18 February 2014 | Comments
Currently on-Island is Police Inspector Matthew (Matt) Webb (photo attached) from Sussex Police – to develop Neighbourhood (Community) Policing on the Island.
Inspector Webb arrived on 6 February 2014 and is here for three weeks working alongside relevant agencies and authorities to help develop better policing on the Island. He will be working closely with St Helena Police Inspector Jonathan Thomas, to reach out to the Island community and find out what Saints want their Police Force to be doing. Inspector Webb will also be sharing ideas on how to change the way the Police work here to deliver the best service for the community.
Inspector Webb said:
“Rather than be a target driven service we need to provide the very best service for the victims of crime and listen to what they want and need – not necessarily what we think they want and need.”
To develop Neighbourhood Policing on the Island Inspector Webb is adapting UK Policing tactics to fit the smaller population of St Helena. Neighbourhood Policing is important as it forms the basic building blocks of the Police Service.
Matthew explains:
“The problems on St Helena are different to those in the UK, so we need to evolve the work I have done previously to make it more suitable for St Helena. Briefing and instructions are being given to all Officers to encourage the way they think in order to engage fully with communities on the Island and to meet their needs. We have to protect people, protect life and property and we have to make sure that people can go about living their lives peacefully. On top of that we need to be linked as closely as possible with the community we serve.”
The St Helena Police Service are also being encouraged to work more with Schools to ensure they are properly connected with the younger people on St Helena – helping youngsters understand what Police Officers are here for and what they can do.
Matthew concluded:
“In my opinion, if you get Neighbourhood Policing right then you’ll get everything else right – you can reduce crime and friction between people, making it a more peaceful neighbourhood in which to live. By doing that you’re completing all the things a Police Officer needs to do to prevent and detect crime – and keeping people safe.”
Chief of Police, Trevor Botting added:
“I am delighted that Inspector Webb is on-Island to work with my team. I am committed to providing a police service that puts the public at the heart of everything it does, is open, trusted and engages with the community to ensure that we provide policing that the community can be proud of.”
Inspector Webb has 23 years of Policing experience and first started working in Community Policing in 1995. He has served as a Village Policeman for two small villages in Sussex and has worked in Response Policing – dealing with crimes and incidents as they occur. In 2009 he was promoted to Inspector and after a year was asked to run the Community Team in Crawley, Sussex, where he spent two years developing a brand of Community Policing which allowed his team to reach different groups in society and make life better for residents.
SHG
18 February 2014
Comments