IT WAS heartening to hear that hundreds of islanders turned up to see their police force in action this weekend.
The open day event, on Saturday at Hautes Capelles Primary School, proved a real PR coup for the local constabulary.
And it used the chance to the full by showing the wide range of policing activities that are provided in-house by a relatively small operation.
Families were treated to entertaining displays from its dog handlers and dive teams.
There were police cars and a staged gun chase intercepted by the firearms unit, as well as sniffer dogs and a controlled explosion by the bomb disposal unit.
The day, favoured with glorious sunshine, delighted the youngsters. These included one little police fan called George who, at the tender age of three, sounds as if he already has his sights set on the top job of his namesake, police chief George Le Page.
Doubtless the organisers will be delighted at the success of the day, as revealed on page 4 and 5 of our paper today.
But as well as a fun family day out, there was a very real and significant objective behind the occasion.
The event, entertaining as it was, will have achieved several important things.
Many will have been surprised by the sheer extent of duties that our modern force in Guernsey is now expected to perform - or be ready to perform - in the line of duty every single day. Others will have seen the range of career prospects on offer, which will hopefully help boost the police’s recruitment campaign.
Thirdly, it will certainly have helped the efforts officers are making to extend and improve community policing and liaison with the public at a grass-roots level.
But perhaps the greatest impact of the day will be the messages sent out to the hordes of youngsters who gathered to see how policemen and women deal with the very real threats facing society today. Sadly, our island is not immune from the war against drugs and children will have heard about the police’s battle to stop cannabis and Ecstasy reaching our streets.
They will have also heard and learned about their fight against gun crime and the dangers of firearms and replicas.
Hopefully these important lessons will have made an impact on everyone at the event: not just for their benefit but the good of all the island.
The force was with you
IT WAS heartening to hear that hundreds of islanders turned up to see their police force in action this weekend.
The open day event, on Saturday at Hautes Capelles Primary School, proved a real PR coup for the local constabulary.
And it used the chance to the full by showing the wide range of policing activities that are provided in-house by a relatively small operation.
Families were treated to entertaining displays from its dog handlers and dive teams.
There were police cars and a staged gun chase intercepted by the firearms unit, as well as sniffer dogs and a controlled explosion by the bomb disposal unit.
The day, favoured with glorious sunshine, delighted the youngsters. These included one little police fan called George who, at the tender age of three, sounds as if he already has his sights set on the top job of his namesake, police chief George Le Page.
Doubtless the organisers will be delighted at the success of the day, as revealed on page 4 and 5 of our paper today.
But as well as a fun family day out, there was a very real and significant objective behind the occasion.
The event, entertaining as it was, will have achieved several important things.
Many will have been surprised by the sheer extent of duties that our modern force in Guernsey is now expected to perform - or be ready to perform - in the line of duty every single day. Others will have seen the range of career prospects on offer, which will hopefully help boost the police’s recruitment campaign.
Thirdly, it will certainly have helped the efforts officers are making to extend and improve community policing and liaison with the public at a grass-roots level.
But perhaps the greatest impact of the day will be the messages sent out to the hordes of youngsters who gathered to see how policemen and women deal with the very real threats facing society today. Sadly, our island is not immune from the war against drugs and children will have heard about the police’s battle to stop cannabis and Ecstasy reaching our streets.
They will have also heard and learned about their fight against gun crime and the dangers of firearms and replicas.
Hopefully these important lessons will have made an impact on everyone at the event: not just for their benefit but the good of all the island.
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