‘Public trust and confidence in policing depends on fairness’ – PFCC speaks at key Essex Police conferences looking at strengthening local engagement.
How the approach to policing in Essex can best respond to the concerns of local communities was in prime focus as officers from all corners of the county gathered to have wide-ranging discussions about what more can be done to tackle anti-social behaviour and crime.
Building greater trust in local policing starts with engaging more with the many diverse communities that call Essex home to improve confidence. The need for police officers to treat all people with fairness was underlined by Roger Hirst, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex, when he spoke this week at the Essex Police Towards Excellence conferences.
The conferences were held in each of the Local Policing Areas (LPAs) of Essex, West, South and North.
During his closing address Mr Hirst said: “We need to constantly demonstrate that the approach to policing in Essex is delivered to the highest standard at every level in the force. There can be no two-tier policing in the county. It is really important people are treated fairly, on the evidence, on the facts and on the law. Public trust and confidence in the police depends on fairness, this has to be something we are all involved in – this is the standard.
“We must never forget that our primary mission is to get crime down and keep people safe. What that means is that we need to get better at reflecting concerns raised by the public.
“When we hear public criticism of the police, we need to look at how policing works in other places around the world. Here in the UK we have a clear set of civil liberties that guide how policing is conducted. It is important to remember that the low crime rate experienced domestically when compared to other countries has been achieved, in much part, by officers who are unarmed. We are rightly the envy of the world because of that fact, but how policing is delivered must be prepared to adapt and innovate to meet new challenges, the temptation for complacency should always be avoided.
“One of the biggest issues facing policing in Essex is violence against women and girls. We need to embed a greater sense of urgency about changing behaviours and recognise this is not a problem for women and girls to solve on their own. All men and boys need to take more responsibility – it is never acceptable in any way for women and girls to feel insecure, used and hurt. Women and girls should always feel supported in this county. Acts of violence and abuse are still too common in our society – that truth is a powerful reminder to all of us that more action must be taken.
“There are positive steps to improve the representative nature of Essex Police, particularly involving the Police Race Action Plan. The force must reflect the population it is serving.
“Those volunteers who make up Independent Advisory Groups, who work to advise our force districts, carry out an invaluable role which helps gage public sentiment on local policing. The good working relationships fostered between the network of Independent Advisory Groups and the force is a sign of self-awareness, a culture that is not inward-looking, and a willingness to support the expansion and improvement of those connections.”
Mr Hirst finished his speech by thanking Chief Constable BJ Harrington, who has recently announced his retirement, for his years of service, before revealing the preferred choice for the Chief Constable post is Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Nolan.
Finally, the Commissioner underlined the key aim of policing in Essex: “There must be a relentless focus on keeping communities safe, by protecting the vulnerable, challenging anti-social behaviour in all its forms and continuing to get crime down.”