Dumfries and Galloway Police Division has become the first in Scotland to pilot a new initiative supported by the Scotish Police Federation with the installation of coffee machines.
Calum Steele, General Secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, said:
“For a number of years we’ve been looking at options to put in place a member benefit that is not geographically dependent. Following a fairly extensive exercise, we settled on the idea of coffee machines used by our Swedish colleagues where the ‘coffee and cake’ culture is used by officers to decompress over a hot drink after attending difficult or traumatic events. After speaking with DCC Will Kerr, it was clear he was very much on board and saw this as an added opportunity for officers to form genuine bonds and friendships with colleagues while helping each other cope with what can be very difficult and arduous work. V Division and the command team have been particularly enthusiastic about adopting the coffee approach as a proposal, which will undoubtedly be a big part of us measuring the success of it and officers appreciating how valued they feel at their place of work”.
Ch. Supt Linda Jones, Divisional Commander added:
“I am delighted that coffee machines have been introduced across the division. When I first heard of the Federations proposal I was keen that V Division be one of the first divisions to benefit. These machines will provide officers with a hot drink to enjoy during briefing, debriefing or when completing paperwork during the shift. I understand the machines have already proved to be extremely popular and I look forward to hearing further feedback.”
