1 Setting the scene
You are going to be presented with an unfolding scenario that uses the knowledge you have gained from completing the Community engagement and policing courses [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] . You will start by first reading an initial description of a fictitious location we have called Sandford.
You take the role of a police officer who is working in a new and slightly challenging location who has to build relations with the local community and address the issues they are facing. As you read through the description try to relate the situation described to similar towns or cities near you.
Review the scenario carefully to understand the situation you are in. You may wish to take a few notes about some of the key features of the location.
Scenario: Sandford Town part 1
Sandford is a well-established large town that is currently enjoying a period of economic redevelopment and population growth after a long period of post-industrial economic decline. The area of Sandford we are concentrating on is a suburb on the edge of the town that is experiencing changes associated with the redevelopment process.
As an area of urban regeneration, old terraced housing is being cleared away for modern social housing developments. Most recently a modern block of flats has been built on behalf of a local housing association. The nearby university is also investing in new student accommodation in association with a private company who have built the student facilities. Other areas of the suburb are still ‘work-in-progress’. Next to the new block of flats is an area of cleared land which is awaiting new house building, where children have started to gather to play football and socialise. On the border of the wasteland is an uninhabited terraced street, in a state of disrepair, awaiting demolishment.
There is a community centre that is located in a 1970s-style shopping area that contains a small set of shops, including a GP practice, pharmacy and a mini-supermarket. There is a much larger supermarket a mile further down the road.
