Police World Edition 2 2013

Vol 58 No.2 2013

The magazine of the International Police Association, Section UK www.ipa-uk.org

View Police World On-line with Flipping Book Turn to page 7

An Audience with President Obama Turn to page 10

Mail Order: To order a polo shirt, hoodie or jacket visit: http://ipauk.stitchandprintstore.co.uk/home For all other items visit: www.ipa-uk.org/Shop - and click the ebay link. Items can also be ordered by telephoning 0115 981 3638 . Telephone orders can be paid for by cheque made payable to IPA and sent to BSAC, Arthur Troop House, 1 Fox Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham, NG2 6AJ. Payment can also be made via a PAYPAL account.

NEW

IPA Section UK Clothing Range is Now Available to Order

Section UK have created their own clothing store currently selling polo shirts, hoodies and jackets. All products are sold with the IPA Section UK logo and can also be personalised. The current product range can be viewed below and will increase in the near future.

Polo Shirt £14 + P&P

Hoodie £21 + P&P

Jacket £44 + P&P

Ladies Polo Shirt £14 + P&P

New

Colour variations available

Car Sticker £2 inc P&P

Cap £5.50 inc P&P

Water bottle £2 inc P&P

Lanyard £1.50 inc P&P

IPA-WPFG Bronze Partner Polo Shirt £17 + P&P

IPA-WPFG Bronze Partner Pin Badge £2 inc P&P

Wallet £19 inc P&P

Gift membership

INTERNATIONALPOLICEASSOCIATION GIFTOFMEMBERSHIP

John Smith Thisvoucher entitles theabovenamedperson to free enrolment into the InternationalPoliceAssociation,SectionUK

Service through friendship from

AlanJones

Thisvouchermustbepresentedwitha completedapplication formby1October2012

For detailed product descriptions visit the website or contact BSAC by phone.

If you would like to comment about any item or aspect of the IPA Shop please email: mail@ipa-uk.org

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Police World Vol 57 No.4 2012

Police World The magazine of the International Police Association, Section UK

Contents Vol 58 No.2 2013

Editor Lee Hemmings e-mail: lee.hemmings@ipa-uk.org Deadline for article submission for edition 3 is 20 May, 2013. Dispatched early July, 2013. Advertising Michele Rai tel: (+44) 0115 981 3638 e-mail: mail@ipa-uk.org General enquiries IPA, BSAC, Arthur Troop House, 1 Fox Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham. NG2 6AJ tel: (+44) 0115 981 3638 fax: (+44) 0115 981 3349 e-mail: mail@ipa-uk.org

Features 4 Working on Your Behalf News from the National Executive 5 IPA - WPFG Bronze Partner

Mark Kernohan gives an update on how plans for the Games are progressing

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6 To the Moon and Back

Bruce Lister visits Timour Hall, the IPA house in South Africa 7 What’s this Flipping Book all about

An in-depth guide on how to view the new digital version of Police World

8-9 The Hong Kong Way

Brian Kennedy says it is worth travelling 6000 miles to experience IPA hospitality

Printed by Bishops Printers, Walton Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO6 1TR Membership In Section UK, the membership comprises police officers, members of the Special Constabulary, Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs), Scenes of Crimes Officers (SOCOs), or equivalent terminology; Investigating Officers and Members of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary. The Section has a unique mixture of police personnel who are still serving, retired, or in some instances, who have voluntarily resigned from the police service.* *For details of who can join Section UK, go to www.ipa-uk.org/Join-Us Joining the IPA costs just £35 and annual renewal is £28. Visit the website to learn about our promotional offers. A guide to Region numbers 1 - Scotland 2 - Northern Ireland 3 - Northern England 4 - Wales 5 - Midlands 6 - Central London 7 - South West England 8 - East Anglia 9 - North West London, Beds & Herts 10 - North East London & Essex 11 - South London & South East England

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10 – 11 An Audience with President Obama

Donna Powell reports on her exploits at Section USA’s 50th Anniversary event

12 Polish Placement

Bruce Bennett tells of his experience on a police exchange placement programme

13 Youth Exchange Forges French Friendship

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Pearl Devonshire reports on an experience resulting from a Notice Board posting 14 Making a Lasting Impression Stephen Garner experiences the joy of returning hospitality 15 Goal After Goal in Africa Helen Carver tells of her work in Africa alongside Football Gambia 16 – 17 A Hot Diggity 2012 The Caravan and Camping Group report on the final Rally of 2012 News 18 – 26 National News A round up of the news from Section UK 28 International News International diary dates and more Regulars 27 Competitions WIN copies of these fantastic books published by Pen and Sword and Oxford University Press

How do you rate this edition of Police World? What would you improve? What did we get right? What would you have done differently? Send your review to: lee.hemmings@ipa-uk.org Police World is a members' publication. Every effort is made to ensure accuracy. Furthermore, the views expressed in articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Communications Team. If you have any comments,

please contact the Editor: lee.hemmings@ipa-uk.org

29 – 30 Classifieds

Adverts, special offers and notices

31 Diary dates

To apply either visit www.ipa-uk.org or request an application form from the general enquiries team.

