The new chief constable of Lincolnshire Police says he’s looking to recruit 108 more officers in the next year.
Outlining his vision Chris Haward said he will re-establish a Roads Policing team as well as creating a new Rural Crime Action team.
It follows the publishing of the document Making Lincolnshire Safe.
Haward says he’ll use new funding from the government to fund the “growth” of 108 officers.
“It’s my privilege as chief constable to set out the new strategic direction for Lincolnshire Police which, in short, puts people at the heart of everything we do,” he said. “This means focussing on seeing sustained reductions in offending; working with our communities to not only keep them safe but help make them feel safe, and also making sure every member of staff in Lincolnshire Police is knowledgeable, confident, skilled and equipped to do their job well.
“My ambition to make Lincolnshire the safest place in the country to live, work and visit is based around some key areas such as investing in our skills and people; engaging with and understanding our communities; having effective partnerships; recognising and celebrating diversity; encouraging creativity; and understanding and scrutinising our own capability. Basically – people.
“Policing is all about people and the more we work together, allow each other to contribute openly and positively and, have their say, the better we will become.”
As well as the Roads Policing Unit with 18 constables and two sergeants and new Rural Crime Action with one sergeant, there’s aimed to be 46 constables, five sergeants and two inspectors to be added to what the force calls ‘response policing’ over the next 12 to 18 months.
There will also be 12 constables added to priority neighbourhoods who will be allocated a Community Beat Manager.
“I hope that communities in Lincolnshire will be able to see that we understand important issues in the county and aim to tackle them through where we’ve placed the additional resources,” Haward continued. “Our roads, our rural communities, our neighbourhoods are all areas in need of investment and prioritisation.
“The new resources and teams being created will begin to address this and, over time, will have a positive impact on the safety of our communities.
“This means that we will focus our resources and attention to fight crime and help people, both in terms of getting them the support they need but holding people to account who have harmed others.
“I want to ensure that we have a strong and skilled workforce who can protect and serve the public so that they will be in the right place, at the right time when the public needs them. This means that we are trying to stop crime either before it happens or before it escalates, protecting people who have become victims, and helping when we’re needed. I will be investing in training and methodologies to help my officers and staff achieve this as well as promoting collaboration and partnership where this is the right thing to do.
“I’m confident that the combination of our new Force strategy and these extra resources, we will be able to make a significant positive difference in how we serve and keep our diverse and vibrant communities in Lincolnshire safe.”
