Response Policing Week Of Action

An Oscar Kilo welfare van has been across Hampshire Constabulary to offer support to response officers during the Response Policing Week of Action, from 24-28 June.

The fourth national Response Policing Week of Action celebrates the professionalism and courage of response officers. As well as Oscar Kilo vans going out to officers, there are also a number of College of Policing webinars to support officers’ wellbeing.

Hampshire Police Federation Chair Zoë Wakefield said: “This is so needed. Response police officers can be forgotten, as it’s not classed as a specialism, but they’re jack of all trades. They go to anything and everything, and are able to deal with anything and everything. They’re the majority of the workforce who work days, lates and nights, and they can be under-appreciated.

“Also, these officers tend to be young-in-service. Around 50% of the force has got under five years’ service now, and the majority of those are on response teams.

“It’s really important to recognise them and focus on their wellbeing. We’ve got an Oscar Kilo van in force that week going to different locations every day.

“Officers will be able to get basic health checks at the van, like blood pressure and cholesterol, hopefully picking up on issues before they become big issues. And we’ve got a Federation Rep at each location as well, so people can discuss any issues they’ve got.”