A relentless pursuit of criminals, exceptional local policing and putting victims first – this is how policing across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight will be delivered under changes announced by Chief Constable Scott Chilton.
Since he took up the role at the end of February, CC Chilton has been working at pace to fundamentally change the way the force is structured to bring policing much closer to the communities it serves and deliver the requirements outlined in the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Police and Crime Plan.
The public now have a District Commander overseeing all aspects of policing – from the officers responding to 999 calls, the investigators dealing with crimes that cause harm in our communities and bringing criminals to justice, and more visible neighbourhood officers to deal with issues that are causing concern.
The Chief Constable has also announced the introduction of Neighbourhood Enforcement Teams, who will be able to act fast on the information and intelligence coming in from our communities to target hotspots and catch those who are committing crime.
These teams have been created from the extra 50 officers that the Police and Crime Commissioner announced on top of the 600 already recruited as part of the uplift programme.
Working with the Commissioner, CC Chilton also scrapped the requirement for officers to study for a degree to become officers and announced a new way to join policing, Hampshire Policing PLUS – the first of its kind in the country.
This means that those who want to join policing can spend their time learning the skills required to be excellent officers without the distraction of unnecessary academic study, which takes up hundreds of thousands of hours of their time which could be better used out on the streets fighting crime, arresting people and making communities safer.
Chief Constable Scott Chilton said:
“When I became Chief, I was clear that I wanted my officers, staff and volunteers to not only create communities that were safe, but that felt safe. To do this I have set three really clear priorities. Relentlessly pursue those criminals that cause harm to our communities, provide exceptional local policing, and put victims at the heart of everything we do.
“Our communities want and expect to see police officers and staff dealing with the issues that they care about, responding when they need us, dealing with those who cause harm in our communities and making our two counties a hostile environment for criminals.
“I have spent a lot of time since being back in force talking about how all officers will investigate crime. I want officers and staff to be looking for every opportunity to target criminals, taking a robust approach to those who commit crime.
“There is too much time spent on unnecessary bureaucracy, or filling the gaps of other agencies, who are often much better placed and trained to deal with the issues we are being called to. This means we are diverted away from doing the job that only policing can do, and what my officers and staff joined up to do.
“This is what I expect from policing, and what the public expects, and why I have changed the way the force is set up to deliver on this.
“I am also passionate about being a force where anyone who wants to join policing should have the chance to do so. There are so many people who would be great police officers but have been put off from joining because of the need for a degree.
“There are many people, for example those who have served in the military, who want to join policing but whose skills and life experience are not recognised under the degree scheme. Not only does that make them feel completely devalued, it also means we are missing out on some really good people who could make really good police officers.
“I also heard loud and clear from many of the student officers that time spent on academic study could be better spent with more experienced officers, out of the classroom, learning on the job and tackling crime.
“That’s why I got rid of this requirement and created Hampshire Policing PLUS – the first scheme of its kind in the country. It goes live today, so to those people, who want to be part of making a difference to our communities, my message is simple. Come and join us and be part of relentlessly pursuing criminals, providing exceptional local policing and putting victims first.”
They could’nt get rid of him fast enough in his old post, all about woke feelings and no criminals being caught, seems he’s trying the same old woke rubbish on us as well…facts don’t care about feelings, catch some vermin not take the knee..where do they find these ideologs????
Truth is, even IF the Police didn’t just use ‘reassuring’ words, and used action instead, the Courts cannot jail people for anything but the very serious crimes as our prisons are full of the world criminals now, as well as our own, and with an every increasing flotilla arriving, along with maternity wards ensuring the next generation has more crime to address, things will get worse, not better.
Yawn. Oh sorry Ive. Were you saying something? Oh, nothing new. I’ll go back to sleep.
I’ve reported a crime, criminal damage to my vehicle, they have not got back to me in over a month
I phoned Island plod over 20 years ago
never ever heard back from them, they were probably my too scared to attend
back then.
I wouldn’t call them if they were the last option.
Another Government run organisation
Does the Government run any organisation well!
This guy gets it. We need to privatise the police, how else will it became profitable to the new foreign owners?
Whatever your opinion of the police, they’ve been so severely underfunded it’s a wonder they turn up to any crime. There are some really good officers on the island.
Underfunded in what way? What funding do they need in order to turn up at a crime scene or to patrol the streets? There were a couple cruising around in a very nice looking, upmarket, unmarked BMW the other day, on traffic duty I suspect. I wouldn’t call that underfunding.
If you’re saying there’s not enough police, I’d probably agree and say you could never have too many, but according to CP there were over 100 police officers of various ranks, descriptions etc on the force only a couple of years ago. That’s sounds like enough to do the job the public expect of them.
