A word from your local sergeant
I am David Macdonald and have been a police officer since 1999 and I have worked in a variety of roles from uniform response, community policing to project work.
I have been directly involved in the creative and innovative restructuring of Neighbourhood Policing and Local Focus Hubs within West Cumbria where we have led on national firsts in this area.
In this bulletin, you will see some of the work done in our community by PCSOs and I will give you a small insight into what their role is.
Sergeant Dave MacDonald
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Meet your policing team
In Copeland, we have six neighbourhood policing officers. They are Inspector Richard Smillie, Sergeant Dave MacDonald, Sergeant Lindsay Stuart and three constables. We also have seven PCSOs.
We also have response officers that cover the whole district.
The neighbourhood policing officers in your area are
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Constable 2241 Sarah Hindle covers the Whitehaven and north Copeland areas with the Copeland Rural
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PCSO 5237 Jackie Rafferty covers the Hensingham, Mirehouse and Woodhouse estates in Whitehaven and has responsibility for maintaining links with refugees in our community.
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PCSO & Joint Emergency Support Officer Mark Fishpool covers Whitehaven Town Centre, Bransty estate, Distington, Parton, Lowca, Gilgarran, Pica and Moresby.
Mark's role as a Joint Emergency Support Officer is a multi-function job role in collaboration with Cumbria Police and Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service.
The role is aimed at complementing and assisting the existing services and roles within each, one that specifically targets community safety matters and joint agency working. Focussing primarily on Prevention and Community Safety activity, whilst maintaining the capability to respond operationally.
The role of a PCSO
Police Community Support Officers provide visible patrols around their area, both using a marked police vehicle and on foot.
They also attend schools, liaise with community groups, reassure victims of crime and provide accredited crime prevention surveys, as well as responding to non-emergency calls.
PCSOs are uniformed support staff whose role is to support the work of police officers working within a community.
They use their powers to tackle lower level crime, disorder, nuisance and anti-social behaviour. PCSOs provide a friendly face and a listening ear for the residents. So, next time you see a PCSO on patrol in your area, stop and say hello.
 'On the beat'
As part of our work to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) we are conducting a number of patrols in Whitehaven Town Centre and the area of Duke Street.
Officers will be on foot patrol and available to speak to all members of the public in the area.
June
- 1st June 7pm to 7:30pm - PC Heidi McCulla and PC Sarah Pickering Smith
- 7th June- 8pm to 8:30pm - PCSO Hollie Huck and PCSO Jacqueline Rafferty
- 10th June- 8pm to 8:30pm - PCSO Samantha Watson
- 17th June 8:30pm to 9pm - PC Sarah Pickering Smith and PCSO Jacqueline Rafferty
- 18th June - 8:30pm to 9pm - PC Sarah Pickering Smith and PCSO Jacqueline Rafferty
- 20th June- 8:30pm to 9pm - PCSO Hollie Huck and PCSO Samantha Watson
- 25th June- 8:30pm to 9pm - PCSO Hollie Huck and PCSO Jacqueline Rafferty
- 26th June- 8:30pm to 9pm -PCSO Hollie Huck and PCSO Jacqueline Rafferty
Misuse of drugs warrant
On 19th May, our proactive team executed a misuse of drugs act warrant at an address on Scotch Street, Whitehaven.
A 30-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of supping a controlled drug of class B and released under investigation.
We continue to target the supply of drugs in our area with wake up calls like this to keep our community safe.
Man given fine for breaching criminal behaviour order.
A man has been fined for breaching his criminal behaviour order (CBO).
Carlo Bone, 36, was given a CBO on 9th December 2021 and was found in breach of this order on the 18th May 2022 after being found drinking in Whitehaven town centre.
Bone appeared at Workington Magistrates' Courts on Thursday 19th May.
He was given an £80 fine plus costs.
A police spokesperson said: “We are continuing to take action against those acting anti-socially in our town centre and encourage people to continue to report issues to us.”
Bone’s Criminal Behaviour Order has the the following conditions:
- Not act or incite others to act in an anti-social manner, that is to say, a manner that causes or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress in Whitehaven Town Centre
- Not consume alcohol in a public place other than in licensed premises which serves alcohol to be consumed on the premises
- Not be found drunk in a public place in Cumbria
Anyone who witnesses Carlo Bone breaching the terms of his CBO should contact the police.
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'On the beat' patrols
 On Thursday 28th April PCSO Fishpool and PC Garrett were conducting on the beat patrols in Whitehaven town centre and spoke with loads of people in town.
They even had a photo with pupils from Mayfield School 👆
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PCSO Mark Fishppol and PCSO Hollie Huck have been out on foot patrol in Distington/Parton and Lowca as part of 'On the Beat' patrols.
It was nice to speak to people walking around in the nice weather 🌞
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Mayfield School
On Monday 16th May, PCSOs Mark Fishpool and PCSO Simon Kane attended Mayfield School to visit the early years group, to tell them a little bit about the role of the police.
The pupils also got to try on police uniforms and take a look at a couple of our vehicles.
Road safety talk Distington Club for Young People
PCSO Fishpool visited Distington Club for Young People to talk to the younger members about road safety.
This included information around the Department for Transport's 'Be Bright: Be Seen' campaign. As well as where are safe and unsafe places to cross a road, and how to do so safely using the Green Cross Code.
The group also got to see the new vehicle that PCSO Fishpool uses in his role as a Joint Emergency Services Officer for the Copeland area. This includes work undertaken on behalf of Cumbria Constabulary as well as responding to incidents and conducting Safe & Well visits for Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service as a retained firefighter.
