PW_3_2019

Plage de L’Ecluse, Dinard

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Friendship across the Channel Mike Chappell , Cornwall Branch There have long been close ties between Brittany in the northwest of France and Cornwall. Both are Celtic regions, with shared history, culture, Brythonic language and historic trading relationships. People have travelled freely from one to the other for well over a thousand years, living and working in both areas. M any place names are common to each and there is barely a town or village in Cornwall which is not twinned with one in Brittany. Newquay is one such town, which is twinned with Dinard in Brittany. Both are seaside towns, where the seasonal populations

The French officers were very interested in the equipment and took a sample back to France to consider. A visit to the Force Control Room concluded a busy day. Before returning home via the Plymouth based Brittany ferry across ‘La Manche’, a visit to Truro Crown Court allowed the French Officers to see an ongoing robbery trial and to meet our Resident Judge, His Honour Judge Simon Carr. Any spare time in the programme was filled with meals and other social events. The visit was a huge success and it was inspiring to see serving and retired police officers come together as members of the police family, to give our visitors such a varied programme of activities. Assistant Chief of Police Municiple de Dinard, Alan Alstres, has even closer ties to Newquay. His partner is from Newquay and a former Special Constable, whom he met as part of this annual exchange some years ago. Alan said of the visit, “We thank everyone who has worked hard to make this a great visit. We all face the same problems in our work and although there are many differences in our judicial systems, the tasks are identical. There are strong connections between us and may these long continue.” Newquay and Dinard: Newquay has a resident population of around 30,000 including outlying areas, and Dinard has a resident population of 11,000 swelling to over 40,000 in the summer. The towns have been twinned since 1986. Both sea side resorts have their resident populations massively increased during the tourist seasons. Dinard is home to an international film festival and is often referred to as the ‘Cannes of the North,’ with its own yachting club, expensive hotels and casino. It is popular with celebrities and film stars, including: Joan Collins, Winston Churchill, T.E. Lawrence (of Arabia), Picasso and Debussy, who have all had some connection with the town. Newquay’s summer population swells to 100,000 and has been a tourist destination for more than a century, principally on account of its coastline and sandy beaches. It is home to the massive ‘Boardmasters’ festival amongst many others. Considered the surfing capital of Britain, Newquay also has its fair share of celebrity connections, including Sir William Golding, author of Lord of the Flies who was born there.

increase enormously. Dinard hosts an international film festival and Newquay has been the setting for a surprising number of film and TV productions. Similar ties exist between the police services as well, and May 2019 saw three officers from Police Municipale de Dinard spend time in Newquay, with the Cornish Police. What can only be described as an action packed programme of events was drawn up for our three guests by Superintendent Ian Drummond-Smith, Police Commander for East Cornwall, who is also a member of the Cornwall IPA Branch. Dinard Officers Alan Alstres, David Hamoniaux and Jacky Ruault, began their visit with a briefing and tour of Cornwall Police Headquarters in Bodmin (twinned with Le Relecq-Kerhuon in Brittany), and the following day joined front line officers in Newquay for patrol duties in town. They witnessed arrests for criminal damage and drunkenness, together with subsequent custody procedures. A break from police duties on the Sunday allowed our guests to be taken to Geevor Mine in Pendeen, in the far west of Cornwall. Here they were joined by serving and retired police officers from Cornwall Branch for a guided tour of the Tin Mine Heritage Centre, which included a trip underground and a pasty lunch. Colin Gameson, our Branch Chair, presented Cornwall IPA Badges, IPA Challenge Coins and miniature miners’ hard hats to our visitors.

Time for a selfie whilst patrolling the streets of Newquay with PC Lewis OMahoney and Sgt Steve Applewhite

A visit to Geevor Mine

The guests ready to go down under

Monday was a multi-agency day for our visitors, as they visited the

Newquay lifeboat, and nearby RAF St. Mawgan, to learn about the work of the HMCG helicopter air sea rescue service and the Cornwall air ambulance. The following day, Alan, David and Jacky visited Devon & Cornwall Police Headquarters in Exeter, where they met the Police and Crime Commissioner, Alison Hernandez, and took in the firearms training facility and range. All officers in Dinard are routinely armed and also equipped with stab vests and CS spray, but tasers have not yet been introduced. The guests learnt about the Spit & Bite Guards,recently introduced by Devon & Cornwall Police, to safely cover the faces of prisoners who spit or bite at officers. In the first four months of 2019 alone, 57 officers and staff in the two counties were spat at.

The three Dinard Police Officers, Alan, David and Jacky, stop off for refreshments with PC Sheri Williams overlooking Newquays Fistral Beach

POLICE WORLD Vol 64 No.3, 2019

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