Devon & Cornwall Police News site

This week, I joined police response officers from Devon & Cornwall Police for a shift in Cornwall, to get a feel for what they do and what motivates them.

With the National Police Chef’s Council’s Response Policing Week of Action ‘being celebrated’ by the force, and many other police forces across the country, it was an opportune time to shadow some of the police team to get a true understanding of their role.

As a civilian, much of my knowledge of policing up until now has been gained from watching crime documentaries and television programmes like BBC’s Happy Valley, as well as keeping up with the latest news - usually involving high profile cases and issues affecting police forces across the world.

Seeing first-hand how officers handle such a public facing role, which is highly scrutinised by the public and media, was both enlightening and tiring! 

Police response officers are the often the first on the scene responding to calls for help from the public and they are deployed to handle complex emergency situations, civil and social matters, and accidents. In the short time I spent with the team, I saw first-hand how police officers handled each ‘incident response’ with patience, empathy and professionalism.

A hub-like office in the station provided the epicentre for response police, neighbourhood police officers, a tri-service officer (a specialist role involving fire, ambulance and police projects and response), and police community support officers. CID team members also visited to talk with colleagues and discuss investigations, queries from the public and incoming incidents.

After getting a feel for the ways of working from the Sergeant on the shift, who’s responsibility it was to co-ordinate police response to incidents coming in on radio, from other teams and from phone calls, as well as to deploy staff to handle incidents, I joined a Blue Light team live at a high-risk incident, saving someone’s life.

Attending high risk incidents with the police is not something many people get to experience. When myself and two members of the police response team arrived at the emergency, which was just on the outskirts of a Cornish town, I was immediately struck by the pervasive hush of quiet concentration which had already settled across the scene in an area which would normally have been bustling with traffic.

Already on the scene were police negotiators and responders, supported by neighbourhood policing. Working with the Council’s highways team at Cormac, the police had a diversion in place, directing vehicles away from the scene, and were keeping the area safe by managing traffic and people. An ambulance and fire service crew were also on the scene, co-ordinating patiently and respectfully to safeguard a person, who needed care from the emergency services.

How does the force co-ordinate its police response?

Devon & Cornwall Police’s control room assess all calls for threat, risk and harm, to make sure police resources are deployed where they are needed most. Police teams are deployed dynamically, and a high-risk situation means several police officers with different specialisms may be deployed to respond to an emergency.

At the epicentre of monitoring incidents is a supervising officer, often a Sergeant, who co-ordinates police response to incidents and deploys staff during the shift from resources in patrol, response, neighbourhood teams and those with specialist skills such as negotiators to deal with emergencies.

What motivates police officers to do the work they do?

An officer with 29 years’ experience told me: “I joined for the very same reason most police officers join the force; to make a difference and help people and what I enjoy still to this day is the variety of the work.”

A police officer with a few years’ experience said: “Every day is different and that is what drew me to the job. We arrive to emergencies in an aftermath of a situation after someone has called for help. Between deployments, we quickly need to switch mindsets to handle very different emergencies, which can be dealing with an assault or a report of domestic abuse.”

Chief Constable thanked police officers at the start of the week

Chief Constable Will Kerr said at the start of Response Policing Week of Action:

“Response officers play a crucial role in protecting and serving the communities of Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, as well as the many visitors we get to our beautiful counties and islands.

“Response officers never know what situations they’ll be faced with when they come into work each day and no two days are ever the same. They have to be prepared to deal with a wide range of incidents, including complex and sometimes confrontational situations.

“I have spent most of my career in frontline operational roles, at all ranks. I know that there is a lot of satisfaction from the role of a response officer, but I also know just how demanding the job is. This can take a toll on the person wearing the uniform, and it is critical that while we appreciate the wonderful work they do, we also make sure they know how and where to seek support when it is needed.”

For anyone interested in joining Devon & Cornwall police as a response officer, or who would like to see what other opportunities there to join the police: visit the careers section of the police website.

https://www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/