Branch and regional events and dates

ISSN No: 0032-261X

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An Update from the NEC

Working on your behalf National President, Tom Crozier, takes the opportunity to update members on National Strategy prior to the National Council meeting at Torquay in May. S tructure: this has been on our national agenda for more than four years. From the earliest time

Mick Luke has been tasked with producing a framework strategy that for the first time will embrace issues around both recruitment and retention. Ronnie Dukes has been allocated responsibility for our Webshop and income generation. The day to day management and oversight of our staff has been streamlined and is now the sole responsibilty of Dave Taylor . Fred Boyd will continue to be responsible for managing our finances that will include responsibility for identifying cost reductions. In brief these changes all feed into our overarching strategy of securing the future of this association through improved communication with members, financial security and sustaining and growing our membership. Recruitment and Retention The succesess of the Publicity Officers who have been recruited so far has been notable. Regions and Branches that have Publicity Officers have achieved the best results in terms of recruitment, and in particular the enrolment of serving officers. While the numbers are growing there are a considerable number of branches that have not yet appointed a Publicity Officer. I would ask every branch to reflect on the success of those already in position and encourage you to identify and appoint publicity officers where practical. Another success story is our promotion of Special Interest Groups (SIGs) . Three years ago we had one SIG; the Caravan & Camping Group. We now boast an additional four groups: the Motor Cycle Group , the Triathlon Group , Defensive Tactics Group and the Bowling Group . The Motor Cycle Group is now well established with close to 100 members, while the Defensive Tactics Group that only formed in December has a membership of 30 or so. There is clearly the potential for any number of SIGs given the varied interests across our membership. SIGs have the potential to both attract new members and to cement their

relationship with IPA, committing them to the Association. Any member who may want to set up a group will be given both practical and, where appropriate, financial support to assist their endeavours. Simply contact BSAC who will provide further information. Other areas that the NEC are promoting with some success include: Enhancing the reputation of Section UK across the wider association To that end UK will: ● Host a meeting of the International Internal Commission in May 2013. ● Host members of the PEB at the World Police & Fire Games at Belfast in August 2013. ● Host the International House Managers’ Conference in 2016. Furthermore the NEC has nominated Region and Branch members from 1 and 8 Regions to represent Section UK at two separate events in Poland during 2012 and will support a member from 4 Region who is attending the International Young Officers Conference in Australia during 2013. We will continue to seek opportunities to allow members to represent the Section at international events. Professional Exchanges: The NEC recently changed its policy on professional exchanges. Up to this point our position has been that we are not a professional body, therefore could not support or facilitate professional exchanges. What the NEC has now decided is that we will support applications for professional exchanges, utilising our wide network of professional contacts in UK and abroad. We are in the process of formalising agreements with Sections Poland and Germany, and hope to be able to offer exchange opportunities in the not too distant future. As I have said before our greatest asset is our members, and your NEC will listen and take heed to what you have to say. Should there be anything that you want to contribute to the discussions around the direction we are taking please do not hesitate to contact me. Tom Crozier , President

feedback from elected Branch and Region committees generally reflected the view that a review was neither necessary nor desirable. However the assessment was that it was beneficial to keep this on our agenda given the structural changes affecting police forces across the UK. More than that however there were a variety of suggestions coming from ordinary members that recommended or supported changes to Region and Branch structure. The concerns from ordinary members ranged from the lack of communication with or support for branches to the unwieldy geographic make up of some Regions. At the meeting of Region Chairs at the NCM at Cardiff I anonimised and circulated the suggestions received. Once again feedback from the Chairs reflected the view that the structure did not need to be radically altered, and that change ought to be evolutionary rather than forced through against the collective will. Structure was again discussed at the recent meeting of the Region Secretaries who unanimously agreed with that position. Changes will inevitably come about through the evolutionary process, e.g. the recent merger of the two Thames Valley branches that were up to that point in different Regions! Given the consistent view expressed by elected members I intend that the delegates at the forthcoming NCM should decide if this topic is to be set aside for now. Roles & Responsibilites: The NEC allocated responsibilities reflect the International Commission structure: i.e. Internal (Rules), External, Professional, Cultural and Finance. Over and above the general headings there are a number of other areas that NEC members have responsibility for. The last few months has seen the following changes to NEC responsibilities. Mark Kernohan now has responsibilty for Communications including oversight of Police World and the Website.

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Police World Vol 58 No.2 2013

Article IPAozfhzxcvum

Plans for the World Police & Fire Games (WPFG) are progressing across Northern Ireland, the host country for the Games in 2013. Vice President Mark Kernohan provides an update. 1-11 August 2013 in Belfast

