There’s a new inspector in town and he is “here to stay”. Inspector Tom Stevens is now leading the Neighbourhood Policing Team at Grimsby West.
A Grimsby boy born and raised, he has strong plans to tackle the issues having the biggest impact on the lives of those that live and work here.
We caught up with him to find out a bit more about what makes him tick, as well as his plans for the area. Here is how it went:
Q: What made you want to become a Police Officer? A: Growing up I always wanted to someday be a police officer. I tried a couple of different jobs first, working for Conoco (as it used to be called) and then for the local authority, but friends in the force were always encouraging me to apply, saying that it was a job like no other.
I’m glad I listened because they were right, it’s a vocation that cannot be matched anywhere else and for me, 15 years in, it still is a great job.
Q: Wow 15 years, has that always been with Humberside Police? A: I joined Humberside Police in my early 20s and have never looked back or considered changing forces. The years have absolutely flown by.
As a Grimsby boy, born and raised, I have a real love of the area and a desire to do the best I can for the communities that live and work here.
I’ve seen many positive changes in the way we work over the last decade (and a bit) and really feel like I now have an opportunity, as an Inspector, to continue that legacy and keep making a positive impact in keeping our streets safe.
Q: Have you always worked in neighbourhood policing? A: My first few years in the force were spent working in the response teams across North East Lincolnshire. In this role I dealt with almost anything and everything that needed a rapid response from the police. Coming onto shift in a role like that, you never know what your day is going to involve. It could be intercepting a burglary in action, supporting a victim who has just been assaulted or rushing to the scene of a collision.
It was very fast paced and rewarding work, but one thing that I always admired from afar was the brilliant work our neighbourhood policing team colleagues would do afterwards, to offer the wraparound care and reassurance needed after an incident had taken place.
This inspired me to join the local policing team in Cleethorpes where I began to build those important connections with residents and businesses in the area.
Since then I have had a couple of other roles at Humberside Police, I worked with the response team at Scunthorpe for a while as part of a project to help improve our response to reported crimes. I have also worked as an investigating officer, overseeing investigations to ensure the best possible outcomes were achieved for our victims, a skill which is proving invaluable in my role as Neighbourhood Inspector.
Q: And you say you’re from Grimsby, tell us a bit about growing up in the town you now police? A: I am, I was born and grew up in Grimsby. I have so many fond memories of the town and I am pleased to be back here. I used to spend all my weekends around the Freshney Place Shopping Centre growing up and most of my pocket money was spent at Skelton’s Bakery on Victoria Street. If I wasn’t there I pretty much lived at the leisure centre where I played for the local Ice Hockey Team.
Q: Speaking of hobbies, what do you like to do to switch off when you’re not on duty? A: I like exercising, both walking and going to the gym, though I do need to get back into it properly after enjoying far too much food over Christmas.
I also enjoy relaxing at home after shift, putting my feet up with the latest must watch show on the telly. Currently I’m working my way through Stay Close which I am thoroughly enjoying.
Q: So, as the new Inspector for Grimsby West, what are your priorities for the area? A: My overall objective remains the same from everywhere I have worked, to tackle any crime and ASB that is causing harm to our communities.
On a local level, my priorities are focusing on policing the town centre and, with our partners, addressing associated crime and ASB within, and ensuring a strong response to reports of nuisance motorcycles, under Operation YellowFin.
In relation to both matters, I intend to run more days of actions targeting key areas to deal with the matters affecting the community. I will also be managing my resources to ensure that my staff are in the right places at the right time to take appropriate action against those committing an offence or behaving anti socially.
On first arriving, I want to ensure consistency to the teams and the community following on from the great work previously done by Inspector Martin Hopper. He has built a really strong team of dedicated individuals, who really care about what they do and the area they serve and I want to grow this legacy.
I intend to use this commitment to prioritise the issues that are causing the most distress to residents and will encourage my team to work on these matters, developing strong plans to create sustainable results. This will ensure that we don’t see the problems returning or further issues arising.
