MORE POLICE ON THE STREETS OF TOWN

MORE police officers should be on hand when they are needed most in Nuneaton and Bedworth as changes have been made to cope with demand.

Gaps in Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNT) have been filled, meaning the teams are now at full capacity to help deal with the issues that cause most misery to communities.

Reactive police constables are to be helped by those in dedicated new teams, such as a missing person’s team as well as more road policing posts, which should free them up to deal with crime as it happens.

While no new officers have been recruited, the new policing model has made the most of the fact that, as a result of a rise in Council Tax, 50 police posts were spared from the axe.

Warwickshire Police’s Assistant Chief Constable, Richard Moore, said: “The changes we are making support Warwickshire Police’s ongoing work to improve the services we provide to our communities; by ensuring local policing officers are available and visible on our streets, making it easier for people to contact us when they need our help, and ensuring that the public receive the right support as quickly as possible.

“Our vision remains to protect people from harm, and we are focused on being as efficient and effective as we can be, especially when dealing with the most vulnerable members of our communities.”

One of the biggest changes brought in by the new ‘policing model,’ is a change in shift pattern, which means that more officers are on at what are known as peak demand times. There are also overlaps in the change-over times to maximise the amount of people on shift at one time.

These changes were made in consultation with officers and were amended from the original proposals after some concerns were raised.

Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe said: “Time and again the public have told me they want to see more visible policing in our communities and to receive the right service at the right time. Warwickshire Police has undertaken detailed work to make sure it matches its resources to the level of demand with its new model, which keeps neighbourhood policing as its bedrock but also provides additional capacity for patrol officers, roads policing and specialist teams to enable a continued focus on victims and protecting vulnerable people.

“Together with the considerable investments I have already made in new technology to support frontline policing, I am confident these changes will ensure that we can continue to build a safer Warwickshire.”