S ince reporting in the last edition of Police World, I am delighted to say that volunteers for helping at the Games have exceeded the organiser's expectations. They had hoped for 4,000 volunteers - over 6,000 people actually signed up - including me! My daughter, Lynsey, was chosen to work on the volunteer interview panel which she described as a ‘daunting experience’. She has also been chosen to be a host ambassador for the Latin American countries as she is a fluent Spanish speaker. Entries from competitors were being received at a slightly slower rate than for some Games and at the end of January, Judith Gillespie, an IPA member and Deputy Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland issued a press release. She addressed those having second thoughts of visiting Northern Ireland as a result of watching some of the media pictures of protests and disorder associated with the removal of the Union Flag from Belfast City Hall. ‘I want to reassure you that the majority of recent protests have been entirely peaceful and any disorder has been isolated to a number of very small areas, mainly in one particular area of East Belfast. The vast majority of areas across Northern Ireland have been totally unaffected. In fact you could be in Belfast City Centre and be totally oblivious that there had been any trouble at all. There has also been some disruption to traffic but this has been largely dealt with by the Police,’ she wrote. I am pleased to announce IPA Section UK National Executive Committee, the International President, and International Vice President have all confirmed their attendance at the Games; it speaks to those who may be nervous of visiting Belfast. Fortunately, at the time of writing this article at the end of February, 55 of the 57 events had received entrants, the exceptions being waterpolo and netball. IPA member and wife of Assistant International Secretary General, Diane

Crockard is a regular competitor at the Games and she encourages all sports people, of any ability, to consider ‘having a go’. ‘As well as being professionally run, the Games are fun-filled and very friendly,’ she said. Indeed, the fun side of the event is transpiring with

the announcement that Kings Hall in Belfast is the chosen venue for the opening ceremony. IPA will have a stand at Waterfront Hall where, as well as greeting competitors from across the world and promoting the IPA, the IPA- WPFG Bronze Partner Committee will hand out tickets to the IPA hospitality event taking place during the Games. The function is a ticket only event for IPA members who are attending the Games. ‘Discussing the plans for entertainment, food and drink for the evening brought some real excitement to our planning. We’re so much looking forward to giving IPA members a very special ‘Section UK’ welcome,’ said Mandy Kernohan, Committee member. Finally, I am delighted that IPA has been able to support the organisers in promoting the Games, through its regular web news bulletins and international circulars. This edition of Police World carries a full-page advert on the cover and I would ask all members to help promote the Games. If you do not want to pass on your copy of Police World, the poster is available as a download from our website. You can also read all the latest news updates there and find out more information on how to participate in the Games. Visit our dedicated page: www.ipa-uk.org/IPA-WPFG-Bronze-Partner Mark Kernohan , UK Vice President and Chair, IPA-WPFG Bronze Partner Committee

Defensive Tactics Secretary Applauded

When Rob Stenhouse, Secretary of the Defensive Tactics Group, visited British Section Admin Centre (BSAC) during late February, female staff learned a slap, similar to an enthusiastic clap of the hands, is better than a punch against an attacker because you might just break your hand. Rob was attending a meeting at BSAC with Dave Taylor, UK Secretary General, to discuss the Group’s development. Communications Manager, Lib Jones, wanted to get some video footage and photos for IPA media and staff colleague, Jo Conway, very kindly agreed to be filmed taking a few brief instructions.

View the video here: http://youtu.be/Soc0zo9Psuo

status in a very short space of time. Dave Taylor said, ‘Rob and his team have worked very hard to form the Group, even creating their own badge which has been authorised. It just shows any interest can be catered for within the IPA and it is a very simple process. If any member has any interest group they wish to form then please contact VP Kernohan on vpKernohan@ipa- uk.org who will assist.’ Anyone interested in learning more about what the Defensive Tactics Group has to offer should contact Rob on DT@ipa-uk.org or visit: www.ipa-uk.org/Defensive-Tactics

Lib said, “ It was interesting recording some basic skills and Jo and Rob were good sports for being filmed without notice or equipment. Anyone watching the video will see Rob makes the student feel totally at ease and puts across a lot of useful information in a very short space of time.” Members of the Defensive Tactics Group have worked extremely hard at organising themselves into a properly functioning Group. The Group was elevated from ‘in foundation’ status to ‘full’

Police World Vol 58 No.2 2013

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To the Moon and Back Bruce Lister, a member from Hertfordshire branch, and fellow officer Jackie Reynolds decided to extend their holiday at Timour Hall - the IPA house owned by Section South Africa.

Interested in IPA Houses around the world? Visit: www.ipa- iac.org/content.php? pageId=2

W e travelled to South Africa in was spent on Safari in and around the Kruger National Park. We were lucky enough to see the ‘Big Five’ and also had a close encounter with a Black Mamba – one of the deadliest and most aggressive snakes in the world - when it attacked our vehicle. In Cape Town we met up with Jo Huysamen and her father Deon who, together with Deon’s wife, run the Cape Town branch at their HQ, Timour Hall. After an extensive tour of their historic building and facilities Jo announced that she had planned a day out for us with two local police officers in two days’ time. This left us a couple of days to visit Boulder beach and its famous penguins, Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. We also managed a hike across Table Mountain, where Jackie agreed to my marriage proposal. The next morning we were collected from our hotel by Jenkins and Peregrino, officers from the Ghost Squad - which is part of South Africa’s traffic department. The Ghost Squad consists of 30 specially picked officers using unmarked high performance vehicles for traffic and crime enforcement in the Western Cape region. The Squad certainly have their work cut out, with only 20% of vehicles having insurance. There is currently no legal requirement for car insurance or MOTs in South Africa. Their road-death rate is enormous, having more than our annual fatalities in just one month. Our daytime tour continued as we were shown an automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) car. The use of this technology is fairly new in South Africa but growing. We also visited the Western Cape traffic control room before moving on to Nyanga (or Xhosa) which October 2012 arriving in Nelspruit via Johannesburg. Our first week

