Commissioner opens new officer training facility in Staffordshire
A police and fire commissioner has announced the opening of a new training facility.
Staffordshire Police, Fire and Rescue and Crime Commissioner Ben Adams attended the opening of the force's brand-new Public and Personal Safety Training unit on Wednesday.
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.
Mr 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 focus on practical scenarios rather than techniques and require a much larger training area.
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 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 new unit will start on April 2.
