Rural Day – An Attestation – The Team is Back – Off to Glenfield – The Media.
Monday 7 February
The day kicks off with the East Midlands Rural Crime Summit organised by the National Farmers Union [NFU]. There are farmers, police and others from right across the six counties. The meeting is held online. We kick off with views from the NFU members before moving on to comments from the police folks, including myself. Sadly, I have to leave after an hour to go for my regular Monday meeting with the Chief Officer Team [COT], but Oliver the Researcher takes my place. Accursed time constraints mean the discussion ended prematurely, but I understand C/INSP Mistry made a fantastic contribution the force and rural crime team’s behalf.
After COT, I grab a bit of time to do paperwork, then dive into a meeting with Sophie, who organises my “Community Thursdays”. These are becoming really effective at allowing me to interact with the public, find out what they are thinking and so be able to do my job properly. But Lizzie, head of Performance and Operations monitoring in the OPCC, wants to include more in the way of data analysis. We talk about how to do data collection and analysis in great detail. I need a cup of tea.
Tuesday 8 February
Today there is an Attestation of new officers who have come in via the degree holders programme. The Deputy Chief Constable arrives in my office looking very smart indeed. Sadly I am on a phone call, so
I use sign language to indicate I will follow him over in a moment. The phone call drags on, so I end up sprinting over to the Lecture Theatre and arrive just as the DCC is opening the door to walk in with the magistrate. Phew!
That is followed by several internal OPCC meetings before I join the Cycle Youth Group for an online meeting. I’m asked all sorts of fascinating questions about policing, politics and ghosts [I’ve written a few books on the subject].
Wednesday 2 February
As usual, Wednesday morning is the OPCC Team Meeting. Today it is really buzzing as everyone is back in the office. David, the CEO, has provided a huge box of samosas to pass around. I am forced to eat one [ much against my will, obviously]. It is delicious. I manage to force down a second. It is great to see everyone back at work, and working together as a team.
In the afternoon Sarah, from the East Midlands Criminal Justice Board [EMCJB] pays us a visit. The AGM is in a few weeks time and we have much to discuss. It is years since anybody came up with a strategy of what the Board is supposed to do, we need a work programme for the coming year and the standing orders are hopelessly out of date. We spend two hours working our way through all this. As we finish, Sarah [who lives in Lincoln] mentions that Stokes Tea Rooms has moved premises. This is my fav teashop in Lincoln. The cakes are wonderful. Note to self, pay a visit to the new site when next in Lincoln.
Thursday 10 February
A Community Day. We are up in the Ratby-Glenfield area today. We start the day off in Glenfield for the Commissioner’s breakfast consisting of eggs on toast. Perfect way to start the day. We then travel to the drop-in session held in Ratby Village Hall where I meet some of the wonderful members of the community to discuss issues in the area. I am glad to report everyone seemed generally happy with the policing in the neighbourhood. I also meet Councillor Ozzy O’Shea at the drop-in session who insists on us having a cuppah while he tells me what has been happening in the area and his future hopes for the village.
Back in Glenfield, we visit an array of shops, from beauticians to opticians [Is the someone trying to tell me something?] We arrive at the local butchers where the staff are very complimentary of the police – wonderful news to hear. I buy some of their specialty Spanish sausages to have for my dinner. They look brilliant and I’m sure they will taste delicious. We make our way to Glenfield Park House to meet members of Glenfield Parish Council. We have a tour of Glenfield with Councillor Chapman and Councillor Denney. We finish the day with some scrumptious cream cakes [courtesy of the parish council!] and then back to the office for me.
Friday 4 February
I’ve just got my early morning cuppah poured out when the Deputy Chief Constable walks in. He looks tired – hardly suprising has he has not slept for more than 24 hours. There has been a big crash on the A46 and two people have died. There might be more to this than a simple car crash. He briefs me, then slips away to look after things. I wish him luck.
I am told that one of the Leicestershire MPs has pulled out of a BBC TV interview due to take place at 3pm. Can I go instead? I agree and ask what I am to be interviewed about. Hmmmm. I’m not sure I know enough to appear on tv, so I ask Oliver the Researcher to live up to his name and do some research.
Next Rutland Radio phone to interview me about the proposed name change for the Force. I explain that this has dropped on us out of the blue. Hampshire are changing their name to Hampshire and Isle of Wight, and I’ve been asked if we want to change our name to reflect the fact that we also cover two counties. As a democrat, I don’t want to take that decision without consulting the public, so that is what we do. The Greatest Hits Stamford Radio also want an interview on exactly the same thing.
Then I’m off to a golf club near Shepshed to meet Baroness Morgan for lunch. She wants to bend my ear about some work she is doing with the underprivileged in the Loughborough area. As I leave the office, Oliver shoves a folder into my hand. It is the research I need for the BBC interview.
Instead of going back to the office, I head off for the BBC TV studios in Nottingham. As I write this, I’m just getting in the car. I hope the interview goes OK. Urk!
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