Jackson police host officers from England
British guests have chance to experience patrols in community
BY DAVE BENJAMIN Staff Writer

Capt. David Newman (l-r), Inspector Andrew Hawkins, Sgt. Graham Moffitt, Police Officer Fred Meabe and Public Safety Director Matthew Kunz stand shoulder to shoulder as West Midlands police officers from England visit with officers and police administrators from Jackson.

JACKSON - The officers of the Jackson Police Department were recently treated to a visit by fellow officers from across the pond - the Atlantic Ocean, that is.

"It is heartfelt to know that the 'thin blue line' runs across the ocean to our brothers in other countries," said Jackson Police Officer Fred Meabe, a seven-year member of the department. "This is the first time in the history of this department that we have ever had any diplomats from other countries take part in something like this."

Inspector Andy Hawkins and Detective Sgt. Graham Moffitt, police officers from the West Midlands Police in central England, paid a visit to New York City and then to Jackson.

The West Midlands Police is the second largest police force in the United Kingdom, covering an area of 348 square miles and serving a population of almost 2.63 million people. The force is made up of 8,226 police officers, supported by 3,582 police staff, 937 special constables and 669 police community support officers.

The force deals with more than 2,000 emergency calls for help every day, as well as patrolling the streets and responding to incidents 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The British officers' trip to the United States was arranged by Protect The Protectors, a voluntary police organization established 14 years ago to improve and campaign for better physical protection for police officers in the United Kingdom.

Moffitt, an officer for 24 years and currently an intelligence officer in the Counter Terrorist Unit, said the officers paid for their travel and accommodations and used their paid annual leave to make the trip to America.

Hawkins is currently responsible for 74 officers and staff in uniform operations in Wolverhampton, a city in West Midlands. The officer said he found Americans to be warm, sincere and genuinely welcoming.

For Hawkins and Moffitt it was their third visit to America and an opportunity to join their overseas colleagues at the 9/11 memorial in New York and to pay a visit to some new acquaintances, fellow officers at the Jackson Police Department.

Upon their arrival, the two British officers took part in a memorial event at the World Trade Center site with officers from Canada, Australia, France, Germany and the United States.

They marched with a 20-member United Kingdom contingent to the British Memorial Gardens at Hanover Square, near Water Street and Old Slip, in New York City, for a memorial service dedicated to the 67 British citizens who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001, and also to the many thousands of British service personnel and others who gave their lives alongside their American comrades in past wars and conflicts.

The new memorial, www.britishmemorialgarden.org, is part of the lower Manhattan rejuvenation program.

"It was always a privilege to attend the various ceremonies and stand shoulder to shoulder with our colleagues over the pond," said Hawkins, an officer for 13 years. "The memorials are events which can't fail to move you and remind us of the constant threats and challenges we face on both sides of the water."

For Meabe, who has taken part in the World Trade Center ceremony five times on Sept. 11, it was a time to meet with officers from other countries and to continue old acquaintances.

"I met Sgt. Moffitt and Inspector Hawkins last year at the ceremony and maintained a dialogue with them," Meabe said. "This year both gentlemen were invited to interact with the Jackson Police Department."

While visiting with the Jackson Police Department, the two British officers spent time on duty with Meabe and Officer Michael Kelly. They took part in calls for police assistance, motor vehicle stops and a drug arrest. The guests also spoke with the Jackson Police Explorers and used the police firing range.

"The majority of police officers (in the United Kingdom) don't carry firearms, so it was not only good fun to have my first experience of shooting a variety of firearms out on the range, but also an insight into the professional approach Jackson takes in training their officers in the use of lethal weapons," Hawkins said.

He said he learned a lot from his time on patrol in Jackson. He said in many ways it reinforced his view that policing challenges and the way they are handled in different nations are not that different.

"From my personal observations," said Hawkins, "I think officers in the U.K. benefit from more wider ranging powers. However, we could learn some lessons from Jackson in terms of working practices, reducing paperwork and maximizing patrol time."

He also said he believes something can also be learned from the Police Explorers, which is a group of young adults who are considering careers in law enforcement. The Police Explorers assist the Jackson police in a number of capacities as part of their training.

Jackson police Capt. David Newman, patrol commander, said, "Their policing is more community oriented. They rely a great deal on intelligence information gathered from the citizen contacts that they make."

Newman said the British are very effective in that particular style of policing and said it helps them significantly in their security efforts, whether they are investigating street-corner drug dealing, keeping tabs on neo-Nazi extremists or tracking down potential terrorists.

Meabe added, "I feel honored that these two gentlemen visited our police department and were able to observe our standards of American policing. I will always remain close friends with these two gentlemen and hope that one day someone from our agency has the opportunity to visit their department in England."

Meabe said he hopes to continue this experience and offer invitations to representatives of other countries to visit with the Jackson Police Department.

Director of Public Safety Matthew Kunz said he hopes to establish a longstanding relationship with the British officers, which would enable his department to foster a better understanding of policing from other perspectives.

"I hope this visit extends a positive image of our agency far beyond our local borders," Kunz said. "No doubt the courtesy and professionalism displayed by our staff in hosting the British officers will achieve this and more."

Newman was also very pleased with the visit.

"I would like to show an extension of my gratitude and a showing of camaraderie to our brother officers from overseas," he said. "This visit has had a tremendous effect on morale. It's given the department quite a boost, since this is a first for this department, having visitors from a foreign country come to our police department."

Moffitt said the courtesy and hospitality that everyone showed the British officers while they were guests in Jackson was second to none.

"Everyone took time to show us what they did and I would like to thank them all for the experience of a lifetime," he said.