Celebrating the work of response officers

We’re supporting an initiative by the National Police Chiefs’ Council to recognise and celebrate the work of response police officers.

A special emphasis during the Response Policing Wellbeing and Recognition week of action will be on wellbeing, and making officers aware of the resources available to them that can help to address important issues such as fatigue and resilience.

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 wellbeing and resilience initiatives, co-ordinated specifically for response officers’ needs.

Officers in response teams never know what situations they’ll be faced with when they come into work each day. They have to be prepared to deal with a wide range of incidents, including complex and sometimes confrontational situations. No two days are the same, and officers in these roles come from many different backgrounds and work in a variety of environments. This week will seek to raise awareness of this important area of policing.

T/ACC Ian Roberts, of Gwent Police, said: “Response officers are first on the scene when we are called and face some of the most challenging and difficult situations in our society. They do incredible work every day to prevent, tackle and investigate crime and support victims.

“I am proud of the valuable contribution response officers make to keeping the communities of Gwent safe.”

National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Response Policing, Deputy Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said:

“The aim of the week of action is for response officers to be heard and valued, to see their workplace successes celebrated, to know that their wellbeing is important and to understand how and where to seek support when it is needed.”

National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Wellbeing, Chief Constable Andy Rhodes added:

“Response officers work in incredibly demanding roles and regularly see the very best and the very worst of humanity. It is so important that we do what we can to support them.

“The wellbeing of officers and staff is a priority for all police chiefs. We are always listening and support will always be there for those who need it.”