPEY founder Tony Gearing on 0845 838 2640.

Young people are role models for peers in the community

Essex Police YOPEY awards: Assistant Chief Constable Peter Lowton with the winners and dignitaries


Help women fight poverty BAWP members are being asked to considerloaning small amounts of money to womenin the developing world who are trying tobecome self-sufficient.

The loans can be made via a websitewww.kiva.org

National Co-ordinator Liz Owsley says shehas loaned money to Mercy Ofosu in Nigeriato buy more lace for her business. She said:“You are helping a real person achieveeconomic independence and improve life forthemselves, their family, and their community.I have had some of the money repaid already.I can now keep it in my KIVA account, lend itagain or take it out. I aim to wait until thewhole loan is repaid and then lend it again.”

New female ACC forNorth Yorkshire NORTH YorkshirePolice hasappointed SueCross as one of itsassistant chiefconstables. MrsCross had beenacting ACCfollowing theretirement of Peter Bagshaw last year. She willtake responsibility for territorial policing.

Mrs Cross started her career 25 years agoin West Yorkshire and also worked forCleveland Police before transferring to NorthYorkshire Police as Crime Commander for theWestern Area in 2006.

Online resource withadvice about children A NEW website has been set up to helpanybody working with children and young people. www.handsonscotland.co.uk provides practical information and techniques on howto respond helpfully to children and youngpeople's troubling behaviour, build up theirself-esteem and promote their positive mentalwellbeing.

There are also 25 sets of videos fromspecialists giving tips and advice. The website was commissioned by theScottish government throughHeadsUpScotland and was developed byPlayfield Institute (NHS Fife) in partnershipwith Barnardo's and the University of Dundee.


News in brief

Adocument detailing best practice tosupport women in policing hasbeen posted on the BAWP website.

It was pulled together by National Co-ordinator Liz Owsley and Sandra Brown fromthe NPIA’s Equality, Diversity and Human RightsUnit.

The examples show how some forces havedelivered the aims of Gender Agenda 2 andensured equality across the board.

It is hoped other police forces will learn fromthe comprehensive examples given and wherepossible tailor them for themselves. This in turnwill improve the working environment formany women across the police service.

The example are varied: from flexibleworking patterns to maternity packs, events tobalance out the sexes in the specialist units toinitiatives to improve the policing servicewomen in the community receive. And manyof the initatives don’t just help women, but are“transportable across the diversity strands”, saysMick Pearson, Secretary of PFEW Equality Sub-Committee.

What Liz Owsley says she finds the mostencouraging is that each item of good practicehas a real person behind it and success story toboot.

“When we were pulling this documenttogether I kept thinking how many people’slives had improved in each example.” She said.

Submissions came in from across thecountry with staff from many forces sharingtheir success stories.

Liz adds that the guide must be seen as anevolving document. “The journey does notstop here. We must capture the innovativepractice happening from now on. I would urgepeople to use the blank template includedwithin the document which can bedownloaded and completed. Any newinformation sent to the BAWP will be used infuture versions of the guide.”

BAWP President Julie Spence has urgedcolleagues, particularly ACPO officers, to readthe guide. “This is a document founded inwhat women officers, staff and managers thinkreally works in practice so it’s a recommendedread to see what could work in yourorganisation,” she said.

Forces share their successstories to improve the lot of women in policing

Guide to European forces producedA comprehensive guide to police forces in Europe is now available, thanks to the hardwork of three Buckinghamshire New University students. The document gives a flavour of each force’s history and background. Details on thesupport organisations active in the force are provided along with the percentage of womenemployed.

The work was initially completed by members of the European Network of Police Womenin 2000. A lack of funding prevented it being kept up to date, which is why Liz Owsleysuggested the students, who are on a Policing Studies Course, might want to get involved.

Liz said: “We devised a new questionnaire and the students sent it to all European policeorganisations, with a covering letter from their tutor and me. While the response wasn’tgreat it still enabled them to produce a comprehensive reference guide for anyoneinterested in European Policing.”

It is planned to send a paper copy of the report to each country profiled and associatedpolicing organisations. A downloadable copy will also be available on the ENP websitewww.enp.nl

Liz Owsley


Cumbria Constabulary has thehighest percentage of femaleofficers in the UK.

More than thirty-two per cent (32.8) of allofficers in the constabulary are female, andare represented in all ranks up to chief officer.

Cumbria Constabulary say the figureshaven’t been “achieved by chance” but arethe results of “hard work”.

They cite the fact that the constabularychampions flexible working and supportsthose who need to balance their role withcommitments outside work. They also holdspecialist department open days and have“transparent selection and promotionprocedures” which are possible reasons forthe gender shift. Officers and staff are alsooffered a diverse range of opportunities tohelp them progress including women’sdevelopment programmes such asSpringboard and Spring Forward.

The second Spring Forward course wasattended by individuals from six differentorganisations in the North West, giving someof the constabulary’s female leaders a chanceto meet with other professional women andshare ideas.

The course costs were shared between:Cumbria Constabulary, North Yorkshire Police,Lancashire Police, Civil Nuclear Police,Cumbria Probation Service and Cumbria Fireand Rescue Service. Organiser, Helen Ivorysaid: “The course created an affordable optionfor organisations looking to offer high-qualitymanagement training, specifically designed forwomen. It also offered unbeatablenetworking opportunities that will paydividends long after the programme hasended.”

Inspector Janice Spedding, who leads alocal policing team in the Lake District, hasworked as a full time uniformed officer withinCumbria Constabulary for 11 years, which she

balances with being a single mum to a sonand daughter.

She said: “My dual roles require significantplanning by scrutinising shifts and pre-booking nursery places and overnight stopswith family, but I am happy that this allowsmy children to lead a well-balanced andorganised life that provides continuity as wellas variety.

“During my service within CumbriaConstabulary there has been a marked

increase in the number of female officers. In1997 I worked on a shift with one or twoothers, compared to ten or twelve men. Sincethen the numbers have dramatically increasedwith a large number of new female recruits,as well as several high ranking female officers,including the Deputy Chief Constable,Christine Twigg.”

Insp Spedding and a group of femalecolleagues have also joined together to createa Women’s Network which was launched inJanuary.

She said: “The network events provideopportunities to share experiences andnetwork with others, attend seminars withmotivational speakers and career progressionguidance, and discover self-development tools.”

