Police chief offers update on progress being made

WILTSHIRE Police chief constable Catherine Roper has re-affirmed her commitment to overseeing dramatic improvements to the force in the county.

This follows her appearance earlier this month before the Policing Performance Oversight Group (PPOG) following last year’s HMICFRS PEEL inspection.

The inspection had graded Wiltshire Police as ‘inadequate’ in a number of key responsibilities: strategic planning; its ability to respond to the public; and its ability to protect vulnerable people.

The report also described the force as ‘requiring improvement’ in a number of other areas and made a series of recommendations.

Chief constable Roper said: “While there are some early signs of improved delivery in our policing service across Wiltshire, this has yet to achieve consistent and sustained performance improvements across the board.

“My officers and staff are working extremely hard. However, we still have much more to do to achieve our ambitions of providing the best possible service to our communities and re-build trust and confidence in Wiltshire Police.

“We need to now embed the changes we have made to date and adopt a culture that is truly victim-focused.

“To assist us in continuing with our improvement journey, I have developed a single, clear plan for Wiltshire Police, which will be supported by explicit delivery plans. I have also appointed a dedicated senior member of police staff who will be instrumental in improving scrutiny, oversight and accountability across all departments.

“I have established three key priority areas for operational delivery: safer public spaces; violence; and burglary.

“These priority areas respond directly to the concerns of our communities – and ensure people feel safe both inside and outside of their homes. They are also key features of the Police and Crime Plan as set out by the Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon.

“I will be expecting my teams to provide the best possible response to all demands for service, but these three areas will be our focus. Nothing less will do.”