South Division officers recognised at Lancashire Constabulary’s Problem Solving Awards
Monday, February 3, 2025
Lancashire Police’s South Division, which covers the areas of Preston, Chorley, South Ribble and West Lancashire, have recently celebrated success at the 6th annual Problem Solving Awards which celebrates the best examples of innovative policing in Lancashire.
Over 25 applications were made from police officers and staff across the Force and, out of seven categories, officers from South Division led the way for the Investigations category and the Business Support, Volunteers and Innovation category.
During the awards, which took place at the Dunkenhalgh Hotel on Tuesday 28th January, 2025, the teams presented to over 160 peers, stakeholders and a panel of judges including Chief Constable Sacha Hatchett, Assistant Chief Constable Karen Edwards, Chief Executive for the Officer of the Police and Crime Commissioner, Dr Anna Hopkins, Sylvia Chenery, Chairman for the Lancashire Partnership Against Crime (LANPAC) David Smith, and the Chief Executive of Blackburn with Darwen Council, Denise Park.
The investigations category was won by the West Lancashire Task Force team for their work around combatting anti-social behaviour and criminality in Ormskirk. Proactive operations in the area, pursuing offenders and building public confidence led to a 6% reduction in anti-social behaviour.
Furthermore, the Business Support, Volunteers and Innovation Category was won by officers from the Chorley and South Ribble Neighbourhood Policing and Drone Teams for Operation Scoreboard, the work that they continue to carry out to tackle the issue of drones being used to transport contraband into prisons.
Part of this work has seen the team work closely with partners at HMP Garth and Wymott and inform local residents of recent changes in the law which means that areas within 400m of prisons are ‘no fly zones’.
Chief Superintendent Stasia Osiowy, divisional commander for South Division, said: “I am incredibly proud of our officers and staff across the division who have demonstrated innovative approaches to problem solving in order to keep the communities of South Lancashire safe and it is fantastic to see my division represented so well at the awards.
“We have seen some fantastic examples of problem-solving involving our partners and these awards show how we work effectively with those agencies to share creative ways of working and fighting crime.”
Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw added: "The Problem Solving Awards celebrate innovative ways of working to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour and it's great to see new and proactive approaches developed by officers and staff across Lancashire Constabulary, together with our partners, to keep residents safe.
"Congratulations to all the winners, they are fantastic examples of the efficient and effective service that Lancashire residents deserve.
"Rebuilding trust and confidence is a key priority in my Police and Crime Plan for Lancashire, and these awards allow us to shine a light on some of the fantastic projects that our officers and staff are working on around the clock to fight crime and keep Lancashire safe."
The Chenery Award, which is dedicated to Sylvia Chenery, a Criminologist and Problem-Solving expert who has supported and continues to support Lancashire Constabulary, recognises an officer or member of staff who has made an outstanding contribution to problem-solving. This year it was presented to West Lancashire based Hate Crime officer PC Jodie Wilson-Banks for her dedication and determination in tackling community priorities.
