People across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent can read from today about what’s going well and what isn’t around the work of Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis, in making Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent safer.
The report gets to the heart of how the unique role of the Police and Crime Commissioner is influencing the wider landscape not just policing. It talks about the last year being focussed on getting police finances back on track whilst sustaining quality policing.
Whilst policing plays a major part in reducing crime and keeping people safe, the report reinforces that the police can’t do it alone. The Commissioner’s Safer, Fairer, United Communities Strategy published last year, calls for public services in Staffordshire to work in a more joined up way towards common goals.
Matthew Ellis said: “This report gives a snapshot of what’s been achieved in the last year and a taste of what’s to come. It also highlights where we and others need to do better and where the public sector is still working in silos rather than clear common goals that will benefit the people of Staffordshire.
“It’s been a tremendous year working closely with Staffordshire Police to improve the financial outlook as well as the service provided: But if I’m honest, 18 months ago, I wouldn’t have believed finances would be so strong and the fact they are is testament to the extraordinarily good working relationship between my small team of professionals and Staffordshire Police.
“In practical terms it means that the planned reductions in Neighbourhood Policing I inherited have been cancelled and the recruitment of new officers has started as well as scraping the forced retirement of officers after 30 years.
“But this is only part of the picture. Improving joint working and dealing with things that potentially cause harm earlier is at the heart of my 5 year strategy. It’s ambitious and it’s not easy but I can already see progress where public services in Staffordshire are starting to have a change of mindset. We’re already starting to see a willingness to share responsibility and combine budgets around themes such as offending and domestic violence.
“There’s no doubt that there are substantial challenges ahead but things are looking pretty good and I’m excited at future prospects for policing, community safety and wider criminal justice for Staffordshire.”
Read the Police and Crime Panel’s formal response to the Annual Report 2013/14
