CLTF Research and Development Officer (12 month FTC/Secondment)

The Major Crime Unit County Lines Taskforce are now recruiting for a Research and Development Officer. The aims of the taskforce are to:

• To close drug lines in line with Home Office requirements
• Bring County Lines perpetrators to justice by increasing the consequences and decreasing the reward associated with county lines offending
• Reduce the exploitation of young people and vulnerable adults ensuring appropriate safeguarding and support for county lines victims
• Reducing and mitigating violence and Homicides linked to County Lines
• Tackle the enablers of county lines (including telecoms/online, transport and illicit finance)

Role Key Responsibilities

• Analyse and interpret multiple sets of large telecommunications data and use intelligence and investigatory skills to identify the nature of phone numbers referred to the County Lines Taskforce
• Provide in-depth development packages and handovers for the investigation teams
• Using the RAG status identify any RED referrals as top priority for sanctioning to an investigation team
• Manage multiple referrals at once and work to prioritise the workload based on risk and current Force objectives
• Review and interrogate intelligence systems and submit relevant intelligence logs
• Identify vulnerable children and adults that may feature within the telecommunications data and update relevant teams with this information
• Look for signs of potential exploitation and identify who the exploiters are using telecommunications data and intelligence systems
• Manage the County Lines Inbox
• Manage all incoming County Lines referrals and requests for support and provide timely updates to referrers
• Update and maintain trackers
• Provide SLT with advice on further actions for the developed county lines at weekly sanctioning meetings
• Identify changing trends within County Lines operating models and inform SLT
• Provide advice, guidance, training, and support to other departments and Forces
• Support departments/LPAs within WMP and other Forces with their operations, including disruption of criminal activity, and threats to life that involve County Lines nominals
• Use NAS to support identifying suspects and wider criminality
• Provide tactical advice to support investigative and enforcement action both internally and externally
• Work with other teams within the department when required to support them with their investigations/operations
• Support live time operations when required (occasionally outside of normal working hours and at other sites)
• Plan and prep pro-active traffic enforcement and support on the live operation
• Manage the database for ANPR resources and carry out intelligence work for deployment

Knowledge and skills
Essential

• Knowledge of County Lines and their operating models
• Knowledge of exploitation and vulnerability
• Ability to plan and prioritise high workloads with the added ability to multi-task multiple inputs from different sources and stakeholders
• Excellent communication and listening skills
• Effective time management skills and ability to work on own initiative
• Excellent organisational skills and able to multi-task in often fast-paced situations
• Active, effective, and positive team player
• Ability to present, influence and communicate information and rationale clearly and confidently to all levels of the organisation and other Forces
• Excellent level of literacy and numeracy skills to support accurate data entry onto computer records, producing written documentation and proofing incoming referrals
• Confident using Excel and other Windows-based programmes
• Good at building and maintaining working relationships with both internal and external colleagues at all levels
• Able to use Connect and Insight
• Trained and competent in the use of CycComms, CSAS, and NAS
• Awareness of RIPA/DSAs
• Experience of working in a busy environment

Desirable

• Experian, PNC and PND trained

Location - Central Birmingham
Hours - Core Hours Mon-Fri 8am-4pm
Contract - This is a twelve-month fixed term contract role until 31 March 2025.
Contact - For more information please contact Insps Mark Robinson or Lisa Yates-Laughton.
Vetting - Successful applicants will be required to pass Recruitment Vetting and Counter Terrorism Clearance scrutiny prior to commencing their role, this will include a full background & financial disclosure as part of the vetting process.
Medical - Appointment to this role will be dependent upon successfully passing medical checks, which may include a drugs test and if required a fitness test.
Under the Probation Policy, if you are currently in your probation period, during your probationary period you will not be permitted to apply for alternative police staff roles within the Force unless there are exceptional circumstances. In such cases, you would require the support of your line manager prior to applying for alternative roles, and if successful, your probationary period will start over.
West Midlands Police is a Disability Confident Leader - the highest level an organisation can achieve under the scheme run by the Department of Work and Pensions. As part of our commitment we operate a 'Disability Confident Interview Scheme' - all candidates who declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role will be offered an interview.