Police officers and staff celebrated at the annual Lancashire Constabulary Problem Solving Awards
Thursday, January 30, 2025
Lancashire Constabulary recently held its 6th annual Chief Constable’s Problem Solving Awards to showcase and celebrate some of the best examples of innovative ways of tackling crime across the county.
Over 25 nominations were submitted from police officers and staff to a panel of academic partners from Lancaster University, Edge Hill and The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan). Partners then had the difficult task of selecting a winner from each category who went on to present their submissions to judges and over 160 stakeholders and colleagues at the ceremony which was held at The Dunkenhalgh Hotel in Blackburn.
The seven categories were partnership working, emerging problem-solving, business support, innovation and volunteers, neighbourhood policing, targeting offenders, investigations and the award focused on anti-social behaviour, the Operation Centurion award.
The judging panel included Chief Constable Sacha Hattchett, Assistant Chief Constable Karen Edwards, Chief Executive for the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, Dr. Anna Hopkins, Sylvia Chenery, Lancashire Partnership Against Crime (Lanpac) Chairman, David Smith OBE and Chief Executive of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, Denise Park.
The winning submission, which was entered in the Partnership Working category, is a community partnership in Fleetwood which is part of a major drive to reduce and maintain a reduction in crime levels in the Park and Mount wards of the town.
The Prosper Partnership consists of multiple partners, including councils, schools, housing and local community groups, amongst others, coming together as part of the Government’s Clear, Hold Build strategy, a three-pronged approach to combatting crime.
Chief Constable Sacha Hatchett said: “This has been a fantastic event showcasing the innovative approaches to problem solving by our officers and staff who continuously demonstrate passion and commitment to keeping our communities safe.
"The quality of submission this year has been really high. We have seen some remarkable projects which all are aimed at making our communities safer for those who live in and visit Lancashire, and I am incredibly proud of all of those who have been recognised today.”
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.
The winner and the runners-up will now be submitted to the National Problem-Solving Awards, the Tilley Awards, which take place later this year.
