Letter from County Neighbourhood Chief Inspector Leighton Williams

Dear Wiltshire resident,

I arrive in the role as Chief Inspector at an exciting time. There is a recognition from Government of the important work carried out across policing and a focus on the service being enhanced by the role of the neighbourhood officer, formally known as the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee.

The neighbourhood teams across Wiltshire include a variety of roles, ranks and skills including Police constables with enhanced vulnerable victim support, Police Community Support Officers with partnership and problem-solving expertise and Rural Crime Officers with a specialist knowledge of the needs of rural community to name but a few. These officers under my command provide me the opportunity to positively influence the service we provide to the public and improve the communities we live in.

Across the county, neighbourhood teams are based at key locations. This ensures they can respond to incidents, be visible in their communities and better understand what matters most to the public they serve.

The service our teams provide is achieved in several ways, including day-to-day and intelligence led patrols on foot and in vehicles. This approach leads to the effective use of stop and search powers, disruption to anti-social behaviour and the reduction in crime and the fear of crime. Officers will make use of social media platforms and community messaging to highlight the excellent work they do, to engage with communities more efficiently and to seek a better understanding of the issues most effecting their areas.

Neighbourhood officers lead the way on problem solving policing, they are well versed in working with partners, the public and private industry to deal with incidents that cannot be solved by policing alone. They will plan and run operations that tackle anti-social behaviour, local and national criminality and to ensure we all feel safer in our homes and public spaces.

As policing continues to evolve, I am excited to be part of the journey and look forward to delivering a neighbourhood service that is diverse, accountable and fit for purpose.

This can only be achieved with the continued support of the public, who are often overlooked as our eyes and ears on the ground. Therefore, I would ask that at every opportunity the public of Wiltshire look to engage with their neighbourhoods’ team and support us in continuing to deliver you the best possible service.

My heartfelt thanks goes out to all of our neighbourhood policing colleagues across the county, our partners, and you, our communities, for your support in aiding us to tackle crime and implement meaningful and lasting solutions to local problems. Whilst the issues may differ across the county, all NPTs across Wiltshire have one focus – to keep Wiltshire safe. 

If you'd like to find out more about what we've been doing for the National Neighbourhood Policing Week of Action please visit the dedicated page on our website.