The Wiltshire Police and Crime Panel met to discuss police performance, financial pressures, and community safety partnerships. The panel received updates on crime statistics, call answering times, and initiatives to reduce violence and anti-social behaviour. Members also discussed the financial challenges facing Wiltshire Police and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC), and the need for a sustainable financial strategy.

Police and Crime Plan Annual Report

The panel received the Police and Crime Plan Annual Report 2024-25, which highlighted improvements in key areas, including call answering times and service to victims. According to the report, 58% of the public believe Wiltshire Police is doing a good or excellent job, and the constabulary is the third most trusted force in the country.

However, Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Philip Wilkinson, OBE, MPhil, noted that the central grants and funding his office receives fall short of what is required to provide the police service that communities deserve. He warned that if the central grant is tightened in the same way next year, the current level of service would not be sustainable.

Cllr Allison Bucknell suggested that the panel could do more to help manage community expectations, and that attending parish council meetings is generally a waste of valuable time. She argued that the panel should instead focus on explaining why the police are needed, and how communities can manage situations themselves.

Cllr Julie Vine sought reassurance about the availability of the police helicopter, which she sees as a vital resource for the county. PCC Philip Wilkinson responded that while helicopters are sometimes necessary, drones are much cheaper and the force has 35 of them. He added that he is fighting to change a contract that ties Wiltshire into paying for fixed-wing aircraft that take off from the West Midlands, even when they are not needed.

The panel agreed to include a section in the report on funding to manage public expectations, and to include special constables in a future work programme.

Police and Crime Plan Highlight and Performance Report

The panel received the Police and Crime Plan Highlight and Performance Report, which provided an update on key performance indicators. The report showed improvements in call answering times, with the average time to answer 999 calls reducing to 6 seconds and 101 calls to 36 seconds. The report also highlighted a decrease in anti-social behaviour incidents and a reduction in road casualties.

Chief Constable Catherine Roper spoke about the importance of visibility and engagement to improve public trust and confidence, particularly in communities that are not feeling the benefits of reduced crime. She also addressed the delays in court hearings and the impact on victims and witnesses.

Cllr Christopher Williams raised concerns about police visibility in rural areas, particularly attendance at parish council meetings. Chief Constable Catherine Roper offered to take the issue offline and develop a plan for more consistent attendance. PCC Philip Wilkinson suggested that councillors could specify one meeting a year that focused on policing, which the chief and he would then attend.

Chief Constable Catherine Roper also spoke about national reforms to policing and the need to align performance frameworks. She noted that there are multiple frameworks that police are held to account for, and that it is possible that they could be saying exactly the same thing.

Financial Pressures Facing Wiltshire Police and the OPCC

The panel received a report on the Financial Pressures Facing Wiltshire Police and the OPCC, which outlined the financial challenges facing the constabulary and the OPCC. The report highlighted the need to identify further resource efficiencies and manage staffing costs. It also noted the uncertainty surrounding future funding settlements and the potential impact of national programmes such as the Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme¹ (ESMCP) and the transition to electric vehicles. Interim Chief Finance Officer David Moran said that the Home Office is expecting forces across the country to assume a £14 increase for next year. He also noted that the financial review programme is about trying to talk about efficiency wherever it possibly can.

Cllr Ross Henning asked about specialist roles that were unlikely to be filled this year. Chief Constable Catherine Roper said that she would need to go back to when the report was published and the specialist roles that were being referred to.

Community Safety Partnerships

Chris Williams, Community Safety Transformation Lead at the OPCC, provided an update on Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) and their role in tackling crime and disorder. He explained that CSPs are made up of statutory partners, including the police, local authority, probation, health, and fire service. He noted that the partnerships are dominated by the police and local authority, and that it has been an ongoing challenge to get probation to participate fully in CSPs.

Cllr Kasia Wilson asked about the current challenges on the streets. Chris Williams responded that Wiltshire is increasingly good, and Swindon are actually in a really good place. He said that they have a well-established partnership, they're evidence-led, they're trying to focus their resources on the highest need, we've got for the victims group defenders from the locations and they're not they're being evidence-led in the work that they're doing. He added that the problem they have as ever and you've heard it all morning it's about resource and that you know they can't please as many people as they would like to do because they're having to focus on the kind of top tier harm and which is is a sensible approach really given that the lack of resources they've got.

Other Business

The panel discussed the Forward Work Plan and agreed to include an update on special constables at a future meeting. They also considered how to improve communication with the public and agreed to promote panel activities on social media.