This is the 5th week of our programme. It started a bit early with our departure to our first UK mainland attachment to Devon and Cornwall Constabulary on Sunday afternoon. However, the course providers did not miss the opportunity for us to have some fun on our way to Devon. They thankfully organised for the group to have a stop at Stonehenge, which is one of the most famous prehistoric sites in the world. It is composed of earthworks surrounding a circular setting of large standing stones. The stop was a great experience for all of us except for the fact that on that particular day the weather was cold and windy. And although most of us enjoyed visiting the place we were keen to get back to our warm bus. Upon arrival in Devon we were greeted by Supt. Chris Booty who thankfully helped us to settle down in our new destination. The next day we were officially and warmly welcomed by Chief Supt. Andy Clark of the Operations department in the D and C Constabulary. The 1st day was mainly based within the D and C headquarters. We were given a number of presentations relating to the different policing departments and their roles and responsibilities. We made a number of field visits to other departments situated within the headquarters. The next day was devoted to community policing issues in which presentations were given on partnership strategy, and an overview of neighbourhood policing in Devon. In the afternoon students were dispatched to different local police stations to undergo a practical intake of community policing in Devon. The last day was organised in that each student would have an individual attachment. The students were dispatched of local policing and justice departments of their own professional interests. In the afternoon our journey to D and C Constabulary came to an end and we returned to Bramshill. The first day after the attachment we were asked to evaluate our educational trip to Devon and Cornwall, highlighting 3 main points of the tour, 3 main improvement points and 1 main individual learning point for each of us. The last day of the week we encountered the issue of project management and change. The lecture highlighted the important elements in managing projects and the principals with dealing with change within organisations. On Saturday a number of us visited Winchester on a guided tour. The visit gave us the historical background of the city and provided us with quality time going around the city and discovering its unique surroundings. Badar al Shaqsi The week of my tour as class captain began on 2nd November with a trip to Northallerton where the group stayed at the Golden Lion hotel. On the Monday the team preceded to North Yorkshire Police headquarters where we were greeted by the Chief Constable Grahame Maxwell who gave us an overview of policing in North Yorkshire, and shared his vision for the force. CC Maxwell also took time to answer a variety of questions and offer his force's assistance to us wherever it was needed. Liz Parr then gave us the historical background of North Yorkshire and this was followed by a briefing by Supt. Mcintosh and a visit to the police control room. There was a briefing on forensics by Mark Bates, which was followed by the granting of individual requests which including viewing policies and procedures, reference to sickness and welfare, a revisit to the control room and a brefing on counter-terrorism duties. The head of the armed response unit also met with the group and shared his knowledge and experience of the area. He was able to answer various questions concerning the various workings of the unit and how their model may be of benefit to our respective countries. The day ended with a wonderful reception at police headquarters where the team was able to again meet the Chief Constable and the senior police management team, along with the Chairman and Deputy Chair Police Authority. On Tuesday the team preceded to York where we were met by Inspector Morton. We were able to attend the daily briefing by York police and got a good understanding of how intelligence, field officers, neighbourhood police, detectives and control room officers came together each morning to discuss crime trends and strategies on how to address policing challenges collectively by tasking. The team then toured the identification suite where Insp. Nick Verity briefed us on the latest technology for suspect identification. The team was also allowed to ride along with the highway patrol officers and get a further briefing from a supervisor of the armed response unit in York. Both sessions were enlightening as we saw how modern technology is assisting highway patrol officers in identifying suspicious vehicles through vehicle license plate recognition. The group reported that overall the trip was educational, exciting and rewarding. Quite a lot of information was gleaned which would be of great benefit to our respective forces. Additionally the trip was well planned and the attachment provided a great opportunity to see in practice what had been learnt in theory for the past month. The group wished to again thank CC Maxwell and his fine staff for their hospitality and professionalism shown to us during the visit. On Thursday there was a de-briefing where officers voiced their opinions on the attachment. The group later heard from Gus on Project Management and Change. On Friday officers shared information on the history and method of policing in their countries. Basil Collie
