Baroness Verma opens CNC firearms facility
Baroness Verma meets longest serving female firearms officer as she opens the Civil Nuclear Constabulary firearms range at Dounreay.
On 26 June 2014 the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Department of Energy and Climate Change Baroness Verma, officially opened the new CNC firing range at Dounreay.
The range, which has been constructed by Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd and funded by the Nuclear Decommissioning Agency, will enable CNC officers to train to the required standard accredited by the Home Office.
Chief Constable Mike Griffiths said:
I am delighted that Baroness Verma was able to observe and meet CNC officers carrying out their armed duties at Dounreay. She spent time with PC Gillian Spence, the longest serving female Authorised Firearms Officer in the country, before being shown around the new firearms training range where officers showed her a demonstration of the weapons and equipment they carry.
It was a fantastic opportunity to show CNC officers working closely with the site operator, demonstrating that safety and security plans work effectively together.
Baroness Verma said of her visit to the county:
This was my second visit to Dounreay and Caithness since becoming Minister and I was impressed with the significant progress made at the site. DSRL, CNC, and NDA can take a lot of credit for that.
Baroness Verma also visited the CNC headquarters based in Culham on 11 July 2014, where she had the chance to meet more members of the CNC and CNPA.