Porto-Skegness IPA coastal tourism learning exchange

This week, we are fortunate to be hosting four officers from Portugal’s coastal region of Porto.  This initiative is being facilitated by the International Policing Association (IPA), an organisation established in 1950, with a former Skegness Sergeant, Arthur Troup, as one of its founding members. Aside from the association providing special interest activities, groups, and policing friendship networks, it also facilitates exchanges, offering vast learning opportunities.

On this occasion, we are looking to focus this valuable knowledge-sharing around summertime policing and the challenges faced by officers in coastal regions, namely the influx of visitors, ASB, night time economy, missing people, to name but a few.

On Tuesday (1 October), the Porto Officers will have an opportunity to meet Chief Constable Paul Gibson and other members of the Chief Officer Team at Lincolnshire Police’s Headquarters in Nettleham. On Wednesday (2 October) they will be heading out on patrol in Skegness (visiting local hotspots: Butlins, caravan parks etc) and meeting East Lindsey partners, including the Deputy Mayor, Cllr Jimmy Brookes. 

In turn, four of our officers will be hosted in Porto early next year by the IPA Porto branch and respective families. 

Of the initiative, Ch Supt Kate Anderson, Head of Local Policing and Prevention, said: It is great to see that the brilliant work of police and partners on the coast is attracting international interest. This is a golden opportunity for our coastal officers to exchange on their experiences around the many tourism and seasonal-demand challenges they face. It is a chance to share innovative problem-solving ideas, such as the Sandi Starfish wrist bands, from which we have seen a marked decrease in the need to stand up multiple agencies in search of missing people since its inception, and great working relationships with local business owners, and partners like the coastguard and RNLI. We’re very much looking forward to an enriching week.”

**1 October, 10:03am - correction to itinerary - the dates of the scheduled visits have been amended