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The Chief Constable publicly sends these updates to the Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon every fortnight so that together with communities and stakeholders, he can see the very clear steps that they are taking and we can all hold them to account to their commitments.
Dear Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Wilkinson,
There has been much public debate this week regarding police conduct and the level of sanctions handed down to officers in gross misconduct cases.
Whilst it would not be appropriate for me to comment on cases outside of Wiltshire Police, I thought it was important to share my expectations and the current landscape within our Force.
I expect the highest level of professionalism, care and diligence from each of my officers, staff and volunteers. Where this falls short, it is right that robust and timely enquiries take place to ascertain why and, crucially, what impact this might have had on our service to the public.
I also think it is imperative to have a transparent and accountable approach to misconduct within policing – the public rightly expect and deserve to know what action we are taking when individuals have let them down.
To that end, I wanted to share the latest misconduct data for Wiltshire Police:
New rules were introduced last month which have created a presumption of dismissal for proven gross misconduct. This means there is a clear expectation that officers will be sacked unless there are exceptional circumstances.
Our communities can find out more about our misconduct processes, see upcoming hearings and read misconduct hearing outcomes on this section of our website.
I want to stress that the individuals under investigation in these misconduct cases represent the minority of those working within Wiltshire Police.
By stark contrast, this week we held our Wiltshire Police Awards ceremony where we celebrated those who are dedicated to improving our service to the public.
These included:
We also recognised the incredible actions of members of the public whose efforts have been invaluable to supporting our investigations or victims of crime.
These included:
I would like to congratulate every person nominated and awarded at our ceremony. I would also like to acknowledge their loved ones – policing can be an extremely demanding career, and our support networks are key to enabling us to provide the best possible service.
I would also like to share some of the recent improvements we’ve seen within our contact centre.
Over the last year, we’ve invested significantly into ensuring that calls for our service are answered as quickly and efficiently as possible.
This has included increasing the number of staff on duty at key times, retaining a higher number of operators which has increased the number of experienced staff within the contact centre and ensuring staff are trained to deal with both 101 (non-emergency) and 999 calls.
In an average week, our call centre receives approximately 10,000 calls from the public and takes 500 online reports or referrals.
The national target is to answer 90% of 999 emergency calls in less than 10 seconds. Wiltshire Police have been at or close to that figure consistently since the end of last year -averaging 89.8% across the last 7 months.
National figures released last week, also show that in March it took, on average, 5 seconds for us to answer 101 calls compared to 16 seconds in April last year.
After 101 calls are initially answered, they are passed to our Crime Recording and Incident Bureau (CRIB) for further investigation. The average wait time between the 101 call being initially answered and then picked up by the CRIB is between 5-8 minutes.
We are also surveying those people who abandon their calls to us via 101 before we answer them to understand why. Of the current sample size, 30% of responders said they either went online for our help or called back.
It is only by understanding these behaviours that we can implement real, meaningful change to improve how the public can better access our services.
As ever, I will continue to update you and our communities on this progress.
Finally, this is national Volunteers Week, and I know you and our Chief of Corporate Services John Derryman hosted our volunteers in celebration event to mark their contributions this morning. I wanted to say a heartfelt thank you to all our volunteers and Special Constables for their efforts in supporting Wiltshire Police and your office - we could not provide our service without them.
Kindest regards,
Catherine Roper
Chief Constable, Wiltshire Police
Dear Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Wilkinson,
This week is Sceptre – the national knife crime awareness week involving all 43 forces across England and Wales. Much of the social media presence by Wiltshire Police this week has highlighted our focussed activity to support this week of action, however I wanted to provide further detail to you and our communities.
One of my three organisational priorities is to tackle and reduce the level of violence and serious harm in our communities, and I welcome your support in achieving this outcome through your ongoing focus in your Police and Crime Plan for 2025-2029. Your plan emphasises the importance of understanding the causes of knife crime, and all partners must support each other under the Serious Violence Duty to reduce knife crime in our communities.
Firstly, it is important to highlight that Wiltshire remains one of the safest places to live in the country. The most recently published data from the Office of National Statistics shows that Wiltshire Police ranks the lowest nationally for recorded incidents of knife crime with 34 crimes committed per 100,000 people.
Our Force data also shows that we have made considerable progress in reducing the level of knife crime in our communities. In the past 12 months, we had a 9 per cent reduction in recorded knife crimes compared to the previous 12 months – with 736 crimes reported. Swindon recorded a 14.7 per cent decrease, amounting to 61 fewer incidents, while the rest of the county collectively recorded a decrease of 2.2 per cent – 8 fewer incidents.
