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Chief Constable fortnightly update to the Police and Crime Commissioner - 19 December 2025 |
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Dear Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Wilkinson, I know there are many in our local communities who are still deeply shocked and saddened by the terrorist incident on Bondi Beach in Australia earlier this week. I am conscious that this will undoubtedly have an impact on people around the world, including here in Wiltshire. It will be particularly difficult for many of those in our Jewish communities specifically, as this happened on the first day of Hanukkah. There is no place for hate crime or violence anywhere in our society, and we remain committed to supporting and safeguarding anyone who is targeted because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity or disability. Should anyone have any specific concerns or questions, I would encourage them to contact their Neighbourhood Policing Team. More information can be found on our website. Our officers will continue to engage with all our faith-based communities and leaders to support wherever possible. The thoughts of everyone at Wiltshire Police remain with the victims of this incident and their loved ones. This week, the Government published its Violence against Women and Girls strategy which outlines significant reforms to better protect our communities. For policing, the plan outlines the following changes: Every Force will introduce specialist rape and sexual offence investigation teams Domestic Abuse Protection Orders will be introduced which will cover all forms of domestic abuse including economic abuse, coercive and controlling behaviour, stalking and honour-based abuse. There will be no maximum time limits placed on the orders, meaning victims can be provided with protection for as long as they need A new, national team will be introduced specifically to tackle violence against women and girls online using covert and intelligence techniques. You can read more about this national strategy here. I welcome any opportunity – including new legislation – which will ultimately make those who feel most vulnerable in our communities safer. In Wiltshire, we are already utilising innovative ways to reduce violence against women and girls. In 2021, we adopted Project Vigilant which focuses on tackling behaviour that makes women and girls feel unsafe in public spaces by intervening before crimes are committed. It focuses on predatory behaviour displayed by potential offenders - not on others changing their habits - and aims to disrupt the early signs of harmful activity. Now, Wiltshire Police are one of the leading police forces taking Project Vigilant further by providing training to other police forces, providing training to new police officers joining the force, and with the introduction of drones during a deployment. We deploy highly visible patrols alongside specialist plain-clothes officers, supported by CCTV networks, in areas where intelligence shows there is concern. When we see worrying behaviour, we intervene to protect those at risk and, where necessary, use our powers to disperse individuals who pose a threat. We have increased our Project Vigilant deployments in Swindon and Salisbury over the last few weeks due to the higher number of people out enjoying the festive period. We have also introduced a Vigilant Communities project, where we train local volunteers to become Vigilant Guardians who can help spot early warning signs and raise awareness of what predatory behaviour looks like. Their involvement enhances the work of our officers by strengthening community safety, reinforcing that preventing violence against women and girls is a shared responsibility. I encourage anyone who witnesses predatory behaviour to report what they’ve seen; even details that seem small can help us build a clearer picture and keep people safe. More information about Project Vigilant can be found on our website here, and a more detailed explanation of what a Project Vigilant deployment involves can be found on this YouTube video. Project Vigilant is one part of wider efforts by Wiltshire Police to reduce Violence Against Women and Girls, but I thought particularly relevant to mention at this time of year when people are out enjoying the festivities of the winter season. However, I also wanted to mention other efforts that are being made by colleagues and partners Wiltshire Police to hold to account all perpetrators of violence against women and girls: Becoming members of an extremely impactive coalition called Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAWG) in Wiltshire last year, comprising of members of the public, members of the judiciary, police, representatives from domestic abuse organisations, and business leaders. The EVAWG act as a critical friend to our organisation - providing insight and guidance to improve our service to victims and communities. Collectively, we made a commitment to ensure that our approach now firmly centres on the voices and lived experiences of victims Our commitment to tackling Rape and Serious Sexual Offences (RASSO) has been strengthened by our work under Operation Soteria which is transforming the national approach to RASSO. Wiltshire Police was one of 19 forces