Agenda item

To receive an update from Chief Constable Catherine Roper.

If you would like to submit a question in advance, please email matthew.hitch@wiltshire.gov.uk.

Inspector Pete Foster gave an update on behalf of the Neighbourhood Police Team. Points included:

·       Thanks were given to Police Constable Jon Bourke for his contribution to the Neighbourhood Team over the past two years.

·       Police Constable Nick Dorey had joined the Neighbourhood Team and was described by Inspector Foster as enthusiastic and hardworking.

·       386 engagements had been carried out over the past three months, including patrols, school visits and a drop in event held earlier that day.

·       Over the same period, they had submitted 472 intelligence reports, carried out 12 stop and searches and made 23 arrests. 11 people had been sent to court and six warrants had been issued.

·       A retail working group had been established to enable retailers to share their concerns. The group had held its first meeting on 20 September and the next meeting was due to be held on 22 November.

·       The latest round of Operation Scorpion, a national initiative to tackle knife crime, had taken place the previous week and had included a weapons sweep in Castlefields.

·       Hare coursing had been tackled through Operation Galileo.

·       Calne had a relatively low level of offending compared to other areas of Wiltshire. The level of reported crime had reduced since 2023.

·       The Formal Action Taken (FAT) rate for the force had improved since the previous year, from around 13 or 14 percent, to 17.5 percent. In the Calne area the FAT rate was 16.4 percent, but it had increased by six percent since January 2024.

·       The FAT rate of the Neighbourhood Team, which also covered Chippenham and Corsham, was 31.5 percent, so almost double the force average.

·       Changes within Wiltshire Police over the past 18 months had meant that they were heading in the right direction.

During the discussion, the following points were made:

·       The Area Board thanked Inspector Foster for his presentation.

·       When asked about examples of change within Wiltshire Police, Chief Constable Catherine Roper explained that she had set three priorities, to:

Ø  Reduce violence and serious harm.

Ø  Tackle crimes that matter most to local communities.

Ø  Improve the experience of victims and deliver justice.

·       The Chief Constable was held to account by an elected official, Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson. Wiltshire Police had also produced a series of community commitments to ensure that the public received a consistent service.

·       Inspector Foster explained that the recent restructure of police response teams had contributed to improving performance. He explained that previously he was responsible for multiple teams, whereas now he could focus exclusively on the Neighbourhood Team.

·       Chief Constable Roper had initiated the change in the structure of the response teams. She explained that in 2014 Wiltshire’s response teams had merged with neighbourhood teams to create community police teams. The recent restructure had reversed this change.

·       Inspector Foster noted that shoplifting was often seen as a victimless crime, but it impacted small and large businesses.

·       Perry Payne, Wiltshire and Swindon Road Safety Partnership Manager, explained that a trial was taking place to use artificial intelligence in speed cameras. He noted that the technology was in its infancy, so was quite expensive, but had potential. Further work needed to take place to review the back-office support that would be required for the artificial intelligence cameras.

·       Wiltshire Police had been put in the ENGAGE ‘special measures’ process in 2022 following a Police Effectiveness, Efficiency and Legitimacy (PEEL) inspection. The Chief Constable was pleased to report that the force had come out of the ENGAGE Process in May 2024, following their most recent PEEL inspection. The results of the latest inspection were published in August and showed the significant improvements that had been made since 2022. A copy of the press release and report were available online.

·       Improvement measures put in place included introducing a clearer performance framework.

·       In August Wiltshire Police had been the second worst police force out of the 43 forces in England and Wales in terms of the time it took to answer 999 calls. By September 2024 they had risen to the thirty third best and they were now seventeenth best. The call abandonment rate had also improved.

·       Another recent inspection into how Wiltshire Police was responding to reports of serious sexual offences had found that the force had delivered on a series of recommendations made during a previous inspection.

·       Progress was being made to tackle stalking.

·       Wiltshire Police were bringing out a new diversity and inclusion strategy.

·       In response to a query whether police call centres were able to answer silent calls to extract information, the Chief Constable confirmed that they were.

·       A member of the public noted that it was possible to dial 55 after a 999 call to confirm that it was a genuine emergency if a person was unable to speak on the ‘phone.

·       Operation Scorpion was a joint operation run between forces in South West England to tackle county lines. A proactive operation was being planned for the week after next.

·       Thanks were given to the Chief Constable by the Area Board’s Older People’s and Carer’s Champion, Diane Gooch, for attending Calne Reconnecting Group.

·       In response to a written question from Celia Stevens, from Calne Town Council, about whether it would be possible to have an enquiry desk open at Calne Police Station at certain times, Inspector Foster explained that it would not be financially viable as data suggested there would not be an operational need. He highlighted that it was easier than ever to contact the police and that enquiry desks tended to have very limited footfall. In addition to emails, social media and Wiltshire Police’s website, there was a yellow telephone outside the station to enable people to talk to the police.