Neighbourhood Alerts Feed

Chief Constable fortnightly update to the Police and Crime Commissioner - 25 September 2026

Fri, 25 Sep 2026 12:58:30 +0100

Dear Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson,

Trust in policing depends on every person knowing they will be treated fairly, listened to and able to access our services when they need us.

On this basis, I wanted to use my update this fortnight to appraise you and our communities on the relaunch of our Culture, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy for 2025–2030.

This strategy sets out the police service we aspire to be and the improved professional delivery the public rightly expect from us.

Fairness, dignity and respect must shape how we support our people, how we make decisions and how we serve every community across Wiltshire and Swindon.

We originally launched the strategy earlier this year, but our communities, stakeholders and colleagues were clear that they wanted a stronger voice in shaping this work and to see tangible outcomes from it.

We have listened carefully to this feedback and substantially revised the strategy. The new version is clearer, measurable and places greater emphasis on how its delivery will improve the service our communities receive.

It focuses on four areas: our communities, our workforce, our partners, and how we improve our policies and processes.

It outlines how we will improve access to policing, strengthen community engagement and independent scrutiny, support workforce wellbeing, and ensures our decisions are fair, transparent and led by evidence.

By 2030, we want to be a police service that represents and supports our communities, is inclusive and where our people know they belong.

For our communities, this means more accessible services, stronger relationships with our neighbourhood teams, an improved experience for victims, and fair, professional policing that earns trust and confidence.

For our workforce, it means a supportive environment where our officers, staff and volunteers can excel, know they are valued and feel able to challenge behaviour that falls short of our standards.

Examples of Wiltshire Police’s Year 1 commitments, covering October 2026 to October 2027, include:

Introduce new third-party reporting sites – this will extend access to our services and support to those who might be isolated, geographically excluded or have low trust in policing

Establish our use of Enhanced Video Response (EVR) – by offering a virtual policing option through which officers handle non-urgent crime reports via secure live video calls instead of attending in person, we will increase the choice available to people when accessing our support

Strengthen support for our people and their families – we will implement a series of improvements to the welfare provision offered to our colleagues and their loved ones

Publish professional standards trends and outcomes – we will transparently share how we are addressing issues where our service falls short

Engage at more than 100 community outreach events – our Neighbourhood Policing Teams will enhance their visibility at community events and bolster local access to our services

Deliver workforce equality, diversity and cultural competency training – we will equip our colleagues with insight and the capabilities to ensure our communities receive the fairest service possible

Expand our responsibilities under the Police Covenant – this will enable us to support the health and wellbeing of our workforce and their families.

This work matters because policing by consent depends on the public having confidence that we use our powers fairly, listen to different experiences and act where outcomes are unequal.

Progress will be monitored through the Wiltshire Police Confidence and Legitimacy Board, our Strategic and Local Independent Advisory Groups, wider community feedback and workforce insight.

It will also be subject to scrutiny from your office, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), national benchmarking and our delivery against the National Policing Culture and Inclusion Strategy 2025–2030.

Commissioner, you hold me to account for the policing service we provide across Wiltshire and Swindon.

I want our communities to judge this strategy not just by its words, but by the difference it makes to their experience of policing.

Every quarter, we will show what has been delivered, what difference it has made and where we still need to improve. We will continue to listen, learn and act as we work to earn greater trust and confidence across every community we serve.

Our communities can find our Culture, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy here.

Victim confidence, fairness and access to justice is also central to the Government announcement this week that cases of rape and sexual offences will take priority within our criminal justice system with new specialist courts rolled out across England and Wales.

These plans aim to tackle delays for victims and survivors while also providing them with private waiting rooms, separate entrances and facilities equipped to pre-record evidence and observe sentencing remotely.

It will see every Crown Court having at least one courtroom dedicated to hearing rape and serious sexual offence cases which will help to hold more perpetrators to account.

As you highlighted in your statement this week welcoming these measures, improving outcomes for victims requires a collective commitment across policing, criminal justice and victim support agencies. These reforms are an important step towards delivering a system that better meets the needs of victims and survivors.

I wholeheartedly support any initiative which both supports victims of crime, expedites their journey to receiving the justice they deserve and enhances their experience of the court process.

These plans will also help to underpin one of my three operational priorities, improving outcomes for victims, while supporting delivery of the Police and Crime Plan priority to improve the experience and outcomes of victims and witnesses.

Alongside the victim support services commissioned through the OPCC and the work being undertaken by Wiltshire Police and our criminal justice partners, these reforms will help ensure victims of rape and serious sexual offences receive the support, protection and access to justice they deserve.

By reducing delays and placing victims at the centre of the court process, these measures have the potential to improve confidence in the criminal justice system and encourage more victims and survivors to come forward, report offences and remain engaged in pursuing justice.

More information on this update can be found here.

Improving outcomes for victims will be the focus of our next Facebook Live event which will be held on November 2 between 6.30pm and 7.30pm.

In this session, we will outline the work being undertaken by both the Force and your office to best support victims of crime.

Our communities can submit questions in advance of this session by clicking on this link - Facebook Live 02/11/2026.

Kindest regards

Catherine Roper

Chief Constable, Wiltshire Police

PCC urges public to report signs of organised crime in their communities

Wed, 23 Sep 2026 13:47:08 +0100

Could you spot the signs of organised crime?

Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson is encouraging residents across Wiltshire and Swindon to report concerns that could help police tackle organised crime and protect vulnerable people from exploitation.

Warning signs can include suspicious activity at properties, people appearing controlled or exploited, unexplained wealth, suspicious business activity, or young people becoming secretive and making unexplained journeys. Criminals are also increasingly using online platforms to recruit and exploit people. Every report helps build the intelligence picture, safeguard victims and disrupt criminal networks.

If you have information relating to organised crime, report it to Wiltshire Police online and quote #OIMCR to help ensure it reaches the appropriate teams.