who took part in the initial concept stages of Operation Soteria in 2021, and recent independent reviews have reflected the continued progress in our performance, holding perpetrators to account, and supporting victims Last year, we launched the Walk and Talk scheme – which sees our officers meet in person with local women to get an insight into how they feel living in Wiltshire and what we and our partners can do to improve women’s safety. Supporting the Salisbury Soroptimists in the launch of their ‘Fresh Thoughts’ guidance booklet on November 27, which supports victims of domestic abuse with guidance as to how the justice system works, and useful organisations that can provide support. More information about this booklet, which has already been distributed across Wiltshire Police teams to improve our service to victims and communities, can be found here: Fresh Thoughts | SI Salisbury | SIGBI Throughout October, we intensified our efforts to improve awareness and our response to domestic abuse incidents across the county. This initiative included enhanced training for officers and staff at all levels—from frontline responders to investigators and partner services. You can read more about this work here. The integration of Independent Domestic Violence Advocates (IDVAs) and Independent Sexual Violence Advocates (ISVAs) within our organisation. Their expertise has been instrumental in helping to shape a more effective and compassionate approach to investigations. These highly skilled professionals have worked alongside our teams from the outset of enquiries, offering guidance, safeguarding support and continuity of care through the custody process and beyond. We have made significant improvements to way we manage the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS), also known as Clare’s Law. This scheme enables police forces to disclose information to a victim or potential victim of domestic abuse about their partner’s or ex-partner’s previous abusive or violent offending. This also applies to requests made by concerned relatives or family members. In response to critical service failures we identified in 2023, we have strengthened the oversight and leadership of the Domestic Abuse Safeguarding Team, appointed more Clare’s Law specialists and introduced more robust policies. You can make a request under Clare’s Law here. Our website also has a dedicated domestic abuse support page which our communities can access here. This work is fundamental to our commitment of Keeping Wiltshire Safe. Keeping our communities safe must include within the home, out in our city, towns and villages and when using our road network. Following our recent participation at the Road Safety Summit on November 28, which was hosted by Wiltshire Council and attended by yourself also, policing teams across Wiltshire have increased patrols along our local roads in a bid to prevent drink or drug driving throughout December, as part of the national Operation Limit campaign, and deny criminals the use of the road. During the first two weeks of the dedicated operation, from December 1st – 15th, we arrested 14 people for drug driving offences and 40 people for drink driving offences. It’s completely irresponsible to get behind the wheel of a vehicle having consumed alcohol or illegal drugs – you are selfishly putting your own life and the lives of other road users in serious danger. Last night, we published a video on Facebook page which illustrates the lethal dangers of drug driving. You can watch this here. Improving road safety is not something that policing can do alone, so we work closely with our partners, including local authorities and Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, via the Wiltshire and Swindon Road Safety Partnership. More information about this partnership can be found on Wiltshire Council's website. This week, your office announced the purchase of six acres of land at Old Sarum near Salisbury to deliver our new Southern Policing Hub. The modern, fit-for-purpose facility will provide a permanent base for officers, staff and volunteers, improving frontline policing, visibility and accessibility for our local communities. The hub will house response and neighbourhood teams and other operational services, supporting faster deployment across Salisbury and surrounding rural areas, improving response times, and providing sustainable infrastructure for future demand. Despite the financial pressures facing policing, investing in the right estate is essential to maintain effective service delivery and reinforces our long-term commitment to keeping Wiltshire safe. Finally, as we approach Christmas, I would like to acknowledge the commitment shown by many of our officers, staff, and volunteers at this time of year, with so many continuing to work throughout the holiday period. I want to offer my sincere thanks to each and every one of them for their unwavering dedication and service over the festive season. While recognising that not everyone celebrates Christmas, I hope this winter period provides an opportunity for everyone to pause, reflect, and spend time with those closest to them. For those who do celebrate, I wish you a very Merry Christmas. Kindest regards to you,
Catherine Roper Chief Constable, Wiltshire Police
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