Saying thank you to Lincolnshire Police's response officers

Responding to breaking incidents, confronting dangerous criminals, being the voice of calm and reassurance to victims is just a flavour of what Lincolnshire Police’s Response Officers do.
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And their hard work and dedication is being recognised as part of the national Response Policing Wellbeing and Recognition ‘Week of Action’ initiative led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).

Response staff are often the first on the scene working with colleagues at Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue and the East Midlands Ambulance.

Response Sergeant Marc Fowler has been working at the sharp end of crime in the county for the last six years, and on one harrowing call-out, he could have been set on fire.

Response officers are the first line of response when the police are calledResponse officers are the first line of response when the police are called
Response officers are the first line of response when the police are called

“We went out to a report of the domestic disturbance and when we arrived, we were told that the male involved might hurt himself,” he said. “We eventually tracked him down and when we found him, he pulled out a petrol bomb, he poured petrol over himself and splashed officers with it.

“He then pulled a lighter out of his pocket and started to try and light it. At the time you deal with it, it’s just your job – and the longer you do it, the more accustomed to these types of situations you become. But there is a mental aspect to it, and it does have an impact on people.

“Without response going out to these incidents the streets would be anarchy.”

But while some people do give response officers a hard time, most of the public are supportive and, in many cases, help the police catch criminals.

In some cases, officers have had thank you cards on their windscreens and their efforts praised on social media.

Inspector Adrian Wootton, who helps manage the response in Lincolnshire, said that officers’ wellbeing is important and has called on the public to help where they can.

He said: “I think we do what we can do and are really good at looking after staff with the resources we’ve got.

"We can have a road rage, fatal crash and stabbing come in, in ten minutes. I measure response policing as a dripping tap that never stops."

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