Young people visit police headquarters for behind-the-scenes tour

A group from the Fairfield Trust visited Wiltshire Police headquarters for a behind-the-scenes insight into policing and public safety. 

 

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The visit gave participants an overview of the work carried out across the force, including how emergency and non-emergency calls are handled. 

Wiltshire Police work closely with the Fairfield Trust, based in Dilton Marsh. The Next Steps programme supports young people and adults with special educational needs to live independently, and the Early Intervention Team is now in its fourth year of delivering sessions focused on keeping participants safe. 

PC Darren Foulger, who organised the visit, said, “It’s always rewarding to work with the young people from the Fairfield Trust Next Steps programme. 

“The inputs help build confidence and awareness of internet safety, how to keep safe within the home and in public, which leads to a visit to Police Headquarters where they can see, if they make a telephone call to the police, what questions they will be asked and whether it should be an emergency or non-emergency call. 

“The young people then visit different departments to see how police officers are trained and what vehicles we use, along with the equipment for those vehicles. 

“We aim to build the trust and confidence of young people in the police, and to help prevent the group – who are some of the most vulnerable in the community – from becoming victims of crime, either now or in the future.” 

The group met Chief Constable Catherine Roper and were invited to ask questions about policing and community safety. 

They also observed staff in the Crime and Communications Centre responding to live incidents, visited the police workshops to see specialist vehicle equipment, viewed vintage police vehicles and had the chance to try on parts of the police uniform and sit inside a fully equipped police car. 

Samantha Thomas, Fairfield Next Steps Service Manager, said, “The Youth Intervention team provide an outstanding service. 

“They are always enthusiastic to get alongside our service as we look at ways to support some of the most vulnerable people in society to feel safe and look at how we can contribute to supporting the police force learning on how best to support them now and into the future.”