BERKSHIRE’S Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) has welcomed plans to roll out dedicated neighbourhood training for police forces across England.
PCC Matthew Barber has said that the selection of Thames Valley Police as one of the pilot areas for the roll-out was a “great endorsement” of its focus on neighbourhood policing.
The Neighbourhood Policing Pathway, developed by the College of Policing, aims to improve the standards and consistency in neighbourhood policing across forces.
It will also help officers build the skills they need to engage with communities and tackle crime and anti-social behavioural issues.
The training is to be implemented in 11 forces around the UK, including Thames Valley.
Matthew Barber said: “Visible and proactive neighbourhood policing is critical to preventing and disrupting crime.
“It also makes a genuine difference to people’s feelings of safety and plays a crucial role in building trust and confidence in the police.
“Here in Thames Valley, the number of officers in neighbourhood roles has doubled in the past year and the further expansion of, and investment in, community policing is a core part of my Police and Crime Plan.”
He explained that TVP’s inclusion was: “a great endorsement of our prioritisation of neighbourhood policing that Thames Valley Police was selected as one of the pilot areas and that the Force is helping to influence some of the training that will form part of the nationwide rollout.”
More details about the Police and Crime Plan are available via: thamesvalley-pcc.gov.uk/police-and-crime-plan/