However, experiencing a reduction in the number of knife crimes reported to us is not enough.
We must continue to proactively tackle criminals who bring violence to our streets through the use of knives and bladed articles, whilst also ensuring better outcomes for victims. We are continuing to improve the outcomes of our criminal investigations into knife crime offences, with 33.7 per cent of offences now resulting in formal action taken, meaning more people are being held to account for their crimes.
We also continue to work with our partners to educate our young people on the dangers of carrying knives. This includes dispelling the myth among young people that carrying a knife offers them protection. We know from the data that this is simply not the case and the sad reality is that carrying a knife makes you much more likely to be a victim of knife crime.
While our work to tackle knife crime takes place all year round, there has been a particular focus on it for the past week as part of Sceptre. As a Force, we have focused on early intervention – to address the root causes of involvement in knife crime and educate young people on the consequences of carrying a knife.
Our activity this week has included:
Wiltshire Police are also working with partners to remove weapons from our streets entirely. We have five permanent knife surrender bins in Swindon (Pinetrees Community Centre, Liden Library, Meadowcroft Playing Fields, Walcot Dome and Broadgreen Community Centre) and one at Wiltshire Football Association HQ in Devizes, plus a temporary bin outside Tidworth Police Station this week. These are jointly funded by the Drugs Forfeiture Fund and our local parish councils and aim to encourage people to hand in any bladed weapons they are carrying. There are also three knife bins supplied by Swindon Charity Owen’s World in New College Swindon (Queen’s Drive and North Star campuses) and John Moulton Hall. We have been emptying all of these to permanently dispose of weapons from across Wiltshire. We encourage our communities to continue using these – and that they recognise the significance each time they do so - that every act of placing a weapon in a bin could save a life.
I mentioned earlier the Serious Violence Duty, which has successfully brought together various organisations across Wiltshire and shares a vision to reduce serious violence incidents and make Wiltshire and Swindon Safer.
To support the delivery of the Serious Violence Duty, the Violence Reduction Partnership received £250,000 of funding from the Home Office, via the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, and has funded evidence-based initiatives primarily focused on upskilling professionals, early intervention, and education.
These initiatives include:
These initiatives have a huge impact in helping to reduce violent offences and also identifies those most at risk of becoming offenders and victims, building stronger relationships with them and supporting skills development to enable them to make positive choices for their future.
As the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Children and Young Persons, I am committed to ensuring that the first contact young people have with us should not be when they are involved in a criminal investigation, be that victim or suspect, but instead through positive interactions within the community to build trust. In Wiltshire, these include initiatives like the knife crime awareness workshops Blunt Truth, which are delivered in schools in collaboration with the NHS; the Mini Police programme; Police Cadets; the Junior Good Citizen Awards and our annual events with the Girl Guides and the Scouts, to name but a few.
Wiltshire Police will continue to work with all its partners and communities to make sure we are keeping the young people of Wiltshire safe.
Kindest regards,
Catherine Roper
Chief Constable, Wiltshire Police
Dear Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Wilkinson,
This week marked the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day - a significant moment in our shared history when, on 8 May 1945, the guns fell silent and the Second World War came to an end in Europe.
This milestone offered us all the opportunity to pause and reflect on the immense sacrifices made by a generation in the name of freedom, peace and hope for a better future.
VE Day reminds us not only of those who served, but also of the resilience of communities at home – families who endured loss, hardship and uncertainty with extraordinary courage. As members of the policing family, we carry forward that same spirit of service and unity.
Across the county, our Neighbourhood Policing Teams took part in local commemorations to mark the occasion and positively engage with our communities. As part of the UK’s VE 80 campaign, over a thousand beacons and lights of peace were lit across the country and I was honoured to attend the lighting of the beacon in Malmesbury.
Fostering ever-closer relationships with our communities is central to my commitment to Keeping Wiltshire Safe.
Part of this is around ensuring our communities are fully appraised of key operational activity which has taken place in their neighbourhoods.
Over the last week, there have been several significant matters which I would like to update our communities on.
Last Saturday, a highly public arrest was made in Swindon town centre as part of a targeted, pre-planned operation relating to a Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) investigation. Across the country, a total of five Iranian nationals were arrested on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act. As part of the investigation, addresses in Swindon were searched and cordons were put in place to protect the integrity of ongoing enquiries.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the officers and staff who have continued to support our communities through regular, high visibility patrols in Broadgreen and the town centre. These areas will likely have an ongoing police presence as the CTP investigation progresses and I would like to thank the local residents for their patience and understanding while this continues.
