Angelique Foster, Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner, has unveiled details of the outstanding progress being made to deliver a strong and more effective policing service to the public.
In publishing her Annual Report for 2022-23, the Commissioner outlines a series of performance improvements that have helped her meet her Police and Crime Plan commitments and enhanced the way police respond to the public's top concerns.
In meeting her pledge to deliver strong local policing, the report highlights that Derbyshire Constabulary now has 351 more police officers than it did in 2020 - many of whom have already been deployed to frontline roles.
The extra presence is already delivering results with burglaries falling by 31 per cent in 2022/23 compared to pre-Covid figures in 2019/20. Meanwhile, anti-social behaviour (ASB) has reduced by 47.5 per cent countywide since the Commissioner's election in May 2021. Additionally, the latest Crime Survey for England and Wales report shows that overall levels of all crime have decreased by 15 per cent during the same time period while Derbyshire's police recorded crime rates remain below the regional and national average.
Earlier this year, the Commissioner supported the introduction of Neighbourhood Acquisitive Crime Teams to increase the number of officers and specialist investigators dedicated to investigating robbery and burglary. Her focus on putting all victims first and foremost also saw Derbyshire Constabulary becoming one of the first forces in the country to commit to attending all home burglaries ahead of colleagues nationally.
In other achievements, the Commissioner has secured significant extra funding to support her work to tackle neighbourhood crime including £4.4m over the next two years to pilot visible enforcement action against ASB in every district and borough of Derbyshire and Derby City. It comes as a result of the Commissioner's consistent push for a tougher approach to ASB since being elected which recently saw the launch of her Derbyshire Action Against Anti-Social Behaviour Plan. The plan includes increased police patrols in hot spot areas, the funding of new ASB wardens posts across the county to assist enforcement and prevention and the launch of a Derbyshire Immediate Justice scheme to ensure offenders are made to repair the damaged caused wherever possible.
Announcing the publication of her Annual Report, the Commissioner said: "I am proud of the success that has been achieved during 2022-23 and the recognition Derbyshire has gained nationally for its innovative approach to the issues that cause residents concern.
"Our communities have asked for increased visibility to make them feel safer and for a stronger response to persistent problems that destroy their quality of life. I have addressed and delivered on their priorities, significantly boosting the number of officers policing Derbyshire and funding increased and improved training and resources to ensure they are well-equipped for the job of keeping local people safe.
"This year, further improvements have been made to reduce the time officers spend responding to non-crime related demand so officers can remain active and visible in their communities for longer periods.
This will be a vital area of focus as we move forward, recognising that wherever people live in the county, they want the police to be more accessible and for officers to respond more swiftly and effectively when they need help.
"Law-abiding citizens and victims of crime must be at the heart of everything we do, and we must be relentless in our pursuit of offenders. On behalf of the public, I will continue to challenge the Chief Constable and her team to ensure they make the improvements required and tackle crime and anti-social behaviour robustly, delivering on the key priorities that matter most to our residents."
The report also highlights the success of volunteer schemes across the county including the expansion of Community Speedwatch and the launch of the Commissioner's Speed Indicator Device scheme with Derbyshire County Council which has enabled Parish and Town Councils to apply for a total of 70 SIDs in hotspots across the county to meet her Road Safety priority.
In other success, the Commissioner reports on the reduced exploitation of vulnerable people and children thanks to the closure of 12 county lines and her work with partners to set up a Violence Reduction Unit to further drive down serious violence.