NPCC prevention lead and Merseyside chief constable Serena Kennedy opened the 2023 Secured by Design ATLAS national training conference and exhibition, which underlines putting prevention first within policing
Chief constable Kennedy highlighted the challenges policing faces given the rising cost of living and the potential strain on budgets, and the possibility of partners having to focus on their own demand and funding challenges at the 2023 Secured by Design ATLAS national training conference and exhibition.
Reducing cost, victims, and reoffending through preventative policing
Underscoring the role that the DOCO’s have to play in this critical piece of work, she said: “We should absolutely be continuing and driving forward that focus on prevention and working across the whole public sector system to stop that demand, and your role is absolutely front and centre of that demand and harm reduction piece of work”.
“When I talk about prevention, let me be absolutely clear – policing has to get the basics right, we have to make sure people feel they are getting that high quality of service. We must have a much broader approach to policing and a clearer connection to our communities and partners. I believe that will be done through the preventative approach.
“The NPCC Prevention Coordination Committee structure will enable us to work together across policing with partners, industry and government taking a whole system approach to deliver the National Preventative Policing Strategy. It is vital that we all work together with our partners to embed preventative policing. We can demonstrate the benefits of prevention, whether it be the cost, reducing victims or reducing reoffending. We should be excellent at this”.
The national training conference saw over 200 DOCOs from across the UK come together for a series of workshops and presentations
In October 2021, the National Police Chiefs’ Council designated the role of the DOCO as a specialist role within policing, with all DOCOs required to complete mandatory Continuous Professional Development.
The Secured by Design (SBD) ATLAS national training conference and exhibition saw over 200 DOCOs from across the UK come together for a series of workshops and presentations, as part of their annual CPD to update themselves in their knowledge of new legislation, crime trends, security methodologies and other relevant subjects.
Martin Hewitt also spoke about the importance of the DOCO within policing’s prevention agenda
At the exhibition, chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), Martin Hewitt, also emphasised the importance of the Designing Out Crime Officers (DOCO) role within policing’s prevention agenda.
Martin reflected on how the prevention agenda has progressed over recent years with the role of the DOCO also becoming much more significantly valued.
He said: “Prevention has always been important, but where we’ve placed prevention over the past few years is at the centre of everything we’re doing, which is absolutely fantastic.
“I’m really pleased that within the last year, we in the NPCC have taken the decision to set up a coordinating committee specifically focused on prevention. That is really moving us forward in all of the work that we do, not only to what we’re doing in the NPCC but evermore in the last few years in the minds of government and what the government wants to achieve.
“Prevention must be prioritised to keep people safe. DOCOs are at the operational end of how policing delivers prevention, and I would like to pass on my gratitude to all of you for all that you do and all of the people that you are keeping safe by what you do”.
