Message from Inspector Stephenson (March 2020)
In recent days much of our focus has been planning and preparing our local Community Policing response to the Covi 19 pandemic. At a Force and Local Level we are working with relevant partners to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on our local communities, working together to promote recovery to a state of normality.
I thought it would be beneficial to share our Local Policing Strategy and how we intend to deliver this; as per usual our Neighbourhood policing activity will be focused on supporting the Force Gold Strategy and maintaining our core operational duties which include:
- protecting life and property
- preserving order
- preventing the commission of offences
- Bringing offenders to justice
At a local level during this challenging time our Operational Aims are focused on:
- Maintaining Core Neighbourhood Policing Function (so far as reasonably possible)
- Maintaining Public Confidence
It would be remiss to give an impression that our ‘usual Community Policing service’ will not be impacted. Whilst we are taking necessary Health and Safety Precautions to protect our staff, we are not immune and our numbers will be reduced as Covi 19 spreads. We have modelled what this looks like and have contingencies in place. We have a clear structure and plan which will assist us to maximise our ability to maintain our community policing function so far as reasonably possible. It is vital we maintain our visibility and maintain our presence and connection in our ward areas.
In order to maintain the effectiveness of our response we will be triaging demand according to threat risk and harm. I want to reassure you that Incidents such as Hate Incident/Crimes, those targeting vulnerable victims or repeat victims will be prioritised for attendance and resolution. We have a clear plan in place to maximise any of our team who have to self-isolate and work from home, maximising the use of technology to provide a supportive function to allow our front line services to maintain our response function to calls to service. This is already proving possible and effective.
Our plan ensures we will be maximising our high visibility patrols in each of the ward areas, engaging with Communities providing reassurance and maintaining trust within our wards. Patrols will be targeted around hot spots of crime/ASB, emergency community support centres and as we have seen around the country some of our focus will be around Supermarkets due to panic buying and the potential for this to lead to public disorder and theft. Today I have been out on the streets walking for most of the evening, whilst I have met a number of members of the community who are extremely frightened there is already a great sense of community spirit and it is clear people are ‘connecting’.
We will continue to focus our efforts on protecting those who are most vulnerable and isolated in our communities, linking in with partners where required for the necessary support. We have been working closely with the local ASB team and in light of the planned school closures have implemented enhanced OP Python Joint Police/Youth Worker outreach patrols in the afternoons and evenings with the aim of minimising potential youth related ASB.
Our Community Beat Managers are engaging with key members and groups within our ward areas as a means to monitor and assess any emerging threats and concerns within our community so we can respond accordingly. The team will continue to utilise our Social Media channels and websites to keep you informed of what we are doing.
My teams response and attitude over the last few days has been fantastic, with many already making sacrifices, working long hours away from loved ones. We’ve seen some fantastic team ethos and they have made a pledge and commitment to you, our communities and each other:
To the very best of our ability we will continue to:
- protect the vulnerable and keep people safe.
- We will be out in your ward areas, visible, listening and working with you to deliver the services you need at this challenging time.
- We will continue to tackle crime and ASB
Most of all we will be here when you need us.
Please navigate the site below to select your local community. You can instantly find out more about your local Neighbourhood Policing Team, see how you can get involved in shaping our activities, find out more about what the team are doing and see some of our recent appeals for support and examples of our good work.
Humberside Police
David Stephenson
Inspector 5623
Community Policing Inspector – Grimsby East
Cleethorpes North Police Station,
Hamilton Street, Grimsby, DN32 7RS
Phone: Grimsby 01472 725943 (Internal Ext 4943)
Mobile: 07464985240
Email:David.Stephenson@humberside.pnn.police.uk