Investigating the investigators: Arthur Troop Scholarship 2007
Lack of sleep, tube strikes in London, and the arrest of O.J. Simpson were some of the hitches Editor Jillian Reid encountered during her recent overseas study tour researching policing and communication networks.
Jillian was awarded an Arthur Troop scholarship in 2006 which enabled her to travel to the United Kingdom and America this September, to study police communication methods and media relationships.
The United Kingdom leg of her itinerary included visits to the anti-terrorism / Special Branch squad at New Scotland Yard, the New Zealand Police Liaison Office in London and the Police Service Northern Ireland (PSNI) training academy.
On day one she was hosted by two IPA members at the Counter Terrorism Command in London’s New Scotland Yard - Andrew Clancy and Damian Crilly.
Information Officer Sara Cheesley described how the Metropolitan Police communicate proactively with the public regarding “threatening activities”.
“The MET’s belief is that if the public is aware of the police business they will feel safe and secure in the knowledge of the extent to which police are conducting their inquiries and and investigations into terrorism." Jillian says.
During the following week Jillian visited Belfast for an 'Interesting and powerful visit to the PSNI' (formerly the RUC). She toured the memorial gardens and visited the Police Training Academy at Garnerville. Jillian also met briefly with President of the IPA in Northern Ireland, Chief Inspector Mark Kernohan.
The PSNI are becoming more community based and have been extremely proactive on the domestic violence front with “Powerful and modern advertising campaigns,” she says. The Service recruits part-time police officers to help care for victims and witnesses of crimes. Jillian thinks the employment of part-timers in the same fashion is an idea which New Zealand could adopt.
The Royal Ulster Constabulary George Cross Garden honours the achievements of the RUC. The history of policing in Northern Ireland is depicted in artistic panels and sculptures. Memorials “with names of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty are situated in tranquil gardens," Jillian says.
After an open-bus tour of the Falls Road and the Shankill Estate in Belfast Jillian left with “Great and long-lasting impressions” and she was very taken with the hospitality of the police in Northern Ireland.
On leg two of the study tour the couple drove from California to Las Vegas only to find the Sheriff and Sergeant Loretto of the Las Vegas Police public affairs department unavailable - due to the arrest of O.J. Simpson the previous night. However, their host for the morning, Tom Savage, a retired officer and President of the IPA region 52 (Las Vegas Nevada) gave them a guided tour of the city and his unofficial police museum instead. The walls of his house are covered in badges, photos and hats and two rooms are dedicated to uniforms from around the world.
Jillian arrived back in New Zealand with a suitcase full of police books, badges, clips and photos and was searched by a customs official, but once she got talking to him about her IPA trip, she says she was out of there in seven minutes.
“One of the major issues within an organisation such as the IPA is to keep membership alive,” she says. She is of the opinion that some of the ideas she obtained on the tour can be used to improve IPA communications and attract more members. She believes this can be done through media channels such as websites because it is the new way forward and also member magazines.
Footnote: The Arthur Troop scholarship is awarded annually to no more than 10 IPA members worldwide to support and encourage ongoing professional education and training.