Changes to policing in the county announced

Officers have announced changes to policing in the county that will mean a better service for the public.

The Constabulary is changing the way it operates to make sure it remains at the heart of its communities and delivers its Police and Crime Plan priorities.

Among the key changes are:

• Enhanced Local Policing Teams across the county with officers who will be the first to respond and investigate crime.
• More officers based in Gloucester and Cheltenham after Bamfurlong-based officers move location to become part of the enhanced Local Policing Teams.
• New Superintendents for Local Policing Areas.
• Detective supervisors in each area.

The changes began during summer when response officers covering Gloucester and Cheltenham who were based at a single site in Bamfurlong were split up and moved to more central sites in Gloucester and Cheltenham.

They are now based at the Gloucestershire Tri-Service Emergency Control building and police station in Quedgeley, Bearland in Gloucester city centre and the police station on Lansdown Road in Cheltenham.

Over the next few months these officers and officers from the current Local Investigation Teams will join together to form enhanced Local Policing Teams in those areas and the change will be replicated across the county, with enhanced Local Policing Teams in Stroud, the Forest, Cotswolds and Tewkesbury.

To implement the improvements, three Superintendents began new roles last week overseeing the Local Policing Areas of Cheltenham and Tewkesbury; Cotswolds and Stroud and the Forest of Dean and Gloucester.

Assistant Chief Constable Rhiannon Kirk said: "Our response to Covid-19, which meant we had to move some of our teams out of necessity, and the Government uplift in recruits, prompted us to seize the opportunity to improve our operating model.

"The driving force has been our desire to stay connected with our communities by providing a more localised service - but one that is better equipped to meet the needs of those communities.

"Having more officers based in Gloucester and Cheltenham gets us closer to the people we serve in those areas and the design of the enhanced Local Policing Teams will provide a more robust and consistent service from the first report of a crime.

"Providing better links between the teams and our detectives will support them to deliver higher quality local investigations and help us tackle crimes that are often of most concern to the public like burglary, which can have a devastating effect on victims.

"Overseeing all of this will be three new local Superintendents, all with a wealth of experience across many departments, who will help our local teams to address the different issues faced in each of our diverse areas, develop our partnership work and ensure residents know that ‘every crime matters’ to us - a key priority of the Commissioner's Police and Crime Plan."

Police and Crime Commissioner Martin Surl said: "Policing local communities is essential to ensure Gloucestershire remains a safe place to live. I believe that every contact counts and every crime matters – so this move to provide a more visible presence across the county is most welcome. I’m pleased to hear the constabulary is continuing its efforts to tackle volume crimes such as burglary, but I welcome feedback from the public on the realities of these changes, to ensure the level of policing they deserve is in fact what they receive.”

BIOGRAPHIES AND STATEMENTS FROM THE NEW SUPERINTENDENTS

Cheltenham and Tewkesbury - Supt Emma Davies

Emma has had a varied and interesting career spanning almost 30 years, all served with Gloucestershire Constabulary. Her wealth of experience is undeniable from change management, leadership, local policing evolution and much more.

Statement – Supt Emma Davies

"I know that Cheltenham and Tewkesbury already have dedicated, professional, and compassionate policing teams with whom I am looking forward to working with. I have been fortunate enough to work within Cheltenham and Tewkesbury local policing areas previously and am proud to be returning as the local policing Superintendent. My background in policing is eclectic having worked in crime, specialist operations, force control room, learning and development.  Primarily my roles have been within local policing and in the partnership arena and I have a passion for community and strengths based policing with emphasis on early intervention, prevention and protecting the most vulnerable. It is a privilege to be appointed in this role and I very much look forward to working with all my staff and the wider policing family to keep the communities of Cheltenham and Tewkesbury safe from harm and deliver the best service possible."

The Cotswolds and Stroud – Supt Kath Davis

In her time with Gloucestershire Constabulary, Kath has worked in Crime Command and this means she brings a different perspective to local policing which will make a significant contribution to our future thinking as we seek to develop our new approach. This will involve investigative excellence, caring for our most vulnerable, and using all the information and intelligence we have to improve and enhance the service to our communities.

Statement – Supt Kath Davis

"I am very grateful that The Cotswolds and Stroud already have dedicated, professional, and compassionate policing teams who have strong relationships with the public and our partners.  My background in policing is primarily within the crime arena – Public Protection, CID, and Intelligence – and I look forward to bringing that experience to my new role.  I absolutely consider my appointment to be a privilege and can’t wait to get started. Whilst the complexities of policing get ever more challenging and whilst the needs and priorities of our communities continue to evolve, I very much look forward to working hard with my teams to deliver the best service possible to the people of The Cotswolds and Stroud."

Forest of Dean and Gloucester – Supt Jane Probert

Jane has recently led our new and exciting approach to learning and development, enabling Gloucestershire Constabulary to provide one of the best environments for our new students and existing officers and staff. This was no mean feat at such a difficult time in recruiting, retaining and training new officers. Jane has spent her entire career with Gloucestershire Constabulary, starting in Forest and Gloucester working in a variety of roles from neighbourhood, response policing and custody, leading on change and then supportive leadership and wellbeing. Her priorities will be forging new partnerships and relationships, in order to keep people in the Forest and Gloucester safe from harm.

Statement – Supt Jane Probert

"My background in policing started in the Forest and Gloucester so I feel particularly proud to return as the Superintendent. My career has been predominantly front line from Response Policing, Neighbourhood Policing, Firearms and Roads Policing Unit. I subsequently worked on Change Programmes, was Staff Officer to the Chief Constable, the lead for Criminal Justice and the Head of Learning and Development.  In addition, my other portfolios are Operations Planning, Strategic Firearms Commander, Negotiator, Public Order Commander and Chair of the Women’s Initiative Network (WIN)