Merseyside PCC joins national ‘Week of Action’ to celebrate response policing
26.06.23 - Merseyside
Today marks the beginning of the third National Response Policing ‘Week of Action’, where together with Merseyside Police and other PCCs and police forces across the country, celebrate the professionalism and courage of response police officers and the vital part they play in keeping our communities safe.
There are no two days the same for a response officer, the situations they face can be unknown and unpredictable which means they must be prepared to provide a frontline response to what can be complex and sometimes confrontational situations.
This week of action see’s Merseyside’s Police and Crime Commissioner go out with the Merseyside Police Response team to get an insight into the challenging situations and highlight the fantastic work they do fighting crime and protecting our communities.
Merseyside’s Police Commissioner Emily Spurrell said: “National Response Policing Week is an important date to recognise and celebrate the hard work, dedication and bravery of police officers who are working on the frontline 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, risking their own safety to protect our Merseyside communities and make our neighbourhoods safer.
“They play an incredibly important role, facing the most challenging and difficult situations, supporting people at their most vulnerable and acting as the first helping hand to victims.
“I’d like to thank all response officers and staff for the amazing work they do. I appreciate the work is incredibly demanding, not knowing what job their going to from the next and that’s why it’s crucial we highlight the vital work they do for our communities.”
The response policing role can be physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding. The calls they receive can range from someone being seriously injured or a person suffering mental health crisis, to dealing with someone in distress or a report of high-risk missing person.
This week of action recognises the work of response police officers and this year, Merseyside Police are increasing their focus on providing opportunities for learning and development, networking and career progression allowing officers to explore and build on their experience in their existing role.
The week will also raise awareness of the wellbeing and resilience support services, provided throughout the year by our Occupational Health Unit, with access to a range of initiatives from the force and Oscar Kilo, the National Police Wellbeing Service.
Chief Superintendent Mark Wiggins, Head of Response and Resolution at Merseyside Police, said: “I am always proud to highlight the role that our response officers do, I know from personal experience just how demanding the job is and as society has evolved, the role has become more complex. Response officers play a crucial role in protecting and serving our communities, and these officers routinely deal with some of the most challenging situations in society.
“If you were to ask a lot of our response officers what they like most about the role, most would say the pace, action and variety the role brings, but I also know the role can bring out great emotion, especially as they are often the first to arrive to a scene and need to provide help and reassurance to those most vulnerable in times of crisis.
“Through this week of action, we are able to highlight to our communities the excellent work that these officers do, to give people an idea of some of the things they deal with on a daily basis.