Tell me your priorities for policing
IT’S been a busy first few weeks in office but the highlight has definitely been touring our beautiful region and meeting such incredibly dedicated, diligent and caring people working for Avon and Somerset Police, who are doing great work within our communities to keep people safe.
Today, I’ll be spending time in South Bristol to learn more about the youth work taking place. I will be visiting Youth Moves charity, which supports young people in some of the most deprived areas in South Bristol.
I will also be meeting with partners and councillors during the day at Street Space in Knowle, St Paul’s Adventure Playground run by APE Project CIC and the docklands. These visits are really important to me as a key role of being a PCC is to be the voice of the local people and I want to understand your concerns, listen to your ideas and learn how best I can support. I want to reassure you that the police are there for you and that I remain committed to visible policing that makes communities more resilient and resistant to crime.
From Monday, I will be calling on local people to tell me what policing issues matter most to them as I launch my Police and Crime survey.
The 12-week survey will inform my Police and Crime Plan, which is a statutory duty for PCCs and will include various aspects about policing of the area, how the chief constable will be held to account and how I will deliver an effective and efficient police service and support other services such as victim support providers.
Please do take a few minutes to complete the survey, which can be found on my website: www. avonandsomerset-pcc.gov.uk
My team and I have gathered much momentum over the last few weeks and have set our early
priority work areas, which include the Police and Crime Plan, recruiting a new chief constable and other important roles, reviewing governance and scrutiny structures to improve openness and transparency in our police force and reviewing the effectiveness of police stations and buildings across the area.
I am proud to be working on your behalf and am committed to delivering the pledges I set out in my election manifesto. Your needs are central to my work and having direct contact with you is important. I’d love to hear from you if you have any questions – please visit the OPCC (Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner) website.
Finally, although the majority of the coronavirus restrictions have lifted and life is returning to normal, I urge local people across Avon and Somerset to remain vigilant and follow the rules that are still in place. There has been a rise in cases across the country due to the Delta variant and now is not the time to let our guard down; let’s remember to follow social distancing and utilise track and trace as much as possible.