PCC identifies Neighbourhood Policing Teams as "bedrock of local policing"
Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson has highlighted the importance of Neighbourhood Policing Teams (NPTs) as Wiltshire Police begins a campaign to highlight the work they do.
Neighbourhood police officers strive to make life better and safer for everyone in the communities they serve. For many officers, this is the reason they joined the Force: to be a trusted presence in the community, working closely with people and using a range of problem-solving skills to address community issues.
Mr Wilkinson said:
"Neighbourhood Policing Teams are ones who the public are most likely to encounter in their day to day lives, and their contribution to policing in Wiltshire is vital to building trust and confidence in the Force as a whole.
“Their ability to build strong relationships with their local communities and our partner agencies is crucial to not only apprehend criminals, but to prevent crime from happening in the first place. They are the bedrock of local policing and effective community engagement is key in making Wiltshire safer.
“My commitment to our residents in my police and crime plan is that there will be an effective and visible police force in Wiltshire and the Chief Constable has made Neighbourhood Policing Teams central to that commitment.”
A large amount of Wiltshire Police’s demand is hidden from wider public view. Many people will see overt Community Engagement within our schools, local events and the traditional proactive work like drugs warrants.
What goes unseen though, is the work with partner agencies and work on crimes such as burglaries and retail theft.
NPTs work closely with both the town and Wiltshire Councils; dog wardens; housing associations; Pubwatch schemes and many more organisations, to achieve the common goal of making sure communities remain a nice place to live.
Working together and sharing information effectively, allow NPTs to achieve collective ambitions and utilise tools and powers that may not be afforded to one agency alone. This includes using statistical data to identify hotpots across the county where anti-social behaviour (ASB) is most problematic and increase the number of patrols in those areas.
Jenn Holton, Neighbourhood Crime Reduction Lead for Wiltshire Police and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner said:
“This isn’t just about more visible patrols though. Through working with our partners to identify the root causes of ASB, and offering solutions such as detached youth work or out of court resolutions, we want to get to the heart of anti-social behaviour and serious violence, so we can create safer spaces in our communities.”
