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Brentwood, Grays, Harlow, Loughton, South Ockendon, Stanford-le-Hope and Waltham Abbey, will all have a Town Centre Team in place later this year after their implementation was made possible through an increase in council tax funding.
Background
- Essex Police is getting an increase in its share of the 2019/20 council tax of an average of an extra £24
- This money is being invested in strengthening the force’s establishment
- Part of this additional funding is being invested in 23 new Town Centre Teams, which are planned to be implemented by the summer of 2019
- There will be a phased delivery of communications as plans are finalised for the growth in a number of key areas
Councillor Sam Kane commented: “I am delighted to see the PFCC is responding to our residents calls for increased visible police presence in our towns. The additional 215 officers across Essex, combined with the 150-officer intake last year sees our local Police force getting back to the strength residents demand. The new Town Centre Teams will provide visible reassurance to residents, working closely with local partners to curtail the activities of repeat offenders and reduce crime and anti-social behaviour”
These teams are just one of the commitments made by the Chief Constable and the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner as part of their focus on more visible policing to help in the fight against violent crime and the priorities of protecting the vulnerable and providing a better service to victims.
Essex Police Chief Constable BJ Harrington said: “The creation of these new Town Centre Teams is just one of the ways Essex Police will be growing this year.
“The towns benefiting from a new team have been identified through careful analysis of reported crime and anti-social behaviour in each area along with the number of residents and businesses in each town. This has enabled us to prioritise the areas we think will benefit most from a team dedicated to the town or city centre.
“We’re lucky in Essex that we already live in a really safe county and this development can only make it safer.”
Roger Hirst, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex, said: “People across the county have been telling me that they want more police officers and that they were prepared to pay more to get them. My budget this year for Essex Police means the Chief Constable will be able to bring police officers numbers to 3,200 by March next year which will get the force near where it needs to be and deal with the level of demand.
“The increase in officers will make a real difference to our towns and communities. Our vision for Essex is that safe and secure communities are the bedrock on which we build success and wellbeing for all. One of the priorities in my Police and Crime Plan is more local, visible and accessible policing.
“This boost in resource will make a huge difference to that for the people of Essex.”
The Town Centre Teams will be managed by a sergeant within existing Community Policing Teams (CPTs) building on local knowledge. Their focus will be to provide a visible policing presence, increase local community engagement, work closely with local partners, businesses and retailers to curtail the activity of local repeat offenders and to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour in the local area.
Town Centre Teams in the West:
Brentwood – 2
Grays – 3
Harlow – 3
Loughton – 2
South Ockendon – 2
Stanford-le-Hope – 2
Waltham Abbey – 2