The Area Board received a
presentation from Philip Wilkinson, Police and Crime Commissioner
for Wiltshire and Swindon. The presentation covered the following
points:
- The Police and Crime
Commissioner informed the Area Board that the Police and Crime Plan
for 2022-2025 had been created by taking guidance from his own
resources and the Home Officer, as well as by conducting a
community survey to understand what residents wanted.
- Examples of the
community survey were shared, with just under 3,000 residents
having responded. A key finding was that 47% of people felt a
little or much less safe than they did 2 years ago.
- The OPCC commissioned
the “Leaders Unlocked” programme to establish a network
of young commissioners to engage with other young people to discuss
policing, safety and crime. More than 1,100 young people responded
with their priorities and concerns.
- The draft Police and
Crime Plan 2022-2025 was outlined with the following
priorities:
- Priority 1: A police
service that meets the needs of its communities
- Priority 2: Reduce
Violence and Serious Harm
- Priority 3: Tackle
crimes that matter to local communities
- Priority 4: Improve
the experience of victims and help deliver a more effective justice
system.
- The PCC updated that
three new speeding cameras have been purchased that can produce up
to 20 tickets an hour. Additionally, a night vision drone has been
purchased for the rural crime team in order to better coordinate
responses to major incidents. Additionally, there has been an
uplift of 62 officers, which will be distributed across the
force.
- The PCC stressed that
those in attendance should encourage residents to provide
information to Crimestoppers in order to allow the police to
compile information around county lines. Intense action and
operations are planned in the near future.
Following the presentation
there was time for the following questions and points
to be raised:
- It was brought to the
PCC’s attention that locally there are Community Speedwatch stations unmanned due to intimidation.
It was also clarified that collected data would be appreciated by
the police as this would allow for the identification of repeat
offenders and hotspots. Additionally, the road safety team has been
increased to 5 teams of 4 cars in order to allow for better
coverage.
- Councillor Matt Dean
implored the PCC to have a focus on people and policing rather than
the buildings required. Councillor Dean also noted that a potential
way of making budget savings for the PCC could be through licensing
as currently there is duplication within this area between
Wiltshire Police and the Council.
- Regarding the current
situation regarding a custody suite, the PCC updated that two
options are currently being explored, including the full police
takeover of Bourne Hill or a site on
the Churchfield estate in Salisbury.
- It was clarified by
the PCC that to have a custody suite would require taking up to 24
police officers off of the street. Therefore anyone arrested would
be taken to the closest custody suite to where there were
arrested.
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The PCC noted that once new legislation goes
through, the police will be able to take a much stronger stance on
rural crime. The PCC also noted the success of a recent rural crime
resolution in Avebury.