The Chief Constable and the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight have announced their plans for a new model of policing. This model will evolve the current command structure in a move intended to improve local policing and enhance police visibility.
Maria said, ‘’ Hampshire and the Isle of Wight will transition to a new localised model of policing, which will decentralise policing in order to be more responsive to the needs of local communities. I have talked to the Police and Crime Commissioner, Donna Jones, about this approach in the past and she has assured me that this model has proved to be more effective at tackling crime and anti-social behaviour.
As part of the new model, new Neighbourhood Enforcement Teams will be introduced to specifically target the most prolific criminals and hotspots in their designated areas of Hampshire. On top of this, before April 2024, each community will have a named and contactable police officer who has direct responsibility and oversight of their patch.
These changes are specifically designed to increase police visibility, introducing more bobbies on the beat, deter crime and to ensure that people feel safe in their communities. Reorientating towards local policing in this way has been made possible by the recent uplift in police numbers across Hampshire, which will total 650 extra officers by March 2024, 50 of whom will be stationed in Basingstoke.
Overall crime rates have fallen in recent years in Basingstoke, and I will be closely following the progress of this new approach as we aim to make Basingstoke an even safer place to live.’’