Nestled in the heart of England, Derbyshire covers an area of over 1000 square miles consisting of mining towns and picturesque villages; a vibrant City and market towns; to the wild beauty of the Peak District National Park. Its population is estimated to be just over a million and is very diverse in terms of the communities living in the county and city. Policing such contrasts presents a number of challenges. Wherever someone lives, be it in an isolated rural community or in a town or Derby City and whichever background they are from, I expect Derbyshire Constabulary to provide a response that is appropriate and of a high standard.
Whilst no two days are the same when it comes to policing, in a 24-hour period Derbyshire constabulary will on average deal with:
- 400 emergency calls (999)
- 800 non-emergency calls (101)
- 100 online contacts county
This will create on average 600 crimes or incidents, including:
- 60 domestic incidents
- 8 burglaries
- 15 missing people
- 3 firearms incidents
- 138 incidents of anti-social behaviour
The Force will, on average:
- Make 40 arrests
- Undertake 6 stop searches
- Receive 1.3 million reads from Automated Number Plate Recognition systems
Currently, this workload is delivered by a team of 3,732 police officers, police staff and police service volunteers.
As Derbyshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner, I will work with the Chief Constable to ensure that resources are allocated taking into account the different threats and risks faced by communities across the county. There is no ‘one-size fits all’ solution and I recognise that this means that different communities must be policed in different ways. As Police and Crime Commissioner I am also legally bound to ensure the operational independence of the Chief Constable is respected and maintained.
I know that police visibility is important to people, it provides reassurance and makes them feel safer. It is important that we have as many police officers and PCSOs (Police Community Support Officers) out on the streets as possible. And beyond that, I also expect the Force to explore different ways to respond to local concerns with a clear focus on prevention of crime, keeping the public safe and deterring criminal activity. Reassuring the public will also require a focus on strong and effective communication. This will undoubtedly include improving current communication channels and exploring new opportunities for engagement presented through social media and other virtual means.