I’ve never been keen on the word Ambition, always associating it with striving to succeed at all costs.  I don’t consider myself as particularly ambitious, which I know is a little odd as a deputy chief constable. I’ve never had my career mapped out and always loved the job I’m in at the time, rarely looking beyond wanting to do my best right here and now. I remember being told I needed a career plan – I avoided that task so long I got there despite one.  However, over the years I’ve grown to know it’s not good for me to be too comfortable.  I’m at my best when I’m stretched, challenged to achieve and out of my comfort zone.

Part of my job in WMP is to write our Ambition Plan.  I know our organisation and our people are at their best when stretched, challenged and not too comfortable, so our plan is unashamedly ambitious.  We may not achieve it all but we’ll give it our best shot.  As this is my second year of planning here, I’ve learnt a lot from what worked well last...

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• Action Fraud is warning the public about a sharp rise in fraudsters sending out fake text messages and phishing emails claiming to be from TSB. 
   
• Since the start of May, there have been 321 phishing reports made to Action Fraud – an increase on the previous month where 30 reports were made.
   
• In the same reporting period, there have been 51 reports of cybercrime to Action Fraud which mention TSB – an increase on the previous month, where 24 reports were made.
   
• Action Fraud and TSB are working together to combat fraud and help keep all consumers safe.

How is this happening?

The increase in the number of reports being sent to Action Fraud is in part linked to the system issue some TSB customers have experienced over recent weeks. Opportunistic fraudsters are using TSB’s system issue to target people with this type of fraud. TSB, or any bank, will never ask for a PIN, password or full memorable information by email or text. 

Fraudsters are commonly using text messages as a way to defraud...

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The man is trembling, sitting on the bed in the spare motel room down by the highway. Sometimes, these rooms are filled with the patient’s worldly belongings, but this room seems to only have the bed, a dresser, a chair and the TV. The man is in his fifties, a portly man with white hair and liver spots on his hands. The Spanish woman in the room with him is of an indeterminate age. She wears a pink tank top and grey yoga pants with flip flops, even though it is cold and blustery out. She is the one who called. When I say she is of indeterminate age, I mean she could be anywhere from 30-50. It appears she is missing a fair number of teeth and her arms lack the tone of a younger woman. While he talks to us, she walks behind him and mimics a man shooting heroin. He says he is a diabetic and hasn’t eaten or taken his insulin for a couple days. He says he got robbed last night and has no money. He is going to have some transferred up to him tomorrow. We check his sugar and it is 485. The normal range is 80-120. 485 is in the danger...

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My healthcare, and that of my family and friends, is absolutely none of your business. None whatsoever, with all due respect! Yours is none of mine and I’m only professionally interested in a very limited and particular way.

I’ve been asked a few times whether I’m interested in this area of policing because I have personal experience of mental health problems, or perhaps via a good friend or relative? That’s none of your business, as I’ve said. This reply should not be used to construe that the answer is ‘Yes’ and that I’m trotting out privacy rights in order to avoid revealing things. To be honest, I’m trotting out my privacy rights (and those of my friends and relatives) just because I can and because it’s up to me whether I reveal things about my or their health. I’m afraid, I’m a bit like that – private, contrarian and rather fond of my rights as well as being very content with the attendant obligations that always accompany rights. It’s my decision what I choose to reveal about my healthcare and...

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