Training future wildlife cops.

Over the past two weeks Lancashire Police has been running a Covid safe training course for 60 of its officers. The NGO along with BASC have been involved in running elements of the training course for new wildlife police Officers and officers who work in rural locations in the North West of England. Attending the course were officers from Lancashire, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, North Wales as well as officers from the Transport Police enjoyed the 2 week course in which the NGO had an input over 4 of the days.

The course is designed to give the officers a greater understanding of the role of the gamekeeper in the British countryside, why and how they use traps in their conservation roles. Deer management along with Deer and Hare poaching, firearms, what they would expect to see if they came across a legitimate Pigeon Shooter / Wildfowler, as well as the General Licence ,and how it is a very important tool in the arsenal of Gamekeepers/conservationists, were also subjects covered over our 4 day input.

As part of the course, John Clarke, Development Officer for the North delivered a talk on what is a gamekeeper, and why it is important for the police and Gamekeepers to work together in tackling crime in the countryside?

For the officers that already work and live in the countryside it is an easy answer but for some officers who have urban backgrounds then starting with the basics was the obvious choice, explaining the differences between a lowground and an upland keeper, how much shooting puts into the rural economy and also how important shooting is to a rural communities wellbeing .