2,841 calls and 371 arrests made in Response Policing Week   

During National Response Policing Week (24-30 June), Avon and Somerset response officers, supported by neighbourhood policing colleagues, responded to 2,841* calls for service, from the public – an average of 405 per day. 

In total, 371 arrests were made from incidents attended, from which 199 charges resulted. 

In addition, officers carried out:  

• 17 voluntary attendance interviews 

• 65 stop searches of which 19 were positive, with illegal items including controlled drugs, bladed articles and stolen goods seized and 11 people arrested 

• 63 ‘constant observations’, for example, accompanying prisoners with injuries or people in mental health crisis) involving 387 officer deployments totalling 1,231 hours 

Officers recorded having to resort to force to carry out their roles 213 times, including 19 usages of taser (drawing, aiming and red-dotting suspects) although in no case was a taser fired during the week. 

Ten response officers were assaulted in the course of their duties during the week.  

National Response Policing Week celebrates the hard work, dedication and bravery of police officers who respond to emergency (999) and non-emergency (101) calls from members of the public, day and night.   

Response officers are usually first to respond to danger, the first to confront criminals, and may be the first officers’ victims encounter, often in the darkest time of their lives. Their work is unpredictable, and every day will deliver a multitude of different challenges. They regularly put themselves at risk for the safety of other people. 

Burglaries or robberies in progress, domestic violence situations, concerns for welfare, street fights, or someone causing a disturbance are just a few examples of the broad range of incidents that response officers may be sent to.  

Head of Response Chief Superintendent Deryck Rees said: “Response Policing Week is a terrific opportunity for us to share insight with the public into the work our response officers carry out in the course of their duties.  

“In the last 12 months, our response officers have attended 124,067 calls. Of these, 81,724 demanded immediate response due to the potential threat of harm or danger to life or because a crime was in progress. As a result, they made 25,126 arrests. 

“I am immensely proud to lead such a team of brave, resilient, and dedicated officers. To come to work each day, not knowing what you face in the line of duty, isn’t a career for everyone. But to those who serve and head into potential danger each time we receive an emergency call, it’s a career like no other.” 

Police and Crime Commissioner Clare Moody said: “Response Policing Week is a chance to celebrate the hard work and bravery of police officers who respond to different and challenging situations every day. 

“Their commitment and dedication to our communities are deeply appreciated, both by me and the residents of Avon and Somerset. 

“Response police officers’ efforts do not go unnoticed and the number of lives they have changed is undoubtedly beyond measure.” 

*In total, there were 4,381 calls for service across the week, with response officers attending almost 65 per cent of these. Colleagues from neighbourhood policing teams, operational support, and the Incident Assessment Unit (IAU) attended or managed the remaining 35 per cent.