For more information/tips on road safety for young people please visit https://orlo.uk/EJo2T.
Events
Age Concern
PCSO Simon Kane attended an Age Concern public even with fire and community officers, and gave advice to members of the public.
Dementia Education Workshop
PCSO Jacqueline Rafferty attended a Dementia Education workshop at The Beacon Museum to speak with members and people with dementia.
The workshop covered understanding dementia, implications of diagnosis, preventing crisis situations and promoting support services available.
Do you know about our protocol; to help find missing people with dementia?
We have adopted a national scheme to called the Herbert Protocol to hold information about the person with dementia that can help the police find them if they do go missing.
The basis of the scheme is for vital information about the person such as medication, description, photograph, significant places in the person's life and their daily routine, to be recorded on a form.
Find out more here 👉 Herbert Protocol - Cumbria Constabulary
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Ducklings reunited with their mother 🦆
Whilst responding to a three vehicle collision, in which luckily no one was injured, the team noticed these ducklings had been separated from their mother and had fallen down a storm drain.
Fortunately we were able to reunite the ducklings with their mother.
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Neighbourhood policing team officer receives medal
PC Andrea Hobbs has received her long service and good conduct medal in a ceremony at The Roundthorn Hotel in Penrith.
Andrea has served three and a half years with Cumbria Police, after transferring from the Metropolitan Police in January 20021 were she served 18 years.
The Chief Constable's Awards recognise officers who bravely carried out their duties whilst suffering violent assaults and detectives who worked tirelessly to convict dangerous and predatory individuals.
Read more about some of the recipients and their outstanding work here:
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 Your Child Centred Policing team has been working in collaboration with the Copeland Neighbourhood Policing team and local partner agencies to tackle the rise in anti-social behaviour.
We have tried a range of different approaches, including providing the children with different activities and interventions. We are pleased to say that we have seen some successful results.
However, there is still more to do, and we will continue to offer early intervention to children who display signs of escalating negative behaviour, to divert them away from the criminal justice system.
If you would like to learn more about the Child Centred Policing team, click *here*
If you would like to know more about your local Neighbourhood Policing team, please enter your post code or browse by area on the “What's happening in your area?” section on the website home page.
One example of the successful actions your local Child Centred Policing teams have undertaken recently, has resulted in the drastic reduction in the youth anti-social behaviour in Workington town centre.
Anti-social behaviour continues to be a priority across Copeland, with Cleator Moor, Egremont and Maryport being identified by residents as more affected areas.
The Child Centred Policing Team have identified and visited the children involved and met with parents and teachers.
The have completed anti-social behaviour workbooks and submitted support and intervention referrals, to deter the children away from criminality.
Anti-social behaviour and knife crime assemblies have also been delivered across the West Secondary school, this has been in collaboration Remedi.
Additionally, children from St Benedict’s School in Whitehaven, took part in Future Pathways programme. This was supported by the Child Centred Policing Team, Morgan and Sindall, The Woodlands Trust and Infrastructure Strategic Alliance. Over 500 trees were planted in the school ground as part of the community engagement and aspirations day.
The children working with the programme were also able to gain first hand careers advice from people working in a variety of roles, creating positive role models whist actively giving back to the community.
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Hub open date
Copeland Local Focus Hub held an open day for partner agencies to come together in the same room now restrictions have been lifted.
We work with our partners daily and can now facilitate hot desking again for partners to work together in the same room.
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 Bicycle Security Marking
A reminder that we are offering bicycle security marking for a small cost of £5 per bike.
We encourage people to get their bikes marked and registered, to help deter thieves from stealing them, and to assist in returning a recovered bike to the rightful owner.
We use either BikeRegister permanent ID etchings or a tamper-proof sticker (dependant on frame type). Both of these options also include free registration to their national database to which every UK Police force has access.
If you are interested in getting your bicycle security marked or for more information please contact your local PCSO by telephoning 101 or emailing 101emails@cumbria.police.uk.
You can find out who your local PCSO is below
Your local officers
Want to know who your local officers are?
Simply go to our website - www.cumbria.police.uk
Scroll down the home page and you can browse different areas to see who your local team are - or enter your postcode.
Not only will you be able to find out who your named local officers and PCSOs are, you will also be able to view our local policing priorities and details of any meetings or events we will be attending.
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In other news
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Police issue dangers of not wearing your seatbelt
We are advising drivers to not only ensure they are wearing their seatbelts, but they are also wearing them correctly. The message come as Cumbria police support the national NPCC seatbelt campaign with a week of action beginning on 13th June.
It is a requirement by law to wear your seatbelt or you could be fined up to £500.
For more information on child seats visit - Seat Belts and Child Restraints (think.gov.uk)
Read more here.
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Cumbria Police celebrates National Volunteers’ Week
We are celebrating the important contribution made by the force’s volunteers as part of National Volunteers’ Week.
The force’s Citizens in Policing team oversees the many areas in which members of the public can conduct a voluntary role to help keep people in Cumbria safe. This includes special constables, police support volunteers and volunteer police cadets.
Read more here.
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Cumbria Constabulary committed to national Race Action Plan
Cumbria Constabulary’s Chief Constable, Michelle Skeer has today (24th May), announced the Force’s commitment to the national Race Action Plan.
Chief Constable Michelle Skeer said:
“I fully support the national Race Action Plan and have personally signed my force up to it.
“It is a priority for me that Cumbria Constabulary is an inclusive organisation which is actively and consistently anti-racist. Everyone living in or visiting Cumbria, should feel confident that all representatives of the force will treat them with respect, free of bias, racism, or discrimination of any kind."
Read more here.
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