translates as ‘The Moon’. Nyanga is a huge township on the outskirts of the city with a population of over a million. It is quite an intimidating place due to its reputation and notoriously high murder rate. On the previous afternoon, following a routine traffic stop, two of our host’s colleagues were shot - a stark reminder of the dangers they face daily. On a lighter note, our midday appointment was a ride on the South African police Water Wing. Launching from the container port in Cape Town we sped along the coast taking in views of Robben Island and Table Mountain, and the football world cup stadium, before cruising through the V&A harbour. Later that evening Jenkins and Peregrino invited us along on an operation targeting the local street racers. We had only been on the road for about 10 minutes as we spotted a car jumping a red light. The resulting pursuit ended with a collision. The rest of the evening was just as eventful with the Ghost Squad corralling a street racing cruise, and identifying a number of stolen and illegally modified vehicles. We also had time to return to ‘The Moon’ by night – a wholly different experience than in daylight. Bruce Lister

Bruce, Jo and Deon at Timour Hall.

Jackie and Jo on the Water Wing

Children on the Moon

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Police World Vol 58 No.2 2013

Article

What ’ s this Flipping Book all about? The Communications Team has just set up a new way to view Police World on-line. In a direct response to member feedback the Team looked at possible ways of improving the on-line experience for readers. T he Team have now published the first digital magazine through the Flipping Book interface. This technology fig 1

Control Panel Guide The search window The arrow below points to the full screen icon. Click it to expand the page view. To turn the page click on the small arrowheads, highlighted by the arrow and circle below. You can also click on the very bottom corner of the page to navigate to the next page. Simply continue clicking to advance through the magazine. The same can be achieved by simply clicking the next page icon located at the bottom right of the page. At any time the reader can zoom in to a selected article by double clicking on the required article. Once activated the reader determines the text size prefered. A repeated double click exits this feature. See the example of the enlarged page below left. The zoom slider control is also highlighted with the red circle and arrow below. Please email: lee.hemmings@ipa-uk.org if you have any difficulties in using this platform or require further instruction. The control panel bar. The page turning icons The full screen button

allows the reader to view a digitally animated version of the magazine that looks and feel like the real thing; from flipping through the pages with optional page turn sounds and even realistic spine shading all adding to a highly engaging reader experience. Once converted the digital magazine is suitable for viewing on your desktop pc, laptop, mobile, tablet and e-Reader devices. The reader can view embedded videos, listen to related audio clips and also has the ability to click through to further information when internet links and email addresses are seen. Readers can use the search facility to explore the magazine finding relevant key words or phrases, they can zoom into any page – for details of this see the notes in Control Panel Guide (right). Read on for a step by step guide on using this new platform. Step 1: Firstly visit: www.ipa-uk.org/Police- World to view the back catalogue of Police World. Click on the image of the latest Edition and a page will open that looks like the one shown in fig 1. Step 2: Click the full-screen button, which is located centrally in the control panel and directly underneath the image of the magazine, the page opens up into a larger view that is both easier to read and to navigate. If you hover the mouse over the control panel icons - the purpose of each icon will be displayed with a pop up description. With the full-screen icon clicked the page will now look like this one shown in fig 2. Step 3: You are now free to browse through the magazine. Don’t worry you don’t have to read it all in one go as there is a handy bookmark facility housed in the Control Panel. Here readers will also find a handy print button. There are other icons or buttons within the control panel to further assist the reader. See the Control Panel Guide for details.

fig 2

fig 3

The zoom control slider

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Article

The Hong Kong Way

Is it worth travelling 6000 miles to experience IPA hospitality in Asia? Brian Kennedy, Publicity Officer for 2 Region, asked himself that question and decided there was only one way to find out. H ong Kong, an evocative and inspiring city and one that has been on my to- do list for many years. I had the good we made the almost mandatory visit to the floating Jumbo restaurant, another iconic Hong Kong image.

Such a far cry from the grey, uninspiring portacabin which is my office! Jack Tam gave me the full guided tour and afterwards we had lunch with Paul Renouf, the Supt. in charge of Counterfeit and Forgery Division and I had a chance, but very friendly, meeting with the Deputy Commisioner, Lo Mo Hung. Jack doesn’t do things in half measures. The next day he picked us up and we drove up into the New Territories to visit the ‘frontier closed area’ (FCA) of north east Hong Kong on the border with China. You need a special pass to get in here through the checkpoint and they are only given out to residents and visitors sponsored by a resident. They are virtually

