Chief Constable Chris Noble has confirmed a new local policing model for Staffordshire Police which will see significant investment in the number of officers responding locally throughout Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent - and Leek is top of the list.
Designed to strengthen the force's focus on local policing and partnerships, the new model will see emergency response officers operate from the same ten local areas as neighbourhood officers and police community support officers (PCSOs).
It will also see bespoke harm reduction hubs in every area, made up of dedicated problem-solvers that tackle high demand, high-risk and anti-social behaviour crimes through prevention, partnership and early intervention.
The ten Local Policing Areas (LPAs) which will consolidate teams and increase the force's three current response bases, are:
- Leek
- Hanley
- Newcastle
- Longton
- Stafford
- Burton
- Codsall
- Cannock
- Lichfield
- Tamworth
Chief Constable, Chris Noble, said: "This new model has a commitment to local policing at its heart and will see us invest significant numbers of officers into local policing and ensure that the stations our officers respond from are located in every part of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent."
It is hoped that, as a result of the new model, the force will: be able to respond quicker to emergencies; develop enhanced local knowledge in order to solve problems; have more time to investigate and provide a high-quality, consistent and caring service for victims of crime.
Chief Constable Noble added: "The model has been designed to allow us more time to focus on the issues that matter most to local people and respond in the way they need us to; whether that's in emergency situations, working with partners to tackle the root causes of anti-social behaviour and criminality or in protecting the most vulnerable.
"The demands upon policing are always changing and since the current model was introduced in 2018, crime has continued to become more complex and the number of calls for service have remained consistently high. We, therefore, need to be more embedded in, and visible to, local communities to have the best opportunity to work with the public and partners in solving local issues and preventing crime."
As part of the new approach, there are also investments in strengthening the force's dedicated specialist crime provision. They investigate the most serious and complex crimes to ensure the most dangerous offenders are brought to justice and the most vulnerable victims cared for.
There will also be additional staff investment in the Force Contact and Control Centre to enable improved call-answering times and to better resource the digital channels the public report through – Facebook, Twitter and the force website.
The new local policing model aims to go live across the force by the end of June this year.
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