Assistant Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman, Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe, Chief Constable Martin Jelley and Michael Clifton, Estate Project Manager from Place Partnership at Neville House
Construction work has started on a new state-of-the-art Operations Communications Centre (OCC) which will improve policing services across Warwickshire.
The project will see Neville House, on the Warwick Technology Park, entirely refurbished to provide a new, purpose-designed facility handling emergency and non-emergency calls. Changes in technology, telecoms, estates and culture will mean officers and staff can work more efficiently and effectively. For the public, it will mean improved responses and better opportunities to stay up to date on the progress of investigations.
The building is owned by the Warwickshire Police and Commissioner and work to complete the facility is being project-managed by Place Partnership. Construction and enabling works are expected to be completed by the end of 2017.
Philip Seccombe, Police and Crime Commissioner for Warwickshire, said: “It has been extremely important to be able to retain the OCC facility here in Warwickshire, so I’m delighted that construction work is now getting under way at Neville House. This is a multi-million pound investment in the county which will retain jobs and ensure that the local knowledge of our workforce and the strong links with the Warwickshire community are maintained, creating an asset with which we can be very proud.
“When it opens, the new OCC will mark a significant step forward in meeting the pledge I made in in my Police and Crime Plan to deliver a modernised and efficient police force. Combined with investments in sophisticated new technology systems, staff at Neville House will have the very best facilities and tools at their disposal to ensure that when people contact Warwickshire Police, they are dealt with efficiently and effectively, with the most appropriate resources used to meet their call for assistance.”
Warwickshire Chief Constable Martin Jelley said: “As a force we strive to deliver the best policing resources we can, whilst adapting to meet the changing needs of our communities. We are undertaking a wide-reaching modernisation program and this new facility represents a significant milestone in our vision for the future. I welcome the start of this work, which will deliver the state-of-the-art facilities our officers and staff deserve, and look forward to seeing the building progress in the New Year.”
Assistant Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman, the policing lead for the project said: “This is about more than the building itself; the changes to technology will revolutionise the way our communities can interact with us and bring key improvements in our ability to respond to incidents. Officers and staff will be equipped with the tools they need to provide the most effective service to our communities and ensure people get the right service first time.”
