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Estonian Exchange
Aidan Goundry
, West Mercia Branch
Through my IPA activities, and with help of contacts in the European College of Policing, I was invited to take
part in a professional exchange with an officer from the Estonian National Police. With the support of my
command team, I was authorised to go ahead, with the return visit hopefully following in the near future.
I
was met at the Bus depot, by my hosts,
Maksim and Henry, and after dropping
my bags at the hotel, we headed straight
out for my first day’s activity; an afternoon of
patrolling the seas. It was fascinating to learn
how the Patrol boat operated, especially the
way in which their response times can vary
dependent on weather. The crew also provided
support to a nearby island, which was policed by
just one patrol. The boat was the only transport
for backup, on a voyage that could easily take
an hour. The crew were also kind enough to gear
up and show me how to perform a sea rescue,
utilising the boat as a breaker for the waves.
Leaving the open sea we went upriver, where I
was dressed in a dry suit and thrown overboard. I
bobbed around quite happily before being reeled
in like a large fish, which was great fun.
Estonia is pioneering advances in technological
development, which was reflected in the Comms
room I visited in Talinn. Despite space for 30
staff, they only had four call-handlers monitoring
CCTV (which was to an incredible standard) and
responding to calls. I was impressed at how
accurate their mapping systems were in locating
callers and their own units. Their operating system
seemed to be very efficient, providing updates
almost instantly. All Estonian citizens are registered,
which makes person checks far more accurate
and reliable. Whilst their day-to-day operations are
comparable with ours, the technology available to
them makes their job much easier. I also had the
chance to talk with their Coastguard Command and
learned about the difficulties in crossing foreign
waters to attend assistance calls. After the Comms
Room, I saw their patrol vehicles, their equipment
and technology put standard patrols back home
to shame.
Wednesday was the most interesting day of the
trip as I had the opportunity to observe a training
event. This was an ‘active-shooter’ scenario,
utilising police staff and police volunteers, in
a former school owned by the police. The first
officer through the door was their equivalent of a
Special Constable, carrying a ballistic shield and
a sidearm. It was this officer who made the only
“fatal” shot of the day. After the Patrol Officers
withdrew, the SWAT unit took over. I found the
training methodology incredibly educational and
was pleased of the opportunity to learn from it.
Hopefully, I might be able to offer suggestions
for learning in my own force. That evening, I was
invited to my hosts’ home for a BBQ.
It was a great opportunity to relax in the beautiful
Estonian weather, and to discuss policing and IPA
experiences.
Thursday saw me earning my keep, as I gave
two presentations. The first was an overview of
policing in the UK, and the second focussed on
Local Policing and my role as a PCSO. Having
done some research, I was able to discuss
Estonia and West Mercia in comparative terms.
Everyone was very interested at how Britain works
with unarmed officers, and especially at PCSO’s
patrolling without any equipment, which led to a
debate on officer safety.
Aiden Goundry going
for a swim
Aiden Goundry with the Estonian
Police Patrol Boat Crew
Article
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POLICE WORLD
Vol 64 No.4, 2019