Staffordshire Commissioner for Police, Fire & Rescue and Crime Ben Adams attended the opening of the force’s brand-new Public and Personal Safety Training Unit today (Wednesday 13 March).
The facility will enable officers to use safe, life-size sets to prepare for operational scenarios including stop and search, street fights, drunk and disorderly, custody, vulnerable people and domestic incidents.
The Commissioner was joined by Deputy Chief Constable Jonathan Roy and Assistant Chief Officer (Resources) John Bloomer for the occasion, as well as representatives from learning and development, finance, estates and IT who helped make the build happen.
Staffordshire Commissioner for Police, Fire & Rescue and Crime Ben Adams said: “The training our front-line officers receive must reflect the increasingly difficult situations they face on a daily basis.
“I’m delighted to stand alongside everyone who has contributed towards making the new Public and Personal Safety Training Unit happen and open it today for generations to come.
“Using public money efficiently is a priority for me, and this investment is part of a wider estates plan for Staffordshire Police to ensure buildings are fit for purpose, sustainable and future proof.”
The unit will allow Staffordshire Police to meet the requirements of the College of Policing’s new national training standards which focuses on practical scenarios rather than techniques and requires a much larger training area.
In addition to the scenario spaces, it will include an area for a beep track, classrooms and equipment, and general judo matted training area. A space large enough to meet all these requirements was not previously available anywhere on the Police estate.
Deputy Chief Constable Jon Roy said: “We are proud to be one of the first forces in the country to meet the new standard of officer training. These changes move training from being primarily theoretical to primarily real-life scenario-based.
“The new training facility will enable us to equip officers with the best possible training to protect themselves and to reduce officer assaults, and to protect members of the public.
“Police officers face confrontation and aggression on a regular basis, particularly those serving in front-line roles. It will ensure they have the skills and knowledge to manage situations involving physical and non-physical conflict safely and effectively.”
Training in the Public and Personal Safety Training Unit will start on 2 April.