Read the full story.
Keep up to date by following our WhatsApp channel.

Police Reform Survey: Headline findings with full breakdown to follow

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 12:33:29 +0100

Thank you to everyone who took part in our Police Reform Survey.

The headline figures from the 1,110 responses show that 71% of respondents believe a regional police force would mean a worse response to local priorities, while 80% said it is very important that neighbourhood policing remains shaped by local communities and local priorities, even if wider police reform takes place.

The feedback provides an important insight into local views on police reform and what matters most to residents. A full outcomes report will be published on our website in the coming weeks.

Find out more about Police Reform.

Keep up to date by following our WhatsApp channel.

Chief Constable fortnightly update to the Police and Crime Commissioner - 11 September 2026

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 18:50:47 +0100

Dear Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson,

As the National Rural Crime Network’s Week of Action concludes, I wanted to update you on the activity undertaken across Wiltshire and highlight the continued progress being made in protecting our rural communities from increasingly organised and sophisticated criminality.

During the week, officers carried out proactive patrols, vehicle stops and engagement activity across the county, building upon ongoing enforcement operations that have seen more than 100 vehicles stopped through recent Operation Ragwort deployments.

This visible activity is both intended to disrupt criminality, whilst providing reassurance to communities that we are taking their concerns seriously. Officers have been able to gather intelligence, identify offenders and prevent crime. Recent deployments have also demonstrated the value of information provided by local communities, as on Wednesday 2 September 2026, officers swiftly located and arrested suspects following reports of suspected hare coursing. More information is contained in the linked press release.

Alongside enforcement activity, we continued to deliver a range of crime prevention initiatives. Officers in our neighbourhood policing teams visited farms and rural businesses to provide practical advice on reducing vulnerability to crime, while property marking and tack-stamping events supported members of the equestrian community. We also delivered Operation Close Pass activity working with motorists and horse riders to raise awareness of the risks associated with unsafe overtaking and to promote safer behaviour on Wiltshire's rural roads.

Partnership working remains at the heart of our approach. Rural and organised criminality do not recognise county boundaries, and neither can our response. Throughout the week we worked closely with your office, neighbouring police forces, the National Rural Crime Network, local authorities, landowners, farmers, the British Horse Society and Neighbourhood Watch volunteers to strengthen the collective response to threats affecting our countryside. This coordinated approach enables intelligence to be shared more effectively, operations to be aligned across force areas and offenders to be pursued regardless of where they operate. It also recognises the invaluable contribution made by volunteers, community groups and rural stakeholders whose support, expertise and local knowledge play an important role in helping us prevent crime, protect vulnerable communities and keep Wiltshire safe.

I would also like to recognise the £10,000 investment announced by your office during Rural Crime Week of Action, which will provide around 280 forensic trailer security marking kits to farmers, landowners and rural businesses across the county. This funding represents a valuable investment in crime prevention, helping deter theft, improve the recovery of stolen property and make it increasingly difficult for organised criminal groups to profit from rural offending. The kits enable trailers to be marked with unique forensic identifiers, helping prove ownership, supporting investigations and increasing opportunities to recover stolen assets. Information regarding access to the kits will be promoted through our neighbourhood policing teams, rural crime networks and partner organisations in the coming weeks.

Our approach is also shaped by ongoing engagement with those who live and work in our rural communities. Through the Rural Crime Group, chaired by Superintendent James Brain, we regularly listen to the experiences and concerns of farmers, landowners, rural businesses and community representatives. This dialogue helps ensure our activity is informed by local issues, emerging trends and community priorities, enabling us to focus our resources where they can make the greatest impact and ensuring rural voices help shape our response.

This collaborative model reflects many of the themes highlighted within HMICFRS' recent State of Policing assessment, which emphasises the growing complexity of modern policing and the importance of prevention, partnership working, intelligence-led activity and maintaining public confidence. You and I issued a joint statement in relation to the HMICFRS report, highlighting both the progression of the force, but that we both recognise that there is more progress to be made.

While enforcement, prevention and partnership activity remain vital, it is important not to lose sight of the individuals and families whose lives are affected by crime and dangerous behaviour across our county.

During the week, we shared the experiences of those directly impacted by these issues, helping to reinforce why this partnership work matters. Among them was Hannah from Melksham, who suffered serious injuries after being thrown from her horse when it was startled by a vehicle travelling at speed on a rural road. Hannah sustained significant injuries and continues to recover from the incident, while her horse remains nervous following the experience.

Her story serves as a powerful reminder that irresponsible behaviour on rural roads can have devastating consequences for riders, animals and families. Through initiatives such as Operation Close Pass, we will continue working with equestrian communities to raise awareness, encourage safer driving behaviours and reduce the risk of similar incidents occurring in the future.

Whilst the Rural Crime Week of Action has provided an important focus, our efforts will continue throughout the year. Through prevention, partnership working and targeted enforcement activity, we will continue to protect rural communities, support victims and pursue those who seek to exploit Wiltshire's countryside. You can watch my conversation with Abi of Middle Westland Farm, where we discuss the devastating effects livestock worrying can have on farmers, their animals and their businesses.

As highlighted in the recent open letter from Superintendent James Brain, rural crime is not a low-level issue but an increasingly organised threat that causes significant harm to victims, businesses and communities. Wiltshire Police remains committed to ensuring those responsible are identified, disrupted and brought before the courts, while continuing to support victims and prevent offending wherever possible.

