Major changes to local policing at Wiltshire Police
Chief Constable Catherine Roper says she's excited by the changes coming in.
A series of changes are being made to Wiltshire Police's local policing services in the coming weeks in a bid to improve visibility, consistency and resilience within the Force.
It's the first major overhaul under the guidance of Chief Constable Catherine Roper, who joined the Force in February 2023.
The changes include new shift patterns for Response Teams, increased resources for Neighbourhood Policing Teams, the introduction of Community Commitments and an addition pair of neighbourhood engagement vehicles.
Chief Constable Roper says she's excited by the changes.
“I am really excited by the opportunities these changes present to fundamentally improve the local policing service we provide to our communities, achieve greater consistency in the way we deliver neighbourhood policing and create a stronger, more visible and more resilient local policing model."
They've come after months of consistent feedback from local communities and teams within the Force and they'll be coming into action from Monday 8th January 2024.
New Chief's first major changes
Previously, the Response Teams and Neighbourhood Policing Teams had worked collectively as the Community Policing Teams, but the Chief has separated them, as officers weren't able to provide the best possible support.
This will allow officers to work in their bespoke areas to deliver high quality service to the communities.
"I wanted to make sure that I had the right people with the right skills on at the right time to make sure that we had the ability to match demand," Chief Constable Roper told Greatest Hits Radio.
And the new shift pattern means that Wiltshire Police have the right people, with the right skills, on at the right time to support local communities.
"By being able to increase their focus on the distinct teams, I truly believe that people will receive a better service across our communities."
Communities can also expect improvements in consistency, through the Community Commitments.
These outline the engagement communities should expect from Neighbourhood Policing Teams, allowing the Force to be held accountable for the service they provide.
And the visibility of the Neighbourhood Policing Teams will be improved through the doubling of the Force's neighbourhood engagement vehicles, from two to four, which have been funded by Wiltshire's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).
This will help particularly in rural areas.
PCC demands policing service that meets needs
PCC Philip Wilkinson said the delivery of a policing service the meets community needs, has never been more important.
“With public trust and confidence in policing being questioned nationally we should be doing all we can locally to ensure our residents are getting what they need – and deserve – from their police service.
“The changes will mean increased visibility, greater access to neighbourhood officers– especially in more rural areas – alongside police officers who are better equipped and structured so they can respond to the public more efficiently.
"I believe this shows a Force determined to do all they can on the ground to improve policing for our communities and will directly deliver Priority One of my police and crime plan.
“This priority was influenced by you, the public, and will contribute to Making Wiltshire Safer in the short, and long, term. Both the Chief Constable and I are committed to ensuring that not only will communities be safer but they will start to feel safer too."