Neighbourhood policing “guaranteed”

Much has been talked about neighbourhood policing in recent weeks.

Protecting and strengthening our communities has always been prominent in my police and crime prevention plan, a priority that was re-affirmed when I launched my new plan last month.

The Temporary Chief Constable also emphasised its importance when she announced the Gloucestershire Rapid Improvement Plan (GRIP), the Constabulary’s strategy for achieving financial and organisational stability, which she hopes will transform, improve and enable the force to provide a more effective service.

As part of the plan, the Constabulary’s neighbourhood policing function will have the equivalent of 143 full time police officers as well as 71, again full time equivalent, Police Community Support Officers, stationed around the county, with a built-in flexibility that will allow them to support one another, as required, in response to particular operations or incidents.

And now, or to be precise, towards the end of last week, the Prime Minister has announced details of the Government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, aimed at restoring and strengthening local policing in every community by the end of this Parliament. “Restoring confidence in local communities and taking visible action to tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB) and increasing the safety of our town centres and high streets”, was his stated aim.

In my role as the Association of Police and Crime Commissioner’s joint lead on local policing, I fully endorse the Government’s decision as it will help our own Constabulary to provide a more proactive presence and strengthen its relationships with our local communities and partners alike, as restoring trust and confidence in the police from the people they serve is another of my priorities.

A more engaged, visible and professionalised neighbourhood policing presence with consistent response times is critical to tackling crime and improving public safety. This is the message that we have taken to government and the PM’s announcement shows it is listening.

We look forward to continuing to work with the Home Office to ensure the full 13,000 expansion of Neighbourhood Policing is delivered as soon as possible, as it is vital this commitment results in tangible improvements for communities.

PCCs and Deputy Mayors are committed to ensuring that their police forces provide the best possible service to the communities they serve and will hold chief constables to account for delivering an improved policing offer to neighbourhoods in all force areas across England and Wales.