Police and Crime Commissioner David Sidwick's Police and Crime Plan aims to make Dorset the safest county in England and Wales.
Prior to becoming PCC, David spent three and a half years speaking with, and hearing from, thousands of people who live and work throughout Dorset. As your Police & Crime Commissioner, he said "Throughout this time – whether I was researching crime and community safety issues to inform my election manifesto; or executing my duties during my first months in office – the message from Dorset’s communities has been clear: they support my vision that this county should be the safest in England and Wales.” David continued “Each of the priorities are underpinned by the manifesto commitments I made during the PCC campaign. I have an unashamedly ambitious vision for Dorset and much of the Plan will only be achieved through bold and transformative activity.
The Six Priorities
- Cut Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour
- Make Policing More Visible and Connected
- Fight Violent Crime and High Harm
- Fight Rural Crime
- Put Victims and Communities First
- Make Every Penny Count.
What has been achieved
- CUT CRIME & ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
Since 2019, there has been a 25% reduction in ASB across Dorset, with a year to date drop of 14%. Last year, throughout the period of heightened demand, every area of Dorset saw a significant reduction in ASB.
- MAKE POLICING MORE VISIBLE & CONNECTED
Dorset Police now has 72 Community Contact Points across the county. These contact points offer a facility to report crime and incidents as well as offering prevention and engagement opportunities for the public. Boscombe police station reopened as an operational base for local policing as part of efforts to improve response times to emergency calls in East Bournemouth and Christchurch.
- FIGHT VIOLENT CRIME & HIGH HARM
This year, your PCC funded knife wands for every police patrol car as well as a portable knife arch to assist Force-led operations tackling drug crime, anti-social behaviour and knife crime.
- FIGHT RURAL CRIME
Dorset Police’s award-winning Rural Crime Team have continued to work hard to fight rural crime with NFU Mutual’s annual report showing a 28% drop in the cost of crime in Dorset, compared to an increase of 22% nationally.
- PUT VICTIMS AND COMMUNITIES FIRST
Dorset Police have joined the Immediate Justice pilot scheme, which will help to tackle anti-social behaviour. This pilot is designed so swift and visible punishments are delivered to those who have committed ASB and other low level crimes.
- MAKE EVERY PENNY COUNT
The award of Home Office Safer Street Funding to Dorset, following three successful bids by the PCC office - various projects across Dorset will receive funding including CCTV initiatives, Consent Awareness Training and the purchase and use of ID scanners.
