Fortnightly update to the Police and Crime Commissioner - 28 August 2026

Dear Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Wilkinson,

I wanted to start my update this fortnight by paying tribute to the two Cleveland Police officers who tragically died in the line of duty last Saturday (22/08).

PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough died following a collision between their police vehicle and a car being driven the wrong way on the A66 in Middlesborough. The five occupants of this vehicle all sadly lost their lives also.

The loss of PC Blade and PC Clough is being felt across our policing family – they were brave officers who were protecting the communities they served so diligently.

This is a sobering reminder that our officers, staff and volunteers will often put themselves in harm's way to protect others and prevent harm. Our thoughts remain with all those affected by this tragedy including our colleagues within Cleveland Police and their local communities.

We joined Forces across the country to hold a minute’s silence on Thursday to pause, reflect and honour the officers’ service and sacrifice. The full statement from Cleveland Police Chief Constable Victoria Fuller can be found here.

Here in Wiltshire, last week a jury returned a majority verdict of not guilty in the trial into the death of 16-year-old Shayne Hambakachere.

The accused, a 16-year-old boy who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found not guilty of murder and of the alternative charge of manslaughter. Shayne sustained a fatal knife wound in London Road, Chippenham, on January 31. He tragically died in hospital the following day despite the best efforts of those first on scene, including our police officers and paramedic colleagues.

I would like to pay tribute to all of Shayne’s loved ones at this time, in addition to the investigators and frontline policing teams who have worked tirelessly on this case, and supporting our communities, since January.

In writing this letter this week, I found it almost impossible to move on from such tragedies. However, I did want to update you and our communities on other action that is currently being taken by Wiltshire Police.

Currently going through the criminal justice process is a case involving a defendant who is suspected of engaging in hare coursing near Tidworth in April.

He was arrested after being spotted allegedly hare coursing by a member of the public – lurchers and equipment associated with poaching were located in the vehicle he was using.

He was also charged with several driving offences after making off from officers.

He pleaded not guilty to all offences at court on Wednesday, and a trial date has been set for next year.

Six other people were arrested and charged in connection with this incident but the charges against them were discontinued at court this week.

In the last two years, we have arrested 44 people on suspicion of rural crime offences, resulting in 38 people being charged, 22 successful prosecutions (with 10 suspects still pending trial) and we have seized 19 vehicles linked to rural crime offences.

I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the local CrimeStoppers Rural Crime Campaign currently running across Wiltshire, which is helping to raise awareness of the impact rural crime has on our communities and encouraging those with information to come forward anonymously. 

Rural crime can have devastating consequences for farmers, landowners and rural businesses, with offences such as machinery theft, hare coursing and organised criminal activity causing significant financial and emotional harm. 

The campaign recognises that some people may be reluctant to report what they know. To combat this, CrimeStoppers provides a safe and completely anonymous way for information to be shared, helping law enforcement agencies target offenders and protect rural communities.

If anyone has information on crime in rural areas and wishes to remain anonymous, they can call CrimeStoppers free on 0800 555 111 or fill out this online form.

Between September 7th and 11th, we will be supporting the National Rural Crime Week of Action, where we will join forces with our partners to undertake targeted activity aimed at preventing crime, disrupting offenders and engaging directly with those living and working in our rural areas. 

We will share more information on our activity and the operational outcomes during this week of action, and I will appraise our communities in my next fortnightly letter.

Along with our partners, such as CrimeStoppers, we will continue to relentlessly pursue those who bring misery to our rural communities.

Our communities can also offer anonymous information on the whereabouts of our most wanted offenders in Wiltshire. This information can be found on the CrimeStoppers website here.

Engaging with our communities is crucial to garner information to locate wanted offenders, help us solve crimes and shape our service to them.

This week, the National Public Confidence in Policing Survey launches which gives our communities the opportunity to share their experiences and views on crime and policing in their local area.

Although this is a national survey, we will be able to access the local feedback from our communities here in Wiltshire. 

I would encourage all our community members to participate to ensure their voice is being heard. The survey can be accessed here: National Public Confidence in Policing Survey.

We are constantly looking at ways we can reach all of the communities we serve. Our Wiltshire and Swindon Community Messaging service plays an increasingly important role in enabling us to directly contact members of the public with relevant information and updates.

You can sign up to our Wiltshire and Swindon Community Messaging service by following this link.

Community feedback is also helping develop our plans for a new Southern Policing Hub - informing the final stages of work ahead of the submission of an outline planning application.

This week, there has been much public discussion in the south of our county that there are currently no plans for a custody suite within these proposals.

While locally accessible custody units undoubtedly offer advantages, operational decisions must consider the need for efficiency and value for money for the residents of Wiltshire. 

The reality is, a third custody unit would require significant specialist staffing, dedicated operational support and ongoing running costs. Inevitably, this could impact our frontline and neighbourhood policing capability.

Our responsibility is to deliver a balanced service, addressing public needs without compromising operational effectiveness and, although arrests are an important aspect of our duties, they constitute only a small fraction of our overall policing responsibilities.

I would like to reassure our communities that, when an arrest is warranted, our teams will act, regardless of the distance involved to the nearest custody unit. Public safety, rigorous investigative procedures, legal compliance, and maintaining the highest investigative standards remain our unwavering priorities. To reinforce this, we continuously monitor arrest volumes, ensuring our actions align with public protection.

Commissioner, you have addressed these public concerns in your update to our communities today.

The proposed hub location at Mitre Way, Old Sarum, will provide a modern, fit-for-purpose operational base for neighbourhood, response and specialist policing teams serving Salisbury and south of the county.

Your office has overseen a series of community engagement activities and events to collate feedback from the public, including attending Area Board meetings with Chief Superintendent Doug Downing. This feedback has now been shared with the design team, highways specialists, environmental consultants and other technical advisers as preparations continue for the outline planning submission.

More information on the Southern Policing Hub can be found here.

Finally, Commissioner, I wanted to congratulate you on your recent milestone in service to our communities here in Wiltshire. Last week, you marked five years in office as the elected policing representative of our residents across the county. I hope you feel rightly proud of the progress that has been made since you were appointed.

You hold me to account for the delivery of the policing services in Wiltshire and I firmly believe we are now providing a much-enhanced service to our communities and victims of crime. However, there is still more to do, and my colleagues and I will not be complacent in driving forward further improvements.

You outlined your greatest achievements in this update to our communities.

Kindest regards,

Catherine Roper

Chief Constable, Wiltshire Police