A message from Staffordshire Police Commissioner Ben Adams

A message from Staffordshire Police Commissioner Ben Adams

Hi Geraint, sorry for the slow response, I hope you are well.

Please excuse me for not addressing every element of your email in detail but to summarise. I agree that communication between Staffordshire Police and community stakeholders, and indeed residents, is not always as good as could be. This is why my Local Police & Crime Plan refreshed in May 25 emphasised the need for improved engagement at every level but mostly local. Watch this space.

I am pleased to report that the ongoing discussions with PCSOs, and negotiations with their union representatives, have now concluded. Essentially the force has spread the compensation payments agreed to assist as extended hours payments are withdrawn.

The PCSO shift changes are essential if the service is to meet the expectations set out in the government’s neighbourhood policing guarantee and they were to continue to address ASB and neighbourhood crime at the times of peak demand with appropriately skilled officers or PCSOs. I regret that some involved in the extensive consultation chose not to share the full rationale for the changes which I have yet to hear anyone disagree with. The force were understandably restrained while still in discussion with staff unions.

I think the newly improved public access to crime and ASB stats by clicking the Find my Area on the Home | Staffordshire Police is a terrific advance. Far better than the old days when a select few had access to this level of detail about their neighbourhood, had it via a report from a council clear monthly at best. Let me know if my office or the force can help your members to make full use of this facility.

I am sure all of your members are already signed up to Staffordshire Smart Alert. Many community safety matters of local concern and force wide issues are communicated via this means too.

The recent HMI report for Staffordshire Police was disappointing. It showed continued progress in many areas but not all. The contact references failed to highlight the hugely improved 999 and 101 response times for example. The areas of improvement are quite specific. They are the average time for a team to arrive to grade 1 incidents, which is better than it was but can still improve, and a risk associated with changing incident gradings often to accommodate victim’s requests for an appointment rather than a rapid response. Both of these are important and are being addressed but they are not the same widespread failure to answer calls for help or respond in timely fashion that I observed when first becoming Commissioner five years ago.

You can guess Geraint at the considerable distraction that the suspension of the Chief Constable and related dismissal process has had on this force. I am delighted to have recently appoint a new Chief, David Gardener, who I anticipate will get the force back on the path to improvement.

The HMI report for Fire & Rescue is due to be published shortly and I expect that will demonstrate the value of stable leadership and good governance.

Best wishes to you and all at Staffs Watch, Ben.

Ben Adams

Staffordshire Commissioner for Police, Fire & Rescue and Crime

pfcc@staffordshire-pfcc.gov.uk