More bobbies on the beat promised for Northamptonshire

Northamptonshire Police and Crime Commissioner Stephen Mold has today announced that he will provide the force with the funding to add 30 frontline police officers.

In addition, resources for a further 16 members of staff will be allocated by the PCC to the force to fight emerging crime types, such as crime online, and to aid prevention through early intervention work.

Mr Mold heard from nearly 2,000 people in Northamptonshire through a consultation on his draft Police and Crime Plan, which identified four key strands that will govern the strategic direction for policing in the county over the next five years.

These were:
Keeping young people safe;

Community partnerships;

Protecting people from harm;

Putting victims at the heart of justice.

These were put to the public late last year as part of the commissioner’s pledge to seek the views of communities around how they are policed.

Having analysed the responses of residents, Mr Mold has increased resources available to Chief Constable Simon Edens, making the county one of only a small number to have increased the number of officers on the frontline over the past year.

Mr Mold said: “Having heard directly from the public around their concerns about visibility of police officers and making sure Northamptonshire Police has a presence to deter prospective criminals, I have liaised closely with Chief Constable Simon Edens and have supported his request for additional funds to help the force protect people from harm and deliver a safer Northamptonshire.

“Funding for policing is stretched to its maximum across England and Wales.

“However, I have always been determined to invest as much as possible in to frontline policing and having made a number of changes to the structure of my office.

“It is my ambition to keep the cost of the Office of Police and Crime Commissioner to about only one per cent of the total policing budget, which has allowed for this extra investment in to policing.

“This comes at the same time as the force have been finalising their new service delivery model, which will be their blueprint for achieving the aims of myself and the people of the county in delivering a safer Northamptonshire, and

I’m pleased to be able to support this through the allocation of additional resources.”