Recent weeks have also provided an opportunity to highlight other criminal justice outcomes secured by Wiltshire Police, and our wider focus in protecting our communities. Convictions secured across a range of investigations, including the conviction of former Chippenham teacher Bronwen James for serious sexual offences against children and the conviction of Nicholas Moore for assaulting his partner, demonstrate our commitment to safeguarding vulnerable people, supporting victims and bringing offenders to justice. Meanwhile, the imprisonment of disqualified driver Norton Sparrow, who was caught by officers whilst driving unlawfully and in possession of Class A drugs, demonstrates the value of proactive policing activity in removing dangerous offenders from our roads and disrupting criminal behaviour. Together, these outcomes reflect the professionalism and dedication of officers and staff across the Force who work tirelessly to investigate offences, build strong cases and secure justice for victims and our communities.

Finally, I would like to close this letter with an opportunity to reflect on the dedication and public service demonstrated daily by police officers, staff and volunteers across Wiltshire and the wider policing family.

In recent days, colleagues from across the country have come together to honour and remember the officers of Cleveland Police whose funerals have taken place following their tragic deaths in the line of duty. Their loss has been felt across policing and far beyond the communities they so proudly served. Their courage, commitment and selfless dedication to protecting others represent the very best of British policing.

As we paid our respects, we were reminded that every day thousands of police officers, members of police staff and volunteers come to work with a simple but profound purpose: to keep their communities safe. Whether responding to emergencies, supporting victims, safeguarding vulnerable people or tackling those who seek to cause harm, they do so knowing that policing can often place them in difficult and unpredictable situations.

Tragically, the Cleveland officers we have remembered this week never returned home to their loved ones. Their sacrifice serves as a stark reminder of the risks that policing professionals accept in service of the public and the extraordinary commitment shown by those who wear the uniform, support operational policing and volunteer their time to help keep communities safe.

On behalf of Wiltshire Police, I extend our sincere condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of those officers. Our thoughts remain with everyone affected by their loss. Their memory will endure, and their service will not be forgotten. It also provides an opportunity to thank every officer, member of staff and volunteer across the policing family whose professionalism, resilience and dedication continue to make a positive difference to the communities we are privileged to serve.

Kindest regards to you,

Catherine Roper

Chief Constable, Wiltshire Police

Investment helping create more opportunities for young people across Wiltshire and Swindon

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 13:48:34 +0100

More than 25,000 young people across Wiltshire and Swindon are benefiting from the support, opportunities and positive activities provided through the Wiltshire and Swindon Youth Partnership, hosted by Wiltshire & Swindon Community Foundation and supported by Wiltshire Council and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.

From youth worker training and volunteer development to new leadership opportunities for young people, partners are working together to strengthen youth services, help organisations reach more young people and build stronger communities for the future.

Read more about how partners are working together to support young people across Wiltshire and Swindon.

Keep up to date by following our WhatsApp channel.

Last chance to have your say on the future of policing

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 16:58:06 +0100

This week is your last chance to have your say on the future of policing in Wiltshire and Swindon.

Government proposals could see police forces merged into larger regional organisations and Police and Crime Commissioners abolished from 2028.

So far:
- 74% of respondents believe a larger regional force would mean worse local knowledge of communities and local issues
- 61% think it could improve access to specialist policing capabilities
- 64% do not support Wiltshire Police being merged into a larger regional force

Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson wants to ensure local voices are heard before any decisions are made.

The survey closes on Sunday. Have your say before it's too late.

Take the survey.

FREE tack marking event for horse owners 🐴

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 14:32:37 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

Your local Neighbourhood Policing Team will be holding a tack marking event tomorrow to help horse owners protect their valuable equipment and deter theft:

Wednesday 9 September
📍 Toomers Garden Centre, Lydiard Millicent
🕑 2:00pm to 3:30pm

Tack marking is a simple but effective way of identifying your equipment, making it more difficult for thieves to sell and easier for police to return if recovered.

✅ Free to attend
✅ Suitable for saddles, bridles and other tack
✅ Crime prevention advice available from your local Neighbourhood Policing Team

#NeighbourhoodPolicing #RuralCrimeWeekOfAction

Rural Crime Week of Action - An open letter from Superintendent James Brain

Mon, 07 Sep 2026 09:18:33 +0100

Dear {FIRST_NAME},

As we mark the national Rural Crime Week of Action, I want to send a clear message to our rural communities. I also want to send a message to those who seek to exploit Wiltshire's countryside:

Wiltshire Police will not tolerate rural crime.

Across the country, rural crime has become increasingly organised, sophisticated and harmful. Criminal networks operate across county boundaries, targeting farms, businesses, wildlife, heritage sites and rural communities. What may appear to be isolated incidents are often linked to wider criminality involving organised crime groups, vehicle theft, acquisitive crime, anti-social behaviour and other serious offences.

The reality is simple: rural crime is a national threat.

It damages livelihoods, threatens animal welfare, causes significant financial loss and leaves victims feeling vulnerable in the places where they should feel safest. For many victims, the impact extends far beyond stolen property. It affects their homes, businesses and way of life.

Recognising the changing nature of rural criminality, Wiltshire Police has invested in developing specialist expertise and building one of the most proactive rural crime responses in the region. We recognise that tackling rural crime requires more than enforcement alone. It demands specialist knowledge, strong partnerships and officers who understand the unique challenges facing our countryside.

Working alongside the National Rural Crime Unit, neighbouring police forces, partner agencies, farming organisations and rural communities, we have transformed the way we prevent, detect and disrupt rural offending.

We have embedded dedicated officers with enhanced training in wildlife and heritage crime within our Neighbourhood Policing Teams and strengthened our ability to identify emerging threats and respond proactively to offending. This has improved our understanding of rural crime, strengthened relationships with rural communities and enhanced our ability to target offenders.

We have also strengthened partnerships through Wiltshire's first Rural Crime Partnership Conference, bringing together national experts, enforcement agencies, farmers, landowners and specialist practitioners to share knowledge, identify emerging trends and develop solutions to help protect our countryside.

This work is delivering results.

