Building a safe and secure Essex #EssexUnites

Tackling gangs and County Lines, breaking the cycle of domestic abuse and preventing crimes from happening in the first place are just some of the commitments being made today by Essex’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Roger Hirst.
Roger has published an extension to his Police and Crime Plan which will set the vision for policing and community safety until May 2021.
This week he also talks about the easing of some of the lockdown restrictions and how the Coronavirus has impacted us all.

Hi, I’m Roger Hirst, your Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.
I hope you are all keeping as well as you can in this lovely sunny weather.
Coronavirus, of course, has affected every single one of us in some way.
Like you we are all looking forward to the easing of the restrictions as announced by the Prime Minister this week.
But please, let’s be clear on the guidance – He was very clear it is one metre plus – and the plus means, if you can’t do two metres, there must be some additional mitigation. That can be screens, face coverings, facing away from others, hand washing, cleansing frequently touched surfaces, limiting time of close proximity – don’t stay too close to people for long – being outdoors, which is great, and strong ventilation, of course, indoors.
We have all worked so hard, together to get to a stage where these restrictions can be lifted but we must continue to be vigilant and careful.
Coronavirus brought new challenges for policing but as the lock down restrictions are slowly being lifted, we can see our previous challenges remain.
We have achieved a lot in the last four years, but crime is still something we have to get to grips with. So, ok, we’ve recruited over 400 more officers already, and nearly 400 more to come and we have managed to reduce anti-social behaviour by around five per cent per year over the last three years. We have reduced burglary; we have reduced theft and we have made a significant investment in tackling gangs.
Today I’m launching the extension to my Police and Crime Plan and we are committing to improve policing services across the county again. We can deliver more against our existing priorities. We can be stronger and even more visible in our communities.
The new plan focuses on some of the big areas where we need to see improvement over the next year. So that’s violence and vulnerability, particularly around County Lines and drug dealing and domestic abuse.
Importantly the plan continues to prioritise prevention. Nobody wants to be a victim and wherever we can prevent crime from happening in the first place we need to.
I am making a clear commitment to delivering against these existing priorities as well as address some of the new challenges that Coronavirus has presented us with.
So, thank you to everyone, our partners, the police and emergency services, the voluntary sector and you the members of the public who have fed into this plan. It’s our plan and our vision to help build a safe and secure Essex.
You can read more about the plan and how we will support the safe and secure communities we all want by visiting my website www.essex.pfcc.police.uk
Thank you all. Keep safe, think of others, and don’t be a link to pass on the virus!