February 20, 2014, by offcampus

A View From The PCC

Today on the Off Campus blog, we’re delighted to welcome the Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire, Paddy Tipping, back to the blog to reflect on what’s he’s been working on in his first year in office.

Whether you’re totally new to Nottinghamshire or it’s somewhere you’ve always called home, big changes are underway to protect you and increase your safety. Since the last time I had pleasure in writing this blog, a full 12 months ago, a number of innovations have been implemented to increase your confidence in local policing and ensure the Force is responsive and visible when you need it. Not only can we look forward to a bigger, stronger frontline in the future, victims are now at the core of our goals which means should you ever be unfortunate enough to fall victim to crime, you will offered the right support and help you recover.

Since drafting my Police and Crime Plan a year ago, I’ve travelled the county meeting local people, young and old, and finding out exactly what they need to feel safe and protected in Nottinghamshire. Nurturing relationships with local people is something I’m very passionate about and I believe this strengthened bond with our communities is the backbone to many of the success stories thus far, in addition to the dedication and hard work of police officers, police staff, volunteers and our partners.

I’ve heard time and again over the last year that the public’s needs are very straightforward. They want more bobbies on the beat to both deter crime and investigate more local problems. I’ve listened and despite facing equally challenging financial difficulties this year, I’m pressing ahead with my plans to increase the numbers of officers and PCSOs.  The 2014-15 budget allows for a total of 2,142 officers by April 2015 – an increase of 120 since 2012-13 – and 375 PCSOs, an increase of 75 since 2012-13.  I also intend to expand the army of volunteers who support our safety goals including the creation of Rural Special Constables.

Nottingham has a very vibrant nightlife and increasing its safety is one of my key priorities. Over the past year I’ve worked closely with our partners to address alcohol misuse in the City and the County which contributes to a host of other offending patterns including domestic violence, anti-social behaviour, theft, street violence and public disorder. The result of this work has been the launch of an Alcohol Strategy which aims to prevent future offending by increasing the availability and access of support services for those affected by alcohol addiction and by utilising tougher enforcement. This will improve the quality of life of those who live within busy towns, protect those who visit the night-time economy and ultimately reduce demand on emergency services in the future.

Students will be pleased to hear that I’ve continued to work with partners, including the Students’ Union, to introduce CCTV cameras in Nottingham’s hackney cabs. This will improve safety for both passengers and drivers. For my part, I’ve made the necessary finance available and Nottingham City Council is now working through the implementation plan. A date for the introduction of the scheme is not far away.  As big users of taxis, I know students will welcome and support the scheme.

The importance of protecting the public pocket cannot be discussed in isolation from our crime reduction efforts and it is through such early intervention measures that I aim to reduce the future burden on local taxpayers. Every decision I make now has its foundation in making Nottinghamshire safer and delivering value for money to the public. The £3m funding I’ve committed to local partnerships this year for community safety and victims’ services will help us deliver lasting changes to encourage vulnerable people to lead healthier, law-abiding lives.

Together with our criminal justice partners, we are working harder than ever to make every penny count and ensure our varied services have a common aim: to reduce crime. You can play a leading role in this journey by taking a more active role in policing as a volunteer or simply by making your views heard through me. I am here to make your voice louder and to do that I need you to keep talking.

You can keep up to date with the PCC on Twitter – @NottsPCC

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