‘Thank you for all the support in a difficult year’
Says credit must go to those who have helped keep our communities safe in 2020
THIS week, as what has been an extraordinary year draws to a close, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank a few people.
At the top of the list must be to our emergency services who have been working incredibly hard to keep people safe. An especially big mention must go to those medics, police officers and staff who will be on the front line as most of the rest of the country enjoys a festive break, albeit one where the virus has upset many a well-laid plan.
Sadly Christmas is not a happy time for some people, and police officers and health workers have to deal with an increase in crimes such as domestic abuse, alcohol-related incidents and people suffering from mental health crises.
Help is on hand though, and these issues are better understood by the police and their partners than ever before. We have seen a rise in calls for help from police for services supporting those affected by crimes like domestic abuse, demonstrating that there is increased confidence in the police that reports are taken seriously and offenders brought to book. (See the bottom of this article for information about accessing Victim Services over the Christmas break).
I must give a big thanks to all the partners my office has worked with this year, whether it is the local authorities in Devon and Cornwall who we worked with over the summer to provide Covid-19 marshals, helping to maintain Devon and Cornwall as two of the safest counties in the country, or the numerous charities who have worked with me to build stronger, safer and more resilient communities. I cannot name all these organisations here but the current Safer Streets programme which is working in North Stonehouse to reduce crime is a great example of this partnership work in action. Despite the many challenges posed by Covid-19 there has been real progress in this area of late, and it is a model that I would like to introduce in more areas.
I have also been fortunate enough to work with some truly amazing businesses this year. The tourist industry that is so important to our region’s economy had to make the tough decision to ask visitors to come back later when the first lockdown hit, yet so many traders were innovative and resilient enough to be able to open up in the key summer months, helping to keep people employed and allow visitors from around the country to have a well-earned break. I met some great people working in security while rolling out the Safer Summer Scheme and just last week was working with some wonderful staff from the Co-Op to highlight the issue of assaults on shopkeepers which unfortunately have risen during the pandemic.
Volunteers too, have played a more important role than ever in bolstering the police force as it responds to Covid-19. Special Constables are carrying out additional shifts, councillor advocates are linking up policing with their communities, independent cus
tody visitors have continued their vital work and police volunteers are doing everything from acting as pseudo criminals to train new recruits to cleaning patrol cars, enabling officers to spend more time on the front line. Volunteers, too, have recently carried out some really important work for me scrutinising the police force and recommending improvements.
Lastly, I would like to thank all of you who have helped me this year make some big decisions. In January I took the decision to put up the police precept part of council tax. That decision was informed by a survey which thousands of you took part in that indicated more investment in prevention was what you wanted.
On Thursday last week we heard the good news that Government funding will enable Devon and Cornwall’s Police strength to increase by a further 132 sworn officers in the next financial year, taking total officer numbers to 3,373. That is 449 more than were in force when I set by first budget in 2017. Much of that recruitment has been possible because of the support of local council tax payers who told me they wanted more officers in their communities and were prepared to pay for them. It is vital that you once more your say once more on the funding of your force. Please take five minutes to complete this year’s survey, which can be found at www.devonandcornwall-pcc.gov.uk. It runs until January 3 and anyone not online can request a paper version from my office by calling 01392 225555. All that’s left now is for me to wish you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
If you need support over the holidays 24/7 live web chat or telephone support is available via Victim Support over the festive period at www. victimsupport.org.uk or on 08 08 16 89 111. The Devon and Cornwall Victim Care Unit offers support and advice on a range of issues. Christmas opening hours at www.victimcaredevonandcornwall.org.uk or you can call it on 01392 475900.
Alison Hernandez in the Police and Crime Commissioner