Investigation updates will be shared on the new section of the Metropolitan Police website, which you can view here.
Our communities living close to Salisbury will also have seen a significant policing presence last Saturday following the tragic murder of Darren Hughes in Longhenge.
Specialist officers are continuing to support Darren’s family through this immensely difficult time and all our thoughts are with them.
Following swift enquiries, Alfie Miller, 21, of Willow Drive in Durrington, was arrested at the scene, charged with murder the following day and appeared in court on May 6. He is next due at Winchester Crown Court on July 22.
Whilst there was no risk to the wider public relating to this incident, it has understandably caused significant distress and concern to the local community. The heightened police presence which remained in the area throughout the week has now subsided and I would like to thank residents for their co-operation with officers during the early stages of the investigation. Their flexibility and understanding enabled officers to preserve key evidence and undertake searches of the area.
The conduct of police officers has been subject to national debate this week after the Government announced new rules relating to the dismissal of officers found guilty of gross misconduct.
Under the new rules, which will come into force from May 28, a presumption of dismissal will be created for proven gross misconduct, which means there will be a clear expectation that officers will be sacked unless there are exceptional circumstances.
The Government’s announcement can be found here.
In the last two weeks, two Wiltshire Police officers have been dismissed for gross misconduct:
Our communities can find out more about our misconduct processes, see upcoming hearings and read misconduct hearing outcomes on this section of our website.
In addition to these hearings, a former Wiltshire Police officer, Callum Denley, was sentenced on May 2 after pleading guilty to five charges relating to indecent images. He was given a 10-month custodial sentence, suspended for 18 months, given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 18 months and will be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.
Denley resigned from the organisation after his arrest, having been immediately suspended as soon as we became aware of his offending.
I am sure our communities share my concern relating to all three of these cases. Wiltshire Police will continue to robustly tackle any officer, staff member or volunteer who does not behave with the highest possible standards, and we will continue to provide updates to our communities where we have held people to account.
In stark contrast, I wanted to end my letter to you this fortnight by sharing two positive updates which highlight the very best of our organisation.
Firstly, I wanted to share the incredible news that the Wiltshire Police ICT team recently won a global award for their harnessing of robotics to improve our data quality processes. Our Robotics Team won the Rising Star award in the SS&C Blue Prism Customer Excellence Awards held in New York – beating competition from around the world.
This award illustrates our commitment to harnessing the very latest robotics technology to help us improve the quality of our data. This, in turn, helps provide us with a much clearer understanding of how people use our services and how our officers and staff are using our systems to best benefit victims.
It is also improving our communications with the public when they contact us – for example, the use of robotics to send text messages when someone abandons a 101 call.
Well done to all those recognised in these global awards.
Finally, last Friday, 13 of our Police Cadets and four Cadet leaders took part in the ‘Doorway SleepOut’ event in Chippenham to help raise money and awareness of the challenges faced by people who are affected by homelessness.
Our Cadets slept outside in sleeping bags and have so far raised £1,300 for the Doorway charity. I would like to congratulate all those who participated in this important fundraising event. You can find out more about Doorway here.
Kindest regards,
Catherine Roper
Chief Constable, Wiltshire Police
Dear Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Wilkinson,
This week, Wiltshire Police has participated in a national campaign to raise awareness of the devastating impact caused by stalking, as part of our ongoing commitment to tackle violence, especially against women and girls (VAWG).
We would continue to encourage anyone who feels they may have been a victim of persistent or unwanted attention which makes them feel scared, distressed or threatened to report it to us, and always dial 999 if they feel at immediate risk or harm.
We recognise that it can take significant courage to report this type of abhorrent and criminal behaviour and whilst Wiltshire Police is here to listen, believe and act on any report made, there are other organisations such as FearFree and Victim Support which offer support to victims of stalking and harassment, as well as other crimes.
As part of National Stalking Awareness Week, we are proactively using our social media to share where support and help is available – and also to highlight ‘red flags’ which may be an indicator of concerning and criminal behaviour.
Project Vigilant continues to keep people safe in the nighttime economy through using intelligence to identify people who are displaying concerning behaviours, and stop predatory sex offenders who are looking to target women. We recently shared a video highlighting this work, you can view it here.
