Monday 17 January
Monday was dominated by the Budget. At 8:30am Teresa [my PA] outlined all the Budget meetings I have over the next fortnight and asked what prep was required. At 9:30am Kira [Acting Chief Financial Officer in the OPCC] came into my office to give me an update on the Budget figures. At 11am David Peet [new Chief Executive] talked to me about the OPCC budget. That was followed by 90 minutes of dealing with emails [several about the Budget]. After lunch it was a meeting with the Chief Officer Team for 2 hours to discuss the Budget. And after all that, due to the need for laser like precision, the multi strands of decision making required and the art of trying to predict the financial landscape, it is still not finalised.
Sigh.
Tuesday 18 January
Today was dominated by the East Midlands Regional Governance Meetings. There are two. In the morning the PCCs meet, then in the afternoon the Chief Constables and the PCCs meet. Guess the main topic? Yep, the Budget.
In what was supposed to be the lunch break, I did a radio interview with Greatest Hits Stamford & Rutland. They started talking about policing and crime in Rutland, especially about crime affecting farmers and rural villages. They also mention Rutland’s status as a separate county to Leicestershire and ask if I recognise that fact. I do.
Finally, at 6pm, I go on-line for a marathon session of Q&As with the assembled councillors of Charnwood Council. I get a wide variety of questions – everything from worries of pavement parking and ASB through to what the process is for recruiting a new Chief Constable. Some I can answer straight away, others I have promised to get back to the councillors.
Wednesday 19 January
Jess, who looks after the People Zones project, comes in with a beaming smile on her face. Good news? Yes. Result! We are getting very good feedback from stakeholders in the project, plus she has nearly finished putting together the brief to commission some research to discover the views of local residents in People Zones.
That is followed by our regular OPCC Team Meeting where I talk about the Budget [obvs], the new Ethics and Transparency Panel and People Zones. We then go around the team with everyone explaining what they are up to and how it is going. Generally, the mood is buoyant, people are optimistic and everything seems to be going very well. More good news!
While I am doing emails while eating lunch a sudden noise from the main OPCC office comes pouring through my door. It is a sort of squealing, gasping, cheering gasp. I look up through my window. I can’t see anyone, so I stick my head out of the door. Everyone is clustered at the far end of the office. It is Abbey [our Business Staff Officer who is on maternity leave] she has come in with her 4 week old baby daughter. What a cutie! I insist on having a cuddle and am rewarded with a big smile. Even more good news.
This can’t last!
It doesn’t. I spend the afternoon on-line with the national APCC meeting to discuss … oh go on, guess.
Thursday 20 January
This week is Neighbourhood Policing Week of Action. I am spending the day out and about to emphasise how seriously I take the work of our beat officers and how much I appreciate what they do. Like all of our officers and staff who are ambassadors for the service, our beat officers are a vital link between the police and the law-abiding majority who pay for us via their Council Tax Precept. They know and understand their local areas, know who the prolific offenders are, know the people who are most vulnerable and know almost all of the key areas for concern and are absolutely essential to modern policing.
I start in Melton Mowbray where I found Rashmita Vyas on the front desk. I last saw here on Diwali when I was emerging from a sweet shop up Belgrave Road with an enormous bag of goodies in my hand. She directed me to PC Sanderson and Rebecca Ashton who were taking me out on a Patch Walk with some folks from Melton Council’s housing department. We had a jolly informative time. I was just thinking of leaving when PCSO Durrant strolled by. I told him I was trying to find the famous cheese shop, and he kindly directed me down Windsor Street to the Melton Cheeseboard. I came away with a bulging shopping bag, my staff are slowly going to return to work so what better welcome and a thank you to them for their hard work than a team cheese fest.
On to Queniborough to deliver some crime prevention leaflets en route to Coalville where I join Cllr Andrew Woodman in observing the serving of a warrant for suspected drug dealing. Obviously I can’t give details, but I can say that I was very impressed with skills and professionalism of the officers involved. My thanks to PC Eva Chettleburgh for keeping Cllr Woodman and myself safe.
Market Bosworth was next. A few weeks ago Superintendent Starbuck and I attended a meeting organised by the Market Bosworth NFU to discuss hare coursing and other rural crimes. As a result a new operation is running in the area to curb the criminal damage caused by hare coursing. PC Mike Statt gives me a briefing on the operation and the success that it is having.
As the sun goes down, I arrive in Lutterworth to meet Sergeant Wakelam to join him out on patrol round the troublespots. I gather that the good sergeant is to retire in just 17 working days. I thank him on behalf of local residents for his many years of dedicated service. He and his family should be incredibly proud of his service to the communities and his commitment to help keep us all safe. His local knowledge of places, problems and miscreants as well as of the law abiding, the businesses and the residents sums up so much of why neighbourhood policing is so important. Good luck in retirement Sarge, stay safe, stay healthy and enjoy!
Friday 21 January
I am met by Kira. It is about the Budget. Sigh.
Then Grace of the Violence Reduction Network arrives to give me an update on their Strategic Needs Assessment. It turns out to be fascinating – but at the same time rather concerning. But at least we are going in the right direction.
Special Branch are next. They introduce me to the top MI5 officer for Leicestershire. That is fascinating as well. But if I told you what they said, I would get arrested.
At the end of what feels like a long week, I meet with DC Yassin Desai to discuss about introducing the hijab in to police operational equipment. Which all sound eminently sensible, but there are financial complexities. Hmmmmm.
I’m about to head off home when Sallie [our media chief] tells me that GB News want to do an interview. So back to my desk.
Oh, by the way. I’ve agreed the approach to the budget!!!
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