Chief Constable fortnightly update to the Police and Crime Commissioner - 22 May 2026

Dear Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Wilkinson,

We have made significant improvements in the last three years – as recently outlined in our latest HMICFRS PEEL inspection - in addition to operating in a challenging financial environment.

Last year, we saved £8m and we need to realise a further £4.6m in efficiencies this year. We have already identified most of the required savings for this year, strengthened our financial discipline, and protected our reserves which allows us to better plan ahead.

However, it is vital that we continue to make thoughtful decisions to prioritise the function of our organisation above its form.

To provide a more consistent service, improve our ability to respond to emergencies, investigate crime more effectively, and maintain a visible and accessible neighbourhood policing presence, we are strengthening our frontline function.

Whilst we will maintain our current ten Neighbourhood Policing Teams (NPTs), we will improve frontline response and investigations by bolstering the resources embedded within our communities.

This will include:

These improvements are part of our long-term transformation plan for our organisation, will ensure we are Keeping Wiltshire Safe and assist me in delivering your Police and Crime Plan.

They will also support in achieving my three operational priorities – Safer Public Spaces, Reduce and Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and Improve outcomes for victims.

A wealth of information on our Neighbourhood Policing Teams can be found on the dedicated Your Area section of our website here.

Alongside the realigning of resource to our frontline, we are also reviewing our wider workforce and ways of working to ensure that resources are focused on core policing, public protection and the areas of greatest demand.

This will include the continued removal of vacant posts, only recruiting critical posts and investing in digital technology so officers and staff can spend more time on operational policing and less time on administration.

In looking to strengthen our frontline capability, we have reviewed our response to rural crime.

As part of this, we are moving away from having a small rural crime team and will instead embed dedicated, specially trained Rural Crime Officers into each of our NPTs. These officers will act as key points of contact within our rural communities, while also providing specialist support to colleagues dealing with rural crime matters.

This week, we convened our first Rural Crime Independent Advisory Group. This group has been established specifically to focus on rural crime, and its members bring valuable expertise and lived experience from across the rural sector.

We are confident that the IAG will support us in strengthening trust and confidence between rural communities and the police, help inform operational policing, encouraging greater reporting of rural crime and building stronger partnerships across agencies and local communities.

Under my priority of Safer Public Spaces, I wanted to update our communities on Operation Sceptre which has been running all week.

Operation Sceptre is the national police initiative in England and Wales focused on tackling and preventing knife crime and serious violence.

In Wiltshire, test purchasing operations were held across the county with assistance from our police cadets and weapon sweeps with the use of metal detectors took place at various locations. 

This year, Operation Sceptre coincided with the launch of the Wiltshire Police Bleed Kit Partnership – an initiative between Wiltshire Police, HeartSafe Uk, NHS England South West and South West Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust. The initiative aims to improve community safety by providing potentially life-saving emergency bleed kits in public spaces throughout our local communities.

Each bleed kit contains haemostatic dressings, trauma dressings, and a tourniquet to help stem the loss of blood in the critical first few minutes. They are available to the public 24/7.

You can find more information about Bleed Kits on this website. 

This week, your office also announced that we have become the latest force in England to trial replacing pointed kitchen knives with rounded tip alternatives, as part of a scheme aimed at reducing serious violence and injuries in the home.

Participants will be offered the opportunity to exchange traditional pointed kitchen knives for specially designed rounded versions, alongside advice and support intended to reduce the likelihood of knives being used in violent incidents.

The scheme, which will begin in Swindon, is funded through the Drug Forfeiture Fund, with backing from your office and will target households identified as being at greater risk of knife related harm.

More information about this trial can be found here.

Another key priority for us is to reduce and prevent Violence Against Women and Girls. 

The exceptional work our teams are undertaking within the night time economy, particularly in tackling sexual predatory behaviour, is gaining significant recognition both in the UK and internationally - reinforcing our position as a leading force in protecting women and girls.

We are now widely recognised as a pioneering force for Project Vigilant, an initiative that deploys both plain clothed and uniformed officers to undertake intelligence-led patrols in hotspot locations. This proactive approach enables us to identify potential sexual predators at the earliest opportunity and prevent sexual offending.

This week, we were delighted to host colleagues from Stockholm Police in Sweden, who are seeking to enhance their approach to public space sexual violence. They specifically sought out a police force experienced in delivering Project Vigilant to support knowledge exchange and training. 

Given our established expertise already supporting organisations such as South Wales Police and the British Transport Police we were pleased to welcome them and share our learning. With thanks to our specialist officers and staff who supported this visit.

During their visit, they observed our approach to assessing risks in public spaces, how – through Vigilant Communities - we work collaboratively with partners and how we are equipping our communities with the skills to assist us prevent offending.

In the past six months alone, our officers have assessed almost 200 individuals within the night time economy, demonstrating both the scale of our activity and our commitment to early intervention and prevention. 

This work reflects the dedication, professionalism, and innovation of our teams, with this week’s visit highlighting the significant impact they are making, not only locally but as a model of best practice internationally.

Finally, I would like to congratulate the Wiltshire Police Equestrian Team on their achievements at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, all of those who were recognised through the Wiltshire Police Federation Awards yesterday and I would like to welcome those who graduated today as part of the latest Police Now cohort. 

Kindest regards to you,

Catherine Roper

Chief Constable, Wiltshire Police