The Law www.essex.police.uk 40th anniversary issue April 1969-April 2009 CiB Anglia Communic8 2008 awards winner – best small internal publication FOCUSAnglia CIPR PRide awards TURNS 2008 finalist – best newspaper or magazine TO NEW BRIEFINGS A NEW briefing system is being intro- duced across the force to standardise briefings for front-line police officers, PCSOs and Specials. ACC Peter Lowton, responsible for Territorial Policing, wants every division to return to traditional-style briefings and appointed Supt Acting Sgt Mark Luke Collison, of South Eastern Division, to lead Hodgson briefs his the project. shift on the Focus has already been trialled Southend Central on South Eastern for two months and reactions have been extremely Neighbourhood favourable from sergeants, const - Policing Team ables and PCSOs. Supt Collison said the aim was to standardise the briefing process and the quality of content across the force while Picture by Julia Pack placing a renewed emphasis on debrief- ing and feedback to assess the effective- ness of local patrols and taskings. ACC Peter “I am really pleased with how well Lowton Focus has been received by front-line officers and with the support they have given to the trial, which has made it such a success,” said Supt Collison. Mr Lowton said he wanted to return to the days of structured daily team briefings where officers were directed and tasked by their sergeant before their patrols began. “I am confident that this system will deliver by investing in this vital process – officers will have better clarity regarding their priorities and, as a result, be more effective overall. “The new model will help sergeants to direct their officers Chief Constable announces retirement and take personal responsibility by providing them with easy access to the most up-to-date intelligence. CHIEF Constable Roger “Together we have imple- “By using a consistent format and structure, this approach Baker is to retire on July 5 – mented changes that have will quickly become familiar to officers as it is embedded four years and a day since he benefited both the force and within their working day,” he said. joined the force. the public,” he said. The force’s BATS briefing system will be replaced by a white- After a career spanning 32 DCC Andy Bliss will become board, sound system, projector and screen and simple years, he has taken the deci- temporary Chief Constable PowerPoint slides, which can be accessed through the intranet sion for personal reasons. from July 6, in the wake of Mr front page, in a similar way to BATS. The Focus briefing slides Mr Baker’s appointment to Baker’s retirement. will be compiled by divisional intelligence units each day and the post was the “the proud- Mr Bliss said: “As Essex updated for each shift. est moment of my policing Police is already a very high- Focus briefing headings will be prescriptive and will be career”. performing force, it’s my standard across all divisions. This will include separate brief- He said: “I have thoroughly Chief Constable intention that we’ll keep ings for each shift and across each district and will include enjoyed working here and performance top on our local information at neighbourhood level as well. am glad to have led a team Roger Baker DCC Andy Bliss agenda of delivering Localising the information even more, there will also be room responsible for so many front line, culminating in police stations and re-intro- excellence in policing. for an electronic sergeants’ briefing handover – this seeks to achievements – all of which Operation APEX – the amb - duced motorbike patrols and “I’m looking forward to enhance the current handover and is a format capable of being have put the public first.” ition for policing in Essex – the Mounted Unit. working closely with officers more widely shared 24/7. His promises to reduce which continues to place “My main aim with Essex and staff across the force and The seven briefing headings are: 1 Crime trends – including crime and anti-social even more police officers on Police Authority was to make I’m determined to ensure hot spots and patrol plans; 2 Vehicles of interest; 3 People of behaviour, reduce the fear of the streets for the benefit of Essex the best-performing that the excellent work interest; 4 Officer safety; 5 Divisional calendar; 6 Force issues; crime, catch more criminals the communities we serve. force in the country, and I currently being undertaken 7 Local issues.. and put more police officers “I believe all of the changes believe that by continuing to continues and develops in The briefings will be fully searchable and have email links to on the streets have all been have made a real difference do business differently, this the future. the divisional intelligence unit so any intelligence or achieved. to the service we provide to will be achieved.” He will initially take up identifications from briefings can be shared immediately. Mr Baker said: “We have the public. Police authority chairman the position for six months Sgt Steve May, of Southend Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: responded to what the public “We now attend all crime Robert Chambers said he and it is anticipated that “The new briefing system has many benefits as all the have asked of us by increas- and have implemented had enjoyed working with Essex Police Authority will information we need is there in one place – I can quickly identify ing the number of officers, Neighbourhood Policing, Mr Baker, for the good of the formally advertise the post crime hot-spots for targeted patrols, outstanding suspects to be PCSOs and Specials on the extended opening hours at people of Essex. in due course. arrested and other key topics to assist with crime reduction and in providing greater reassurance to the public.” 2 The Law, April 2009 The Law 1969-2009 Detective Jo goes the sergeant New senior investigators tell extra mile proves he is for deaf hot stuff the long and the short of it children SCENES of crime invest- LOUGHTON-based Pc Jo THE force’s first female He worked up through the igator Ds Rennie Chivers has Kerly, 23, is running her first another qualification to add detective superintendent ranks after joining the CID senior investigating officer and became a DI on Harlow marathon in London next to his impressive list of month and is certainly going achievements. (SIO) has described how she MIT before returning to achieved an ambition by Basildon as DCI. the extra mile in raising He has become a certified money for her chosen charity. fire investigator with the landing the job – despite He said: “I spent a long nearly falling short of ever time on division as a detec- She will be running the International Association of Flora London Marathon on Arson Investigators – the becoming a police officer. tive sergeant, learning the Newly-promoted Det Supt tools of the trade. April 26 in aid of the National only police officer in the coun- Deaf Children’s Society as try to hold the qualification. Tracy Hawkings, 47, who “A former head of Crime now runs Major Investigation Division, Steve Reynolds, her niece Maddie was born The examination took place deaf and the charity has in front of a board of examin- Team 1 at Brentwood, was told me that the job that originally a PE teacher. She most prepared him for the helped enormously to get ers – before being eligible to Maddie the correct support take the exam, Ds Chivers became disillusioned with SIO role was being a divi- teaching and applied to join sional detective sergeant, and regain some hearing. had to have worked for five Det Supt Liam Osborne Det Supt Tracy Hawkings Jo said: “The charity years as a fire investigator, Avon and Somerset police but leading a team on a whole was rejected for being two changed and male and After 18 months as Castle range of investigations. petitioned to enable all new achieved other academic babies to get a hearing test at qualifications and reached a inches too short for the 5ft female officers now have Point district commander “He was absolutely right. a very young age so lessening certain standard. 6ins limit. equal opportunities for pro- she moved to Central It was the most important the impact on their life and He said: “This American Essex Police was seeking motion,” she said. Division as DCI before join- phase of my career and getting the right help from qualification for fire-scene officers over 5ft 4ins – Tracy Tracy was inspired to ing MIT 1 at Brentwood as honed my skills. I am sure it investigators is being “scraped in by a fraction of become an police officer SIO. is the way forward for any- the start.” accepted more and more an inch” and has never after watching TV crime She added: “Over the years one who wants to be an SIO Jo also organised a dinner internationally. looked back. programmes such as Morse, I have been inspired by of the future.” dance at Langdon Hills Golf “I believe only 13 people in She has served for nearly A Touch of Frost, Juliet some superb senior officers, Liam, who was recently Club with a band and Frank this country have qualified 22 years and admits that Bravo and – a particular had plenty of experience commended for his work on Sinatra impersonator, a pho- and the others all work for being an SIO has always favourite from her younger with dealing with major the murder of Dean Boshell tographer, raffles and auc- the fire brigade or within the been her dream job.