Frontline policing is being boosted across Warwickshire as Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe delivers on his promise to translate additional funding from the Police Precept into officer numbers across the county.
A new policing model, which goes live today, has been designed to ensure that Safer Neighbourhood Teams are protected, patrol policing is boosted and that officers, PCSOs and specialist teams are on duty at the right time to meet increased demand, protecting communities and vulnerable people.
Following extensive research, Warwickshire Police are making practical changes to focus on problem solving, addressing changing demands, improving visibility and maximising the benefits of new technologies.
The new model retains its locally-based Neighbourhood Policing Teams, with staffing realigned to fill vacancies and ensure that each team has the right resources to meet the demand in each area. This will in turn ensure they continue to be a visible presence in the towns and villages of Warwickshire, tackling crime, disorder and issues that significantly impact on the quality of life for those who live and work in the county.
Elsewhere, an additional 10 roads policing officer posts are being created to enable a greater focus on road safety initiatives and reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on our highways, while a new prisoner processing team will free up patrol officers to spend more time out in communities.
Additional funding from the Commissioner has also enabled the creation of a new Missing Persons Team, which will also work alongside the existing Child Sexual Exploitation team, with the objective of tackling the causes of people going missing, in order to safeguard vulnerable people and in the longer term reduce the number of people who go missing.
Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner said: “When I set the Police Precept this year I promised to invest the additional funding it raised directly into frontline policing in Warwickshire and this is what the new policing model delivers.
“Time and again the public have told me they want to see more visible policing in our communities and to receive the right service at the right time. Warwickshire Police has undertaken detailed work to make sure it matches its resources to the level of demand with its new model, which keeps neighbourhood policing as its bedrock but also provides additional capacity for patrol officers, roads policing and specialist teams to enable a continued focus on victims and protecting vulnerable people.
“Together with the considerable investments I have already made in new technology to support frontline policing and the progress which has already been made, I am confident these changes will ensure that we can continue to build a safer and more secure Warwickshire.”
Warwickshire Police’s Assistant Chief Constable, Richard Moore, said: “The changes we are making support Warwickshire Police’s ongoing work to improve the services we provide to our communities; by ensuring local policing officers are available and visible on our streets, making it easier for people to contact us when they need our help, and ensuring that the public receive the right support as quickly as possible.
“Our vision remains to protect people from harm, and we are focused on being as efficient and effective as we can be, especially when dealing with the most vulnerable members of our communities.”
