Police praised for engaging with the public

POLICE officers in Cheshire have been highly praised for a core requirement of modern policing – understanding, engaging with and treating fairly the people they serve.
Successfully working with the local community is key to policing and at the heart of the force’s “We’re here” commitments.
Cheshire Constabulary has been highlighted as “outstanding” for this particular area of work.
A report by HM Inspector of Constabulary focuses on how “legitimate” a police force is at keeping people safe and reducing crime. Cheshire was rated as “good” overall with a particular emphasis on the work it does with local communities, which was rated “outstanding” in the report.
To reach a judgement on each force’s legitimacy HMIC examined three key areas:
• To what extent does practice and behaviour reinforce the wellbeing of staff and an ethical culture?
• How well does the force understand, engage with and treat fairly the people it serves to maintain and improve its legitimacy?
• To what extent are decisions taken on the use of stop and search and Taser fair and appropriate?
Chief Constable Simon Byrne said: “We are rightly proud of the service we deliver to the public here in Cheshire – and understanding and interacting with local communities is the bread and butter of everyday policing. This independent assessment has rated Cheshire as “outstanding” in this particular area – this is great news for the force and
reflects the hard work and achievements of every officer and member of staff.
“The report is very positive about our efforts to understand the local community, the comprehensive range of methods we use to interact with local people to discover their needs, and how we report back on what has been achieved in the local area.
“HMIC has also praised the force for being well directed through its ‘We’re here’ commitments, which clearly set out the service the public can expect, and the new policing structure, which was introduced last year and is designed to meet these priorities. This once again reinforces the fact that we may be a relatively small force but we are big on delivering our commitments to the public.”
Police  Crime Commissioner for Cheshire John Dwyer said: “I welcome the report. Legitimacy is a key principle of policing and it is only right
that this independent review scrutinises this. Cheshire has been rated as ‘good’ overall but in particular it has been rated ‘outstanding’ around its engagement with local communities to maintain and improve its legitimacy.
“Engagement is an area that I have championed as Commissioner, so I am very proud of the Constabulary’s success in this area. Officers and staff need to ensure they understand the people that they serve, identify their needs, listen to their concerns and feedback on what they have achieved. Only by doing this can Cheshire be the safer, more prosperous county that is hostile to criminals.”