Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe
Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe says he is pleased with his progress towards making Warwickshire a safer and more secure place as he marks his first year since taking office today (May 12).
Since his election in 2016, Mr Seccombe has successfully launched his Police and Crime Plan for the county and agreed major new investments in equipment and infrastructure for Warwickshire Police, including new mobile technology – which is currently being rolled out to frontline officers – and the development of a state-of-the-art Operations and Communications Centre at Neville House in Warwick.
He has also this week confirmed £1.6 million in funding through his grants scheme, targeted at community initiatives which will help to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour or provide increased support for victims of crime across the county.
New services have also been co-commissioned across the past 12 months with Warwickshire County Council to support victims of domestic abuse, while the Commissioner has worked closely with his counterpart in West Mercia to deliver improvements to the Restorative Justice programme and support services to help keep local military veterans away from criminality.
Looking back on his first year, Mr Seccombe said: “It’s been a hugely busy first year and I’m proud of the achievements I have been able to make in this time. I said during the election campaign that I wanted to address the key issues that I know concern the public, particularly to ensure that our police are well trained and equipped to enable them to be highly visible in our communities.
“The investments I have made in new mobile technology for the force, together with the state-of-the-art systems which will underpin our new call centre and control room at Neville House, are beginning to deliver on that pledge and will make real improvements to the service the public receives from the police.
“I have also made considerable investments in community safety and crime prevention through my grants scheme to ensure that a wide range of services are available to help support victims of crime, prevent and reduce crime and provide programmes to rehabilitate offenders.
“All of this has been achieved without increasing the burden on local taxpayers, with a Council Tax freeze put in place for 2017-18 and financial reserves being used to boost the funding available this year for policing by more than £1 million.
“Transforming our police force to make it fit-for-purpose both now and into the future is no small task and it is clear there are still many challenges lying ahead before this can be fully achieved. However, I am confident that my Police and Crime Plan sets strong foundations for achieving the necessary reforms and I will continue to work hard to deliver on the priorities that you have told me are important to delivering a safer, more secure Warwickshire.”
