Police recognise and celebrate vital role of police staff

From tackling Violence Against Women and Girls, to helping catch offenders and championing the mental health of our first responders, we’re celebrating some of the unsung heroes of policing – our police staff.

This week sees forces across the UK come together to honour the contribution made by police staff in a variety of roles.  

Launched by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), with support from the College of Policing, the first ever Police Staff Week of Celebration and Recognition aims to shine a spotlight on the individuals who play an important role within the policing family.

As part of the week, we will be celebrating the contribution made by those working across all areas of policing – including call handlers, criminal justice staff, crime scene investigators, PCSOs, as well as those who work in our crime prevention teams, enquiry desks, analysts, communications and much more.

Each day this week we will be showcasing profiles of our staff roles across our social media channels and on our website www.northants.police.uk/staff-recognition. The profiles will delve into the diversity of police staff roles and how they contribute to policing.

It is hoped the recognition will encourage other professionals to consider a future in policing and raise awareness of how staff roles contribute to crime prevention and community safety.

Acting Chief Constable Ivan Balhatchet, welcomed the week of celebration and praised the contribution of police staff. He said: “There is often a misconception that police officers make up the entire force as they are the face of policing. However, the work done to prevent crime and bring offenders to justice is not only done by police officers, but our staff also play a significant role in this too.

“There are a significant number of staff with a multitude of skills, experience and special expertise that support our officers. From answering emergency calls and taking fingerprints and DNA at crime scenes, to analysing crime patterns, recruiting officers, making sure people get paid and managing our IT systems, police staff play an integral role in a fully functioning police force.

“Their roles may be behind the scenes, but many of their roles are also ‘front line’ where they come directly into contact with victims, offenders or other agencies. Without the crucial role they play, we would not be able to develop new systems and technologies. We wouldn’t have the people to run our systems that keep everything going, or the people who gather all the information and evidence that eventually makes it to the CPS.

“For many staff, this is an absolute vocation, and I am constantly astounded by the dedication, courage and compassion they demonstrate every day and I want to thank them for this. We would not be the police service we are without their contributions.”