Deputy Chief Constable Christine Twigg,who is portfolio holder for the Progressionportfolio within the ACPO WorkforceDevelopment Business, said: “Our nextchallenge is to work towards increased genderbalance throughout the ranks. I am confidentthat with our continuing support and with thegrowing number of female role-models toaspire to, that we will achieve this in thefuture.”


Cumbria credit gender shift to “hard work”

NEWS

ACambridge University college isasking retiring policewomen and staff, or those thinking of

taking a career break to study, toconsider applying to Lucy CavendishCollege.

The college, founded in 1965, is one ofthree women’s colleges in the university, andits special niche is to admit only maturestudents (aged over 21).

Dr. Lindsey Traub says women who go to‘Lucy’ have always done something else first.“Our potential students aren't sitting inschool, on track for university, but arescattered throughout the adult population.We have to be pro-active in telling the worldthat, yes, there really is a college atCambridge that is dedicated to maturewomen students.”

Dr Traub added: “The college is ideal for

women who have completed an interestingand demanding career, as in the police, andare looking for their next challenge – oftenan intellectual one, based on long-heldinterests or academic ambitions.

“Every degree course in the university isavailable for both undergraduates andgraduates – so why not check out thecollege website to find out more: www.lucy-cav.cam.ac.uk/“

College dedicated to mature women students

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Inspector Janice Spedding

Women from six organisations attended the Spring Forward course


Inspirational mentoring Cambridgeshire Chief Inspector VickySkeels has helped many students ontheir career path since joining theAnglia Ruskin University (ARU)Employer Mentoring Scheme twoyears ago.

Vicky was inspired to give something back tothe university after completing her postgraduate certificate in the management of anti-social behaviour and saw the mentoring advertin her force’s internal magazine.

She acts as a mentor to students interestedin the criminal justice system, but who don’tnecessarily know which direction to take.

Vicky said: “I feel that I give students agateway into our organisation and enable themto have a taster of a wide range of policespecialisms. One student was really interestedin case file preparation but had only thoughtabout working within a solicitor’s office. Shehad never heard of the criminal justice unit andthe role of case file builder. Another studentwas really interested in the force response tohonour-based violence and I was able toengineer her into the force training sessionsand to connect her with force experts. I havealso taken a student to observe our policingresponse to a visit by HRH Prince of Wales.

“My current student is really interested inforensic science so I am also arranging for herto review a robbery arrest in Cambridge wherea full DNA profile was significant and bodymapping technology was considered.”

Vicky says a work experience placement at alocal police station helped her decide herfuture career and that she hopes she can helpothers make career choices too.

She said: “When I was growing up I knew

that I wanted to be a police officer. I spent aweek on a work experience scheme at ElyPolice Station in Cambridgeshire dealing withincidents, managing prisoners and attendingcourt. The staff were really kind to me and itcemented in my mind that I was destined tobe a police officer. The scheme has given mean opportunity to replicate the support andadvice I had as a young student.

“We all have an obligation to think aboutour successors and a career other than ourown. Having someone observe you in theworkplace and asking you about your actionscan be very challenging and refreshing. Itcertainly keeps you on your toes with legaldevelopments and current affairs. It alsoreminds me how lucky I am to have suchinteresting and satisfying work which I want toboast about to other people.”

Join the registers tohelp save Emilia BAWP members are being urged to join one ofthe UK’s two bone marrow registers.

The plea comes from colleagues in the Fireand Rescue Service on behalf Cambridgeshirefirefighter Phil Hubbard. His ten-year-olddaughter Emilia has a rare blood disorder andurgently needs a bone marrow transplant.Despite an extensive search a match hasn’tbeen found.

You can join The Anthony Nolan Trust (0207284 1234) if you are aged 18-40 years or theBritish Bone Marrow Register, which is run bythe National Blood Service (0845 7 711 711) ifyou are aged up to 49 years.

Single equalityscheme launched CENTRAL Scotland Police has created a singleequality scheme which combines all aspects ofdiversity – race, disability, gender, sexualorientation, age and religion/belief. The schemecovers the period 2008-2011 and is the firsttime the force has amalgamated all areas ofequality into one scheme. Chief Constable Kevin Smith said: “The schemeis a road map for the successful mainstreamingof equality into every aspect of our operations.”

Staffordshire Policerewards female staff FOUR officers, two Police Community SupportOfficers and two police staff have beenrewarded for their excellent contribution topolicing by the Staffordshire Association forWomen inPolicing(SWAP).

The recipients, who will go forward as theforce nominations for the BAWP awards,include: Sgt Sue Bufton and DC Michelle Banksfor Excellence in Performance; Sgt CarolineBailey for Officer of the Year; Insp EmmaGriffiths for Leadership; PCSO Ellie Beaumontand PCSO Nicola Ayling for Community Serviceand Leigh Morgan Jones and Tracie Roberts forPolice Staff Achievement.

News in brief


Staff protect key dates offStaff in Merseyside Police are being invited to ‘red circle’ key dates they don’t wantto work in a bid to improve their work/life balance.

The force is allowing both officers and staff to ‘red circle’ up to three rest days and up to threeshifts in a year. They will be able to nominate rest days that will not be subject to cancellationand shift days that will be protected from variation. Staff will be required to give 35 days noticeof their intention to ‘red circle’.

The force says the policy is essentially “formalisation of what might be seen as goodmanagement practice.”

It added: “Red circle days are to be granted ‘subject to exigencies’. That is, they will not bepermitted to interfere with normal business and they have no statutory strength. It is expectedthat only unforeseen events would be likely to have an impact on red circle days, onceapproved.”

Bank holidays, Halloween, Bonfire night and the Grand National are excluded from thescheme. The dates of some local events, which require large scale policing, are also excluded.

Chief Inspector Vicky Skeels

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NEWS

ISTARTED by carrying out a review of theuniform stores facility at Kent, looking atthe service it provided to officers and staff.

I then focused on the uniform garmentsindividually and listened to what officers andstaff had to say about their uniform. Themajority of complaints were undoubtedlyfrom women who argued that the uniformthey were provided with just did not fitproperly and was therefore uncomfortable.

My next step was to hold a workshop for womento further encourage the debate around uniformand get them to suggest where the force couldmake realistic improvements. The debate was livelyand pointed me towards the anoraks and shirts thatwomen wore which they were clearly not happywith.

