Residents get to quiz crime chiefs
RURAL crime, knife crime and bullying were on the agenda in Macclesfield as residents met with Cheshire’s police and crime commissioner and chief constable to discuss policing issues in their area.
It was the last of a series of public engagement events to be held this year where local residents across Cheshire have been invited to put their questions about local policing to Police and Crime Commissioner David Keane and Chief Constable Darren Martland.
A number of residents and local community representatives attended the event at Macclesfield Town Hall on Thursday.
PCC David Keane said it was great to see so many people attending who had a passion and dedication for making their communities safer.
“It was interesting to hear on a local level what the key policing issues are for people in Macclesfield and discuss how we make improvements to make their communities safer,” he said.
“With police resources more stretched than ever, it’s important that we talk to local people about their priorities for policing to ensure we are delivering the best possible service.”
The PCC and the chief assured those in attendance that Cheshire police is carrying out a number of proactive initiatives to address the issues raised.
Among them was the new rural crime team that was recently introduced in Cheshire, a dedicated team specifically tasked with responding to and investigating allegations of crime committed in rural areas.
Another topic of conversation was knife crime and the Commissioner talked about a number of high-profile incidents involving a knife across Cheshire over the past year or so, and told audience members that tackling knife crime was everyone’s responsibility.
The chief constable added: “We are committed to delivering a neighbourhood policing service and putting the priorities of local communities at the forefront of everything we do.
“Our officers and PCSOs forge strong relationships with our communities to ensure crime and anti-social behaviour is dealt with as quickly and as effectively as possible.”