PCC prioritises neighbourhood policing in new plan

Matthew Barber was re-elected to his role in May

A return to neighbourhood policing and cleaning up the image of the force are two of the priorities of a recently re-elected police and crime commissioner.

On Monday, Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber set out his vision to tackle crime and protect communities in his Police and Crime Plan.

The plans are centred on improving the protection of communities, individuals and property.

Mr Barber told the BBC that the plans were "not a massive change" to the force's policies - but highlighted a major focus on developing neighbourhood policing.

Conservative Mr Barber, who has held the PCC role since 2021, was re-elected to the position in May by just over 2,000 votes.

The plan highlights a focus on neighbourhood policing

The plans give him his chance to implement, or continue, policies relating to cutting crime and delivering an effective and efficient police service for the next five years.

As part of Mr Barber's plans, Thames Valley Police will attempt to recruit more police officers, with a focus on tackling crimes that "matter most to the public".

He said an emphasis on local policing could "be the answer" to a lot of "other issues people have".

"It isn't just about pleasing people by having bobbies on the street while we should be dealing with serious crime, it's about being proactive in preventing serious crimes taking place," he said.

Thames Valley Police headquarters is in Kidlington, Oxfordshire

Other priorities featured in the plan included dealing with domestic violence and anti-social behaviour, as well as continuing current campaigns to tackle knife crime.

Mr Barber said: "Operation Deter has led to some significant reductions in knife crime here, at a time when elsewhere in the country knife offences are going up"

"For simple possession offences we are seeing criminals being arrested, being charged and remanded overnight and they're in front of the magistrates the next day - that makes a big difference."

In 2023 Thames Valley Police maintained a much lower violent crime rate than the national average according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The rate per 1,000 residents in 2023 was 27 for Thames Valley, compared to 34 for England.

However, the ONS data also showed a 4% increase in violent crime within the region, compared to a decline of 3% across the whole of England.

Asked about confidence in policing following a string of high profile incidents nationwide, Mr Barber circled back to his neighbourhood policing policies.

"It is about making sure that the public know that if they call the police they will be able to get through on the phone and they will get the help they need."

"When I talk to members of the public that is the stuff that really impacts them in terms of confidence in policing - they want to know that the police are on their side," he added.