Lincolnshire Police celebrates Response Policing Week of Action

This week, we’re shining a spotlight on the professionalism and courage of our Response Police Officers.

No two days are the same for Response Officers who respond to calls for help from the public on a daily basis. They are often the first and only contact the public will have with the police and Response Officers deal with complex and challenging incidents to keep the public and their communities safe from harm.

The wide variety of incidents can range from serious assaults, burglaries, and murder to bringing missing and vulnerable people back home safe and well.

Response Officers and staff were recently featured in Channel 5’s second series of Inside the Force 24/7, which gave an insight into the daily challenges of front-line policing in Lincolnshire Police.

Led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and supported by the College of Policing as well as local forces, the second National Response Policing Week of Action will run from today (Monday 13 June) to Sunday (19 June). The initiative seeks to celebrate and highlight the vital role Response Officers play in protecting the public and keeping communities safe.

Assistant Chief Constable Chris Davison, the response policing lead for Lincolnshire Police, said: “Response Officers play a critical role in keeping people safe. These officers routinely deal with and face some of the most difficult and most challenging incidents. Often, officers in response teams never know what they’re going to be faced with when they get to work.  

“The Response Policing Week of Action provides an opportunity for all forces to highlight incredible professionalism and bravery of our Response Policing colleagues and it’s also an opportunity to recognise that Response Policing is a specialism in its own right. We’re pleased to be able to dedicate this week to celebrating the work that our response officers do 24/7, seven days a week, 365 days of the year.”

The NPCC has worked with Oscar Kilo, the National Police Wellbeing Service (NPWS), the College of Policing and the Police Federation, to deliver a range of initiatives during the week, co-ordinated specifically to support, develop and recognise the role of Response Officers.

Wellbeing vans and dogs will be deployed across the UK, along with a series of Oscar Kilo webinars around sleep, fatigue and resilience.

National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Response Policing, T/Deputy Chief Constable Rob Carden said: “The Response Week of Action provides an opportunity for all forces to highlight the vital role that Response Officers play in protecting the public and keeping communities safe.

“This week is an opportunity to put a spotlight on police officers who are often the youngest in service, the first to respond to danger and often the first police officer that members of the public come into contact with. It is also an opportunity to recognise the challenges facing Response Policing and consider the future development of a key role that sits at the heart of policing.

“It is imperative that we recognise the value of this role and the officers upon whom this responsibility rests.”

Look out for more information on Twitter at @lincspolice, Facebook at Lincolnshire Police and on Instagram @lincspolice during the week, where we will be taking the opportunity to highlight the work of our response colleagues.