Annual Report 2025 - 2026: Making Wiltshire Safer

Welcome to the Wiltshire and Swindon Police and Crime Commissioner’s Annual Report for 2025–26. This report reflects the first full year of delivery of the Police and Crime Plan 2025–2029 and sets out the progress made towards Making Wiltshire Safer, alongside the areas where further improvement is needed.

During 2025/26, there were improvements in emergency call handling and response, neighbourhood policing and public confidence, while continued focus is needed on areas including investigation standards, victim communication, crime recording, safeguarding and vulnerability. The latest HMICFRS inspection also recognised progress in areas including prevention, the fair and appropriate use of police powers, leadership stability and financial management.

The Police and Crime Plan 2025–2029 is built around four priorities: ensuring a police service that meets the needs of its communities; reducing violence and serious harm; tackling the crimes that matter most to local communities; and improving the experience of victims and delivering justice.

Key achievements during 2025/26 include:

Emergency response

999 calls were answered in an average of five seconds, while immediate and priority response times also improved during the year despite increasing incident demand.

Neighbourhood policing

Investment through the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee added 24 grant-funded officer posts, while neighbourhood teams recorded 8,891 engagement activities and deployed mobile police stations on 250 days. HMICFRS found neighbourhood teams had the officers, staff, skills and training needed to work effectively with communities and partners.

Public confidence

Latest available Crime Survey for England and Wales data showed overall confidence in Wiltshire Police increasing from 70.2% to 71.3%. A separate national measure found 58% of people believed Wiltshire Police were doing an excellent or good job, compared with 49% nationally, the highest rating achieved by any police force in the South West.

Supporting victims

Horizon Victim and Witness Care provided support to 23,674 individual victims during 2025/26, while commissioned domestic abuse and related support services assisted 5,873 people. A total of £2.65m was invested to oversee and manage commissioned victim services.

Reducing violence and serious harm

Targeted prevention programmes continued to support people at risk of serious violence and exploitation. Evaluation of the relevant Focused Deterrence cohort recorded a 90% reduction in offending behaviour, while police-notified offences across evaluated Synergy cohorts reduced by 84.5%. HMICFRS identified Synergy as promising practice.

Safer communities

Recorded anti-social behaviour reduced by 5.6%, while road safety activity included 503 arrests for road traffic offences and 80 Community Speed Watch teams supported by more than 630 volunteers.

Investing in policing

Significant progress was made towards securing a six-acre site near Salisbury for the future Southern Policing Hub, supporting plans to provide modern policing infrastructure for Salisbury and wider south Wiltshire. At the end of 2025/26, completion remained subject to outstanding contractual conditions, including detailed planning permission.

The report also highlights work with communities, partners and commissioned services to tackle serious violence, anti-social behaviour, rural and business crime, improve road safety, support victims and vulnerable people, and ensure public money is used effectively.

Together with Wiltshire Police, partners and communities, the OPCC remains committed to Making Wiltshire Safer, maintaining the progress already made and focusing on the areas where further improvement is required.

Read the full Annual Report 2025–26 to find out how the Police and Crime Plan priorities have been delivered during the year and how the PCC, OPCC, Wiltshire Police and partners are working together to make Wiltshire and Swindon safer.

Annual report contents