A recent example took place on 2 September 2026, when reports were received of a vehicle in fields with a dog believed to be pursuing hares. Although the vehicle left the area before local patrols arrived, effective communication and coordinated action led to officers locating and stopping the vehicle in Swindon. The occupants were subsequently arrested on suspicion of trespass with intent to search for or pursue hares with dogs, and being equipped for searching for or pursuing hares with dogs.

This incident demonstrates the value of information provided by rural communities, the effectiveness of coordinated policing activity and our determination to act swiftly against those suspected of committing rural crime.

Over the last two years, Wiltshire Police has achieved:

44 arrests

38 offenders charged

19 vehicles seized

Arrests, charges and vehicle seizures increasing by more than 500% over the last four years

Dozens of offenders brought before the courts, with further prosecutions continuing

These are not simply figures on a page. They represent organised criminality disrupted, victims safeguarded and communities protected.

Every action sends the same message: those who commit rural crime in Wiltshire will be identified, disrupted and brought before the courts.

To those considering targeting our farms, businesses, landowners or rural communities, understand this: Wiltshire is not an easy target.

Wiltshire Police has the capability, partnerships, specialist expertise and determination to identify those responsible and bring them to justice. From neighbourhood officers and specialist teams to investigators, we take a whole-force approach to tackling rural crime. So let me be absolutely clear:

If you commit rural crime in Wiltshire, expect to be identified, expect to be pursued, expect to be arrested and expect to face the courts.

To our residents, farmers, landowners and rural businesses, thank you for the role you continue to play in helping us tackle rural crime. The information you provide remains vital in helping us identify offenders, understand emerging concerns and take action against those causing harm in our rural communities.

The progress we have made is the result of stronger partnerships, specialist expertise and a shared determination to protect Wiltshire's countryside and while rural crime continues to evolve, so do we.

Wiltshire Police is equipped to confront this threat, protect our rural communities and ensure that those who seek to profit from criminality find no refuge in our county.

Let me repeat: Wiltshire Police will not tolerate rural crime.

Community visits across the area with the mobile police station

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 09:01:28 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

Your Neighbourhood Policing Team will be out next week (7-12 September) in the Mobile Police Station.

Come along to speak with your local officers, raise any concerns, seek advice, or find out more about policing in your area.

Monday 7 September

The Square, Aldbourne - 11:00am to 1:00pm

Tuesday 8 September

Outside the Post Office, Baydon - 9:00am to 11:00am

Central Convenience Stores, Potterne - 1:00pm to 3:00pm

Wednesday 9 September

Screwfix (outside in the car-park), Devizes - 1:00pm to 3:00pm

Thursday 10 September

Bouverie Hall, Pewsey - 9:00am to 11:00am

Village Hall, West Lavington - 1:00pm to 3:00pm

Saturday 12 September

B&Q, Devizes - 3:00pm to 4:00pm

Everyone is welcome. We look forward to seeing you there.

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Community visits across the area

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 10:00:48 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

Come along and have a chat with your local Neighbourhood Policing Team at our upcoming community engagement events across September and October.

Whether you have concerns about your area, would like crime prevention advice or simply want to meet your local officers, we'd be pleased to see you.

The upcoming dates and locations are:

St Arbucks Market, Market Lavington

Thursday 3 September

10:00am - 12:00pm

The Piggery, Bishops Cannings

Saturday 19 September

10:00am - 11:30am

Rowdy Cow, Rowde

Friday 25 September

3:00pm - 4:30pm

All Cannings Village Shop

Thursday 1 October

10:00am - 12:00pm

MindTree Café, Rowde

Tuesday 6 October

12:30pm - 2:30pm

We look forward to seeing you!

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

PCC reaffirms commitment to tackling hare coursing following court hearing

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 17:02:36 +0100

Hare coursing continues to have a significant impact on rural communities across Wiltshire and Swindon, causing concern for farmers, landowners and residents alike.

Following a recent court hearing relating to an incident near Tidworth, Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson has reaffirmed his commitment to supporting efforts to tackle rural crime and protect those living and working in the countryside.

Read his full statement.

Keep up to date by following our WhatsApp channel.

Fortnightly update to the Police and Crime Commissioner - 28 August 2026

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 16:12:04 +0100

Dear Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Wilkinson,

I wanted to start my update this fortnight by paying tribute to the two Cleveland Police officers who tragically died in the line of duty last Saturday (22/08).

PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough died following a collision between their police vehicle and a car being driven the wrong way on the A66 in Middlesborough. The five occupants of this vehicle all sadly lost their lives also.

The loss of PC Blade and PC Clough is being felt across our policing family – they were brave officers who were protecting the communities they served so diligently.

This is a sobering reminder that our officers, staff and volunteers will often put themselves in harm's way to protect others and prevent harm. Our thoughts remain with all those affected by this tragedy including our colleagues within Cleveland Police and their local communities.

We joined Forces across the country to hold a minute’s silence on Thursday to pause, reflect and honour the officers’ service and sacrifice. The full statement from Cleveland Police Chief Constable Victoria Fuller can be found here.

Here in Wiltshire, last week a jury returned a majority verdict of not guilty in the trial into the death of 16-year-old Shayne Hambakachere.

The accused, a 16-year-old boy who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found not guilty of murder and of the alternative charge of manslaughter. Shayne sustained a fatal knife wound in London Road, Chippenham, on January 31. He tragically died in hospital the following day despite the best efforts of those first on scene, including our police officers and paramedic colleagues.

I would like to pay tribute to all of Shayne’s loved ones at this time, in addition to the investigators and frontline policing teams who have worked tirelessly on this case, and supporting our communities, since January.

In writing this letter this week, I found it almost impossible to move on from such tragedies. However, I did want to update you and our communities on other action that is currently being taken by Wiltshire Police.

Currently going through the criminal justice process is a case involving a defendant who is suspected of engaging in hare coursing near Tidworth in April.