Tasked with addressing this I decided that if therewasn’t products on the market which fitted theneeds of our female officers then we would getcreative and design them ourselves. A small team ofwomen from the force, including me, got togetherand worked with a design team from our currentsupplier of jackets and coats to create exactly whatthe female officers had asked for in high visibilitymotorway jackets and outdoor coats – which wehave called town beat coats. We addressedproblems with sleevelength, cuffs andwaist size. Wealso asked forthem to besizeddifferently, soinstead oforderingin a

small, medium orlarge – femaleofficers just askfor a 12 or a 14.The jackets areavailable in sizes8-20 and smallerand larger sizescan also becatered for.

The success ofthe trials wasoverwhelming and Kent’s Chief Constable,Mike Fuller and Mrs Ann Barnes, the Chairof Kent Police Authority, supported theintroduction of the new uniform.

At the same time Kent Police becamethe first in the country (I believe) to trial anew style of black patrol shirt which comesin male and female designs and uses highstreet sizing.

Again the officers testing these shirtsgave them the thumbs up and from mid-summer these shirts will replace thetraditional white shirts for all operationalofficers.

It is clear from listening to both femaleand male officers that when they feel

untidy, unprofessional and look like asack of potatoes they are less likely

to do their job well. Our aimhas been to give femaleofficers a uniform they areproud of. It is not about beingfashionable; it’s about being

comfortable in your role. For example the sleeves

on the old style highvisibility motorway

jackets were solong manyfemale officershad to keep

rolling them upso they couldwrite in theirpocketnotebooks. Asone femaleofficer put it: “Idread putting

mine (uniform) onevery shift as it is so

uncomfortable”.

If you are a male officer,imagine having to spendyour day wearing auniform that was initiallydesigned for a woman.This may sound funny,but for thousands offemale officers across thecountry having to wearmodified male uniformsis no joke, in fact it hasbeen an uncomfortablereality. Kent Police hasrecognised that to supply‘unisex’ clothing forwomen, which isessentially made formen, is not appropriateand has employed part-time officer SergeantAbigail Gilson to tacklethe uniform issue in theforce. Here she explainswhat she’s done toimprove the lives offemale officers in Kentwhich includes turningher hand to clothesdesign.

“

The old unisex outdoorcoat in a size medium

Kent gets proactive with uniform

Sgt Abigail Gilson models the newstyle town beat coat (left) and thenew high visibility full-length coat



NEWS

My work has led me to engage with theGender Action Group here in Kent and the‘Kent Network for Women’, a force supportgroup. This has proved invaluable and has ledto uniform becoming an integral part of theagenda.

Since undertaking this project, the force hasalso made improvements to the female andmale trousers, shirts, jackets, coats, PSU wearand PCSO clothing. Maternity wear is now alsounder review.

Other forces are watching with interest atwhat we are doing. There’s really no excuse forissuing female officers with poorly fittinguniforms initially designed for men and we’redoing something about it in Kent.”

Two officers model the new black shirts

“It is not about beingfashionable; it’s aboutbeing comfortable inyour role”

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Health MattersPeter Bowen-Simpkins looksat whether there is an idealage to have children

Busy jobs, mortgages, a love of exoticholidays or sometimes just a lack of asuitable partner add up to postponement ofpregnancy. At present, the average age for awoman having her first baby in the UK is 29and the age is rising. We are seeingincreasing numbers of women over the ageof 35 seeking help to get pregnant, and this isan age when fertility starts to decline.

Between the ages of 20 and 35 a woman has a 15 per cent chance ofgetting pregnant in any one month. This is cumulative and after sixmonths there is a 90 per cent chance that she will be pregnant providingshe is having regular intercourse two to three times per week. By the ageof 40, this will have dropped to 50 per cent in six months and after thatthe chances decline even more rapidly. Just to make things worse, themiscarriage rate starts to rise and by 42 it will be at least 25 per cent. Sowhat can be done to help the older would-be mother?

Firstly be healthly: eat sensibly, don’t smoke, drink alcohol and caffeine inmoderation and ensure your weight is between a BMI of 19 and 30 (bodymass index is worked out by dividing your weight in kilograms by yourheight in metres squared - get a calculator for this). If you have a partneryou could get his sperm count done through his local GP. If you are singleor a same sex couple a number of clinics offer donor insemination.

A woman is born with about two to three million potential eggs in herovaries, but as she ages these rapidly disappear. By puberty there areprobably no more than 150,000 left and at 50 they have just about goneand the menopause intervenes. The problem is that after 40 the quality ofthe remaining eggs is poor and many won’t fertilise. The number left iscalled the ovarian reserve and it can be measured by a number of bloodtests. Also the number of follicles can be counted. If your fertility is lowyou will have to decide whether to go ahead with treatment or considerdonor eggs from a younger woman.

A new technique for freezing eggs, called vitrification, has been introducedat a number of clinics for under 35-year-olds. Eggs are collected – usingmost of an IVF cycle – then stored for later use. Banking your eggs isbecoming increasingly popular and is an insurance if circumstances resultin leaving attempts at getting pregnant until later in life when fertility isdeclining.

The best advice is to have your baby when you are ready for it, but ideallytry and make sure that this is before you are aged 40.

Peter Bowen-Simpkins is Medical Director at the London Women’sClinic and spokesperson for Wellbeing of Women (WoW).


About 17 years ago I headed off on ajourney, quite literally. It entailedthree trains, a bus ride and then a

walk down a very lonely road culminating at the gates of a rather wet, dark and veryimposing naval base on the Scottish WestCoast. Little did I know that this was to bethe start of a very varied, exciting,challenging but ultimately rewardingexperience.

One of the great facets of being a Ministry ofDefence police officer is the eligibility to servethroughout the UK. In Scotland my role was mainlythat of armed security at a high profile naval base. Ithen decided to have a complete change of roleand moved to South London to become part of anarea policing team. This role was tailored moretowards community policing throughout the MODestate. This was followed by a brief spell in theYorkshire Dales at a base with a large Americanpresence, this time with the impetus primarily onanti-terrorism, before it was off back to London.

Today, happily ensconced in my role as a policeconstable at Whitehall Station, it’s

hard to believe that theforce I joined is the one Iwork for now, as somuch has changed. Mycore role as an officer at

Whitehall is to provide ahigh profile Counter-Terrorist

policing service to the MODheadquarters buildings inCentral London. The use ofSection 44 of theTerrorism Act2000 is a

valuable tool in MDP Whitehall’s fight against thethreat to the MOD from international terrorism. Weroutinely carry out both armed and unarmed footpatrols in the immediate vicinity of the MODbuildings and investigate any crime that occurswithin.

