Police ‘are reducing’ anti-social behaviour

MATTHEWS PRAISES FORCE’S FOCUS ON NEIGHBOURHOODS

POLICE and crime commis- sioner (PCC) Rupert Matthews has praised a neighbourhood policing model he said has helped cut anti-social behaviour (ASB) levels to the second lowest in the country.

Mr Matthews said he will be out with neighbourhood officers during ASB Awareness Week, which runs until tomorrow, to see for himself the work they are doing.

He said the Leicestershire force had been graded outstanding for preventing crime and anti-social behaviour in the latest police efficiency, effectiveness and legitimacy inspection by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS).

The force’s new operating model, introduced in March 2020, was worthy of a special mention, Mr Matthews said.

The model has moved operational staff closer to the communities they serve.

It has meant 24-hour response officers, local intelligence officers and detectives now work side by side at stations alongside dedicated neighbourhood officers, which HMICFRS said promoted shared responsibility for local problems and increased the capacity and capability of problem-solving activity.

Its report said the operating model enabled leaders to deploy staff to priorities such as crime hotpots, outstanding offenders and high-risk individuals – all of which was backed up with “accessible, real-time, helpful data” from the force IT systems.

“All of this helps the workforce to easily see what neighbourhood issues are affecting an area and helps in policing and problem-solving activity,” the report said.

HIMCFRS said in the year ending March 31, 2021, Leicestershire recorded 12 anti-social behaviour incidents per 1,000 population – the second lowest rate in England and Wales.

Responding to the report, Mr Matthews said: “This glowing assessment should reassure our communities they have a dependable and reliable police service they can trust to do a good job.

“The model places officers at the centre of their communities to tackle the issues that matter most to the public and deliver practical solutions.

“I am delighted HMICFRS has recognised its merits and the work our officers undertake every day, alongside their partners, to keep people safe and rid our neighbourhoods of crime.

“It has been a difficult time for policing over recent years, which makes this innovation and success much more remarkable.

“We will continue to exploit opportunities to evolve and advance.”