We have also introduced our Walk and Talk initiative which invites women aged 18 and over to share locations where they feel unsafe, and for us to go there with them to discuss what action may be undertaken to improve that area. The feedback we receive during these engagements is shared with our partners in the local authority to see what we can do as a collective to improve the safety of women. We would be pleased to hear from more women across the county who have identified somewhere they feel unsafe and who would like to get involved in this initiative. Please contact us at [email protected] and title your email ‘Walk and Talk’.
Wiltshire Police has invested in further training and awareness with all officers and staff to improve their understanding of how a victim of stalking – and indeed any crime - can be best supported; how we can improve investigations into stalking, and how we can ensure we hold offenders to account for their actions. Additional training has also been provided to officers to increase applications for Stalking Protection Orders and identifying the digital elements of stalking through coordination with our Digital Investigations and Intelligence Unit. We also have dedicated officers who review all allegations of stalking on a daily basis to ensure that all investigative opportunities are maximised, and that the support to the victim is at the heart of everything we do.
Wiltshire Police is dedicated to the relentless pursuit of those people responsible for stalking and all VAWG offences. I would encourage our communities to please continue to report any crimes or behaviours of concern, against themselves or another – and we will act on the intelligence. I have included the links to our website for anyone who wishes to read more – and again, if anyone ever feels in immediate risk or harm, then always dial 999.
As part of its continued commitment to increase its visibility to rural communities, Wiltshire Police has commenced a focussed effort to support horse owners in both crime prevention and road safety.
I would like to thank the British Horse Society for their incredible generosity in donating tack stamping kits which our Neighbourhood Policing Teams, with support from the Neighbourhood Harm Reduction Unit, will continue to use during equestrian yard visits. These kits embed an individual code put onto tack which is then registered to a national online database and help identify the owner if it is ever stolen. This allows for more effective investigations into rural theft and the wider usage of them act as a deterrent to thieves.
Thanks to these kits, PCSOs from the Neighbourhood Policing Team in Royal Wootton Basset were able to mark more than 90 saddles and bridles during recent events. Anyone who would like to know more about this service can email their local Neighbourhood Policing Team and an officer will contact them. To find your team, visit the ‘Your Area’ section of the Wiltshire Police website.
This positive work will continue into Equine Week of Action and Operation Gallop which commence next week and will see officers engage with the equine community to combat theft and protect riders. In addition, policing teams will engage with road users directly and through social media posts to educate drivers on safety around horses. This will include specifically what to do if they encounter a horse on the road, how to pass the rider without creating fear or alarm and to emphasise the risks associated with unsafely passing horses.
Neighbourhood officers will attend stable yards to engage with residents, offer tack stamping and conduct rural patrols on byways. Operation Close Pass focuses on rider safety on the roads, promoting safe distances cars should keep away from horses, and the safe speeds drivers should maintain when passing horses. Officers will be visiting roads frequently used by the equine community to ensure that drivers are adhering to the correct road etiquette around horses. For more information about Operation Close Pass and Operation Gallop, visit our website here.
Our mobile police station will be visiting areas in Trowbridge and Melksham between April 28 and May 5 as part of this week of action – with the exact times and locations of these visits available to view on the meetings and events section of ‘Your Area’ and the Rural Crime Team’s social media page.
Additionally, officers will share advice on how to report driving offences caught using a dashcam. This is part of our ongoing Operation Snap which puts power into the public’s hands, allowing them to hold irresponsible drivers accountable to help make the roads safer for all. Last year we received 681 submissions from the public which led to 80 prosecutions. Further information about Operation Snap is available on our social media page here.
Online fraud is becoming more prominent than ever before and being aware of the risks associated with this type of crime is extremely important. An ActionFraud report detailing a sharp rise in people losing money through ticket sale fraud recently caught my attention, with people in Wiltshire losing more than £100k to fraudulent ticket scams in 2024. As we transition into summer, we are actively warning people to stay vigilant when buying tickets for concerts or events online.
We have shared advice on purchasing tickets to protect people from falling foul of these scammers and avoiding unnecessary disappointment and financial loss. Some recommendations include using a credit card when buying tickets to avoid bank transfer scams; ensuring email accounts used to buy tickets are secured with two-step verification; checking whether vendors are members of Society of Ticket Agents and exercising caution with adverts offering unbelievably good discounts. I would encourage anyone looking to buy tickets this year to read the information shared on our social media page.
