Chief Constable fortnightly update to the Police and Crime Commissioner - 15 August 2025

Dear Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson, 

We continue to navigate a busy summer period for policing in Wiltshire. The past fortnight has seen a number of wonderful events across the county, from summer fairs to local community celebrations, and I have been encouraged by the positive engagement between my teams and members of the public. Such occasions give us valuable opportunities to listen, understand community concerns, and reassure people through our visible presence. 

Neighbourhood policing remains at the heart of how we keep Wiltshire and Swindon safe. Our work in this area was recognised by the Home Office this week, reflecting the dedication of our local teams. You can read more about this here.

As part of the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, on our website residents can see named and contactable officers, view planned meetings and events, and can read local priorities and action plans. These opportunities for our Neighbourhood Policing Teams to speak directly with our communities are vital in preventing crime, identifying concerns early and building the trust that allows us to work together. Residents can find their local team and information on upcoming activity by visiting: Your area | Wiltshire Police.

Fostering trust and confidence with all of our communities remains a top priority for our organisation. 

This month we began a new partnership with Dorset Police aimed at improving the service we provide to victims of domestic abuse where the alleged perpetrator is a serving or former police officer or staff member. 

Through this collaboration we are sharing specialist investigative expertise, introducing consistent processes across both forces, and providing enhanced support for victims from the very start of the investigation. This means that, no matter which of our counties a victim lives in, they will receive the same high standard of service and safeguarding.

Detective Chief Inspector Claire Smith has spoken about the initiative and how it will strengthen victim support and public trust. You can find more details on our website here: Forces work together to improve service for victims of police perpetrated domestic abuse | Wiltshire Police and watch her message here.

Our focus on safety extends beyond the home and into public spaces, particularly on our roads. We have continued to target the ‘fatal five’ offences that contribute to serious collisions: speeding, using a mobile phone, not wearing a seatbelt, drink and drug driving, and careless driving. 

On Wiltshire roads between January and April this year, we’ve tragically seen:

In recent weeks we have produced a series of videos highlighting operational activity with our Roads Policing Unit and Special Constabulary. Each video focuses on one of the ‘fatal five’, showing the work carried out daily to help keep Wiltshire’s roads safe. All the videos can be found on the Wiltshire Police YouTube channel and Wiltshire Police Facebook page.

As we are a rural county, it is important that we are ever mindful of road users on smaller routes outside of our towns and city. This also includes road users other than vehicles – such as horse riders. As part of our equine safety awareness campaign launched recently, we reminded drivers to slow down and leave a two-metre gap when passing horses on the road. This is especially important in rural areas where riders and horses share narrow carriageways with motorised vehicles. More information on equine road safety is available on our website here: Equine Safety | Wiltshire Police.

You can also find information around horse safety on roads on The British Horse Society website.

As always, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our officers, staff, and volunteers for their continued professionalism and dedication. Their commitment to public service, often in challenging circumstances, makes a real difference to the communities we serve. I am equally grateful to our partners and our communities for their ongoing collaboration and support, which remains essential to our success in tackling crime and keeping people safe.

Kindest regards,

Catherine Roper

Chief Constable, Wiltshire Police