Page 14 - WMPF Federation Dec2018-flip_Neat

Work of detectives

put in the spotlight

vacancy rate. There was quite a bit of
murmuring in the room when this slide was
presented as it does mean that officers are
being paid different rates around the
country as well as within their own force.
Personally, I don’t think we have the
issue around the vacancy rate that Surrey
has due to the Detective Academy that we
run within West Midlands. This ensures that
there are always a large number of
applicants for each programme that is run.
However, the high workload does
DC Nick McCullogh came third in the Trainee DC Shane Saunders (left) is congratulated by resonate and it is something that each
Investigator of the Year category. national Federation chair John Apter after officer within investigations has to try to
winning the regional ‘players’ player’ award.
juggle on a daily basis.
he Police Federation’s National Only a DC at the time, she was At the awards evening, I was personally
Detectives’ Forum held its annual welcomed back to the Met and didn’t let delighted that our very own DC Shane
Ttwo-day seminar culminating in an the fact that she was in a wheelchair stop Saunders, who is based at Birmingham
evening awards ceremony at Hinckley, her from continuing her career working in Central, won a regional award, a ‘players’
Leicestershire in October. some really busy and challenging areas of player’ award nominated and decided on by
West Midlands workplace representative, investigation. detectives from within our region.
Jon Nott, who works in investigations, FCID, What I took from the talk was the value DC Nick McCullogh, of Birmingham
attended and gives an overview of the event. of good leadership, with leaders who really South, was also in third place for the Trainee
There were a number of different know their staff and believe in them, Investigator of the Year Award. It was good
seminars across the two days. enabling them to fulfill their potential as a to be able to recognise their hard work and
Firstly, we heard from last year’s detective regardless of any perceived to thank them and celebrate with them and
Investigation of the Year award-winning blockages. their wives.
team, about the Thames Valley fraud There was a topical session from Chief It was the largest event we have had to
investigation. Constable Nick Ephgrave from Surrey Police. date and there were more than 180
Hearing about the size of that Surrey has suffered from a high vacancy rate nominations for the awards in total. The
investigation and the number of documents in their detectives as they lose them to evening is growing each year and it is good
and lines of investigation that they had to other forces and struggle to get people to to come together to recognise detectives
process was insightful and helpful especially apply to fill the gaps. from across the country.
with the investigation I am currently on. This was partly due to workload and The following day saw an input from
There is always plenty to learn at the also to the fact that officers in effect take a Gary Shaw MBE who is the national adviser
seminar and it was useful to hear what pay cut when coming away from 24/7 for interviews and he bought some learning
issues they had encountered during their response work as they lose out on the around interviews and interview styles and
investigation and trial and the solutions they unsocial hours pay. aids to interviewing.
came up with. To counter this, Surrey has started a The final session was around FGM and
One of the most impactive presentations programme where officers are paid a bonus we heard from the national lead, Detective
of the day was from Paula Craig MBE, a for completing the ICIDP and then a yearly Superintendent Leanne Pook from Avon &
retired DI from the Met, who was paralysed bonus for staying in the role, filling hard to Somerset who gave us a background to FGM
after being hit by a car while on her bike fill roles and becoming a tutor DC. offences and highlighted the difficulties in
training for a triathalon. This has enabled them to decrease their prosecuting this offence.

14 federation December 2018/January 2019 www.polfed.org/westmids