Two Years On: Make Policing More Visible and Connected
Last week, I updated you on the progress that has been made towards the Cut Crime and ASB priority of my Police and Crime Plan.
This week I would like to continue by telling you more about the work that’s been going on to make Dorset Police ‘More Visible and Connected’.
Visibility and Uplift
I am delighted to be able to say that Dorset Police not only met but exceeded its target for the Government's National Police Uplift Programme and there are now 174 new police officers in Dorset. This is the largest intake of trainee officers in Dorset since the creation of Police and Crime Commissioners back in 2012.
Dorset’s residents have frequently told me that they want to see more police officers on their streets, and I want to be clear that these new officers are not filling vacancies left by those who have retired or left the force. The significant majority are going where Dorset wants them and into community roles. Each recruit is integral to the Police and Crime Plan’s priority of our police being more visible, more connected, and more engaged with the people and communities they serve.
Engagement and Connectivity
Last summer, I supported Dorset Police as they ran a pilot programme that saw the introduction of a mobile police station front desk and office. Using a police van, force Contact Officers set up at dedicated locations to provide a physical point of contact and reporting in areas without a police station.
In addition to the mobile police station, Community Contact Points have been used in several areas, including Swanage, East Dorset and Christchurch, with the aim of providing a range of dedicated events intending to increase accessibility and visibility in local communities. These contact points offer a facility to report crime and incidents as well as offering prevention advice and generic engagement.
In Dorset, Neighbourhood Policing Teams are at the heart of community policing and each team along with the Response Team are the very backbone of community policing. Their work has been boosted in the last year with the creation and strengthening of a number of specialist teams, including the Rural Crime Team, Neighbourhood Enforcement Team and Missing Persons Team.
Last week I was delighted to be joined by Blandford’s local MP, Simon Hoare and Cllr Lacey -Clarke to promote the re-opening the front desk at Blandford police station, to trial the reopening front desks is something that I have fought hard for since becoming the PCC and I am hopeful that more front desks will open to the public over the coming months.
Customer Service
Following reports of Dorset Police having poor performance regarding response times, I issued the force with a formal challenge to improve the service, as a result, the force established a strategic group to assess and resolve the issues identified.
Consequently, a lot of work has also gone on towards improving the service Dorset residents received from their police force. In the last year, the average time for a 101 call to be answered has halved and 92% of 999 calls were answered in 10 seconds.
In March of this year, Dorset Police switched to using the national Single Online Home (SOH) website. SOH has been introduced across the majority of police forces over the last few years to bring uniformity and consistency to the process of finding out more about your local police service.
Essentially, the site offers a ‘digital front counter’ – making reporting non-emergency matters easier and quicker - getting the information you want to share with your police service, to the right person as efficiently and effectively as possible.
From the moment I came into office, the people of Dorset have told me they want to see more visible and connected policing, which is why I made it a priority of my Police and Crime Plan. I will continue to work alongside the Chief Constable to ensure that the public ‘see and feel’ the difference in policing over the coming weeks, months, and years.
I encourage you to continue to read my newsletters over the coming weeks to hear more highlights from the other five priorities and eventually, the full annual report when it is published.
David Sidwick
Police and Crime Commissioner for Dorset