‘After three years here in Gibraltar, I think I know the mood of the public tolerably well.  Our Community respects you and everything that you do. And they know that what you do isn’t easy.’

-          His Excellency Vice Admiral Sir David Steel speaking to Royal Gibraltar Police officers today.

-           

The Governor was addressing a Leadership Seminar held at Bleak House which was attended by over 40 police officers and civilian staff. The police officers were all of the rank of Sergeant and above.

In his address, the Governor stressed the many difficulties faced by RGP officers:

‘Unlike many other forces, you have a sea area, a land area and an overhead area to police, including negotiating the difficulties with an often challenging neighbour.  You have to counter drug and tobacco smuggling and so much else besides… And perhaps the greatest challenge is that you live in such close proximity to those you serve… Being a police officer is one of the hardest jobs there can possibly be.’

The Governor went on to analyse some of the leadership qualities exemplified by great leaders of the past such as Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela, Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King and others.

In his own address, the Commissioner of Police Richard Ullger spoke about the increasing demands on the RGP and about the many tasks undertaken by the RGP which go unseen by the public.  He stressed that the force’s main task is to keep Gibraltar safe but he also spoke about the force’s resource shortages and its poor IT systems. He also stressed that the force now better understands the demands that are placed upon it and recognises the importance of good mental health amongst its staff.

Mr Ullger also referred to the high number and scale of fraud cases which are currently being investigated by the very small team of officers within the Economic Crime Unit and he also alluded to the high workload currently being shouldered by the Safeguarding Team.  However, he also stressed that he was proud of the commitment and dedication shown by his officers across the whole spectrum of policing.

During the day, other presentations covered such areas as the Code of Ethics, Women in Policing, the Wellbeing of staff, Risk Management and RGP Finances.

At the end of the Seminar, the Commissioner of Police said:

‘Today has been an excellent opportunity to lift our heads up from our daily tasks and to consider some of the strategic issues that we face.  I believe that all my workforce have leadership skills in their own right so I was particularly grateful to the Governor for his thoughtful insights into the subject of Leadership. It has been a really useful day at a time when the RGP faces serious challenges on various fronts.’