PSNI plans will ‘empower local communities’

And, the District Commander for Causeway Coast and Glens has said the initiative will “empower local communities”.

Chief Constable Simon Byrne said the announcements were a sign of how far policing had come in terms of making the aspiration of neighbourhood policing a reality for local communities across all of Northern Ireland.

He said: “We know there is a real appetite for Neighbourhood Policing and it is now a reality and central to everything we do. The launch of this Public Engagement Vision, and the eight Neighbourhood Policing Hallmarks that underpin it, is a significant further milestone on our policing journey, marking not just how far we’ve come but also providing a blueprint for continuous improvement to the service we provide to the public.

“We’ve made a lot of progress in recent years in reducing crime and keeping people safe. Northern Ireland is now one of the safest places in the UK with some of the highest levels of trust and confidence in policing because of what the Police Service has achieved working together with local communities at a neighbourhood level. However, while we’ve achieved a lot, including taking record amounts of drugs off our streets, we know there is more to do. By investing in neighbourhood policing and engagement, alongside modernising our service, police can more deeply embed the prevention and early intervention approaches that will be key to meeting the challenges of the future.”

The Engagement Strategy sets out five key pillars to define the Police Service’s approach for policing with the community: Attraction and Recruitment; Engagement; Procedural Fairness; Effective Neighbourhood Policing; and, Local Accountability. Underpinning the Effective Neighbourhood Policing pillar within the Public Engagement Vision are the eight hallmarks of neighbourhood policing: Embedding the right culture; Engaging neighbourhoods, Building analytical capability; Solving problems; Targeting Activity; Accountability; Developing officers and staff; and, Developing and sharing learning. The purpose of the hallmarks is to set a framework for a set of consistent, high-quality standards that local communities can expect of their Police Service with flexibility to develop an approach based on local needs and aspirations.

Causeway Coast & Glens District Commander, Superintendent Jeremy Lindsay said: “Over the last number of years, here in Causeway & Glens we’ve been working closely with and listening to our local communities, partner organisations, elected representatives, Policing & Community Safety Partnerships and the Northern Ireland Policing Board to understand what they want from their local police service. What they have consistently told us is that they need a police service that is visible in their communities, accessible, responsive when called upon, and is community-focused.

“Community safety is only possible through a partnership between police and our communities. Whether it’s by providing better real-time data to problem-solve, improving local accountability, or embedding the right culture, our Public Engagement Vision sets out how we will ensure local communities feel a sense of ownership, trust and confidence in how we work together to keep people safe at a local level. Effective Neighbourhood Policing is a vital pillar of our Public Engagement Vision, which is why we’ve also launched our Hallmarks of Neighbourhood Policing which provides a framework for consistently high-quality standards that local communities can expect from their local Police. Wherever you live, the Hallmarks of Neighbourhood Policing will empower local communities to co-develop and co-deliver a neighbourhood policing approach that works for them.”