fortune recently to visit this ex-British colony accompanied by my friend and colleague Tim Hedgley, an ex-police officer, long time IPA member and currently the Travel Editor for the Irish independent - Ireland's biggest selling newspaper. This was a working trip for Tim mixed with the opportunity for IPA hospitality for us both. Prior to travel I had contacted Jack Tam, Secretary General for Section Hong Kong to introduce ourselves. We didn't require hosting, just some good local knowledge and savvy travellers' tips. Also I had made the fortuitous contact with an Inspector in the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), Cleland Rogers, who was an ex-Hong Kong police officer. Between them, these two individuals created an outstanding travel experience which I will never forget. On landing at Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok airport, I was immediately struck by the enormity of everything in this ever so tiny part of China where the square yard is at a premium and a 500 square foot apartment can easily cost £1 million, the most expensive real estate in the world. Replacing the iconic Kai Tak airport in 1998 and built, not surprisingly, on a man made island reclaimed from the sea, Chek Lap Kok is the 10th largest in the world servicing over 53 million passengers per annum. It is also one of the cleanest and most efficient places I have ever visited, impressions which would very much set the tone for all of my experiences in Hong Kong. After a day or two seeing some sights, doing a little bit of work and not buying anything (this is one seriously expensive city) we made our way to the Hong Kong Police College in Aberdeen on HK Island. Established in 2006, this is an impressive facility, reminiscent in many ways of a military college, not least in terms of the outstanding discipline and respect we witnessed from the student officers. I hadn't walked a parade square in 30 years (and I certainly never warranted a salute) but as I watched the morning parade, the magnificent band and the millimetre perfect marching, I was reminded of my nephew's passing out parade at Sandhurst. We stayed two very comfortable nights in the College for next to nothing in cost and the experience of Chinese food for breakfast in the officers mess, I must say, a new one on me. Stanley Chan, Membership Secretary for Section Hong Kong, is an instructor there and is justifiably very proud of this extraordinary place. He is also a fabulous host, tour guide and friend. Whilst in Aberdeen

A trip to Victoria Peak is of course a must do and the view is undeniably magnificent if you’re lucky enough to get a clear day or evening. The Peak Tramway, a funicular railway which transports you up the 1.4 kilometres to the top, opened in 1888 and now carries an average of 11,000 passengers a day. But, with queues as daunting as a popular Disney ride, we opted for the quick way up, by taxi. We met Stanley and some IPA colleagues at the top then made our way to a famous restaurant for a delicious ‘Poon Choi’ banquet.

Tim Hedgley, Brian Kennedy and Jack Tam at Chung Ying Street - the border crossing

impossible to obtain for a tourist. The small town of Sha Tau Kok lies at the end of the FCA and this was our destination. Created by the colonial Government in 1951 the FCA was once regarded as one of the world’s most sensitive areas. Although the Chinese Government is now slowly opening up the FCA in a phased programme between 2012 and 2015, Sha Tau Kok will remain closed off indefinitely. Home of the famed Chung Street, the small main thoroughfare between mainland China and HK, this small town radiates a strange feeling to the outsider, simply because you do get the impression that you shouldn’t be there. We had a delicious lunch in the Tiger restaurant, which is, without a doubt, one of the most exclusive

The next day brought an exciting trip to the Police Special Boat Section at Stonecutters Island, Sham Shui Po. Eddie Tang, the Senior Inspector there gave us a fascinating presentation on the work of the boat section and a tour of his fleet of fast boats and Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIBs). The Hong Kong IPA folk were certainly pushing the boat out for us. No IPA visit to this city would be complete without at least a glimpse of their sublime police headquarters in the Wanchai district. I’ve been to many police establishments in the world, but I think this one takes the prize, an amazing steel and glass skyscraper with facilities that have to be seen to be believed.

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Article

A street scene in Hong Kong

The Jumbo floating restaurant in Aberdeen

restaurants in the world, for obvious reasons. After lunch it was off to the training facility of the Police Tactical Unit to observe their passing out parade which was a tremendous spectacle. I have to offer our profound thanks to the IPA in Hong Kong. They embraced us in the true spirit of friendship that embodies the IPA and nothing was too much trouble. A huge amount of organisation went into looking after us and making interesting things

happen. This famous oriental hospitality is undoubtedly at the pinnacle of my IPA travel experiences. I will definitely return to this city some day, not only to see some of the things I missed, but to reconnect with my new IPA friends. And in case you’re still wondering, the answer is yes, it’s worth every mile of the 6000. Brian Kennedy , 2 Region

Stanley Chans squad at Police College Aberdeen

Brian meets Lo Mo Hung

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Article

An Audience with President Obama

Donna Powell from 11 Region was so keen to revisit the US after her first trip in 2010, she was the first person to register for Section USA’s 50th Anniversary event. Donna tells of her adventures over the pond.

Officers from various countries at the Memorial Service for fallen USA IPA members

T owards the end of 2010 I learnt about the Section USA friendship week that was going to be held in November 2012. This event was to celebrate the Section’s 50th anniversary. Regular readers of Police World will know that I am very fond of the USA so there was no way I was going to be missing this four night event! The location was Bethesda, Maryland which is on the outskirts of the District of Columbia. One of the key moments of this trip for me was to witness a speech given by President Obama as he addressed attendees at the Veterans Day at Arlington Cemetery. This opportunity came about as I enjoyed a social evening on the Saturday which proved a great opportunity for meeting people. There was a really diverse mix of people - in total there were 207 attendees from 16 different countries. I made acquaintance with Lorraine Altieri from New York Police Department (NYPD) on the previous evening. Lorraine has already become a very good friend. During the evening Calvin and Diana Chow, friends whom I had met on a previous trip, invited me to attend Veterans Day the following day. As this was a free day for all attendees I accepted - especially when I learned there was a possibility I could see the President of the United States of America! The next morning we arrived at Arlington. A bus took us to the amphitheatre where we were able to sit just a 100 metres from the stage where President Barack Obama would be delivering a speech to the Veterans. The Presidential Helicopter landed and shortly after 11am the President and First Lady, as well as the Vice President entered the amphitheatre. President Obama delivered an inspirational speech and I felt very honoured and privileged to see and hear the man himself. Afterwards we explored Arlington Cemetery before getting some lunch together and returning back to the hotel for the evening’s entertainment - which was good food and wine with friends.

