Fiona
Bruce MP meets with Assistant Chief Constable to discuss new local policing
model
Fiona Bruce MP
met with Assistant Chief Constable Mark Roberts to obtain feedback following
implementation of the new model of local policing which commenced in July.
Fiona Bruce said “Earlier
in the summer constituents raised concerns as to how changes in local policing
would affect residents, so I felt it was important to ask for feedback from a
Senior Officer now that these have been in place for a little while.”
At the meeting,
Assistant Chief Constable Roberts said that there is now a faster response rate
of 999 calls by two minutes compared with this time last year. Officers are
responding to calls within 15 minutes over 90% of the time, whether in town or
rural communities.
The Assistant Chief Constable said “Crime
is now at its lowest for 25 years. We are probably the most effective force in
the country at getting to the public quickly when they need us and we are
bringing more offenders to justice.”
Assistant Chief
Constable Roberts discussed, with Fiona Bruce, how after a house burglary,
Police Officers visit surrounding residents to tell them how to protect their
homes from future thefts.
He said “If
you burgle a house and succeed, you are likely to go back to the area again.”
Operation
Shield helps protect residents from burglary by educating and informing them on
how to protect their homes.
Mark Roberts also
confirmed that Cheshire Police are focusing on recruiting new officers as well
as retaining and developing the expertise of Special Constables and increasing
their time spent on patrol.
Fiona Bruce added “I was
pleased to hear at our meeting of a focus on fewer Police Officers in station
based management roles and more out in the community and on the streets which
is what people want to ensure they feel safe in their own homes. I was pleased
to hear how local communities are benefiting from these recent changes and
would like to thank all Officers for their hard work and dedication in this
area.”
