Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe has produced a plan to outline the work he and his office are doing to support communities and Warwickshire Police during the Covid-19 emergency and beyond.
The plan, published on the PCC’s website today, outlines the work that is under way to mitigate the risks posed by Covid-19, to provide help and support to those that need it. It also sets out how the Commissioner will continue to support the Chief Constable while also holding him to account in delivering an efficient and effective policing service to communities during the crisis.
The document sits alongside the main Warwickshire Police and Crime Plan, which remains in place to 2021 through the Commissioner’s extended term of office, with the overall ambition of creating a safer, more secure Warwickshire.
Mr Seccombe explained: “While Covid-19 is principally a public health emergency, not a policing crisis, it does nonetheless present many challenges across the community safety arena. We have all seen disruption in our daily lives and it is really important to provide reassurance to the public as to how the priorities and ambitions of the Police and Crime Plan will continue to be delivered, despite these difficulties.
“That includes dealing with the here and now while also putting in the foundations for ensuring that policing and community safety will be maintained over the course of the rest of the year as we begin to emerge from this initial phase of the pandemic.
“Warwickshire has always proved itself to be resilient and I am convinced we will continue to see the strong partnership working that the county is famed for, bringing communities together to help each other throughout these challenging circumstances.
“I know this is a very worrying time for everyone, so I hope the information in this document demonstrates the active role I and my office are continuing to take, giving reassurance that everything possible is being done to effectively navigate our way through this emergency.”
Some of the key actions outlined in the plan include:
- Working with service providers to ensure that commissioned services protecting the vulnerable continue to operate at a high level and have the necessary funding and resilience to maintain services as required.
- Pushing forward with an early release of the Commissioner’s Grant Scheme to ensure that charities and other organisations supporting community safety have immediate access to funding to continue their vital work.
- The introduction of new and flexible ways of working to ensure the continuity of the Independent Custody Visiting Scheme;
- The chairing of a meeting of the members of the Local Criminal Justice Board to understand the impact of Covid-19 across the key agencies involved in criminal justice;
- Supporting Warwickshire Police by embedding a number of the Commissioner’s staff within the force’s emergency planning teams during the initial phase of the response, providing additional expertise and resilience.
The Covid-19 Supplement will continue to evolve over the coming weeks as the situation in the community changes.
The document can be read in full on the PCC’s website at: https://www.warwickshire-pcc.gov.uk/police-and-crime-plan/covid-19-supplement/