There may be ‘some really good officers on the island’, but the problem is that we rarely see many of them.
To earn more revenue all they need to do is remove vehicles that are
Parked illegally down many island roads with NO MOT
DVLA state fine of £1,000
Berlingo in Ryde for over 4 months with NO MOT parked on the road&being used on a
regular basis
Island Roads are aware, they have done FCUK all about it, or the Gormless District Steward
Fine vehicles parking on Double Yellow lines outside Sandown Pier&outside
Napoleons Reach.
Fine all the vehicles who break the law turning into the NO right turn road in Brading
So many opportunities to make more money, but they cannot be bothered.
The Law is only employed to protect the so called Elite, normal people don’t matter
There is a lack of action against those committing motoring offences . We need a clamp down to counter the public perception that the law can be ignored as nothing will happen.
Every day people jump red lights, undertake on the dual carriageway, park on pavements and double yellow lines. Private electric scooters being used in public, legal Beryl ones are being driven on pavements, by underage users and with two or more on them .
Illegal number plates are common. They are either spaced incorrectly, have illegal fonts, are the wrong size, are coated to beat speed cameras and some cars have very small front plates or none at all.
If people perceive that the law does not apply to them then what hope is there for society.
I could not have said it better myself.
On the Island we pay one of the highest rates of council tax in the country, what for
so the Island can be a lawless place.
I am fed up with cyclists and electric scooters coming at me because they go
up and down Roads whichever way they want
RULES DO NOT APPLY TO THEM
The Island is sadly being run by brainless and clueless people who have no idea
ALL THEY SEEM TO UNDERSTAND IS MONTHLY PAY DAY FOR THEIR HUGE BANK BALANCES
We even have an MP who does not live on the Island and is also lawless
I WILL NEVER FORGET HE BROKE LOCKDOWN RULES ATTENDING A BARBEQUE IN SEAVIEW
whilst families could not visit their dying loved ones or attend funerals
The police don’t “make money” by issuing fines.
Why do they keep wanting more from our council tax every year.
If it keeps going up the way it is, it will be £3,000.00+ a year
Your lack of understanding likely means you vote conservative, therefore you are not worthy of further comment. Your are obviously deficient in IQ.
There are not “over 100 police officers” on the island. IE stated only eight officers on duty at any one time. Even with shifts, I can’t believe there are “over 100”.
Enough talk! We need someone to ban hoodies! If the youth have nothing hide they’ve got nothing to be scared of
What if they wear Covid masks, they could have a field day.
I like the talk. Hope he will walk the walk… About time the degree was sacked.. hooray
More Bobbies are needed on the beat, not in the office.
Have no fear the PPC will tell him to reel his neck in, and to check with her before talking to the press, how dare the Chief talk about Police matters and their remit .. without the PCC setting up an expensive volunteer only working group .. I just wish a TV producer and comedy script writer could create a series of fly on the wall programmes about the HIOWC .. come on NetFlix ??
With out being alarmist we need to sit back and look at the facts. I came to the Island in 98 and still love it here. I was here when Damion Nettles disappeared and that poor girl was killed on Brading down. Since then we have had 3 murders in the last 5 years. That has to be a worry. Are they all drugs related ?, Probably. The police don’t do themselves any favor’s and have a habit of upsetting the wrong people but the CPS must take some of the blame. We have a man currently on a people smuggling charge who was not remanded and is now in Cyprus. What sort of message does that send out. Most car crime is drugs not drink ,again where is the enforcement. After all there are only 5 ways across the solent excluding air. its not rocket science
The only way to fix the situation, caused by the Tories, is to double the police force on the island to revert the halfling of the force from a few years ago.
Tories are the party of law breaking and disorder. They have given us three MP’s since the election, one lied about everything, one cost us billions in her crazy tax cut plans and the other pretended not to live in the UK and is loyal to his former bank bosses. How people think they are a good choice for the next government I do not know. Mind you labour are not much better. Time the people fix the issue in the same way the French did.
“halfling”? You’ve been living in a fantasy world for far too long fready. And you also mean three PMs.
To feel safe ? Well considering Tuesday evening my window was bricked through and when I called I was told to basically deal with it myself, I don’t feel safe. Left me in a state, didn’t come to check if the person was still around and told me there’s nothing they can do. But happy to “go on protrolling” the seafront and the town and do f all.
How about removing the old white Citroen Berlingo van that has been parked along
Great Preston Rd with no Mot for months, very annoying when returning home from an hard days
graft and have trouble parking.
I would be happy to pay for a annual parking permit, that will free up
Island Roads
I wonder how many illegal vehicles are parked on the Island!
same ol crap have you been to turdtown and ryde