The new fuel cards can be used at normal forecourt retailers

As reported in newsbeat daily in January, the cards are part of a move away from using in house fuel supplies, towards sourcing fuel from retail forecourts.

The cards work the same way as a credit or debit card and can be used at 95 per cent of forecourts across the country.

Each card is embossed with the vehicle registration number and will be inserted into a holder attached to the vehicle keys. A sticker on the holder has a handy guide that drivers can use to ensure that they are using the card correctly. Officers should start using the cards as soon as they are issued to the vehicle they are using.

The move to fuel cards will present significant cost savings to the force, as well as providing additional opportunities for a high visibility police presence at retail fuel sites. This should also help to further reduce bilking offences and other forecourt crime.

Head of Corporate Services Steve Middeditch said: “The fuel cards present us with a fantastic opportunity to not only make cost savings but also provide an even greater police presence around local retail forecourts.”

Example fuel card

As part of the move, four strategic reserve sites will be upgraded and retained at Bloxwich police station, CMPG Perry Barr, Park Lane (Aston) and Chace Avenue police station, Coventry.

Steve added: “We no longer have to worry about the costs associated with the logistics and maintenance of storing fuel,  whilst our reserve sites will ensure that in the case of a fuel strike or similar incident we are still able to keep our vehicles on the road.”

A programme to close down and decommission obsolete fuel sites is well under way and will be complete by early 2014. You can view the timetable for closures here.

To find out more please visit the fuel card intranet site.

The project aims to place adults with learning disabilities into suitable employment or volunteer work placements.

The officers, based at Chelmsley Wood police station, have been working with the council as part of this project and their work has clearly left a positive impression.

Dear Chief Supt Bourner,

I am writing to let you know how very impressed I was with several members of your force which we met yesterday at Chelmsley Wood Police Station.

PC Oliver Latchford, PCSO Ian Carr, PCSO Jayne Turner and Sergeant Steph Rolfe were all praised

I had arranged to spend a day with our Support Towards Employment Progress and Satisfaction Team (STEPS) which works with people with learning difficulties into paid and voluntary employment.

One of our visits was with two people with learning difficulties to Chelmsley Wood police station where arrangements are being made for one gentleman to join the PCSOs as a volunteer.

Acting Sergeant Stephanie Rolfe had been very proactive in setting up the placement but as she was on leave, PC Ollie Latchford showed us around the station and was joined by PCSO Ian Carr who spent time talking with us about the role of the team.

Your officers where hugely generous of their time and went to great lengths to welcome us and made our two service users feel extremely comfortable.

I am sure this will prove to be an invaluable placement, especially at a time when we do struggle to identify such placements with employers in Solihull. Your staff were wonderful and I do wish to say how very much we appreciate their enthusiasm and commitment to work with us and our service users.

STEPS would also like to highlight that this working relationship has proved so successful due to the initial placement at Elmdon neighbourhood team and the work PSCO Jayne Turner has done with a STEPS volunteer over the past 12 months. It’s through this success that we have been able to extend the opportunities throughout the borough.

Sent on behalf of Lucy Williamson, Support Worker STEPS and Fiona McGill, Service Director Provider Services, Adult Social Care, People Directorate.

This week, newsbeat daily takes you through each of the functions of the portal to help identify which icon you need for the task at hand and how to use it.

My Workplace icon from the My Service portal

My Workplace

Reports and requests for maintenance

The My Workplace icon enables you to report and request maintenance in your work location more easily. The quick and simple-to-use standard forms are received by the Facilities Support Desk, based at Civic House, who action your request within agreed service level timescales.

Track My Requests icon

This icon can be used by anyone to request the services of a porter, assistance with office moves, faults and repairs in all emergency and non-emergency circumstances.

You can also track your requests through the ‘Track My Requests’ icon within the My Workplace section of the portal.

The Facilities Support Desk operates between 8am and 5pm, Monday to Friday. For emergency response outside of office hours, contact the Force Communication Centre on extension 7822 3033.

My Orders icon from the My Service portal

My Orders

• Book travel and accommodation
• Hire vehicles
• Order goods and services using external funding or sponsorship
• Order uniform
• Order goods and services

The My Orders icon currently enables you to book all your travel and accommodation needs, request a hire vehicle and order goods and services using external funding or sponsorship.