He was arrested after being spotted allegedly hare coursing by a member of the public – lurchers and equipment associated with poaching were located in the vehicle he was using.

He was also charged with several driving offences after making off from officers.

He pleaded not guilty to all offences at court on Wednesday, and a trial date has been set for next year.

Six other people were arrested and charged in connection with this incident but the charges against them were discontinued at court this week.

In the last two years, we have arrested 44 people on suspicion of rural crime offences, resulting in 38 people being charged, 22 successful prosecutions (with 10 suspects still pending trial) and we have seized 19 vehicles linked to rural crime offences.

I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the local CrimeStoppers Rural Crime Campaign currently running across Wiltshire, which is helping to raise awareness of the impact rural crime has on our communities and encouraging those with information to come forward anonymously.

Rural crime can have devastating consequences for farmers, landowners and rural businesses, with offences such as machinery theft, hare coursing and organised criminal activity causing significant financial and emotional harm.

The campaign recognises that some people may be reluctant to report what they know. To combat this, CrimeStoppers provides a safe and completely anonymous way for information to be shared, helping law enforcement agencies target offenders and protect rural communities.

If anyone has information on crime in rural areas and wishes to remain anonymous, they can call CrimeStoppers free on 0800 555 111 or fill out this online form.

Between September 7th and 11th, we will be supporting the National Rural Crime Week of Action, where we will join forces with our partners to undertake targeted activity aimed at preventing crime, disrupting offenders and engaging directly with those living and working in our rural areas.

We will share more information on our activity and the operational outcomes during this week of action, and I will appraise our communities in my next fortnightly letter.

Along with our partners, such as CrimeStoppers, we will continue to relentlessly pursue those who bring misery to our rural communities.

Our communities can also offer anonymous information on the whereabouts of our most wanted offenders in Wiltshire. This information can be found on the CrimeStoppers website here.

Engaging with our communities is crucial to garner information to locate wanted offenders, help us solve crimes and shape our service to them.

This week, the National Public Confidence in Policing Survey launches which gives our communities the opportunity to share their experiences and views on crime and policing in their local area.

Although this is a national survey, we will be able to access the local feedback from our communities here in Wiltshire.

I would encourage all our community members to participate to ensure their voice is being heard. The survey can be accessed here: National Public Confidence in Policing Survey.

We are constantly looking at ways we can reach all of the communities we serve. Our Wiltshire and Swindon Community Messaging service plays an increasingly important role in enabling us to directly contact members of the public with relevant information and updates.

You can sign up to our Wiltshire and Swindon Community Messaging service by following this link.

Community feedback is also helping develop our plans for a new Southern Policing Hub - informing the final stages of work ahead of the submission of an outline planning application.

This week, there has been much public discussion in the south of our county that there are currently no plans for a custody suite within these proposals.

While locally accessible custody units undoubtedly offer advantages, operational decisions must consider the need for efficiency and value for money for the residents of Wiltshire.

The reality is, a third custody unit would require significant specialist staffing, dedicated operational support and ongoing running costs. Inevitably, this could impact our frontline and neighbourhood policing capability.

Our responsibility is to deliver a balanced service, addressing public needs without compromising operational effectiveness and, although arrests are an important aspect of our duties, they constitute only a small fraction of our overall policing responsibilities.

I would like to reassure our communities that, when an arrest is warranted, our teams will act, regardless of the distance involved to the nearest custody unit. Public safety, rigorous investigative procedures, legal compliance, and maintaining the highest investigative standards remain our unwavering priorities. To reinforce this, we continuously monitor arrest volumes, ensuring our actions align with public protection.

Commissioner, you have addressed these public concerns in your update to our communities today.

The proposed hub location at Mitre Way, Old Sarum, will provide a modern, fit-for-purpose operational base for neighbourhood, response and specialist policing teams serving Salisbury and south of the county.

Your office has overseen a series of community engagement activities and events to collate feedback from the public, including attending Area Board meetings with Chief Superintendent Doug Downing. This feedback has now been shared with the design team, highways specialists, environmental consultants and other technical advisers as preparations continue for the outline planning submission.

More information on the Southern Policing Hub can be found here.

Finally, Commissioner, I wanted to congratulate you on your recent milestone in service to our communities here in Wiltshire. Last week, you marked five years in office as the elected policing representative of our residents across the county. I hope you feel rightly proud of the progress that has been made since you were appointed.

You hold me to account for the delivery of the policing services in Wiltshire and I firmly believe we are now providing a much-enhanced service to our communities and victims of crime. However, there is still more to do, and my colleagues and I will not be complacent in driving forward further improvements.

You outlined your greatest achievements in this update to our communities.

Kindest regards,

Catherine Roper

Chief Constable, Wiltshire Police

PCC writes open letter to communities on custody and the Southern Policing Hub

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 12:08:30 +0100

Why isn’t a custody suite included in the proposed Southern Policing Hub for Salisbury?

Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson has written an open letter to residents and councillors addressing one of the most widely discussed policing issues in south Wiltshire.

While acknowledging the strength of feeling surrounding custody provision, the Commissioner explains why decisions must be based on operational policing requirements, value for money and the responsible use of public funds.

The letter sets out the advice provided by Wiltshire Police, outlines the significant ongoing costs associated with running a custody facility and explains why current investment is focused on strengthening frontline policing, neighbourhood teams and operational effectiveness.

It also highlights how the Southern Policing Hub has been designed to provide flexibility for future expansion should policing demand, operational need or funding arrangements change.

Read the PCC's full letter.

Community visits across the area

Sun, 23 Aug 2026 09:16:08 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

PCSO Johnson will be at Ramsbury Memorial Hall on Saturday 29 August from 7pm - 9pm.

Whether you have concerns about your local area, would like crime prevention advice, need help with a policing enquiry, or simply fancy a chat, PCSO Johnson will be happy to meet with residents and answer any questions.

Everyone is welcome.

