Mike Bannard being presented the Protection of Life from Fire Award by Chief Inspector Steve Maskrey of Burton Police Station‘THE public always think about the bosh through the front door and the massive police presence but that is only a small part of a major operation’.
These were the words of Sergeant Kath Taylor, who forms of Staffordshire Police’s Tactical Planning Unit.
In exclusive interview with the Mail, she lifted the lid on how her team plans for an operation – such as the recent clampdown on drugs in Burton - and the painstaking process that they have to go through.
She said: “There are eight officers in the unit in total and we deal with a wide range of planning across the force.
“If we look at something such as Operation Nemesis, the process would begin with us sitting down the investigation team for a discussion.
“We would look at how many arrests will be being made, locations and if we need staff with specialist skills such as people who break down the doors or drugs etc.
“The meeting will also allow us to decide what kind of kit and equipment we will need, draw up a transport plan and decide on a briefing location.
“This is often police headquarters if it is a big operation but it can also be nearer at someone like a football stadium if we need to be closer to the target addresses.
“We then have to find the required officers that we need and while we do this it is also important that we don’t leave other areas in the county lacking in terms of policing.
“A fine balance has to be struck by all involved and those not.
“It can be difficult task and after we know who we want we have to inform them and work out how they will get to where they need to.”
Sgt Taylor spoke to the Mail just hours before more than 150 officers launched a series of dawn raids across Burton and South Derbyshire as part of plan to dismantle the town’s drug trade under the banner Operation Nemesis.
This was the third raid of its kind in the space of three months and so far it has helped near more than 30 alleged drug dealers.
Sgt Taylor added “Sometimes we can have months and months notice to plan and on other occasions be told we only have a few days to put together an operation.
“No matter the operation is, we will make it happen.
“All of the unit will be part of the operations on the day and assist in anyway that we can.
“We help plan a range of operations such as the G8 conference, the search for missing youngster April Jones in Wales last year and V Festival.
“We do a lot of hard work behind the scenes as others do but unfortunately people only remember the exciting bits of the operations.
“The public can’t see what we do but it goes along way to allowing the frontline cops to get in and get the criminals.
“Operations like Nemesis show what happens when the force as a whole works together to get a great result for the community’.
