Cheshire residents benefit from increased police engagement

Residents in Cheshire have been reaping the benefits of a new community policing model which has seen a dedicated police constable and police community support officer (PCSO) dedicated to every community in the county.

The initiative was introduced last September and was developed by Police and Crime Commissioner David Keane, who wants Cheshire to be the leading police service for delivering community policing. It built on his already successfully delivered initiative to provide a dedicated PCSO and police community base for each area.

For the past six months, the new community police officers have been working with their fellow PCSO, the wider policing team, and key partners to build relationships within the community, and help to solve problems at their root cause before they become more serious. They have:

• Spent more time in the heart of their dedicated communities, dealing with issues that matter most to local residents.
• Done everything they can to keep in touch with our communities during the Covid pandemic by holding police surgeries and public meetings online or through social media.
• Increased engagement with schools, even when they’ve been closed, by holding online sessions with those who have been home schooling.
• Paid more attention to our roads by undertaking a session of road safety activity each week.

This work has been further boosted by funding packages for each of the community areas, with £1,000 made available by the Police and Crime Commissioner for worthy projects or causes using money seized from criminals under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

David said: “It’s now six months since we launched the roll-out of our community policing model to provide a dedicated police constable and PCSO for all 122 policing communities in Cheshire, along with a community base and a funding package for each community. 

“We’ve seen how this initiative is providing more opportunities for local police to work more closely with local communities to meet local priorities.

“I’m pleased that, despite the challenges we continue to face as a result of Covid-19, we’ve seen an increase in visible police activity in every area and our officers and staff continue to adapt to serve local residents in light of lockdown restrictions. 

“Where restrictions have meant we couldn’t meet face-to-face, officers and PCSOs have made every effort to connect to their communities in other ways to continue supporting those most vulnerable.

“This is testament to our commitment to deliver a truly local police service that puts residents at the heart of everything it does. I’m delighted to see the real gains that residents are experiencing.”

Assistant Chief Constable Jenny Sims has overseen the smooth transition into the new policing model, and says that it should serve as a warning to those who continue to cause harm to our communities.

She added: “The healthy working relationships that that we enjoy with our partners and the rollout of the 122 policing model has enabled us to prioritise vulnerable people, whilst dealing with issues that matter most to our communities.

“I’ve been delighted with the progress we’ve made and I’m keen to see us develop that further by not only continuing to improve our levels of engagement, but also making sure we further increase positive outcomes for victims and residents who are blighted by criminality in their communities.

“I want to send a really strong message to criminals that we have built a network of eyes and ears, and will continue to work together to make Cheshire a safer place to live and work.”

How community policing has helped in your area:

Crewe

The team in Crewe have been hard at work supporting communities using an evidence based approach, dealing robustly with repeat issues to intervene early and problem solve to prevent crime and ASB and get to the root cause of problems.

One example was the eviction of a nuisance neighbour at an address in Richard Moon Street in January. It was the home of a family making their neighbours’ lives a misery, with cannabis smoke filtering in, dog muck thrown over the wall, and cars damaged at the front of the house.

The team worked with partners to secure a closure order, which was put before the court in January and granted. The family has been located elsewhere and the residents have not experienced any issues since.

Chester

Community officers have been working with St Werburgh’s and St Columba’s Catholic Primary School and the local authority to boost a project that supports children walking home from school.

Funding granted by the Commissioner has helped to extend the project, which launched in 2019, to enable more local shops and businesses to provide safe spaces for young people who may be being followed or bullied on their way home from school.

Upon entering the premises, the young person will remain on the shop floor and given the opportunity to contact their school, parents or, if it’s a serious incident, police.

Local PCSO Keith Bartlett works alongside the school’s pastoral manager, Kerry Prendergast, to identify businesses willing to support the scheme. They also provide them will all the knowledge and resources they need to safeguard any young person seeking help.

Ellesmere Port

Community officers in Ellesmere Port worked together to shut down an address on Oldfield Road in Ellesmere Port, the occupants of which were dealing drugs and causing anti-social behaviour and damage to neighbouring properties.

The local PCSO engaged with residents and worked with the police constables and PCSOs from the neighbouring communities to build a case against the occupants.

In conjunction with colleagues in the Ellesmere Port ASB unit, the tea team secured a closure order for the property on 23 December, ensuring a happy, peaceful Christmas for the neighbouring residents.

Halton

The team in Halton View received a number of complaints from local residents in relation to speeding and overweight HGVs on Moorefield Road.

As a result, officers worked with local partners and gave the road extra police attention through speed enforcement, while regular contact is made with the companies whose HGVs use the road.

The number of complaints received relating to this road has now reduced. It is indicative of a stronger relationship with the community police officers trust in the work of the community police officers locally, and an example of how they do their best to help resolve local issues that matter to residents.

Macclesfield

The ‘Resident’s Voice’ pilot initiative has been operating in the Macclesfield area for a number of weeks. Members of the local community are asked to visit a section of the Force website to complete a survey asking them about policing issues where they live. Among the questions are:

• Do you believe police are visible, accessible, and dealing with issues?
• Do you believe police understand the issues of the community, take them seriously, and act upon concerns?
• What is the biggest problem in your area?
• How worried you are about being a victim of different crimes?
• How safe you feel during daylight and after dark?

The survey is currently only for those in living in the Macclesfield local policing area, and be accessed at www.cheshire.police.uk/police-forces/cheshire-constabulary/areas/cheshire/campaigns/residents-voice-macclesfield/

Northwich

Community officers from Northwich received a large number of reports of anti-social behaviour and disorder at an address on Binney Road earlier this year.

The team worked with the local housing provider and other colleagues to gather evidence from local residents, and together they presented the case to the Magistrates’ Court. It resulted in a closure notice being served on the property last month, with officers attending to ensure the nuisance neighbour had vacated the property and the house was secure.

The community officers are determined that their neighbourhoods should be pleasant places to live, and will use powers such as closure orders, in a proportionate way, where individuals can not respect the wellbeing of their neighbours and make the community better for all.

Pictured - Police and Crime Commissioner David Keane.