Improvements to Warrior Square and further efforts to curb knife crime among topics at Southend district PFCC meeting

Improvements in Warrior Square, further efforts to curb knife crime and mental health of firefighters were some of the subjects raised at the PFCC Southend district public meeting on Wednesday 19th November.

The meeting was held in the Charter Suite, Civic Centre, Victoria Avenue, Southend.

Answering questions from the public were Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Roger Hirst joined by district commander Detective Chief Inspector Dave Browning, ECFRS Group Manager Dave Walpole and Southend Council Head of Community Safety Simon Ford

Attendees at the meeting heard how over the past 12 months to the end of October 2025 all crime in Southend district is down 0.3%, recorded incidents of anti-social behaviour are up 1.4% and Burglary is down 15%. These are the very latest figures available.

Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Roger Hirst said: “Being able to hear directly from local communities is invaluable in better understanding concerns and ensure we are working together to make Essex a safer place.”

The PFCC Essex hosts a public meeting once a year in each of the 14 districts of Essex, allowing residents to raise community safety matters directly with the panel. This is part of the ongoing PFCC Essex engagement schedule which has directly engaged with more than 3,000 Essex residents in the past 12 months.

The next PFCC Essex Public Meeting will be the meeting for Thurrock district which will be held at the Tyrrells Hall, 67 Dock Rd, Grays, RM17 6EY, on Monday 1st December from 7pm to 8pm.