Page 16 - Federation Magazine December 2017 / January 2018

West Mids detective honoured

at awards ceremony

est Midlands DI Suzanne Baker A team of Thames Valley detectives won pressures facing detectives.
was among the detectives the Detective Investigation of the Year Martin Plummer, chair of PFNDF, said:
W honoured at this year Police Award for tracking down an organised crime “Last year we spoke about morale being low,
Federation National Detectives’ Forum group, which had profited to the tune of and sadly this has continued to plummet.
(PFNDF) awards night. around £1 billion from mass corruption, The results of our national survey are
DI Baker was runner-up in the Detective blackmail, conspiracy to defraud, fraudulent shocking but sadly not surprising.
Investigation of the Year Award recognising trading and money laundering. “As we all know, detectives are
her work on the investigation into the Paris In third place was a team of overworked and stressed, yet the
and Brussels terror attacks. Northamptonshire detectives involved in an investigations that formed part of this year’s
“I would like to extend my historical sex crime review, Operation Zilch. agenda and the nominee and winners’
congratulations to DI Baker on this award,” The awards ceremony was part of a stories are testimony to the incredible
says Paul Ford from West Midlands Police two-day PFNDF seminar at which delegates resilience of detective officers.
Federation, “I am sure she would say she was shared incredible highs and heard from “Against all odds, time and again, my
just doing her job but, even so, it is great to leading investigators in some of the colleagues continue to give the job their all.
see her efforts being recognised in this way. country’s most fascinating cases including This event aims to shine a light on their
All too often we take detectives’ work for the Sussex Police Investigation into the work and dedication.
granted so I am pleased that the forum does Shoreham air disaster and Operation “British policing has always produced the
its bit to celebrate their fantastic Kinross. the investigation into the murder of best detectives in the world and I am proud
contributions to effective community Sadie Hartley. to be a part of this legacy.”
policing.” However, there was also talk of the
Extra funding needed for custody training

Extra funding is needed if the additional training needs identified in resources will be made available to pay for it or to ensure that we
a report on death in custody are to be addressed, according to the have the appropriate levels of custody personnel to ensure
Federation’s national custody lead. detainees’ safety.”
Andy Ward was speaking after the report put forward 110 And, while cautiously welcoming the report, he added: “It makes
recommendations, with 39 relating to policing and the remainder many valid recommendations but stops short of detailing how they
aimed at the NHS and justice and regulatory systems. are to be achieved against a background of continued austerity and
“The Federation has been highlighting concerns about the lack of police officer numbers dropping by more than 21,000 since 2010.”
good quality, consistent training in the custody arena for years but it The Federation has pledged to work with all parties to try to
has fallen on deaf ears and the service appears to have made little ensure that the recommendations can be implemented to ensure
headway,” says Andy. the safety of detainees, police officers and communities but has
“There are custody personnel who have had no refresher training expressed its concerns.
for more than five years, custody suites are being shut because of a The Independent Review of Deaths and Serious Incidents in
lack of resources and there is a rising toll on the mental health and Police Custody, chaired by Dame Elish Angiolini, makes
sickness levels of those officers who work in that environment. recommendations across a wide range of issues including restraint
“While we are glad that custody training needs appear to have techniques, healthcare provision and detainees with mental health
been recognised, we are not confident that the necessary additional issues.

16 federation December 2017/January 2018 www.westmidspolfed.com