Among the other highlights of this fantastic few days was a visit to the International Spy Museum and the National Crime and Punishment Museum. On the morning of this trip I was joining the coach and it was with a pleasant surprise that I saw May-Britt Rinaldo, President of Section Sweden. I had only met May-Britt the month before at the 11 Region half yearly AGM. May-Britt was invited because 11 Region is twinned with May-Britt's Region. We all attended a memorial service that was held at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington DC in memory of our 19 fallen IPA friends of Section USA. I, with several other attendees from countries including Russia, France, Luxembourg, Sweden and various states from the USA wore uniform. It was a very moving event with a piper from the Fire Department. The names of the fallen officers were read out by Steve Livingstone, Chair of the 50th Anniversary event as well as 1st Vice President of Section USA. Another memorable moment occurred on Sunday evening. I finally managed to meet in person Mr Bud Lathrop, the US Associate Secretary to Section UK. After exchanging several emails since I became a member of the IPA in 2009 it was really fantastic to put a face to the emails! I also re-connected with Carmen Alvelo who I met earlier in 2012 in New York City (NYC). The last day of the friendship event arrived too soon. That morning I made acquaintance with Eddie Benitez, who is a retired NYPD detective. He has an apartment in Brooklyn that he lets to IPA members. As part of an extension to my trip I was going to be heading to NYC the following week and Eddie kindly offered the use of his apartment to me, the amazing generosity of IPA members left me speechless as I gratefully accepted Eddie's offer! It was on this final day that we visited Fort McHenry in Baltimore to learn about the history of the American flag and the War of 1812 where the Americans successfully defended their Harbour against the British Navy. After this there

President Obama

was a visit to the harbour front in Baltimore and time for lunch with friends and for others the opportunity of some retail therapy. I took the opportunity to taste some amazing Maryland crabcakes! The evening was formally opened with a ‘Presentation of Colors’ (the flags) by the Combined Forces Color Guard of the Military District of Washington followed by a soloist from a local singing group who sang the US national anthem. The Honor Guard consisted of all branches of the US Military (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard). I also got the opportunity to meet the International President Pierre-Martin Moulin who also was in attendance. Section Canada’s founder, Reverend Charles Wright, who was instrumental in the formation of Section USA with the US Founder Harold Litwin, was a guest speaker. The United States Section was formed on 26 February 1962 in Toledo, Ohio with a total of 30 members and was officially recognised in Geneva, Switzerland at the IEC in June 1962. Gifts were then exchanged between the various countries and I got the opportunity to present a beautiful glass globe to Kevin Gordon, President of Section USA . All attendees were asked to sign a banner which had been made for the event, the plan being that the banner would be kept safe for displaying at the 100th anniversary of Section USA, which I calculate that if I am lucky I could attend as a sprightly 84 year old!

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I had to stay a little longer

The following morning it was time to say our goodbyes before I headed into the heart of Washington DC to spend a few days extention to my trip exploring the capital of the USA. On this day I got my own personal, and very knowledgeable, tour guide in the form of Nico Crelo from Luxembourg who was also staying on for an extra couple of days. The many places and sights I visited whilst in DC included the Washington Monument, the White House, the many memorials to be found in DC, the Pentagon and the Bureau of Printing and Engraving - where I watched money being made. I also enjoyed a ride along with the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department. I must thank Ken Roden for all of his assistance in this stage of my trip. After exploring DC quite thoroughly I headed up to Maryland and stayed with an officer called John Monarek - which had been organised through an IPA member in my Region. John and Cori Monarek were incredibly kind to me. John arranged for me to spend some time riding with a Maryland State Trooper as well as taking me shooting. This was the first time I have ever fired a gun and I don’t think I have ever experienced such a rush of adrenaline, fear and excitement in one activity! From Maryland I headed to NYC where I stayed in Eddie's lovely apartment which is located in a very convenient location in Brooklyn close to the subway. Whilst in NYC I met up again with Calvin and Diana Chow as well as Lorraine Altieri. I also met up with Andy Wright from 1 Region Scotland who was by chance in NYC at the same time. We couldn't resist having a photograph taken in the iconic Times Square. How much smaller the world is thanks to the IPA!

I met so many fantastic people during this trip, in fact too many to name in this article but I am very grateful for all the assistance provided to me. The kindness and generosity shown to me by IPA friends truly made this trip. I know that this will be the first friendship event of hopefully many more for me. Why not come along on the next one? I would look forward to meeting up with you and the other new friends we would surely make.

