CHESHIRE was one of just eight areas in England and Wales where crime fell last year.
The four per cent reduction in crime came as the number of police officers in Cheshire reached 2,361 – the highest number since the 1970s.
This is revealed in the annual report of Police and Crime Commissioner John Dwyer.
Nearly 130 officers were reallocated to priority roles, which has helped to improve incident response times and arrest rates, and support Cheshire Constabulary’s community policing model, as well as its response to serious and organised crime.
There was also investment in 82 additional police staff. Many of these were in the Force Control Centre (FCC), leading to a reduction in call abandonment rates and improved answering times for 101 and 999 calls.
The ability to hire more FCC staff to improve the service comes from public backing for a small rise in the police precept, and the report highlights how the Commissioner has carried out the largest ever budget surveys in Cheshire to seek the public’s support.
Mr Dwyer said: “My last annual report showed how the groundwork was being laid for significant improvements to our police service, and this latest report shows how those seeds are now bearing fruit.
“People expect a contactable, responsive and proactive police service. With crime down, more officers, more arrests and better call handling and incident response times, the past year has seen improvements on all of those priorities.
“Where there is good news it needs to be shared far and wide. That’s how we can improve public confidence in policing. However as your Commissioner I am committed to a relentless focus on areas where I know there is more work to be done, particularly around visibility and the public perception of some crimes. I look forward to being able to report on even more progress in future.”
In 2022/23 the Commissioner’s office also secured over £5 million in funding on top of the general policing budget to support the Constabulary’s Safer Streets campaign, as well as programmes to support victims of domestic abuse and change the behaviour of perpetrators.
Mr Dwyer added: “We all know about the financial pressures on public services and in wider society, so I’m keen to secure every bit of extra funding I can to prevent and tackle crime and support victims.
“In 2022/23 my office secured £5.3 million – that’s over five times the cost of my office – for initiatives that have helped to locate high-risk missing people, improve people’s safety at night, and support victims throughout the criminal justice process.
“I’m determined to carry on securing consistently high levels of extra funding and provide added value to our police service for the benefit of the public.”
To read Mr Dwyer’s report in full visit: www.cheshire-pcc.gov.uk/what-the-commissioner-does/police-and-crime-plan/