Finally, I would like to thank my officers and partner agencies who recently responded to two separate calls to persons in need, saving two lives and ensuring the longer-term support was in place beyond the emergency. Both incidents were undoubtedly deeply distressing for those in crisis. I am glad my teams could provide the support where it was needed.
We will always be there for people in a moment of crisis. If ever someone feels they are struggling with their mental health, or you are worried someone needs immediate help, please pick up the phone and dial 999.
I would like to recognise the incredible support provided by our partners to people who are experiencing a moment of personal challenge. The Samaritans offer a free, 24/7 helpline on 116 123 and NHS mental health services can be reached by calling 111 and pressing option 2. I encourage our communities to always pick up a phone if they feel they or another needs help.
As I close this letter, I would just like to reflect once again on the strong partnerships and community engagement that exists in Wiltshire, as evidenced in this update to you. My policing teams could not do their essential work if it were not for the support of others – and as ever, I thank them all.
Kindest regards,
Catherine Roper
Chief Constable, Wiltshire Police
Dear Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson,
Yesterday, the Government made additional announcements regarding the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee.
The Guarantee sets out what communities should expect from their neighbourhood policing team.
The latest announcements included:
I’m pleased to confirm that Wiltshire Police is already well advanced with these measures.
Last year, more than 6,000 hours of visible patrols in hotspot areas were conducted across the county involving more than 140 officers, Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs), and ASB Street Wardens. This resulted in 87 people being arrested, 32 stop searches conducted and over 150 ASB incidents addressed, including public disorder, youth-related ASB, vehicle-related ASB, and street drinking. This was overseen by our dedicated ASB Hotspot Manager.
We’re currently developing a Neighbourhood Policing performance framework which will clearly monitor our local policing service to our communities. This will be published on our website so the public can hold us to account for its delivery. In addition, we will be regularly publishing engagement plans, targeted patrol information and updates on community consultations.
We’ve increased the use of our Mobile Police Vehicles to ensure a wider reach into our neighbourhoods, providing valuable face-to-face engagement within our communities. From today, the public can find out exactly when and where these vehicles will be in their local area by visiting the Your Area section of our website, putting in their postcode and clicking on the ‘Meetings and Events’ tab.
On these pages, each Neighbourhood Policing Team also provides regular updates on their local priorities, outcomes - including warrants, traffic operations and partnership activity, contact information, and local crime data.
I am confident these measures will continue to have a positive impact across Wiltshire.
In addition to our activity, it is crucial we continue to develop our local partnerships and collaborations.
One such example is the recent transformational review of our Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) coordinated by your office.
CSPs are local collaborations which bring together various agencies, including the police, local authorities, fire and rescue services, health partners, and the Probation Service, to tackle crime, disorder, and antisocial behaviour in communities. We have one covering Swindon and one covering Wiltshire.
Many of the crime and disorder issues experienced by our communities are multi-faceted and cannot be solved simply by enforcement action by the police. Partnership working is vital if we are to truly solve problems which generate crime and anti-social behaviour.
I believe our collective improvements will support our communities better.
Wiltshire Police has consistently enjoyed a positive relationship with the county’s High Sheriff and, over the last few weeks, former High Sheriff, Dr Olivia Chapple, was keen to recognise the incredible work of our volunteers.
Among the recipients of this year’s High Sheriff Awards, was Ken Bridgeman who recently celebrated 45 years as a special constable with Wiltshire Police.
Ken currently works in the Special Road Safety Unit and is trained to drive HGVs to support Operation Tramline – our joint operation with National Highways which uses an unmarked HGV to help detect offences such as drivers using mobile phones or failing to wear a seatbelt.
I would like to publicly thank Ken for his unwavering dedication to public service, and also take a moment to thank all our outstanding volunteers. We simply couldn’t do our work without you.
Dr Chapple also presented a commendation to PC Nicola Crabbe for her brave actions when a man was stabbed in Devizes town centre last summer.
On June 29, PC Crabbe was faced with a man holding a knife, attacking another man. She bravely intervened and managed to stop the offender, Kubilay Bostanli, from continuing his assault.
Kubilay Bostanli, 27, of Anzio Road, Devizes, was found guilty of attempted murder following a trial in January and is due to be sentenced at a later date.
PC Crabbe has also been nominated for the Police Bravery Awards later this year in London.
As I’ve outlined previously, we continue to strengthen our approach to tackling crimes impacting on our rural communities.
Some recent activity which has taken place to underline this includes:
I hope this update provides further reassurance of our focus on those engaging in rural criminality. The increased cross border collaboration will ensure our response is ever more robust.