Once completed, the easily navigated standard forms are received by the Enquiries Team at Lloyd House who ensure they are processed within agreed service level timescales. The Enquiries Helpdesk is open from 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

The facility to order uniform via this icon on the portal and all other goods and services ordering, will be available to use later this summer.

As with maintenance requests, use the ‘Track My Requests’ icon in this section to find out when your order will arrive.

The My Service portal is managed by Shared Services. Shared Services is a central team which offers flexible, resilient support to the organisation – contact their specialist staff for help and advice by calling extension 8800 5100. Alternatively, visit their intranet site for further information.

Last week the Police and Crime Commissioner Bob Jones alongside representatives from the force met with the council to discuss the proposals that could see the force signing a lease agreement with the council.

Under the proposed agreement, Walsall LPU will move its partnerships team and a number of neighbourhood teams to the Civic Centre.

The new proposed partnership approach between the force and the council will mean that services traditionally only available from police stations will be available at the Civic Centre.  The model is based on the Bluebell centre in Solihull, where joint police and council services have been running successfully for approaching 12 months.

If a lease agreement is completed, Walsall police partnerships team could co-locate with the council’s partnership team, allowing for a more integrated, joined-up approach to community issues.

The neighbourhood teams for St Matthews, Paddock and Palfrey and Pleck could also move to the Civic Centre bringing them into the heart of Walsall under any proposed arrangement.

The proposed changes could see the creation of a multi-agency ‘one-stop’ shop based in the heart of the community to engage with local people.

If the plans are agreed and a lease completed the force will move out of Green Lane police station, with the remainder of the neighbourhood teams and functions including 24/7 response moving within the Walsall borough area to Bloxwich police station.

Under the proposed changes Bloxwich police station will become the local police HQ.

The Green Lane site has been under review for some time as it costs the force half a million pounds a year in maintenance costs, diverting resources away from operational policing, exacerbated due to problems with the building itself.

Current estimates are that it will take approximately 18 months to move out of Green Lane but moving into the Civic Centre could potentially be as early as September 2013 for partnerships and the neighbourhood teams.

The 24/7 public access facility at Walsall will remain while the station is operational.  Any re-provisioning of the service will follow a public consultation combined with a full service review – including how people access front counters.  The overall aim will be to create an efficient, modern, accessible service.

Once vacated, the Green Lane site will be disposed of.

“This is an innovative and ground-breaking approach which we believe, if an agreement is signed, will be the start of a whole new approach to providing policing services to the people of Walsall,” said Chief Superintendent Dave Sturman, Walsall local policing unit commander.

“The proposed changes provide an opportunity for us to work closely with our council colleagues to support our customers around a range of issues such as domestic abuse, housing problems and anti-social behaviour.”

Police and Crime Commissioner Bob Jones said “As a matter of course we continually review our estate to ensure buildings are fit for purpose, cost efficient and provide the best possible service to the wider community.

“We are exploring ways to make policing more accessible in the context of the fact that many police stations are now significantly underused and expensive to run.

“Research has shown that some of our buildings are not welcoming and in the wrong location for the public. We are committed to meeting people in settings that are relevant to them, in the heart of the community.

“If these proposals go ahead it will see policing move into the heart of Walsall and will make it easier for people to access local services.

“The proposals really do embody the spirit of joint partnership working and will allow police and the council to work even more closely together which can only be of huge benefit to the people of Walsall.”

Chief Constable Chris Sims said: “We are working hard to make policing more accessible and the proposed initiative in Walsall will help us to achieve that goal.

“As part of our commitment to modernise the force, coupled with the financial pressures we are likely to face over the forthcoming years, we have to be innovative and creative in the way we provide our services.

“Arrangements like the one proposed in Walsall, where police and the council work closer together, offer a better service to local people – creating one stop shops in which a wide range of issues can be dealt with are proving very popular in the local community.”

Race starters at the 30th memorial run for Joe in May 2012

The Joe O’Brien Memorial run is held annually to remember PC O’Brien, who died after being hit by a passing motorist whilst on duty and directing traffic during a school fun run in November 1982.

The run, which is a double circuit of the War Memorial Park and just over three miles, was the 31st anniversary run held in Joe’s honour.

Every runner paid to take part and all funds raised will be donated to a local charity.  The medals for the runners were presented by Joe’s daughter and granddaughter.

Coventry Commander Chief Superintendent Andy Nicholson was one of the participants in yesterday’s race.