Andy Wright and Donna Powell

Interested in doing something similar?Visit: www.ipauk.org/ EventCatalog/ Friendship-Weeks

Above - At Fort McHenry learning about the history of the American flag in a hands on manner Below left - Presenting the gift from Section UK to Section USA President Kevin Gordon

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Bruce Bennett, from Fife branch, was invited to represent Section UK in a police exchange placement programme with Section Poland. Bruce tells his story. I t was just a normal day in early November, I was sat at home ready to go to work for a backshift when I received a telephone call Polish Placement

wear to carry out their daily duties. During my stay in Poland I worked with the crime team, the criminal police, the anti-drugs special unit, the Road Traffic department and had a tour around the CSI department. I was also given the opportunity to use the indoor firing range and to fire the standard issue pistol the polish police use. During down time I attended an IPA Regional ten pin bowling competition, where my team came third and I won the highest score prize. I was also lucky enough to meet Pawel’s family and go sightseeing, which included visiting many beautiful villages such as Krynica which was located in the Jaworzyna mountain range near to the Slovak Republic border. During my stay in Krynica I had a meeting with the local Mayor, the local fire chief and the chief of the local mountain rescue. I worked with community police officers who made sure I was familiarised with the area which included going down a mountain on a toboggan! Prior to returning home I had the opportunity to have a brief look around Krakow before catching my plane the following morning. Words alone cannot describe how beautiful Krakow is, especially the main square which is steeped in history.

In addition to the cultural experience of visiting Poland for the first time I was most struck by how friendly everybody was. It would be remiss of me not to also mention the great food, drink, entertainment and hospitality which was provided. In the tradition of IPA events I have attended I returned home having made new good friends, I will certainly be staying in touch with them and have already been in contact via email. I hope this article will encourage serving members of the IPA to take part in any placement programme. This experience is now a part of my life that I will never forget and I will always have fond memories of my special time in Poland. I really cannot thank all of my new found friends over the water enough for their hospitality and kindness during my stay. Bruce Bennett Bruce Bennett (above left) meets a polish officer and takes in the sights (above)  To see more photos from this event visit: www.ipa-uk.org/Gallery-2013

Members of (IPA) Region 3 – Northern England are motoring ahead with a fund raising project involving a 1968 Morris Minor with vintage police livery. To raise funds for the National Police Memorial Day (NPMD), Region 3 have bought a Morris Minor, which will be re- sprayed in iconic panda colours and engineered to withstand an eye-catching journey in 2015 along the length of US Highway 50 – a distance of 3,070 miles. Mark Faunt, an IPA member from Scarborough branch, who came up with the idea, is delighted with the response from his Region. ‘I am grateful to the Region for making the funds available to purchase the car and to the many others who are offering support. There’s a lot to do – from work on the car to planning the journey and logistics. Interest in the project is already gaining momentum following press releases from Sgt Kelly McEwan asking if I would be interested In going to Poland for 10 days. I soon made contact with Pawel Grygiel, who would be my point of contact in Poland, and he sent me a copy of the intended itinerary. After conversations with Section UK President, Tom Crozier, and my Detective Chief Inspector, Ross Bennett, my flights were booked and the clock was ticking. On arrival in Krakow I was met by Pawel and Maciej Gorski and off we set to Nowy Sacz which was located some 1.5 hours away in to the hills. The next morning Pawel came to the hotel to pick me up and I was taken to the police headquarters of Nowy Sacz which is a new state of the art building and included an indoor firing range and underground car parking facilities. I was introduced to the Commandant and had some photos taken before being asked to accompany him to a morning meeting with his management team including all heads of departments and ranking officers of section stations. I was asked to say a few words about Fife Constabulary, which I did, including what personal protective equipment UK police officers

No Minor Challenge

Section UK Charity for 2013

and the launch of a special Facebook page’. The car will get its first outings in 2013 when it travels to the Region 3 AGM in Darlington, further afield to IPA’s annual conference in Torquay, the NPMD service in Cardiff, and across the water to Northern Ireland for the World Police and Fire Games. The NPMD is a Charity supported by Royalty, Government and UK Police services. The magnitude of the day is indicated by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales becoming Patron in 2006. The service, which rotates around each of the four countries, is held on the nearest Sunday to 29 September. This coincides with Saint Michael's day - The patron Saint of Police officers. The IPA has chosen the NPMD as its charity for 2013.

James Szkiler, Sales Director of Classic and Sportscar Centre, with Mark Faunt and Dave Taylor, after purchasing the car

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Youth Exchange Forges French Friendship

Pearl Devonshire, from Hertfordshire branch, reports on a wonderful experience resulting from a Notice Board posting. Her son Shaun got on with his new French pen-pal so well that she invited him to the UK for a week long visit. T he main reason for responding to Flavien’s pen-pal request was to help improve my son Shaun’s spoken French amazingly also fitted in enough time for two teenage boys to go shopping! On Favien’s last day I arranged for him to visit Hertford police station and meet up

