PFCC Conference 2025 – Partnerships key to making Essex safer

Partnerships are the key to making Essex safer.

That was the common view shared by community safety partners who came together for the annual Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex conference.

Roger Hirst, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) for Essex, hosted an audience of 250 invited guests at the annual conference, focusing on “delivering a safer Essex for everyone through collaboration, opportunity and change.”

The event, at Colchester Jobserve Community Stadium, brought together community safety partners, including Essex Police, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, the Violence and Vulnerability Unit, charities, community groups and council partners.

Delegates heard about the varied work going on across the county to make communities safer – including business safety enforcement, Open Road community buses, Drowning Prevention Week, multi-agency approach to tackling fraud, a new domestic abuse housing option, Bar n Bus, sexual assault and abuse healthcare pathways and Community Pastors.

They also took part in a series of workshops, including building support for cross-cutting capability in roads policing; creating community safe spaces from domestic abuse; beating knife crime and gangs and protecting young people; tackling antisocial behaviour and serious violence in our communities; and using data to identify vulnerable people and communities.

Mr Hirst, in his tenth year as PFCC, said: “It is so nice to see 250 of my closest friends in the room.

“The partnership work we do together has been phenomenal.”

He was proud to highlight a range of successes, including antisocial behaviour in Essex being half what it is nationally, having come down year on year, and an 18 per cent drop in knife crime.

He said: “That long-term commitment to an effective strategy is really important. It takes an awful lot of work by an awful lot of people. Bringing people together, people understanding the common purpose and working at it has got us where we are today.

“It is not just a job for the police. It is a job for the police, but it is also a job for all of us.

“What we do has made a phenomenal difference in this county. This is a great place to live.

“There is a lot more we want to do; it can be a lot better. I remain firm in my belief that it is only through partnerships that we do it; that we make safer communities and that is the bedrock on which we grow.”

Jane Gardner, Deputy PFCC, opened the event and said: “For us, this is a really important event, not just because of what we say from the stage, but because it’s an opportunity for us to share experiences, to exchange details and to talk to one another about what we are doing to make communities safer.

“What you are doing is making a massive difference. So much really good is happening.”

Rick Hylton, Chief Fire Officer, proudly told how there have been 225 less fires in the home since 2022, with a focus on prevention seeing a 183 per cent rise in the number of home safety visits carried out – a rise from 3,500 to more than 10,000.

The work has seen a ten per cent reduction in the number of fires in the home and a 33 per cent drop in the number of injuries from fires in the home.

He said: “These are all achievements we can all be proud of, as we did them together in partnership.

“But, we are not standing still. Essex County Fire and Rescue Service is evolving into a preventative, risk-aware service embedded in our communities.”

Mr Hylton outlined five goals of the service to delegates –

• preventing fires and other emergencies
• reducing impact in the built environment
• responding effectively to emergencies
• continuing to invest in people
• a resilient and sustainable future

He said: “This is only possible if we work together. Partnership is key to our approach to making Essex safer. That’s why your attendance today matters. You are not bystanders; you are part of the collaboration that makes Essex safer.”

Chief Constable BJ Harrington told how the population of the county has risen by eight per cent since 2011 to 1.8m people – with 150,000 visitors flocking to Essex each day.

He said: “What a great day. There has been tremendous energy from the start to the end. That typifies the energy I see in the work my officers and staff do. Thank you for your participation today and the work you do every day in making Essex safer. There’s no doubt in my mind it’s the work you do together that makes Essex safer.

“From what we have heard and discussed today – the good practise we have seen – you know there’s good collaboration to that and working together will and does make a positive difference.

“It is our partnerships that make us stronger. Let’s redouble our ambitions. Let’s show that in Essex collaboration is not just a theme, it’s the best way to keep people safe.”

Keynote speaker Matt Staton, head of consultancy at Agilysis, gave a national perspective on how road safety partnerships are working in other areas and said: “You are able to do so much more in collaboration than you can do on your own.”