Chief Supt Nicholson said: “Joe worked as an officer in Coventry for twenty years, with much of his career spent policing the Binley and Willenhall areas of the city.

“He was a popular and well respected officer and a good friend to many.  The fact this annual run is in its 31^st year speaks volumes about the man that Joe was and how his colleagues are dedicated to keeping his memory alive.”

The PC Joe O’Brien Memorial run started in 1983 and has been held every year since. Coventry schools also take part in a similar annual event and a road in Willenhall, Coventry is named in his memory.

Dep Ch Con Dave Thomspon to hold public web chat

The event will be held between 1pm and 3pm on Monday 20 May on the force’s website.

Anyone taking part can remain anonymous if they wish to ask a question and there is no need to register beforehand. Questions can also be posed in advance by email to corporate_communications@west-midlands.police.uk using the subject: DCC web chat.

Deputy Chief Constable Dave Thompson is looking forward to the chat. He said: “I try to get out to talk to the public as often as I can, but these web chats give me an opportunity to reach even more people across the region.

“I’ll do my best to answer any questions that I’m asked, so please encourage members of the public to join in and ask anything that they want to know.”

The rainbow flag – an international symbol of gay pride

In a film released today – International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHoT) − a group of 36 lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) police officers and police staff from 16 police forces across the UK tell their stories.

It Gets Better offers heartfelt messages of support and encouragement to young LGBT people who are struggling with their sexual identity or bullied for being “different.”

The officers tell their collective story about the challenge of growing up and living their lives as LGBT people.

In direct acknowledgment of the mental health implications hate crimes can have on victims, the officers stress that suicide is not the answer, suggesting people seek the help of trusted people around them if they are being bullied and to call the police if they are experiencing hate crime.

Commenting on the initiative, Phil Emery, from the LGB&T Network, said: “We welcome this new film and the message it sends to those who may be experiencing homophobic or transphobic hate crime.

The LGBT Network’s Phil Emery

“With such a diverse workforce working to keep the region’s diverse communities safe, we are all too aware of impact these crimes have on people and how they can escalate if unreported.”

The new film is a joint project between the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and The College of Policing.

Assistant Chief Constable Steph Morgan, the ACPO lead for LGBT issues, responsible for driving positive action at a national level within policing. She said: “Growing up as a young lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans person is often a day-to-day struggle which can lead to low self-esteem, anxiety and suicidal feelings. The It Gets Better project exists to show young LGBT people the levels of happiness, potential, and positivity their lives will reach − if they can just make it through their teenage years.

“We want young LGBT people to know It Gets Better, they‘re not alone and we’re here to help.”

Alice Ashworth, from gay rights group Stonewall, said: “Initiatives such as this are a fantastic way for the police to reach out to the lesbian, gay and bisexual people in their communities. Stonewall’s research shows that far too often gay people don’t report hate crimes or incidents. Videos like this show that the police can successfully talk directly to gay people, giving them confidence that it does − and will − get better.”

People can report hate crimes to police by calling 101 or by visiting: www.report-it.org.uk

For more information on the WMP LGBT Network, follow the group on Twitter.

DC Nott prior to the record attempt

DC Jonathan Nott, 37, recently took part in an epic challenge to enter the record books by playing five-a-side football non-stop for 48 hours.  Their aim was to smash the current record, set in October last years, by five hours.

The Aston Villa fan was part of an all Christian team raising funds for Youth for Christ (YfC).

Founded in 1946, YfC is an international charity communicating and demonstrating the Christian faith through a variety of frontline projects.

One of their innovative projects is Reflex – an initiative to help young people break out of the re-offending cycle.  Based in 12 prisons across five regions, the group runs youth work, mentoring and creative education programmes to equip young people with the skills, confidence and opportunities to realise their potential.

As part of the 16 man bid, five people from each team had to be on the pitch at any one time leaving the remaining three players to rest.  At no time could a player leave the touchline meaning short naps had to be taken in a specially constructed tent complete with sleeping bags!

The marathon football event took place between 30 April and 2 May at the Goals Soccer Centre in Blackheath.

The players were left with bruised toes

Evidence of the non-stop match has now been passed to record book officials who are soon to decide if a new world record has been broken.

Talking about the record attempt, DC Nott said: “The marathon event was a Herculean test of strength and stamina.  And while there were no longstanding injuries, there were a fair few black toes and sore feet!

“In our own minds we have completed the event but we’ve had to send everything off to Guinness and wait for them to verify the record.”