Due to the unique nature of the role here atWhitehall, continuous training is a necessity. I mustmaintain high standards of proficiency with theHeckler and Koch MP7 weapon system and theX26 Taser, as well as regularly attending tacticalfirearms training, which is tailor-made for armedofficers working in Central London. We work veryclosely with our Metropolitan Police Servicecolleagues and when we prosecute our casesthrough the civil court system we also use the CPSservice. This can at times be challenging, as notonly do I have to keep myself up to date withcurrent MDP crime reporting systems, but alsothose of the Met.

Alongside my daily duties it is my privilege to beactively involved in the Women’s Staff Association(WSA). Many of the original committee compriseof BAWP members and we all work together; themost recent strand utilising the menopause and

menstruation questionnaire devised by WestMidlands Police. As the MDP is a nationalforce, we have links to all Home Officesupport networks and it is so beneficial to bepart of a network that is making a positive

move on removing the barriers to femalerecruitment, progression and specialisation.

I joined the WSA in 2007 because I thought thebest way to dispel the usual myths surroundingminority support groups was to become a part ofthem. I was pleasantly surprised to find like-minded females who, far from believing theAgency gave them a raw deal, merely wanted tohighlight issues surrounding females that in thepast had been overlooked due to a lack ofawareness. I have also been invited to talk tominority groups within the Ministry Of Defenceabout my policing role and build on the supportnetworks that exist within the Civil Service, Navy,Army and Airforce.

Currently the proportion of female officerswithin the force stands at 10 per cent. It is quiteoften the norm to find only one female on astation’s compliment, and it is a situation I havefound myself in several times throughout mycareer. It is the WSA’s aim to be a voice for thesefemales in the hope that united we can beheard more effectively; however, anybodythat knows me knows I need no help inbeing heard.

Far from being at the end of thejourney I embarked on 17 years ago, theMDP still continues to satisfy my careerappetite. It is an ever changing policing role that Iam very much proud to be a part of.

FEATURE

A unique policing experience In this issue two Ministry of Defence Police Officers, PC Claire Batt and PC Sally Hunt, give a flavour of what their jobs involve and share the journeys they each made to get where they are now.

PC Claire Batt – Whitehall

8 I GRAPEVINE Spring 2009 Photographs reproduced courtesy Paul Kemp ABIPP



FEATURE

avour Ijoined the Ministry of Defence Police in

2006 and spent my first two and a halfyears at AWE Aldermaston. During this

time, my main duties were that of armedsecurity, mobile patrols and the occasionalremoval of illegal protestors.

Although I enjoyed this experience, myaspirations were to specialise in dealing withprotest and rope access, which I felt I could do if Ipursued a career in the Operational Support Unit(OSU). My first interaction with the OSU wasduring a ‘Block theBuilders’ protest atAldermaston: a numberof protestors had lockedthemselves together andobstructed one of theentrance gates to thesite. The OSU had beencalled in to free theprotestors from theirlocking devices so thatarrests could be madeand traffic flow restored. It was because of thisexperience that I knew that the OSU was where Iwanted to be. I felt the diverse nature of the workit did, ranging from searches, public order, ropeaccess, protestor removal and working in confinedspaces, in conjunction with a greater firearmscapability, would keep me engaged and activeboth mentally and physically.

I subsequently applied for the OSU assessmentin January 2008. This initially consisted of a writtenapplication. On passing this paper-sift, I was theninvited to a two day firearms assessment at thefirearms training centre, where I was required toattain a set standard in order to progress. I was

then asked to attend afurther five day

assessment at our headquarters. During this I wasgiven an introduction to searching, and training inpublic order, as well as participating in severalfitness tests and being asked to give a shortpresentation. The five days, although hard work,were great fun and everyone was supported by apersonal mentor throughout.

I subsequently joined the OSU (South) in July2008 and since then my feet haven’t touched theground, sometimes quite literally. The normalworking hours are 8am to 4pm from Monday to

Friday. This is so muchmore flexible than thetwelve hour shifts I wasdoing previously. I cannow enjoy my hobbiesagain and I am able tosocialise and see myfamily more regularly.The nature of the jobsthe unit undertakesmean that you can bedeployed anywhere in

the country at short notice. Most of the away jobs,though, are pre-planned and only last betweenone night and a week. Rare jobs that call for longperiods away from home are generally plannedwell in advance.

The unit was quick to make me feel part of theteam and get me involved in as much as possible.Everyone is willing to help you as much as theycan with anything from legislation to fitness plans.It’s a real confidence boost to know that if you areunsure on a piece of equipment for protestorremoval, or you feel a bit rusty on dry weaponsskills, or are needing clarification on a rope accesstechnique, then all you have to do is ask andsomeone will take the time to help you. Thegreater responsibilities I have already been given

make me feel less like the new recruit andmore like a valued member of the team.The challenges I am set here give me a

chance to extend my knowledge andto test myself both mentallyand physically. I have really

enjoyed my first few monthson the OSU and I amvery glad I made the

move. Thismay soundcheesy, but

for the first time inmy life I wake up and

want to go to work.

PC Sally Hunt – Operational Support UnitMinistry of DefencePolice – the details The Ministry of Defence Police is a uniqueforce in many different ways. It providesdedicated policing across the defence estateand has 3,500 officers at more than 70 MOD sites.

These include training to dealwith armed terrorist attacksor waterborne assaults –the force has the largestmarine capability ofany police force and isdeployed regularly toescort warshipsinto naval bases.Officers are alsotrained to deal withincursions at militarysites and illegal protest activity(when protesters cut through fences orattempt blockades).

Its fraud squad is one of the largest in theUK, and supports the MOD’s stewardship ofthe defence budget which stands at nearly£40bn annually.

The force is also in the vanguard ofinternational policing, currently providingsupport to the Foreign Office and the Afghangovernment in training and mentoring theAfghan police force.

Outside the MOD, armed units are used atsome gas processing sites in the energysector where specialist policing capability isrequired.

Its female strength currently stands at 353officers, all of whom are weapons-trained,with many deployed daily on armed dutiesthroughout the UK.

