New ‘Plan’ for senior police officer after promotion

Chief Inspector Lee St Quinton is about to start a new job as Superintendent, Head of Partnerships, which will see him with a desk at Police Headquarters in Nettleham but also operating across the county.

His success working with partnerships to drive down crime as part of the Summertime Policing Plan he launched last year has gone a long way to securing the new role.

That and his experience of policing large numbers of people havng been based in a town with a population of 20,000 rising to around 250,000 in the summer for almost all his career 20-year career.

The Plan saw Lincolnshire Police working alongside organisations such as the RNLI, Coastwatch, Butlin’s, local councils and St John Ambulance Brigade to help visitors and residents feel safe, especially in the night-time economy.

Currently part of a study by Lincoln University, Chief Insp St Quinton said it has already received good feedback from the community, partners, elected members and staff regarding crime, missing people and reducing the fear of crime.

"It’s about maximising the value of working together to solve priorities in communities,” Chief Insp St Quinton explained. "Making the night-time economy safer with less knives and drugs and also prioritising the VAWG campaign (Violence Against Women and Girls) were all part of the Plan.

In particular the introduction of the knife arch and weapon detecting wands used in Operation California saw a 47 per cent reduction in knife crime and was hailed a massive success.

As a result, this initiative is now being roled out across the county with an increase to three knife arches and six wands, following securing funding from the Serious Violence Core Priority group.

The group will also fund further operations at the busiest times of the summer season working alongside St John Ambulance Brigade – another priority to help visitors and locals feel safe.

"Delivering the Plan has certainly been a highlight of my time as Chief Insp along the coast,” he said. “After taking the role we had a particularly busy summer in 2022 and it was clear something needed to be done.

"The lowest point was just before we launched the plan last summer when a man because the victim of manslaughter due to knife crime.

"Incidents like this are devastating for families and officers but this one underlined even more my determination to drive down knife crime.”

As Chief Insp St Quinton decides where to hang the long service certificate he received last year, he eagerly awaits seeing the recommendations by Lincoln University regarding the 2024 Summertime Policing Plan.

That will be delivered by the current Neighbourhood Police Inps at Boston, Colin Clarkson, who takes over at Skegness later this month.

Chief Insp St Quinton said: “I’m confident Insp Clarkson will be a good fit for the coast and delivering the 2024 Plan having been successful in driving down ant-social behaviour and violence in Boston.

"As someone who also lives in Skegness, it is important to me and my family that the town is a safe place to work and live.”