THE new Chief Constable of Wiltshire Police has said the force "will look and feel fundamentally different to how it is now" within the next 12 months.

Catherine Roper was a Commander within the Metropolitan Police service, and took over from Kier Pritchard today (Monday). 

Talking to the Journal at Wiltshire Police's HG in Devizes, Chief Roper said: " It is an incredible honour to become the Chief Constable of Wiltshire Police, and I feel privileged to be leading a force so steeped in history."

Chief Roper outlined three key areas she wants to prioritise: safer public spaces, violence including rape and serious sexual offences and burglary.

These priorities reflect the concerns raised in the Policing and Crime Plan, and the feedback of the community consultation, she said. 

"I believe, that once we look at those key areas, and we deliver well in those key areas,  then we will absolutely be keeping Wiltshire safe."

Salisbury Journal:

New police station for south Wiltshire

On ongoing plans for a new police station in the south of the county, the new chief said: “I know there has been a lot of consultation up until now, and this is my first day so I don’t have a clear answer for you yet, and I don’t think you necessarily expect me to, but what I can tell you is that I am absolutely committed to providing the best service that we possibly can across all of Wiltshire and Swindon.

“I am very conscious that we need to make sure that we are accessible to our communities and that absolutely we provide the facilities for my teams, my officers and staff, to provide their best policing service.

“So, at the moment, I know there is the debate about the location of the police station, and I know there is a debate about the location of the custody [suites], I need to understand a little more about what our options might be, but I am already having conversations about that today.”

Special measures

On Wiltshire Police being in Special Measures (officially known as ‘engage’) and when we can expect the force to come out of that: “It is borderline impossible to predict how long you will be in the engage phase, once you are placed in that, and actually I view this as an opportunity for us to fundamentally improve the policing service that we provide to the people of Wiltshire and Swindon.

“I cannot predict how long we will be here, but I can commit and I am committing that in the first 12 months [of her being Chief] the policing service of Wiltshire Police force will look and feel fundamentally different to how it is now.

"I am looking at investing dedicated staffing to absolutely focusing on the progression of the recommendations of the recent HMICFRS inspection and looking at how we can imbed that fundamentally within our business-as-usual functions as soon as we can."

Women's safety

On women’s safety, Chief Roper said Wiltshire Police is "fundamentally committed to the violence against women and girls agenda, and the recommendations and commitments that have been made nationally", adding that the force has already committed "a whole host of activities" around helping women and girls feel safer.

She added: “Under my safer public spaces and the violence priorities, this will hugely support the violence against women and girls agenda and making sure people do feel safe when they are out and about at any time of day or night.

"That is absolutely a commitment of mine and will be measured through the priority areas.“