The MDP also provides more traditionaluniform policing services for the defencecommunity. Unit beat officers support themilitary covenant by providing a dedicatedservice to families living in MOD housing.The role places a heavy emphasis onreassurance policing and deals directly withthe quality of life issues of concern to militaryfamilies with a member on active serviceoverseas.

The force has one of the largest police dogsections in the UK – with around 200 fullytrained police dogs and handlers, many ofwhich have specialist arms/explosive/search(AES) and drug-detection skills.

MINIS

TRY OF DEFENCE

P O L I C E



In the

Q. What did you want to be whenyou were growing up?

A. When I was growing up I had quite a lot ofresponsibility looking after my mother who wasnot in good health. I loved sport and theindependence and freedom it gave me and Iwanted to, and later did become a PE teacherbefore joining the police.

Q. Who has been your greatestinspiration or role model and why?

A. My greatest role model was MargaretThatcher. When I was very young I used towatch her on TV and what she said ofteninfuriated the men around me. I used to find itfascinating that she had the power to do that,regardless of her politics.

Q. What barriers to success haveyou come across and how didyou deal with them?

A. There will always be some men who willtreat women as inferior and my main ambitionhas been to sidestep those who feel that wayand overtake them on the inside lane. Nobodyhas stood in the way of success for me. I havedeliberately chosen not to progress up throughthe ranks as I thoroughly enjoy what I am doingand look upon that as a great success.

Q. What is the most memorablemoment of your career to date?

A. The most memorable moment of my careerwas single-handedly arresting four violent malesfor burglary. It gave me a real sense ofsatisfaction and I received a Chief Constable’scommendation for it, which made my familyreally proud. The only disappointment was

hearing one of the assistant chief constablessaying to my husband: ‘Come on, what reallyhappened?’ That made me feel very deflated.What really happened was, I single-handedlyarrested four violent males for burglary. Whichpart of that sentence is difficult to understand.

Q. What advice would you give toan ambitious new officer ormember of police staff ?

A. My advice to a new officer would be to tryand remember how important your family areand leave space for them too. I do believe thatyou get more satisfaction out of your job if youthrow everything into it and give it your all. Sothere is the contradiction. It is not a simpleequation, more like advanced algebra, but keepseeking the formula.

Q. How have you achieved asatisfactory work/life balance?

A. After all these years I have finally achieved awork/life balance (and can actually say no to

overtime) but in some ways it is too late. Mydaughter left for university last year and I wasdevastated and overwhelmed when I lookedback at the times when she has come home toan empty house, or when I had not seen herbefore she went to bed. I have lost thoseprecious years now and I do regret the lengthyday shifts that finished at 2am sometimes twicea week. Now I have learned how to handle itshe has gone and it is me coming homesometimes to a lonely house

Q. What three words describe your personality?

A. I would describe myself as passionate, fairand a little bit nuts. All of which I think arestandard issue and top requisite requirementsfor recruits.

Q. What are your vices?

A. My vice is eating. I love food and eating outor any type of picnic even if it is a soggy hamsandwich in a riot van or a fully blown summer(advert moment) family day out at the side ofthe river on a chequered rug variety.

Q. Where is your favourite holidaydestination and why?

A. In good weather my favourite holidaydestinations would all be in England. I love the English countryside and more especiallyif it is somewhere I am discovering for the first time.

Q. Where do you see yourself infive years time?

A. In five years time I see myself in a hammockunder a shady tree, with my sun hat coveringmy eyes and rocking gently in the breeze.

Name: Pauline Thomas Age: 47Current posting/role: A detective constable in the Family Crime Investigation Unit, St Helens, Merseyside Police where I amresponsible for the provision of a domestic violence service to victims.

Brief career history: Pauline joined the force in 1991 and spent 10 years on uniformed response patrol and the past seven yearsworking in domestic violence. She was responsible for introducing a nationally acclaimed ‘freedom programme’ for women in the StHelen’s area and has encouraged other agencies to take up the mantle to deliver the programme. Early evaluation shows repeat callsfrom victims who have completed the programme are down 60 per cent. Pauline has also worked tirelessly to introduce domesticviolence awareness into the secondary school curriculum.

Family: I am married with one daughter


GRAPEVINE Winter 2008 I 11

If you are someone who would rathercarry out foot patrol on a coldFebruary night than attend a meeting

then this could be the article for you.Retired Chief Superintendent Diane Lowesays often the thought of being the ‘lonefemale’ in a meeting, particularlyalongside more senior colleagues, canstrike fear into the heart of the mostcompetent of women. Here she sharesher top tips to create an impact and getwhat you want out of the meeting itself.

“AMONG the subjects I specialise in whichincludes leadership, change, diversity, coachingand mentoring, I am interested in work doneto improve the impact women have atmeetings and their personal style. “Can youattend a meeting?” How come those five wordscan make some women run for the hills.Women are often brilliant at building teamsand being inclusive, but sometimes find itmore difficult to get themselves heard andcreate an impact in meetings.

Creating impactWhen you attend a meeting for the first time,the initial sound/visual ‘bite’ - a combination ofyour looks, your dress, your bearing and thetenor of your opening remarks - will beremembered by the other attendees. Beconfident and even if your knees are shaking,don’t let it show. Think for a moment how youwant other people to think about you? Whatsort of impression do you want to make? Whatis the appropriate image for a successfulwoman in your business environment? Thinkabout dress, behaviour, attitude, and bodylanguage to create an image of what thisshould be like. If you look confident, feelconfident and act confidently then the chancesare you will be confident. Remember the

saying: “If it walks like a duck, sounds like aduck then...yes it is probably a duck!”

The meeting itself5 Make sure you have done your research on

the topic. Whatever the meeting never arrivewithout doing background work whether thatis reading previous minutes, policies orrelevant papers.

5 Think about what outcome you would like toachieve. Have you gone there representingsomeone else? Make sure you are clearabout what a successful meeting means toyou. Put yourself in the other person’s shoesand ask what will they expect from themeeting?

5 Make sure you sit in a central position whereyou have the eye of the chair and can beseen by the group. Remember you are amember of the meeting and your view,opinions and questions are as valid asanyone else’s.

5 Use body language to create space foryourself and remember to lean forward andsignal when you want to speak.

5 Watch out for the “three second squeak”.Women’s voices are generally softer andhigher pitched than men’s so if you’re notcareful it can be difficult to get a word in andwhen you do it may not come out quite asyou had planned. To avoid this try to speakearly. It will give you confidence and ensurethat people know you are there.