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Not on Social Media? Stay Informed with OPCC WhatsApp Updates

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 10:36:07 +0100

Want the latest updates on policing priorities, crime prevention initiatives and community safety across Wiltshire and Swindon delivered straight to your phone?

The OPCC's WhatsApp Channel offers a simple, free and secure way to receive important updates directly to your phone, without needing a Facebook, Instagram or X account.

By following the channel, you'll receive:

Key updates from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC)

News on policing priorities and community safety initiatives

Information about consultations, campaigns and community events

Alerts and announcements that matter to residents across Wiltshire and Swindon

How to follow the 0PCC on WhatsApp

Click the link or scan the QR code below to open the channel.

Tap Follow.

Tap the 🔔 bell icon in the top right corner to switch on notifications.

https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBGc3L7T8bYU4etSt42

Thank you for staying connected and supporting us Making Wiltshire Safer.

www.wiltshire-pcc.gov.uk

PCC marks five years of progress in policing and community safety

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 17:41:38 +0100

Five years on from first being elected, Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson reflects on a period of significant change for policing across Wiltshire and Swindon.

From recruiting Chief Constable Catherine Roper and overseeing Wiltshire Police's exit from special measures, to investing in support for victims and strengthening partnerships that help keep communities safe, the last five years have brought challenge, progress and transformation.

As policing enters a new era of reform, Mr Wilkinson looks ahead to the opportunities and challenges still to come, while remaining committed to delivering safer communities, stronger neighbourhood policing and a police service residents can trust and be proud of.

Read the full article.

Community feedback helps shape Southern Policing Hub plans

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 10:33:53 +0100

The suggestions and concerns raised during a month long public consultation and engagement programme are now helping shape plans for the proposed Southern Policing Hub at Old Sarum.

Feedback focused largely on the force being a ‘good neighbour’ with traffic and access, landscaping and screening, environmental impact, community amenity and custody provision discussed at length. These views are now informing the technical work ahead of the outline planning application.

Thank you to everyone who engaged with the process and helped shape the future of policing infrastructure in Salisbury and south Wiltshire.

Read the full article.

To be kept updated about the Southern Policing Hub, and other news from the OPCC, follow our WhatsApp channel.

Police Reform: Why Local Accountability Matters

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 16:04:38 +0100

Who should have a say in how your community is policed?

From neighbourhood policing and anti-social behaviour to rural crime and community safety, local policing works best when it reflects the needs and concerns of local people.

In his latest blog, PCC Philip Wilkinson explains why local accountability matters, and why he believes communities should continue to have a strong voice in policing decisions as the Government considers reforms to policing governance.

Read the blog and learn more about what's being proposed and why local representation is so important.

Don't forget to have your say by taking our survey.

#PoliceReform #MakingWiltshireSafer

Community visits across the area

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 15:44:55 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

Your local neighbourhood officers will be hosting community consultation sessions and would welcome the opportunity to hear your views.

Please join us at one of the following sessions:

Sat 22 August

Jubliee Lake Cafe - 10:00am - 11:30am

Mon 24 August

The Croft Cafe, High St, RWB - 10:00am - 11:30am

We look forward to seeing you there!

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Courier Fraud in Wiltshire

Wed, 19 Aug 2026 12:53:00 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

Courier fraud is happening across Wiltshire and the South West.

Last year, 25 courier fraud crimes were reported in Wiltshire, with victims losing more than £155,000.

Across the South West, 417 reports were recorded between February and May 2025, with losses of almost £2.9 million.

Many victims are older or vulnerable people. The financial and emotional impact can be devastating.

What is Courier Fraud?

Courier fraud usually starts with an unexpected phone call.

The caller may pretend to be:

A police officer

A bank employee

A fraud investigator

They tell the victim their money or identity is at risk.

The victim is then persuaded to:

Withdraw cash

Buy gold, jewellery or expensive items

Hand these items to a courier

The courier and caller are both part of the fraud.

Once the items are handed over, they are gone.

Warning Signs

Someone may be a victim if they:

Look worried, nervous or under pressure

Are receiving instructions over the phone

Seem to be following a script

Mention helping the police or bank with an "investigation"

Are withdrawing large amounts of money or buying expensive items unexpectedly

The police will never:

Ask you to withdraw money

Ask you to buy gold or jewellery

Send someone to collect cash or valuables from your home

Your bank will never:

Ask for your PIN

Ask you to withdraw cash for an investigation

Send a courier to collect your money, card or valuables

How You Can Help

If something does not feel right, trust your instincts.

Ask:

Has someone claiming to be from the police or your bank asked you to withdraw money?

Have you been told you are helping with an investigation?

Has someone told you what to say?

Is someone coming to collect money or valuables?

A simple conversation could prevent someone from becoming a victim.

If a crime is taking place now, or a courier may be nearby:

Call 999 immediately.

Tell the call handler that you suspect courier fraud.

How to Report Fraud

If you have been targeted, or know someone who has:

Report Fraud

Website: www.reportfraud.police.uk

Telephone: 0300 123 2040

Working Together

We ask everyone to stay alert, including:

Family members

Friends and neighbours

Taxi drivers

Shop staff

Delivery drivers

Community groups

Please share this message with family, friends and neighbours, especially anyone who may be vulnerable.

Volunteers recognised for keeping policing accountable across Wiltshire and Swindon

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 15:51:56 +0100

Volunteers who independently examine how police powers are used, how detainees are treated and how decisions are made have been thanked for helping to hold policing in Wiltshire and Swindon to account.

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) brought together volunteers at Wiltshire Police Headquarters in Devizes on Wednesday (12 August) for an event recognising the time and expertise they give to public oversight of policing.

The volunteers' work ranges from making unannounced visits to police custody suites and examining officers' use of powers to checking the welfare of police dogs and scrutinising governance, financial controls and misconduct proceedings.

Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson told those attending that independent scrutiny was an important part of policing by consent, giving members of the public an opportunity to question practices, identify improvements and provide reassurance when standards are being met.

To find out more visit our website:
www.wiltshire-pcc.gov.uk

Find out how volunteers help shape, challenge and improve policing across Wiltshire. Watch the full video on YouTube.

Thanking volunteers who help provide independent scrutiny of policing across Wiltshire and Swindon

New strategy sets out Wiltshire Police's approach to tackling knife crime

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 15:20:38 +0100

The launch of Wiltshire Police's first Knife Crime Strategy marks an important step in our collective efforts to prevent violence and keep communities safe.

Adopting a public health approach, the strategy recognises that knife crime cannot be tackled by policing alone. Success depends on strong partnerships, early intervention and a shared commitment to addressing the factors that can lead to violence.

Through the Serious Violence Duty, the OPCC has helped bring together partners from across policing, health, education, local government, youth justice, probation, fire and rescue services, and the voluntary sector to develop a coordinated response to serious violence.

This strategy builds on that foundation, setting out how partners will work together over the next three years to reduce knife enabled violence, support those at risk and make Wiltshire and Swindon safer for everyone.

Find out more and read the full knife crime strategy.

Keep up to date by following our WhatsApp channel.

Fortnightly update to the Police and Crime Commissioner - 14 August 2026

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 12:19:33 +0100

Dear Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Wilkinson,

This week, I joined policing and law enforcement leaders nationwide in raising concerns with the Prime Minister about the impact of the early prison release scheme on victims and communities.

In this open letter, signed by all Chief Constables, we asked the Government to consider three measures:

A specific consideration that every lawful option is examined to determine whether the earlier release of those responsible for PC Andrew Harper's death can be prevented

To establish an additional public protection safeguard in cases involving the most serious offenders whenever future changes to sentencing or release arrangements are considered. Where an offender has caused a death, committed exceptionally serious violence, or presents an ongoing risk to individuals or communities, there should be explicit consideration of public protection, victim impact and community safety before release arrangements are amended

That victims and bereaved families must be properly considered whenever significant changes are made to sentencing or release arrangements.

The public should be able to trust that when a court passes sentence for the most serious crimes, that victims, public protection and confidence in the justice system remain at the heart of any subsequent decisions about release.

Alongside my Chief Constable colleagues, I stand ready to continue working with the Government on the safeguards needed to protect victims, the public and confidence in the justice system.

Here in Wiltshire, protecting those most vulnerable to harm is central to our mission of Keeping Wiltshire Safe.

To that end, I wanted to apprise you, and our communities, of the work we have completed which underpins my operational priority of reducing and preventing Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). This priority has a focus on domestic abuse, rape and serious sexual offences, stalking and harassment.

I would like to focus specifically on the work we have delivered to reduce and prevent Domestic Abuse (DA).

Since the start of the year, we have delivered the following:

Continued to strengthen our commitment to ensuring our approach firmly centres on the voices and lived experiences of victims. In 2024, a coalition called Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAWG) was established in Wiltshire comprising of members of the public, members of the judiciary, police, representatives from domestic abuse organisations, and business leaders. I sit on this coalition and Deputy Chief Constable Mark Cooper is now a formal ally of the group and supporting one of dedicated workstreams to positively influence male behaviours, focussing on early education and deterrence.

We now have 75 DA Matters Champions, who are trained to support colleagues in understanding perpetrator tactics, that DA can happen in all relationships and the controlling nature of economic abuse

We are receiving a 30% increase in the number of applications made to us under the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS), known as ‘Clare’s Law’, and have increased staffing and improved processes to ensure we reply within the statutory 28-day deadline

We have strengthened our approach to protective orders – we are seeing around 100 requests for Domestic Violence Protection Orders (DVPOs) per year

In February, I was joined by our tactical VAWG lead Detective Chief Inspector Claire Smith for a Facebook Live event focused on our approach to VAWG – taking questions from our communities and giving out advice and guidance

We have run two dedicated internal campaigns to our officers and staff providing bite-sized learning, face-to-face support and tailored communications to strengthen frontline responses to domestic abuse and wider VAWG offending

Enhanced partnership working with the CPS to improve victim support and case progression, including use of the Priority Green Charging Scheme for high-risk domestic abuse cases. This scheme seeks to speed up justice for victims, focusing on those that are at the highest risk by streamlining the charging process. Where qualifying cases are submitted within 70 days of the initial report, the CPS will make a charging decision within 10 days. This marks a significant improvement in the speed at which these cases can progress through the criminal justice system and is a positive step forward for some of our most vulnerable victims

We have also participated in the CPS Victim Transformation Programme. This is where the CPS will directly contact victims in cases where they have made the charging decision. Victims will be contacted through their preferred method and provided with information about charging decisions, the CPS role, what to expect next and their rights under the Victims' Code

Project Vigilant continues to gain national and international recognition, with Swedish police officers visiting Wiltshire earlier this year to learn from our approach and observe a live deployment focused on disrupting potential sexual offending in the night-time economy

Dedicated stalking clinics have been introduced inside our organisation, giving investigators access to specialist advice on online stalking, digital evidence and safeguarding opportunities

We ran a public campaign raising awareness of domestic abuse throughout the World Cup tournament. In the hours directly before and after each England match, we received a 33% increase in logs related to domestic abuse compared to the same period in 2025 – from 46 in 2025 to 61 in 2026. We believe that this indicates that victims are feeling more confident to reach out to us

In the last month, we have seen several successful domestic abuse convictions which I hope will illustrate our commitment to bringing offenders to justice. These have included:

- Restraining order for man who launched series of violent attacks on woman | Wiltshire Police

- Domestic abuser who assaulted partner jailed | Wiltshire Police

- DA survivor's "immense strength" praised after perpetrator jailed | Wiltshire Police

- Trowbridge man jailed for assaulting woman | Wiltshire Police

Looking ahead, we will deliver the following to further support victims of DA:

The introduction of Domestic Abuse Protection Orders. These orders prohibit the abuser from doing certain things for a period of time such as communicating with and contacting the victim, harassing, threatening and approaching them, and posting things on social media. DAPOs are the first protective orders available through civil and criminal court proceedings. More information and support can be found on the National Centre for Domestic Violence website.