Finally, I firmly believe that part of developing the public’s trust and confidence in us is operating in the most transparent and open way – facilitating meaningful two-way conversations with our communities.
On Monday (14 April), I will be hosting my regular Facebook Live event at 6.30pm and I look forward to hearing from our communities about any concerns, questions or suggestions they might have. In addition to taking questions live during the hour-long session, they can also be submitted in advance via the Wiltshire Police Facebook page.
Kindest regards,
Catherine Roper
Chief Constable, Wiltshire Police
Dear Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Wilkinson,
Last week, you launched your Police and Crime Plan for the next four years which I will continue to use as the roadmap for how we deliver policing services in Wiltshire.
The plan focuses on supporting victims, tackling the crimes that matter most to our communities, transforming investigations and providing a better public experience for those using our services.
Your refreshed plan has the voices of our communities at its heart, and I fully agree with the strategic priorities you have set.
I will ensure delivery of your plan through the Force’s operational priorities of Safer Public Spaces, Violence and Burglary.
We have made progress in improving our service and I am committed to continuing this and ensuring that we are Keeping Wiltshire Safe. Our communities can read your full Police and Crime Plan here.
Last week also marked an important milestone in the Online Safety Act with social media companies, websites and apps now legally required to tackle criminal content online.
As part of this, Ofcom launched a new enforcement programme into child sexual abuse imagery on file-sharing services.
It is now a legal requirement for providers of services in scope of the Act to understand how likely it is that users could encounter illegal content on their service, or, in the case of ‘user-to-user’ services, how they could be used to commit or facilitate certain criminal offences.
Platforms must now implement appropriate measures to remove illegal material quickly when they become aware of it, and to reduce the risk of criminal content from appearing in the first place.
As the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Children and Young People, I support any measures which aim to protect young people online.
The impacts of social media on teenagers have also been highlighted in the recent Netflix drama series Adolescence, as referenced by the Prime Minister in the House of Commons last week.
I hope that the show will help form the basis for meaningful conversations on how we all have a responsibility to protect children and young people from harm online.
Linked to this, last week the National Crime Agency (NCA) produced its annual report which outlined a deeply concerning trend of online networks – predominantly made up of teenage boys - committing a range of criminality against children of the same age or younger. This included fraud, extremism, serious violence, and child sexual abuse.
The NCA is coordinating a national policing response to this emerging issue by collaborating with technology companies, safeguarding agencies and psychologists.
In addition to this, last month the Home Secretary commissioned His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) to carry out a review of progress made following the Government’s 2023 inspection into how police were responding to group-based child sexual exploitation.
I can confirm that Wiltshire Police is progressing all the national recommendations made in the 2023 report. To support this, I also commissioned a review of all grooming and Child Sexual Exploitation investigations in Wiltshire over the last ten years including outcomes and how we’ve managed the associated risks. This will provide us with a comprehensive picture of offending in our county and help identify any improvements we can make to better support victims.
If anyone has any concerns about children at risk of harm, please contact us immediately. More advice can be found on our website. More information about the Online Safety Act can be found here.
Keeping our communities fully informed of the improvements we are making to the service they receive remains a key focus for me – particularly as we navigate the financial challenges we have previously outlined.
To help assist with this, yesterday, I held one of my regular briefings with editors from local media publications where they can raise any issue they feel important to the public. The media are a key stakeholder in terms of holding me – and the Force – to account and asking the questions that our communities want answered.
We covered topics ranging from our financial position, our people and how I will ensure that our communities receive enhanced visibility and public access to our services. This will include us publishing more information relating to our Neighbourhood Policing offer on our website in the coming weeks.
To continue our collective focus on improvement, I am hosting a series of in person forums with my leaders in the coming weeks.
These sessions will also allow colleagues to feed back to me and my Chief Officer Group with ideas and solutions to help shape our organisation and improve the service we provide. I look forward to sharing updates from these sessions with you.
Finally, from today, we will be sharing these fortnightly updates on our LinkedIn page and will be exploring further publishing opportunities to maximise engagement with our communities.
Kindest regards to you,
Catherine Roper
Chief Constable, Wiltshire Police
Dear Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Wilkinson,
Earlier this week, I outlined plans to make efficiencies within our estate footprint as part of the required multi-million-pound savings the Force must make.
We previously updated the public that the additional £5.2m we must save in 2025/26 would be sought primarily through estate and vehicle rationalisation before considering a reduction in the number of police staff.
