Amended version – the link in the article should now work.
The importance of local policing is being highlighted as part of an awareness-raising campaign launched by Wiltshire Police.
On the Beat is a month-long campaign which will run throughout April and will primarily be focused on social media.
It aims to educate and inform the public about what their local police service looks like – introducing people to their local police officers and staff, highlighting the important work they do and raising awareness about the demands facing modern day policing.
Superintendent Chris Chammings, who is the local policing commander for the County, said: “Throughout April we will be shining a spotlight on our six Community Policing Teams and showing the public what day-to-day life looks like for those policing on the frontline in our communities.
“We know how much importance the public places on visibility and we hope On the Beat will allow people to learn more about those officers and staff who are out patrolling your neighbourhoods, engaging with your communities and responding to emergencies.
“We are incredibly proud of our frontline teams and I hope this campaign will really highlight the vital work they do serving the public of Swindon and Wiltshire.”
Superintendent Adrian Burt, local policing commander for Swindon, added: “Over the course of the next four weeks we want to introduce people to their local Community Policing Teams and make sure you all know how to contact them, how to engage with them and how to find out more about the work they are doing in your neighbourhoods.
“We will also be explaining more about the huge demands on our police service, how the public can help and support us, and how we are working to modernise our police force and respond to the realities of increasing demands but tightening budgets.
“Please make sure you are following us on social media – both the Wiltshire Police main accounts but also your localised team accounts – as well as signing up for Community Messaging, so you are up to date with all the relevant information about local policing in your area.”
On the Beat follows the successful Beyond the Beat campaign, which ran throughout last summer and aimed to raise awareness of the hidden demands on policing, ie mental health, child sexual exploitation and cyber crime.
Police and Crime Commissioner for Swindon and Wiltshire Angus Macpherson will also be involved, speaking honestly and openly about the challenges facing policing and some of his plans to tackle this, including shared estates and the civilianisation of the workforce.
He said: “Modernising our police force has been paramount to ensure that, in the face of decreasing budgets, our communities are kept safe.
“Difficult decisions continue to be made about how best to allocate resources and prioritise issues, it’s difficult to manage public expectations when we are limited by funding and the Force has to put those with the most serious; threat, harm and risk at the top of the list.
“Community Policing Teams are at the forefront of this by responding to 999 calls, investigating crimes and building relationships with the communities they protect.
“On the Beat is a wonderful way of showcasing the hard work police staff, officers and volunteers do, but at the same time highlighting the day-to-day challenges they face and how the public can help the police help them.”
To find out more about our Community Policing Teams, including which area you live in and who your local officers and staff are, then please go to our website https://www.wiltshire.police.uk/article/1067/Community-Policing-Teams
There you will also find out more about how to follow our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts, as well as how to sign-up to social media.