Police need more money to rebuild public trust - PCC

Philip Wilkinson wants "wholesale change" for public trust to improve

More money needs to be given to police forces across multiple years in order to rebuild public trust, Wiltshire's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) has said.

The county's PCC Philip Wilkinson added more work needs to be done to ensure victims of crime get the service they deserve across "all levels of policing".

Wiltshire Police came out of special measures in May after being found to be failing in most areas, including how it protects the vulnerable.

Mr Wilkinson said: "For wholescale change to public confidence and trust, improvements and progress must be seen on a national scale."

His comments come after His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary Andy Cooke said the way police are funded is "an area of increasing concern" in a report.

In the report, Mr Cooke said nationally police are failing to meet the public’s expectations and are letting down too many victims of crime.

The report adds victims will continue to struggle to get access to justice they deserve without fundamental reform to the criminal justice system.

Mr Wilkinson said standards "must be driven up" across the country rather than just Wiltshire Police.

Wiltshire Police came out of special measures in May

"Wiltshire is a safe place to live but we still have some way to go for people to feel safe, which is different altogether than statistics telling them they are safe," Mr Wilkinson said.

"While I am proud of the progress that has been made locally in recent years under Chief Constable Catherine Roper, we both recognise there is still work to be done so every victim and witness is receiving the service they deserve, and rightly, expect from Wiltshire Police."

"If we can really start delivering locally - as well as nationally - the public's view point may start to change for the better."