Fed supports Response Policing Week

20 April 2026

Durham Police Federation is backing officers across the Force during Response Policing Week, with representatives heading out to frontline locations to meet members directly and recognise their work.

Now in its sixth year, Response Policing Week (20–26 April) highlights the vital role response officers play in policing and the communities they serve.

Rather than inviting members to come to them, Federation reps will be out on the ground throughout the week, visiting stations and workplaces to speak directly with officers, listen to their experiences, and ensure their voices are heard at every level.

The branch will visit Bishop Auckland on Monday afternoon (20 April), followed by Spennymoor Police Station on Tuesday morning (21 April) and Peterlee Police Station later that day. 

Response shifts

Visits continue on Wednesday morning at the Investigation Hub, Thursday morning at the Glow Centre, and conclude at Chester-le-Street Police Station on Friday afternoon.

In addition, workplace representatives will be supporting response shifts in both Durham and Darlington across the week, working alongside officers to better understand the pressures of frontline policing.

Durham Police Federation vice chair Louise Ramshaw said: “Response policing is the backbone of the police service.

“Response officers are the ones turning up first to often unpredictable and fast-moving situations. They are making critical decisions under pressure while continuing to protect and reassure the public in some of the most challenging circumstances.

“As a Federation, it is really important to us that we don’t just say that we value our members - we go out and show it. That is why this week we are spending time with officers in their workplaces, listening to them, and seeing first-hand the realities they face every day.

“Response Policing Week gives us a dedicated opportunity to thank officers properly, to recognise their professionalism, and to make sure they know their work is seen, valued and supported.”

Response Policing Week was launched in 2021 and brings together Police Federation branches, forces, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), the College of Policing, and Oscar Kilo, the National Police Wellbeing Service, to recognise the professionalism, courage and pressures of response policing.

The College of Policing is also hosting five free online CPD sessions throughout the week, open to anyone working in or with an interest in response policing.

Find out more about the sessions.

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