It is with great pleasure that I write this editorial, which is my first as Chief Constable of Lincolnshire Police.
I joined the Force in the Spring of this year and it’s been an extraordinary few months. It feels like I have returned home, after spending 19 years in the force previously, and I still feel such a strong sense of positivity and motivation from our people to serve the communities of Lincolnshire. I also feel an optimistic and immense level of pride that our public feel for this great county, and a strong sense of support for policing. This is appreciated and welcomed, we can only police with the support and consent of the public, and I do not take this for granted.
In the initial part of my tenure, we have seen unrest on a national scale, a new Government elected, the Summer Olympics, and ongoing conflicts across the world. While these events may seem a world away from policing in Lincolnshire, they all have knock-on effects and considerations for the service. Planning and predicting the consequences of events on a global stage, offering staff to help other forces through mutual aid, protecting our people and communities from any ripples of disorder or cultural misconceptions – it all makes a difference to our everyday business.
I’m sure you will also be aware of incidents closer to home, particularly some of the serious violence recently experienced in the county over the last few months, some of which resulted in people losing their lives. It’s likely that this may create a feeling that the county is unsafe or that violence is on the rise; it’s true that we have seen an escalation in incidents of this nature, but I hope it acts as some reassurance to let you know that the people involved in these situations are generally known to each other. This means that these types of incidents are usually contained and not likely to affect wider communities and the role of policing is to look at how to prevent this happening. We do this using something called the SARA model – Scanning, Analysis, Response, Assessment – and work with other organisations who can help with an approach that identifies root causes of problems to be able to tackle them. You won’t see that happening because it takes place away from the public gaze, as part of everyday work for those who work in these types of organisations, but our aim is to prevent as much of this type of offending happening, and I’m encouraged to say that there are many occasions where prevention work has had a positive effect.
I’m thankful that we escaped any serious unrest in the county recently, which says a lot about the communities who live in Lincolnshire. People here were sensible enough not to engage in the violent protest that we saw sweeping other parts of the country, a lot of which was fuelled by online chatter. Through that we saw the power of misinformation, particularly on social media, and how it can mobilise people into action for the wrong reasons. As a police service we will always be honest and transparent. We live by the mantra “withhold only what we must” and any information we can’t release will usually only ever be because of legal restraints or trying to protect the integrity of an investigation, or protect those affected by it. Policing by consent is a precious principle and public trust in policing is key to that, meaning that we will be as open and transparent with the public as possible at the earliest possible opportunity.
As the summer months begin to end and we say goodbye to some of the people who have visited Lincolnshire, particularly on the coast, I am led to thinking about all our staff who welcomed them to the county and helped to keep them safe, as well as maintaining normality for permanent commuties. Perhaps you saw some of our people over the summer, even perhaps had a conversation with them? Our Neighbourhood teams are out in the areas where they serve whenever they can be, and one thing we sometimes hear from members of the public is that police officers aren’t seen often enough. It’s true that staff don’t ‘patrol a beat’ as they once did but physically seeing a police officer doesn’t mean they’re not there, working hard to keep people safe. Modern day policing, which reacts to modern day crime, has a lot of work to do in preventing and detecting what we call ‘hidden harm’. For example, we have a dedicated cybercrime team, a Paedophile Online Investigation Team, a Protecting Vulnerable People unit – all those departments work behind closed doors and towards helping people who are experiencing harm in their own homes or private spaces.
I recognise that people may feel unsafe because they feel that police aren’t there enough, but we do what we can to effectively manage risk with the resources we have. We are of course limited because of the funding position we are in – if you have been a follower of news from Lincolnshire Police for any length of time you’ll know that one of our perennial issues is the inadequate funding we receive from government – but that doesn’t mean we’re not achieving our aims around stopping crime and ASB, helping those in need, and protecting people from harm. We are a Force that innovates and finds solutions when challenges arise, and I am very proud that our focus remains on our communities and delivering the best service possible. I’ve seen this first hand across the organisation and it’s a matter of immense pride that we remain dedicated to our most important purpose.
That is why I will be working alongside the Police and Crime Commissioner to lobby government for a sustainable settlement. The new Government offers new possibilities, and both the commissioner and I will be presenting the strongest possible case, backed up by solid evidence and academic support, to finally change the funding formula. It is long overdue.
Thank you to everyone who has helped us in any way over recent months, be that in submitting information to us, or offering a cold drink to officers working in heavy and hot uniforms on sunny days, or simply by being pleasant to our teams on the street, it is always appreciated. As we creep towards the Autumn months, please do be mindful of safety as the nights draw in and we experience less daylight and changes to road conditions for motorists, and do remember that we are there 24/7, every day, should you need us.
Kind regards,
Paul Gibson
Chief Constable, Lincolnshire Police