Victim support must reflect our changes in demand

Ask anyone what the police do and most will answer along the lines of 'catching criminals' and the image they would give is of stereotypical 'bobby on the beat'. Yet policing in this day and age is so much more.

Beyond The Beat, which launched this week, is taking a closer look at modern-day policing and aims to challenge the perceptions that the public have around what Wiltshire Police actually does beyond visible policing and how they keep communities safe.

Increasingly we are seeing that many instances of crime are invisible to the public - and so too is the police resource that is dealing with it. We have many officers working extremely hard, away from the public eye, to keep our residents and communities safe. Just because you can't see a police officer, it does not mean that policing isn't happening.

This week we are focusing on mental health and I hope some of the issues raised through this campaign will illustrate to you those 'hidden' demands that our police officers are dealing with.

It is estimated that police now spend 25% of their time dealing with mental health related incidents. 

Victims, witnesses and communities are at the heart of everything Wiltshire Police does as set out by my Police and Crime Plan and it's fundamental that the services I commission support victims and witnesses from their very first contact with the police and throughout any proceedings that follow.

Being a victim of crime can be traumatic, stressful and upsetting, and I am committed to ensuring that we have services in place to support people through difficult situations as part of my role to make sure that the justice system meets the public's needs.

Since we launched Horizon Victim and Witness care in 2015, they have offered enhanced support to 11,269 vulnerable victims of crime and, to date this year, more than 1000 vulnerable victims have been supported.

I am proud of the service offered. Last year my office spent £824,368 commissioning services to support victims and witnesses. Crime affects everyone differently and we need to provide tailored support to help people to cope and recover.

It is important to me, as the PCC, that our service to victims is fit-for-purpose and adapts as the nature of demand is changing and I am committed to making that happen.