By the end of April 2025, the following estate changes will have been completed:
The Devizes Borough Police Station will close with the local policing team and detective cohort relocating to Police Headquarters, Devizes (less than one mile away)
Amesbury Police Station will close with the Neighbourhood Policing Team, who currently use the station as a touch down point, and detective cohort continuing to parade from Tidworth Police Station (less than fifteen minutes drive away)
The police facility on Wilton Road, Salisbury, which has no teams permanently based there, will close and the video interviewing facility there will be relocated to Tidworth
The three facilities we will be closing do not offer any public front counter service.
These proposals come with a commitment from me that our communities will receive an enhanced offer from Wiltshire Police across the county by way of improved visibility and public access to our services.
This will include:
Increasing the use of our mobile police stations within our communities
NPTs attending more local events and continuing to proactively publicise where they will be and how our public can contact them
Opening a fully functional public front counter at our headquarters in Devizes before the end of April
Increasing the number of yellow phones across the county from the 17 we currently have – these are direct lines to our control room.
Our communities can read the full update from me here and can see our new Local Policing Map for Wiltshire here.
Over the last week, there have been many examples of where our organisation is actively engaging with our communities.
To mark International Women’s Day last Friday, I attended a celebration in Lacock which brought together leaders, professionals and community members to discuss how we can work collaboratively to promote gender equality and empowerment.
This impactive event, which was part of this year’s theme of Accelerate Action, was hosted by Wansbroughs legal practice and the Wiltshire Community Foundation and underscored our commitment to taking further action in addressing the impact Violence Against Women and Girls has on victims, on family and friends and on communities.
On Sunday, we had the delight of welcoming over 100 Girl Guides, Brownies and their leaders to our headquarters for the second Girlguiding Wiltshire Police Challenge Badge day.
This event is designed to build critical thinking, leadership, and an appreciation for public service.
The Guides took part in a series of challenges from designing their own police force, gathering evidence to solve a crime and undertaking a public order training exercise.
As a Guide leader and the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Children and Young People, I know that public service is a thread that connects Girlguiding and Policing.
The success of the inaugural event in 2024 made it clear how important it is to continue this initiative. Organisations like Girlguiding play a vital role in the lives of young people, offering positive role models, safe spaces, and opportunities to develop valuable skills.
You can find out more about our Girlguiding Wiltshire Police Challenge Badge here.
Another recent example of how we are engaging with children and young people is the Synergy project – funded by your office.
Last week marked the end of the third Synergy course which sees young people identified as at risk of being involved in serious violence or victims of criminal exploitation. They are supported to learn about and shape how frontline organisations safeguard our communities.
One of our PCSOs, who led the course, summed up the impact it had by saying that ‘we had seven individual young people on the first day and, by the end of course, we had a team of seven.’
Synergy is a project run by our Youth and Early Intervention team in partnership with the Youth Justice Services in Wiltshire and Swindon, the British Army, Street Doctors and Dorset Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service.
Our communities can find out more about Synergy here. This work is a clear example of the wider services commissioned by your office to prevent youth crime as outlined in your Police and Crime Plan.
As both you and I have frequently reflected – many of our essential policing services are delivered by our police staff. Last week was the national Police Staff Week of Celebration and Recognition where we marked the pivotal contribution our police staff colleagues make to policing across the country.
During the week, which is coordinated by the National Police Chiefs’ Council, we shone a light on all the incredible work our police staff do to keep our communities safe.
I had the honour, alongside my Chief of Corporate Services, to present awards to over 20 of our police staff colleagues for their invaluable contributions.
Last Friday, we shared the results from the latest phase of Operation Scorpion – the South West initiative aimed at reducing the serious harm and violence caused by the supply of illegal drugs in the region.
In Wiltshire, across the seven days of action, which ran from February 17-23, there were:
Eight arrests
Six warrants carried out
More than £12,000 in cash recovered
One knife found
246 grams of cocaine and 101 grams of cannabis recovered.
This iteration of Operation Scorpion also coincided with a national operation tackling the trade around the cannabis market by focusing on safeguarding vulnerable people, tackling modern slavery, human trafficking, anti-social behaviour and related violence.
As part of the coordinated national effort, more than 200 people were arrested and drugs worth more than £45m were seized.
You can read more about this activity here.
Finally, I wanted to end this letter by expressing my deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Sebastian Sailes.
Our specially trained Family Liaison Officers will continue to support Sebastian’s family.