5 Build on others’ ideas and summarise. Speakclearly and to the point.

Remember managing your image and yourimpact is not about trying to be something thatyou are not. It’s about becoming aware of yourstrengths and putting them forward in acredible way. Take notes to suit you, justbecause the boss isn’t writing anything downdoesn’t mean you can’t. Do what suits you sothat you have a record of the meeting and thedecisions made. After the meeting review howit felt and what went well. What could havebeen done differently? If you get on well withsomeone else who attended the meeting thenask for some honest feedback, so you canlearn. Before you know it you will be ameeting expert and advising others.

If you want any more information aboutother techniques to prepare for your nextmeeting, job or even promotion then pleasefeel free to get in touch.”


Focus on personal development

Time to prepare for meetings

Diane Lowe

Diane Lowe Msc (crim) is ManagingDirector for Maxlowe LtdTraining and Consultancy Company Contact her on: 07776 491894 or email [email protected]



FEATURE

The police service in England and Wales will support law abidingcitizens and pursue criminals relentlessly to keep you and yourneighbourhoods safe from harm. We will:

Always treat you fairly with dignity and respectensuring you have fair access to our services at a time

that is reasonable and suitable for you.This element is not a measure, but is about the experience. It also importantthat all citizens have access to policing services. This includes publishing whenpolice stations are open and ensuring opening times are varied arounddemand. It is not anticipated that stations will be open all the time. Accessibilityis a key feature as are options to respond to the diversity of the area, physicalaccess and should include telephone contact, email and use of the internet.

Provide you with information so you know who yourdedicated Neighbourhood Policing Team are, where

they are based, how to contact them and how to work withthem.The intention of this element is to ensure citizens have access to informationidentifying the key people in a neighbourhood team, where they operate fromand how to contact them. This should be published by a variety of methods toensure that the majority, including diverse groups, have access to details oftheir local team. This should form part of the local Pledge and include howcommunities can get involved with their local team.

Ensure your Neighbourhood Policing Team and otherpolice patrols are visible and on your patch at times

when they will be most effective and when you tell us youmost need them. We will ensure your team are not takenaway from neighbourhood business more than is absolutelynecessary. They will spend at least 80 per cent of their timevisibly working in your neighbourhood, tackling yourpriorities. Staff turnover will be minimised. Being visible includes working on problem solving, briefings, and foroperational reasons could include proactive work in plain clothes to problemsolve an agreed local priority. Clearly, the final example challenges the wordvisible, however the emphasis is about working for the area, in the area andnot being abstracted away for other duties. When abstractions occur and areoperationally appropriate staff should be prepared to explain at meetings whyit was necessary. It is important that shift patterns reflect the needs of localpeople and demand, for example with agreed patrol strategies. Clearly, lateturn and weekend working is important to provide visibility and meet agreedpriorities and problem solving.

Respond to every message directed to yourNeighbourhood Policing Team within 24 hours and,

where necessary, provide a more detailed response as soon aswe can.It is important when the public contact the police concerning an issue for theirlocal neighbourhood team that it is treated with the same level of priority andattention as other calls requiring police attention. The challenge is to ensure thepublic are satisfied with the action taken. It may be there is no one available onthe neighbourhood team within the next 24 hour period. On such occasionsan attempt should be made to resolve the issue with the caller using otherresources or seek agreement as to when the Neighbourhood Team willrespond. The principle is around ownership of the call rather than transfer to avoicemail or unanswered telephone. The same applies with letters and emails.The level of satisfaction is achieved through agreeing what happens next.

Aim to answer 999 calls within 10 seconds; deploying toemergencies immediately, giving an estimated time of

arrival, getting to you safely and as quickly as possible. Inurban areas, we will aim to get to you within 15 minutes andin rural areas within 20 minutes.The key principle is around the word ‘aim’. There is an expectation that theservice will aim to have a police resource to the incident within the specifiedtime. This is aspirational as it is recognised that at certain times, such as rushhour, congestion coupled with the location to be attended means these timeswill not be met. On such occasions it will improve the confidence of the callerif an estimated arrival time is provided.

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A pledge to the publicBut what does it really mean for the police service in England and Wales Grapevine takes a look at each Policing Pledge point in turn and gives the Home Office’sinterpretation of the tangible actions needed to meet them. By Nicky Phillipson

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FEATURE

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Answer all non-emergency calls promptly. If attendanceis needed, send a patrol giving you an estimated time of

arrival and:a. If you are vulnerable or upset aim to be with you within 60minutes.

There is a requirement that calls filtered as non-emergency are stillanswered promptly and not diverted for example to an electronic processwhere messages are left. There will be occasions when the call taker, usingcommon sense rather than a strict criteria, makes a judgement that the personis vulnerable or upset (if they are crying, confused or have a particular disabilityfor example). They should agree the type of attendance and give them anestimated time when they can expect the response.

b. If you are calling about an issue that we have agreed with yourcommunity will be a neighbourhood priority and attendance isrequired, we will aim to be with you within 60 minutes.

This element ensures that where a community has agreed local prioritiesand it forms part of the published Local Pledge, it is our aim, when alternativesto personal attendance have been discounted, to attend within 60 minutes.

c. Alternatively, if appropriate, we will make an appointment to seeyou at a time that fits in with your life and within 48 hours.

This agreement is concerning a published neighbourhood priority and notall calls for service. Delayed attendance (after 48 hours) should be agreed withboth parties. The principle is about meeting the caller’s individual need –taking into account neighbourhood team commitments.

d. If agreed that attendance is not necessary we will give you advice,answer your questions and/or put you in touch with someone whocan help.

This reinforces the customer ethos of negotiating the response to the calleror alternatively resolving it to their satisfaction by providing information orensuring they are put in contact with someone who can help them.

Arrange regular public meetings to agree yourpriorities, at least once a month, giving you a chance

to meet your local team with other members of yourcommunity. These will include opportunities such assurgeries, street briefings and mobile police station visitswhich will be arranged to meet local needs andrequirements.This element of the Pledge is about providing a wide variety of opportunities toengage with the public on a frequent basis, whether this is using traditionalschool hall meetings or new ways to share information such as emails or SMS,and ensure consultation and agreement upon local priorities – which shouldbe published. These priorities don’t necessarily need to change or be re-negotiated monthly, but progress and relevance should be reviewed with thehelp of communities. The minimum is one published meeting a month anddetails of what is discussed should be made available to the rest of thecommunity.

