Rochdale police column: Proud to see return of Schools Officer role

Inspector Robert MacGregor, of the Rochdale East Neighbourhood Policing Team, on what the police are doing to tackle local issues across the borough.

This week, he discusses the role of the traditional schools' bobby, and how they can be another protective adult in your child's life.

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Policing has changed a lot over the last few decades. Whereas you once saw your local bobby on foot, they are now more likely to drive past in a vehicle. Where you used to know the name of your local officer, it is now unlikely that you do. Where we once had local village police stations, we now have moved towards larger, centralised stations and lost the village police stations we once had.

All these aspects of community policing from a few decades ago are missed by the community and by the police. One other throwback to policing in a different age was the local schools’ bobby, and their visits to deliver talks on keeping safe, road safety and stranger danger which many of us will remember. Like the other aspects of traditional policing, this role became a thing of the past. I am happy to be able to say that at least in relation to this one point we have now been able to return to tradition.

This month, PC Andy Hardwick became our first dedicated schools’ bobby for Milnrow, Newhey and Littleborough for a number of years. I wasn’t intending to write this article about him but he showed me the photo accompanying this article from a visit to Newhey Primary and it struck me as being so positive, in a job which sadly generally dealt with tragedy, upset, and harm that I had to share it. I wish I had not had to blur the images of the children because their smiles really make the photo. I do not remember the last time I saw a photo of such traditional, and effective community policing which made me think ‘we are really going the right direction’.

 

 

If you have children, I wonder when they last came home and told you that their local police officer came into their school to talk with them about stranger danger or avoiding peer pressure? I suspect that (unless it has happened in the month since Andy has been in post) it will have been a long time ago, or never.

In PC Hardwick’s first week, he was on foot patrol walking through Stevenson Square with the Smallbridge Neighbourhood PC Matt Honey when they saw a group of children from the local school playing dodgeball. PC Hardwick and PC Honey joined in for a few minutes (pleasingly for me, one child was able to hit PC Honey in the face with the ball).

Those two minutes of playing with the local children cost us nothing but had huge value. It builds trust in those individual police officers. You dread the idea that your child might have something happening that they feel, or are told, they cannot tell their mummy or daddy - but it happens. The trust that a schools’ officer builds with your children means that perhaps when they cannot tell mummy or daddy because they are told they will be angry with them, that they will speak to Andy who can then protect them. If that leads to even one of our children being able to get help when they might otherwise stay silent, then it is absolutely massive.

PC Hardwick spoke to me on his way out to deliver a talk at a local school assembly. In this day and age, some people, even colleagues, would call this this kind of role ‘soft’ and ‘not proper policing’ but I think this is exactly the kind of role that was too quickly forgotten in the rush to move to the internet and social media age. There are skilful colleagues doing brilliant work in office departments working with partners to manage risk, but nothing ever fully replaced the schools’ bobby and I am so pleased to see the return of the role.

I asked Andy about why he wanted to become the Pennine schools’ officer, he said-

“My Grandfather retired from Humberside Police in 1990. He was a formidable, old fashioned bobby and inspired both me and my brother to join the force. One of the things he drummed in to us was ‘know your beat and you’ll be able to nip things in’t bud before it even begins’.

I have been out and about at schools including Wardle Academy recently. Being there in uniform, I was constantly approached by both pupils and parents. All of whom were happy to see a return to this traditional style of community policing. These conversations have given my insights in to what is happening in the community which are invaluable, and which I can then share with colleagues.

Whilst visiting schools, one of the things that has struck me is how often people have asked ‘What’s happened?’. People have become so used to only seeing police around when something has gone wrong. I find that quite sad. I want children and parents to see me, as a uniformed officer, as part of their community. As my visits continue and I begin to get to know pupils, parents, and school staff more I want the presence of a uniformed officer to be a reassuring and supportive sight. I want to make a difference to the community and the best way I can do this is by listening to the issues and concerns of all those involved with schools.

I want to get to the point where parents point me out to their children and tell them: ‘That’s PC Andy, he’s here to help you.”