I know I speak on behalf of both of our organisations, all of those involved in the search operation and our communities when I extend our condolences and thoughts to all those impacted by this tragic incident.
Kindest regards to you,
Catherine Roper
Chief Constable, Wiltshire Police
Dear Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson,
Today, the jury sitting in the inquest into the death of Graham Trinder has returned a verdict that he was lawfully killed.
Mr Trinder died after being shot by a Wiltshire Police firearms officer in Summers Street, Swindon on Sunday 8 November 2020.
First and foremost, our sincerest condolences remain with Mr Trinder’s family and friends. Whilst incidents of this nature are thankfully incredibly rare in Wiltshire, this does not diminish the impact they have on all involved and the wider communities in which they take place.
Following this incident, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) carried out a thorough and independent investigation which we fully supported. This is something that the public rightly expect and deserve.
Having reviewed all available evidence, including footage of the incident and statements from witnesses, the IOPC determined that the use of force was reasonable in the circumstances. However, they did identify learning for both individuals and the organisation which has been fully accepted.
During the Inquest, the Coroner made the direction to issue part of the Body Worn Video covering the incident to the media. We welcome the public transparency this allows. However, our thoughts and condolences remain with Mr Trinder's family and friends.
Our priority is always to ‘prevent all offences against people and property and keep the King’s peace’ as outlined in the oath all officers must take. No firearms officer ever wants to discharge their weapon.
We fully appreciate the impact that the inquest process might have had on our local communities. It will, undoubtedly, bring back some difficult memories for those who were living in the area closest to the incident in 2020. Our focus will always be to support the public and I would urge anyone with concerns to reach out to their Neighbourhood Policing Team.
On Monday, we were honoured to share the partnership work being carried out in the county to tackle violence against women and girls with Her Majesty The Queen.
Last year, a coalition called Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAWG) was established in Wiltshire comprising of members of the public, members of the judiciary, police, representatives from domestic abuse organisations, and business leaders.
Collectively, we made a commitment to ensure that our approach now firmly centres on the voices and lived experiences of victims.
I am delighted that the group also agreed to be Wiltshire Police's VAWG Independent Advisory Group, acting as a critical friend to our organisation - providing insight and guidance to improve our service to victims and communities.
Wiltshire Police has made progress. However, this has only been possible through the support of the EVAWG and improved trust and confidence from victims, their families, community members, and partner agencies in our policing approach.
The Force's performance is improving in tackling VAWG, including:
A rise in rape convictions from 50% in January 2024 to 82% in December 2024
An increase in reported stalking offences by 46% in the last year following increased staff training
And arrest rate increases for both stalking and Domestic Abuse:
Stalking has risen 50.4% an increase of by 5.3% on the previous year
Domestic Abuse has risen to 49.1%, an increase of 2.6% compared with 2023
It is quite right that the Force prioritises tackling this heinous criminality and it will continue to be a focus.
As you are aware, I am passionate about improving our support to children and young people across the county. This week afforded two further opportunities to do just this.
On Tuesday, we participated in an Emergency Preparedness training event with hundreds of school staff from across Swindon and Wiltshire.
The event was held to raise awareness of the action emergency services will take in response to a serious incident within an educational setting, including any subsequent lockdown if required.
School representatives heard testimonies from officers and students involved in the stabbing at Tewkesbury Academy in July 2023 to outline the emergency response.
Although lockdown events are very uncommon and schools are fundamentally safe places, we have a collective responsibility to make sure we are as prepared as possible to keep our children and young people are safe.
I am delighted that Wiltshire Police was part of this event.
On Thursday, Assistant Chief Constable Deb Smith and I welcomed students from the STEPS Programme at Fairfield College in Dilton Marsh, to our headquarters for a Q+A session, tour of the building and to meet with the police dog unit.
You may recall that we previously worked with Chloe, a member of the STEPS Programme who it was lovely to see again on Thursday, to create our first ever easy-read document. This is designed to support vulnerable individuals in understanding how to stay safe both at home and in public spaces. You can read more about this guide here.
Finally, this week marks two years since I took office as Chief Constable for Wiltshire Police.
Although we still have significant improvements to make, I am extremely proud that, over the last two years, we’ve demonstrated sufficient progress across all our policing service to remove us from the HMICFRS Engage process (or being in ‘special measures’) and reintroduced the dedicated Neighbourhood Policing Teams. Our collective focus remains on increasing our visibility, accessibility and engagement with our communities and we are committed to continuing this improvement journey.
Kindest regards,
Catherine Roper
Chief Constable