Police World 1 2017

Professional Development

University sports in the UK would not be televised or supported to the scale they are in the US. From there it was back to Miami with a stop off at an outdoor centre. This was an experience in itself – it was what we would consider a garden centre in the UK, but stocked a selection of rifles, shotguns and hundreds of handguns. Elsewhere were an impressive collection of crossbows and combat knives. I think John was a bit bemused as to why we were so surprised by it all – the best explanation I could offer was that it was to us the equivalent to walking into a supermarket with a large display of cocaine and heroin etc freely on sale!

We were then paired up with officers for a ride-a- long. I was out with a relatively new officer so it was great to compare training and experiences. The incidents were very similar to what we would have in the UK although it was interesting to note that everything was attended and relatively quickly – no telephone resolution or diary cars etc as we would. Levels of paperwork were very similar with reporting being surprisingly formal and detailed even for minor reports with no suspects/ witnesses. Paperwork was aided by the impressive mobile data solution used – a full size laptop on a dock next to the driver’s seat meaning it was unusual to return to the station at all in the course of a shift. It was interesting to see that traffic stops were relatively low profile compared to how they are portrayed on TV, there was a greater level of caution than we use but it remained broadly similar. I had another ride-a-long with one of the Sergeants. Broadly speaking the roles were similar, but two significant differences stood out. First was supervisor reports, Sergeants have to attend incidents such as any use of force and produce a report on it. Secondly was the actual promotion process, in the US there is no national promotion process with it being decided individual agencies focus more on leadership and management and were far simpler than the UK process. Saturday was a chance to experience life away from work in the US. Matt and I went out for a walk in the morning (apparently not the done thing in South Florida) then in the afternoon we went to a waterfront bar to watch a college football match.

Conclusion I cannot thank those responsible for making this week happen enough, the IPA were fantastic in responding to emails and making initial arrangements. I have been asked several times since returning how I managed to go on the trip and people seem surprised at how easy it was. I would really recommend the active officer exchange to any IPA member – it is fascinating on so many levels and an experience you cannot get any other way!

POLICE WORLD Vol 62 No. 1, 2017

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