Provide monthly updates on progress, and on localcrime and policing issues. This will include the

provision of crime maps, information on specific crimes and what happened to those brought to justice, details ofwhat action we and our partners are taking to make yourneighbourhood safer and information on how your force isperforming.

It is important that the public are kept informed of crime and other issuesaffecting their area. This element is not about swamping communities with lotsof statistics but ensuring the information given is relevant to their area, current

and of local interest. Updates relating to agreed priorities should be providedand crime mapping will help meet this point.

As part of the community briefings information on those offenders whohave been brought to justice and sanctioned should be given. For example ifthere has been a spate of burglaries, telling the community the offender hasbeen caught and dealt with. Incidents of relevance, such as the outcome of araid on a drugs den, high profile incidents or police activity, or a change of staffin the neighbourhood team, should also be shared.

If you have been a victim of crime agree with you howoften you would like to be kept informed of progress in

your case and for how long. You have the right to be keptinformed, at least every month if you wish, and for as long asis reasonable.This doesn’t replace a member of staff’s obligations under The Victim’s Code itjust reaffirms the minimum response to be provided. The emphasis is onkeeping victims informed of progress and ensuring if there is a change of staffownership the existing agreement with the victim is honoured.

Acknowledge any dissatisfaction with the service youhave received within 24 hours of reporting it to us. To

help us fully resolve the matter, discuss with you how it willbe handled, give you an opportunity to talk in person tosomeone about your concerns and agree with you what willbe done about them and how quickly.Aspects of this element of the Policing Pledge are from the Quality of ServiceCommitment and are about quickly recovering failures in the service provided.It is important that the public understand the procedure to ensure a quickresolution to put things right. This is not about complaints against individualofficers as existing procedures should be followed. This element will ensure adissatisfied person is reassured something will happen, the complaint is beingtaken seriously and someone is owning the report.

‘We want to do our best for you but if we fail to meet ourPledge we will always explain why it has not been possible onthat occasion to deliver the high standards to which we aspireand you deserve’.

The final declaration of the Policing Pledge reaffirms that our aim is to doour very best, but this acts as an acknowledgement that because of the natureof policing and the demands faced, there will be occasions we do not meet theaspiration. However, it is important to ensure we explain what we are doingand why, and keep people informed.

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Iflew out of a cold and grey Manchester excitedabout what lay ahead of me. I was keen tounderstand some of the culture of Bangladesh,

particularly as so many people of Bangladeshiorigin lived in the UK and indeed make up thecommunities that I serve. I was also lookingforward to finding out the problems faced by thewomen working within the Bangladesh Police,both from an internal and external perspective.

I was welcomed off the plane by a group of women,some in police uniform, and one carrying flowers. Fromthat moment on I was treated with the utmost respectand nothing was too much trouble. I was whiskedthrough the airport to a VIP lounge where I was presentedwith an itinerary for my stay and introduced to Senior

Assistant Superintendent Nassian Wazed who, I wasinformed, would be looking after me for the three days Iwould be in Dhaka, which is the capital of Bangladesh.

At my hotel I had my first reminder of some of thepolitical issues still facing the people of Bangladesh, theEuropean Commission had a string of bedrooms that hadbecome their offices for their role of election observers.

After a short sightseeing trip which showedboth the international investment and the

poverty of the city, I was collected byFawzia Khondker Eva from the PoliceReform Program and taken to dinner at a

nearby hotel. I was guest of honour andwas introduced to a number of the key staff

working within the programmeincluding Hubert Staberhofer,

the project manager. The PRPis anticipated to be a tenyear intervention inBangladesh developing asafer and more secure

environment based on respect for human rights andequitable access to justice. Six major areas of policing arebeing focused on:• Community Policing, Crime Prevention, Gender and

Victim Support • Investigation, Operation and Prosecution• Training and Human Resource Development• Internal Oversight• Information and Communication Technology• Trafficking Human BeingsThere has been a real emphasis on community policing,for example the introduction of Model Police Stations(Thanas). A set of guidelines have been produced by thePRP to ensure that the model police stations provideproper services to all citizens especially to womenconsidering their marginal status in society, be theyvictims, witnesses accused or women in general, ensuringthey are treated with dignity and respect.

The work of the PRP has already seen a 72 per centincrease in incidents reported to the police.

The following day I met two men who are not onlyvery supportive of the women working for them, but arecommitted to making change within their force. Mr N.B.K.Tripura, ndc, Additional Inspector General for theBangladesh Police, who is the National Project Director forthe Police Reform Programme and the country’s mostsenior officer Mr Nur Mohammad, Inspector General ofthe Bangladesh Police recognise that in order to enhanceservice delivery to the community they need to value theskills and contributions women bring to the service.

I also met another extraordinary man: PoliceCommissioner Naim Ahmed bpm, who proudlyexplained how he had proactively sought women to takeon command positions within the Dhaka MetropolitanPolice despite the sceptics and doubters within his force. Anumber of his senior women were present in his officeand it was clear that he was very much admired by them.

He too wanted to know more about the IAWP and waskeen to identify opportunities to improve the professionaldevelopment of women. He understood the benefits ofsending them on training and attachments overseas togain experiences that Dhaka was unable to offer, knowingthat when they returned they would bring added benefitsto the communities they served.

The force is also ensuring the needs of womenemployed by the force and those they serve are reflectedin the principles of their three-year corporate plan. Theymake a special pledge to protect “vulnerable groups likechildren, women and minorities,” and ensure a “genderbalance through appointing women police officers atcommand positions.”

The commissioner was very keen to have an ‘all

Bangladesh Police launch first wBAWP Committeemember and IAWPFirst Vice PresidentJane Townsley wasinvited to the launchof the BangladeshPolice Women’sNetwork in Dhaka in November. Herinvitation came fromthe Police ReformProgramme (PRP) in Bangladesh. Hereshe shares herexperiences of the trip.

Jane and Senior AssistantSuperintendent Nassian Wazed

Jane meets with N.B.K. Tripura, Additional InspectorGeneral, also in the picture is Additional Deputy InspectorGeneral Yasmeen Ghafoor (she attended the IAWPconference in Birmingham)

IAWP News



rst women’s network

women’ police station; he sincerely believed it wouldhave benefits within the community where womenvictims and witnesses are often too afraid to approachthe police.

