Deputy chief constable says first weeks at Lincolnshire Police has “opened my eyes”

DCC Julia Debenham joined Lincolnshire Police on June 13, after spending 29 years in Leicestershire Police. Since arriving, she has spent time getting to know the people who make up Lincolnshire Police and has been out with officers and staff to better understand policing in Lincolnshire.

She said: “I’ve been made to feel really welcome, both by colleagues and by members of our communities who I’ve met as I’ve been spending time in different parts of the county.

“Lincolnshire is really unique, not just because of its geography, which can be challenging to police, but because of the people who make up this lovely county and the different lifestyles, experiences and challenges they may have had.”

DCC Debenham has worked with Lincolnshire for many years as part of regional collaborations during her time in Leicestershire, but has found that spending time recently with frontline officers and staff has deepened her understanding and changed her perspective.

“I always knew policing in Lincolnshire was different to that of its regional neighbours but getting out and about has really opened my eyes,” she said.

“It’s clear that this force, which is well known for not being well-funded, is doing exceptionally well not in spite of its resources but because of its resources – that means its people. Lincolnshire is a challenging county to police, but we have a force of capable and committed people who are omnicompetent, committed and passionate, confident and skilled to deal with all kinds of incidents they’re presented with.

“And the teamwork is phenomenal, it’s rare to see people pull together so quickly and with such determination to tackle and resolve incidents and keep people in this county safe.”

DCC Debenham’s role supports the Chief Constable in delivering his strategy to work together to make Lincolnshire the safest place to live, work and visit.

A major part of this is around resources, and making sure that the right people, with the right skills and equipment, are in the right place to best serve and protect communities, both now and into the future.

She added: “Policing is there to help people when there are problems but, ideally, we want to prevent those problems before they happen, and we can’t do that alone.

“There are some strong working relationships with other agencies in Lincolnshire who are there to help others and I want to build on those.

“It’s true that policing is often the organisation people will go to at times of crisis, however that looks, but there’s a lot going into trying to recognise and stop those crises before they happen because that has to be better for everyone involved.

“It’s a challenge where there’s still work to do, and one I’m really looking forward to getting properly stuck into.

“For now, I’m really grateful to everyone who has made me feel so welcome so far and I’m really looking forward to getting out more and meeting some more people in the coming weeks and months.”