So far the team has raised £54,164.16 for their projects.

To lend your support and contribute to the scheme, follow this link: https://my.give.net/yfc48

PC Wayne Trueman and ASDA forecourt Supervisor Linda Elliman

High visibility police patrols on a regular basis around the forecourts have helped to deter would-be thieves and the close working relationship officers now have employees at the service stations has allowed valuable intelligence to be shared with both parties.

The forecourts featuring in this crackdown are ASDA, BP Snax, Jet and Shell.

PC Wayne Trueman, from Brierley Hill police station, said: “This initiative is working really well. The service stations involved in the scheme have been more than happy to work with us to tackle this crime.

“To date from the 1 March 2013 we have seen an 85.7 per cent reduction in fuel theft offences in the area, this equates to 10 fewer offences across the four service stations.

“ASDA in particular have shown great enthusiasm in the scheme and have even had two new cameras fitted in the petrol forecourt, with a large CCTV monitor now visible inside the shop to show potential thieves that they are being watched.”

To find out more about the force’s strategy to tackle fuel theft please visit the Operation Kadence intranet site.

Cute puppy alert! Which Spaniel will be crowned our Pup Idol?

Three years ago the force launched a contest to find its ‘Pup Idol’ as Police Dog Carter proved himself the force’s top dog German shepherd.

It proved a huge success with videos plotting the canine contenders’ progress – from new-born pups through West Midlands Police’s award-winning dog training camp – attracting up to 100,000 YouTube views and giving an in-sight into police dog development.

Now the search is on to see which Spaniel will be crowned King of the Canines – and these Springers are determined the sequel will be every bit as good as the original!

Pup Idol II’s candidates are girls Olivia, Olympia, Oriel, Oxo and Oasis, plus sole boy representative Odem, who were born into ‘O’ litter at the Dog Unit’s Balsall Common base in the early hours December 8.

They are the force’s future search specialists and will be trained to help police hunt for weapons drugs, cash, stolen items or explosives – and the evidence they uncover is often crucial in securing court convictions against criminals.

Littermates Oscar and Oreo have since been sold to Northumbria Police whilst puppy Orville is now with the City of London constabulary.

Breed Scheme Manager Dave Raymond, said: “These are the only spaniels born through our in-house breed programme last year…it’s an exciting time for us and all six pups are progressing well in the early stages.

“Our basic early assessments look for confidence, natural drive, energy levels, willingness to play with a toy and simple retrieval games; we also do a bit of environment work getting them to walk over uneven or slippery surfaces and in dark rooms.

“So far all six are showing really good signs: they’re very enthusiastic and love interacting with people and other dogs. Pup Idol II looks set to be a close contest!”

The first video introduces mum Grace – herself born at Balsall Common three years ago and chosen as a brood bitch for her exemplary search ability and temperament – and follows her pups from birth until they take their first tentative paw-steps.

Further Pup Idol II films will show them socialising with volunteer puppy walkers, honing their innate search skills at the force’s in-house training scheme, going on location to experience different environments and, pending ‘graduation’, moving into operational roles.

There are currently 26 Springer Spaniels in West Midlands Police which are used as specialist search dogs. They regularly find hidden items not immediately obvious to officers and which would otherwise take much longer locate…or not be found at all.

Recent examples include 56 wraps of suspected cocaine found by a spaniel stashed inside a music speaker at a Solihull address; up to £40,000 cash located in a locked drawer of a Sandwell house; and a suspicious package delivered to a Birmingham hotel which a police dog indicated contained Class A dugs.

West Midlands Police runs the largest, most successful police dog breed scheme in the UK – launched in 1994 – with more than 80 per cent of dogs going through the training programme becoming operational.

Only the best dogs are kept to police West Midlands’ streets – some dogs are sold to other police forces whilst ones that don’t make the grade are sold as working dogs (farms etc) or given to good homes.

It’s also achieved Assured Breeder accreditation by the Kennel Club in recognition of its commitment to dog welfare.

Dave Raymond, added: “Brood bitches are selected for their exemplary search skills, stability, responsiveness and temperament…they have blood and eye tests to make sure they don’t pass on any hereditary conditions.

“Mum Grace was born into the breed scheme in August 2009. This is her second litter and, in line with Kennel Club guidelines, she’ll have no more than four in her lifetime and only one in any 12-month period. In between, she enjoys life at home with volunteers as a family pet.”