Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Police and Crime Commissioner Rupert Matthews is celebrating a successful first year in office in which he has delivered extra investment to fight crime and sweeping improvements to public safety.
The PCC recently unveiled his Police and Crime Plan setting out his top priorities over the next three years to keep people safe and respond to the threat of crime.
Significant progress has already been made against many of his core goals which was highlighted this week with the award of no fewer than three outstanding grades in the latest Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Service’s inspection.
But Mr Matthews insists his current achievements are just a small part of the action and improvements he is determined to make over his remaining term.
He said: “It has been a wonderful first year and I have relished every moment of meeting our communities to find out what I need to do to make their lives better and safer.
“The foundations of my Police and Crime Plan have been wholly based on these public priorities and I am happy to say we really are making steady progress against my promises, particularly around building stronger and more formidable local policing services.
“Since I was elected, there are more officers on the beat and their presence is already being keenly felt by our neighbourhoods, especially those in our rural areas.
“Providing our officers and staff with right training and equipment and technology is vital. I’m particularly pleased to see the Leicestershire Training Academy is delivering first class training for our officers to develop their careers. We will also soon be seeing new cars, uniforms, radio systems and technology to boost efficiency and effectiveness.
“I have also kept my promise to invest in our rural crime capabilities and our Rural Crime Teams have hit the ground running to reassure residents, prevent crimes that impact rural livelihoods and quality of life and respond to the concerns of those they serve.
“Elsewhere, I’ve reinvigorated our three People Zones and invested vital funding in these communities to help give young people purpose and direction so there is less risk of them falling into crime. Equally, we have secured long-term funding to secure and support the work undertaken by our Violence Reduction Network (VRN) to reduce serious violence and knife crime.
“Prevention has remained a key theme and it is testament to our hardworking partners, police officers and proactive enforcement operations that crime continues to fall across a range of areas. I am hopeful that the impact of Safer Streets funding this year will continue to have a positive effect on crime rates over the coming year.
“Policing requires teamwork and I am well aware that none of the good work would have been possible without our dedicated and hardworking police officers, staff and volunteers. Our officers, especially, are vital to helping build trust and confidence in policing, putting themselves in the face of danger every day, and I would like to thank them for their unfaltering support during my first year. I am looking forward to building on the good start this year.”
Key achievements made during the past 12 months include:
· Delivering on the promise to invest in the work of the Violence Reduction Network (VRN), securing long-term funding to support innovative programmes to prevent and reduce serious violence. In 2022-23, the VRN will be eligible to apply for more than £3.5m to support existing and new programmes over the next three years.
· Launching a Community Safety Fund worth £600k over two years, will be shared among local organisations which successfully apply and prove their project addresses the Commissioner’s key safety priorities.
· Invested in resources to vastly improve the force’s response to rural crime, strengthening the Rural Crime Team and delivering improved services to rural communities
· Restructuring and refreshing the three People Zones in Bell Foundry, Loughborough, New Parks, Leicester, and Coalville, Leicestershire
· Engaging with thousands of residents face-to-face and through surveys to stay in touch with and reflect the needs and priorities of the public
· Delivered free security upgrades to more than 1,000 homes across LLR after securing funding from the Home Office’s Safer Streets Fund.
· Invested in new CCTV cameras in parks and public spaces across LLR area through Safer Streets 3 project to increase the safety of women girls.
· Jointly commissioned the high-profile You’re Right, That’s Wrong campaign across LLR encouraging men to reject unacceptable behaviour towards women.