Pearl, Shaun and Flavien in London

and likewise to help Flavien with his written English. From the very first letter the boys were well suited, both serious Arsenal fans and they also share a love of games consoles. Flavien’s father is a policeman in Lille. Veronique, his mother, teaches German and like my husband, Ian, is a local town councillor - so we had plenty of common ground which made it easier to get to know one another. Flavien’s family live in a town in the north of France called Erquinghem-lys, which is around 20 minutes from Lille. Flavien’s parents and I communicated regularly via email and through this arranged for Flavien to come and visit us in Hertfordshire during the summer of 2012. With dates confirmed we excitedly waited for his arrival, and on the 12 August we travelled into London to meet Flavien and his mother Veronique at St Pancras Station. The boys hit it off instantly, as did Veronique and I. Luckily both Flavien and his mum spoke really good English - as my French is terrible. Shaun and Flavien conversed in both French and English on the journey back home to Hertfordshire. Shaun, showed Flavien and his mum around our village, visiting the museum and the famous Great Bed of Ware. Veronique was only in the UK for one day to make sure Flavien was settled and had arranged for a late train back that evening. But before leaving, Flavien and his mum went to visit Greenwich and the Cutty Sark with Shaun and my husband. The weather was amazing and the views breathtaking as all the Olympic venues were still set up and London was still caught in the post Olympic buzz. The next few days were very busy and filled with trips to Hertford town and trips to the cinema with Shaun’s friends - and various other outings we had arranged for him. The week flew by so quickly. We arranged to visit London once more before Flavien went home. Taking in all of the sights from the Millennium bridge, the Tower, ferry trips on the Thames, changing of the guard and

with some other members of the Hertfordshire branch of IPA, Emily Hughes and Phil Rosier. He was able to see police vans, cars and try on various parts of our kit as well as visiting our IPA office in Hoddesdon police station. Flavien fitted in to our family so well and his friendship with Shaun was instant, as well as with our younger son Kyle, who didn’t want him to go home. In October, 2012, Shaun visited Flavien in France. Again the boys had a fun week filled with swimming, football, archery, laser shooting and a visit to a circus in Lille. We still keep in contact via email and Facebook and hope to have Flavien visit us again this summer. I would definitely recommend responding to Youth Exchange and Pen-pal requests to any

of our members with teenagers who wish to improve their languages and visit different countries. Shaun’s French has certainly improved because of his new friendship with Flavien - mine on the other hand is still rubbish! Pearl Devonshire

At the Tower

Interested in having a pen-pal? Visit: www.ipa- uk.org/Notice-Board

Flavien meets an officer from Hertfordshire

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Making a lasting impression Stephen Garner, from Nottinghamshire branch, discovers the joy of returning US hospitality and shares his experience in the article below.

I n 2011, when we decided to go on a 5 day trip to Washington DC, USA, we booked the accommodation but thought if anyone from the IPA could show us around for a day it would be very helpful. We really wanted to see the White House - like many visitors. Jo Conway at the Section UK Admin Centre (BSAC) in Nottingham put us in touch with Bud Lathrop from the USA. He immediately sent an email stating he would pass the request on to the Washington branch. Judy Duff, the Secretary of the Washington branch, contacted us on our arrival at Dulles Airport. She then kindly took us to our hotel. For those who have not seen Washington DC it is a beautiful city with a number of free to enter Smithsonian Museums (19 in all from memory) including the Smithsonian Museum of Air and Space which we visited. Following our daily breakfast at the Grand Union Station just twenty minutes from the hotel we were contacted by Alan Orquiza from the US Capitol Police attached to the Senate Division. He only joined the IPA in 2009 and has already made many friends. It appears that in Washington State there are some 80 – 100 ‘Police Forces’, including the Schools Police. Alan took us around to many places including the Pentagon Memorial. A trip around and under the Senate Building was a fantastic experience. We were jokingly asked if we had any matches on us before they allowed us to enter as British troops had set fire to their city in 1814. The Arlington Cemetery and the Ford Theatre, where President Abraham Lincoln was shot, were just two of the many sights we saw during the trip. We were not expecting to see Alan again but at lunch time on the last day he contacted us and took us to the airport via the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum near to Dulles Airport. Here he admitted his passion for planes.

Our experience was so memorable we left Alan with an invitation back to the UK. So in January, 2013, Alan took us up on our offer and we hosted him and his mother. We took them to Nottinghamshire’s most popular places of interest. Apart from the visit to the Major Oak of Robin Hood fame, his visit to BSAC in Nottingham will long remain in his memory. “ Wow what a pleasure to be shown around, ” said Alan. On the day, Alan was happy to oblige, when he was asked, and helped hang a commemorative plaque in the museum which marked the 50th Anniversary of the founding of Section USA in 2012. Alan and him mum left with the feeling that the IPA is not just any organisation, it is very special, I think that his branch may well be increasing their membership when he gets back -

such will his feedback be. From the point of view of Jen and myself, this experience is what we joined

Above and below: Visiting the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum Left: Stephen and Alan at BSAC

for. The old adage of ‘Getting out of it what you put in.’ Roll on the 55th Anniversary Nottinghamshire Festival - where we will be hosting. Our thanks to Judy and Alan for making our stay so enjoyable in IPA Region 62 and everyone involved in assisting us. Stephen Garner , Nottinghamshire branch

Want to find out more about travel forms? Visit: www.ipa-uk.org/Useful- Documents and select Travel Form.

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