Published on Wednesday 18 September 2024
Dorset Police, supported by the Police & Crime Commissioner, and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council addressed community concerns at an online public meeting and have committed to further driving forward improvements to help keep people safe and feeling safe.
The agencies held an online Facebook LIVE public meeting on Thursday 12 September 2024 to update the public on all the activity that has collectively been carried out over the summer to tackle criminality and make the area safe for residents, businesses and visitors.
Assistant Chief Constable Mark Callaghan and Chief Superintendent Heather Dixey, BCP LPA Commander, were joined by Dorset Police & Crime Commissioner David Sidwick, BCP Council’s Director of Housing and Communities Kelly Deane, Community Safety Manager Tina Symington and Councillor Kieron Wilson, Portfolio holder for Housing and Regulatory Services, where they answered a range of questions ranging from anti-social behaviour, vehicle theft and associated joyriding to knife crime, violence against women and girls, drugs and fly-tipping.
If you missed the Facebook LIVE event and want to watch it back, please visit https://www.facebook.com/dorsetpolice/videos/833447828920317. Alternatively, we have published further detail about what activity has been taking place in the areas highlighted by the public on the Dorset Police website: News Article - Dorset Police
Chief Superintendent Heather Dixey, BCP LPA Commander, said: “Our Facebook LIVE events provide our communities with an opportunity to ask questions directly to representatives from local agencies and help us to really understand the main areas that concern the public the most. It also allows us to provide updates about the huge amount of partnership working that is taking place across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole to tackle criminality, support our communities and carry out intervention measures to stop offences from happening in the first place.”
Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner David Sidwick said: “I was pleased to take part in the Facebook LIVE event as it gave me and the other members of the panel the chance to answer some very direct and difficult questions from residents.
“The whole point of such events are to make ourselves more accessible to the people we serve, to listen to concerns and answer questions, to provide the correct facts and figures and to challenge the misconceptions and misinformation that seems so prevalent of late.
“I very much look forward to the next event and would encourage residents to keep an eye on our social media platforms for details.”
Councillor Kieron Wilson, Portfolio Holder for Housing and Regulatory Services at BCP Council, said: “Our focus across the council is on the vital work we do every day with our colleagues at Dorset Police and other partners to help people feel safe, so that everyone can enjoy what our area has to offer.
“The council’s role in the Safer BCP Community Safety Partnership sees us work to reduce criminality, anti-social behaviour (ASB), substance misuse and serious crime, including knife crime, to help create a safer and healthier place where businesses and communities can thrive.
“The partnership is also committed to tackling violence against women and girls across the region, keeping young people and adults-at-risk safe from exploitation, and coordinates with communities to deal with ASB and crime hotspots.
“The Facebook Live event was a welcome opportunity to inform residents about all the initiatives we have that help protect their safety and wellbeing, and displayed just how strong the partnership is between Dorset Police and BCP Council.”
The next BCP Facebook LIVE event is due to be held in spring next year when the agencies will be able to provide updates on their spring and summer plans.
We rely on our communities to tell us what is happening across the county and information received helps to inform the policing and council priorities, alongside targeted patrols. You can report matters to Dorset Police online via https://www.dorset.police.uk/ro/report/. Intelligence can be reported via the portal at https://www.dorset.police.uk/police-forces/dorset-police/areas/about-us/local-support-and-guidance/intelligence/ or via Crimestoppers. Matters can be reported to BCP Council via https://www.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/contact-us/report
In addition, you can report locations where you feel or have felt unsafe and to identify the features on why that location made you feel unsafe via the national online tool StreetSafe: https://www.police.uk/pu/notices/streetsafe/street-safe/