Port of Dover Police - Staffing

Staffing

As of 2012, the Port of Dover Police had an establishment of one Chief Superintendent (Chief Officer), one Superintendent (Deputy Chief Officer), two Inspectors, six Sergeants and thirty-eight Constables. The current Chief Officer is Chief Superintendent Steve Masters; the current Deputy Chief Officer is Superintendent Paul Wilczek.

The majority of officers perform uniformed mobile and foot patrols incorporating a neighbourhood policing unit, the force also has a small Criminal Investigation Department staffed by three detective constables and a detective sergeant, CID officers attend detective training courses at Kent Police training school. One constable is employed as a training officer (initial and in-service training) and the force provides all initial training not only for its own officers and staff, but also for the Port of Bristol Police and the Port of Felixstowe Police.

The Port of Dover operates 24 hours a day seven days a week which sees over 16.5 million passengers pass through it each year, this combined with huge volumes of cars lorries and coaches make it the busiest ferry port in Europe, additionally the port handles an ever increasing number of cargo ships, cruise ships and a huge movement of leisure craft at the marina. These statistics result in a very high level of daily interaction with the public which make it unique among some other port police forces. During 2009 officers of Port of Dover Police effected over 700 arrests for a wide variety of offences ranging from drink driving to theft, from fraud to public order. Add to that hundreds of other traffic and crime offences that were dealt with by way of reporting for summons, or by the issue of fixed penalty notices.

Civilian staff are employed alongside police officers, particularly in the manning of the control room and cctv cameras in the operational police station just inside the main entrance to the Eastern Docks. A separate headquarters building is located further inside the Eastern Docks, from where the Chief Officer and his deputy operate, along with the CID department and administration staff.