A new strategy to make communities across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent safer has been officially launched after thousands of people had their say.
The Safer, Fairer, United Communities strategy has been published by Staffordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis.
The five-year strategy outlines how public services will work together on four key priority areas – early intervention, supporting victims and witnesses, managing offenders, and public confidence – to make a positive difference for local people.
During two months of consultation in July and August almost 6,400 people gave their views on the plans through a variety of means including face to face surveys, public meetings and on-line.
A total of 98 per cent of people agreed that the overall vision was important while 89 per cent agreed with the strategy itself. The four priorities were viewed as important by almost everyone (ranging from 97 per cent to 99 per cent for each priority).
Responses came from communities throughout the area. Over a third of responses were from Stoke-on-Trent.
Feedback about specific themes have now be incorporated into the final version of the strategy which can be viewed at www.staffordshire-pcc.gov.uk/saferfairerunited
Mr Ellis said: “After an overwhelmingly positive response during consultation, we are now launching a strategy that will make a real difference to local people.
“It’s a high-level, over-arching strategy that will sit above detailed delivery plans for police and local councils along with a commissioning plan that focuses on key areas including early intervention, victims, mental health and police visibility.
“What’s needed is a whole-system approach where public services work collaboratively to common agreed outcomes.
“The system needs to work differently, better and more cost effectively for all of us with local solutions for local people. It needs to fit the people it serves rather than people having to fit the system.
“People want effective visible policing on our streets and a criminal justice system that meets their individual needs should they require it.
“If nothing changes, services will decline, but things are changing in Staffordshire.
“It’s not NHS, local authority, CPS or police money….it’s all public money. We must scrap silo thinking, work to common goals – spend better, achieve more.
“We have to move away from ‘I’m alright Jack’ organisational silo working which shifts cost from one organisation to another so that the quality of service suffers.”