After a trip to the Police Reform Office I was taken fordinner at what I later discovered was the bestBangladeshi restaurant in Dhaka. There I networkedwith some of the most senior women officers inBangladesh including Fatema Begum, the most seniorwoman officer in the country at the rank of DeputyInspector General and chair of the network. She, likemany very senior women across the globe faces issuesof isolation in that there are so few women at thehighest ranks.

The day of the launch arrived and I was veryimpressed by the scale of the event. Guests included:representatives of the various embassies and highcommissions in Dhaka, officials from the UN, the EUand non Government organisations, senior officers andstaff from the Bangladesh Police and the DhakaMetropolitan Police and of course more than 200women members of the network including manyconstables. The network is the first police women’snetwork anywhere within the Asian Sub-Continent and

as expected the media were out in

force. In fact my speech made national TV that night. A seminar followed the launch at which I spoke in

detail about the IAWP. Yasmeen Ghafoor, AdditionalDeputy Inspector General, discussed the progress ofwomen police officers in Bangladesh including some ofthe issues they have and still face (with women onlymaking up two per cent of all officers) and the futureaims of the network. She explained how the networkintends to show members as role models for thecountry’s women at large. She believes if the country’swomen see their protectors in pitiful and vulnerableconditions, they will feel shaky and insecure. In order tobe role models and overcome their own vulnerabilitieswomen officers need to be provided with professionalskill development training and education.

The Police Reform Programme also announced theirdecision to pay for 500 officers to join the IAWP whichwas a great end to the event.

All too soon my trip to Bangladesh was over. I amdetermined to re-visit the country to see how thenetwork is progressing as well as the changes anddevelopments taking place within policing in thecountry. With national elections having now taken placein Bangladesh I am hopeful that there will now be a

period of political stability to enable the policeservice to develop its strategies.

Jane has dinner with senior policewomen. Pictured from left: Jane, Fatema Begum, President of the Police Women'snetwork, Yasmeen Ghafoor and Nassian Wazed, who Jane has now sponsored as an IAWP member

The Bangladesh Police has justembarked on its first Strategic Plan,2008 – 2010. One of its five keystrategic aims is “Women Policeand Gender Policy” and includesthe following detail:

5 Development of a gender policy5 Promotion of gender awareness

training5 Implementation of specific

procedures for treatment andinteraction with women, childrenand other vulnerable groups

5 Increase of women’srepresentation in the service

5 Feasibility assessment andimplementation ofinstitutionalised supportmechanisms from women suchas the Women Policing Network.

Tangible actions accompany eacharea and they aim to recruit 3000female officers into the BangladeshPolice in the next three years.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police isalso committed to improve thegender balance issue.5 It has five women officers at the

rank of Additional DeputyCommissioner and AssistantCommissioner in commandpositions

5 A ‘Women Police Policy’ has beenformulated and steps taken topromote gender equity

5 National and foreign training ispromised to female officers andgender awareness training given

5 A special welfare scheme forfemale officers has beenimplemented along with stepsto ensure the workingenvironments are appropriatefor women

GRAPEVINE Spring 2009 I 15Jane and membersof the network



Jackie Alexander, [email protected]

Ellie Bird, Vice President, British Transport [email protected]

Vera Bloor, [email protected]

Karen Burton, Leicestershire [email protected]

Pam Bridges, Northumbria [email protected]

Berni Cartwright, [email protected]

Mandy Chapman, [email protected]

Tricia Cochrane, Lothian [email protected]

How to become a member of BAWPFor further information contact: CAROLYN WILLIAMSON, Secretary, BAWP, PO Box 999, Bordon, GU35 5AQ.Tel: 0870 766 4056 • Fax: 0870 766 4056 • E-mail: [email protected] • Website: www.bawp.org

• You can attend national and regional training days and social events. • We can link you to other police professionals in this country and abroad.• We can enable you to share your expertise or specialist knowledge with others. • We have a ready-made network for work-related and socialcontacts. • We can keep you informed of training opportunities and conferences. • We can help your voice be heard in matters affecting women inthe police service. • You will receive regular copies of this magazine.

Membership detailsFull membership is open to all officers and police staff, female and male, serving in the UK, along with retired officers.Associate membership is open to anyone with a professional interest in criminal justice.Corporate membership is now available for £350 p.a. Please contact BAWP Secretary Carolyn Williamson for more details.Please complete the form below and send it with your payment to: BAWP, PO Box 999, Bordon, GU35 5AQ.

Name Rank/Title

Address

Postcode Country

Tel: Mobile:

E-mail: Force/Organisation

Station/Dept Type of work (if not police)

• Membership type (circle one) FULL/ASSOCIATE • Membership term (circle one) £20 for one year/£50 for three yearsI believe I am eligible to join, and enclose a cheque payable to ‘BAWP’.(If for any reason, your application is not accepted, the fee will, of course, be refunded in full.)

Signed: Date: GVSPR09

Sally Crook, [email protected]

Gill Donnell, [email protected]

Patricia Foy, [email protected]

Tamara Herath, British Transport [email protected]

Julia Inns – [email protected]

Melanie Irwin – Norfolk [email protected]

Trudy Jacobs, Dorset [email protected]

Julia Jaeger, Metropolitan [email protected]

Becky Kidd-Stanton, [email protected]

Sue Lampard, [email protected]

Sian Lockley, Hertfordshire [email protected]

Kim Madill, Grapevine [email protected]

Fiona McPhail, MOD Police [email protected]

Liz Owsley, National [email protected]

Nicky Phillipson, GrapevineAssistant Editor,[email protected]

Julie Spence, [email protected]

Barbara Spooner, [email protected]

Tara Swann, PSNI [email protected]

Pippa Taylor, [email protected]

Jane Townsley, British Transport [email protected]

Tracy Watling, [email protected]

Annette Wightman, [email protected]

Robyn Williams, Metropolitan [email protected]

Carolyn Williamson, [email protected]

Angela Wilson, [email protected]

Committee members


Documents

Grapevine Spring 2009:Layout 1 - BAWP€¦ · Grapevine Spring 2009 cover section:Layout 1 12/3/09 10:02 Page 1. GRAPEVINE Spring 2009 I 1 I am really pleased to have the opportunity