I am also keen to protect the vulnerable, by managing offenders in the community, diverting them from committing further crime and ASB. I believe this will help us build and maintain resilient communities which helps us to ensure public trust and confidence.
Q: What is your favourite part of being a police officer?
A: It may sound cheesy but honestly I just enjoy the whole experience of working for Humberside Police.
Our Chief Constable has revolutionised our working environment and culture which has delivered happy, confident and committed officers to work with.
I also love having the freedom to develop my own ideas to address problems, and it’s great when I see the outcomes that I achieve with the victims I engage with.
I appreciate this answer may sound unexciting to some, but having the ability to sort problems for a person in their time of need brings a level of job satisfaction that is hard to articulate.
Q: Finally, if you had one message for the local community, what would it be? A: Please speak with us and let us know what you need or what is affecting you in your area. My teams work so hard every day and are guided by the information you provide.
I want to know about the issues that impact your community. I want to provide assurance on consistency. I am here to stay and I want to get to know exactly what all the local communities need and how they feel working with us.
I want my staff to work in the right areas in the community and be readily accessible- be that online, at the station or in local pre-arranged sites for your convenience and need.
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As a Trust we want to work with carers of those with dementia to give them a voice to help us shape and improve our services.
Nationally one in four acute hospital beds is occupied with someone who has dementia. My role at the Trust is all about making sure that we are providing the best possible care for our patients with dementia; helping their carers/loved ones; and supporting colleagues caring for patients with dementia within our hospitals.
We know that being in hospital can be distressing and confusing for anyone, but having dementia can make this even worse – both as a patient and for those who provide invaluable support.
This is why we want to establish an Expert Reference Group of carers who have lived experience of dementia, who can share their experiences. There is no doubt that if you have lived with or through an experience then you are an expert much more than others who have not.
It is these valuable insights that we hope will help us to develop our dementia services – making them better for our patients and their carers.
We are looking for about 15 people who care (or have recently cared) for someone living with dementia to come together to form this group. They will then be able to:
Listen to staff who design and deliver services, make suggestions and contribute from their expert perspective as a carer who has experienced such services.
Collectively influence and act as a representative group that can be called upon to contribute to debate and discussion about dementia care within the Trust’s hospitals.
Bring valuable and unique lived experience into a group of others so that together a varied and inclusive view can be sought.
We want to hear our carers’ voices, we want you to work with us to let your lived experience help us to be the best we can possibly be, we want to listen and learn from your experiences.
This is not only about the care we provide today, but also in the future. Your voice really will help us to make changes that will benefit so many people from across Lincolnshire.
Please can I ask anyone, who is interested or would like more information, to email [email protected].
A five-person crew, including a double Winter Olympian from Lincoln, will be rowing 2,000 miles across Great Britain’s coastline to raise money for a cancer charity.
The crew is called ‘Sealegs’ and consists of Jason McKinlay, Emma Wolstenholme, Sophie Harris, Chris Howard and Lamin Deen – the latter of which is a local sports star.
Lamin, a sergeant in the Grenadier Guards, is a double Winter Olympian who competed at the 2014 and 2018 Games in the GB Bobsleigh team.
The quintet will be one of three teams taking part in the 2022 GB Row Challenge, which begins on June 12.
They will start and end their challenge at Tower Bridge in London, rowing continuously for 2,000 miles across the coastline of the country, all in aid of The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.
A fundraiser has been set up for the challenge which you can donate to by visiting the JustGiving page. You can also track the progress of the team here.
Lamin said: “It’s going to be incredibly tough, but I’m up for the challenge. Most importantly, it’s a race with a purpose.
“We are determined to raise as much as possible for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity’s vital work to improve the lives of cancer patients around the world, while also raising awareness of the wonders of British waters and the need to protect them.”
Amy Mullins, head of community fundraising at The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, said: “We are so grateful to Chris, Emma, Sophie, Lamin and Jason for taking on this epic feat of endurance in support of The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, and we wish them the very best of luck.
“Their generous support will help to accelerate the translation of world-leading research into breakthroughs in the treatment and care of cancer patients, not only at The Royal Marsden, but worldwide.”
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