Commissioner unveils four-year blueprint and takes questions from UCLan students
The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) has today hosted a landmark event at which Lancashire's Police and Crime Commissioner Andrew Snowden set out his four-year plan to lead the fight against crime in the county.
Attended by more than 200 people, including UCLan students studying journalism, forensic science and policing, the audience was the first to hear about the strategic priorities, funding opportunities and key policy announcements that will shape and change the policing and crime prevention landscape over the coming years.
The Police and Crime Plan 2021 - 2025 announces the largest investment into Lancashire Police in living memory, with a £300m, 10-year commitment to overhaul police critical infrastructure, including sustainable new fleet, police stations and training facilities, alongside hundreds of extra police officers delivered through the Government's uplift programme.
Following a welcome by UCLan Vice-Chancellor Professor Graham Baldwin, Andrew Snowden, Police and Crime Commissioner, together with Chris Rowley, Chief Constable, Lancashire Constabulary, unveiled the new strategic blueprint entitled Leading the Fight Against Crime.
A question-and-answer session facilitated by BBC Radio Lancashire’s Graham Liver followed at which attending UCLan students were able to pose their questions.
"With around 3,000 students currently enrolled within the School of Justice, and on our forensic science programmes within the School of Natural Sciences, our policing related courses are a great example of how academia and practical learning can create job ready students. "
— UCLan Vice-Chancellor Professor Graham Baldwin
MA Multimedia Journalism students Tom Bedworth and Lucy O’Leary interviewed both Andrew Snowden and Chris Rowley. Commenting on experience Tom said: “We are future tax-payers and our duty as journalists will be holding people like Andrew and Chris to account so it’s been a good experience for us to pose questions and hear their answers.” Lucy added: “It was great to work under some real pressure and hopefully our questions put both Andrew and Chris under a bit of pressure as well.”
Maria Bright, a third year student studying BA (Hons) Journalism, interviewed Chris Rowley and commented: “It was a fantastic experience to be interviewing at such a high profile event. Our lecturers have been really supportive in helping to set this up and it was great to use the interview techniques we’ve developed on our degrees.”
Launching the new plan, Police and Crime Commissioner Andrew Snowden, said: “I was elected on the pledge to lead the fight against crime in Lancashire and that’s exactly what this plan sets out to achieve; through a common sense, no nonsense approach to dealing with criminals across our county and supporting victims.
"My number one priority is the safety of each of our residents with a commitment to build a visible and effective frontline service that protects our communities by taking the fight to criminals.”
After the event Professor Graham Baldwin, added: “The University of Central Lancashire was delighted to host the launch of this very important crime plan for Lancashire, and is proud to be a key accredited workforce provider delivering the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship and Degree Holder Entry Programmes.
“With around 3,000 students currently enrolled within the School of Justice, and on our forensic science programmes within the School of Natural Sciences, our policing related courses are a great example of how academia and practical learning can create job ready students. Our facilities such as the Hydra Minerva immersive training simulator and our crime scene houses, give that real-life element to our teaching of an extremely practical profession and I am sure that our students will in the future help to play a big part in helping to deliver this plan.”