Working collaboratively with the EVAWG Coalition, we are currently running a 12-month pilot perpetrator programme which involves having a third sector charity worker operating within our custody environment specifically with those arrested for DA offences. The purpose of this pilot is to prevent further VAWG offending and reduce repeat victims

A dedicated Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Team will launch in early 2027, strengthening our specialist investigative capacity and victim support from initial report through to conclusion of the criminal process. This new RASSO model will help improve investigative quality, identify safeguarding opportunities earlier, strengthen partnership working across the criminal justice system and reduce avoidable delays.

I hope our communities can see that we will not become complacent when it comes to protecting people from domestic abuse.

DCC Mark Cooper is ensuring an increased focus on monitoring our performance in detecting and preventing VAWG. This includes locating outstanding DA suspects, increase our use of protective orders, increase our DA arrest rates, continuing to enhance our training offer for frontline officers and work more collaboratively with our partners to improve our service.

On Monday 10 August, I hosted our third Facebook Live event of the year with a focus on knife crime and our approach to illegal e-scooters and e-bikes. I was joined by Swindon Hub Commander Supt Mike Vass, who is also our force lead for knife crime.

Our communities can watch the Facebook Live here.

Today, we have launched our first knife crime strategy, setting out how we will work with partners over the next three years to prevent knife-related violence and keep our communities safe.

The strategy adopts a public health approach, recognising that knife crime cannot be tackled by policing alone. Working alongside local authorities, health services, education, youth justice, probation, fire and rescue services, and the voluntary sector, we will focus on prevention, safeguarding, enforcement and early intervention.

The strategy adopts a public health approach, recognising that knife crime cannot be tackled by policing alone. Working alongside your office, local authorities, health services, education, youth justice, probation, fire and rescue services, and the voluntary sector, we will focus on prevention, safeguarding, enforcement and early intervention.
Your office plays a vital role in supporting delivery of the strategy, including funding and supporting initiatives such as Premier League Kicks and Blunt Truth, which help educate young people about the risks associated with knife crime, provide positive diversionary opportunities and build resilience within our communities, and they can read the strategy here.

Finally, I wanted to update our communities that we have charged a man in relation to the murder of Jimmy Ward, 36, at a traveller site in Calcutt near Cricklade earlier this month.

Firstly, all our thoughts remain with Jimmy’s loved ones at this time and to all those in our community impacted by this tragedy.

Whilst it would not be appropriate for me to comment on the details of the case, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in the multi-agency emergency response. This involved our officers, staff, volunteers, colleagues from other police forces and support from partner organisations and charities.

Kindest regards,

Catherine Roper

Chief Constable, Wiltshire Police

Community visits across the area

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 10:01:16 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

Come and meet your local neighbourhood policing team at our Mobile Police Station next week!

Monday 17 August - Mere

9:00am to 10:30am – Home Guard Club, Kilmington

10:45am to 12:15pm – Layby by Zeals Village Hall

1:30pm to 3:00pm – Layby outside West Knoyle Village Hall

Tuesday 18 August - Tisbury

9:00am to 10:30am – Outside The Talbot Inn, Berwick St John

10:45am to 12:15pm – The Stalls, Ansty

1:30pm to 3:00pm – Outside the Youth Club, Fovant

Wednesday 19 August - Warminster

10:30am to 1:30pm – Lake Pleasure Grounds Event

2:30pm to 4:00pm – Warminster Library

Thursday 20 August - Westbury

10:00am to 11:30am – Westbury High Street

12:00pm to 2:00pm – Penleigh Park

2:30pm to 4:00pm – Lidl Car Park, Westbury

Friday 21 August - Warminster and Westbury

9:00am to 11:00am – Morrisons, Warminster

12:30pm to 2:30pm – Penleigh Park, Westbury

Saturday 22 August

We'll be attending the Warminster Baptist Church Fun Day throughout the course of the day, so come and say hello during our patrols.

Sunday 23 August - Warminster and Westbury

10:00am to 11:30am – Memorial Hall, Dilton Marsh

11:45am to 1:45pm – Church of St Aldhelm (Cobbett Rise), Bishopstrow

Drop in, speak with your local officers, report concerns, and get advice on keeping yourself and your community safe.

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Weed wiper stolen from farm in Zeals

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 11:59:55 +0100

Have you seen this weed wiper?

This was stolen from a farm in Zeals overnight on August 2. It is believed the unknown suspects mounted the farm machinery onto the rear of a 4x4 before leaving the scene.

If you have information that could help with our enquires please email Simon.Gomm@wiltshire.police.uk quoting reference 54260095009

Alternatively, you can contact us through our website or by calling 101

PCC Blog: The Future of Policing

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 16:58:58 +0100

What does the future of policing look like for Wiltshire and Swindon?

The Government is considering major reforms that could reshape policing across England and Wales, including changes to force structures, governance, funding and national oversight.

While Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson supports reforms that improve technology, data sharing, professional standards and leadership, he believes any changes must be evidence led and focused on delivering better outcomes for the public, not simply change for change's sake.

Read his latest blog here to learn more about his views on police reform and the future of policing.

We also want to hear from you. Take our survey here and help ensure local voices are part of the conversation on what policing should look like in the years ahead.

#PoliceReform

Community visit across the area

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 11:01:12 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

Join the Devizes Neighbourhood Policing Team at The Owl, Bromham, on Wednesday 19 August, 10am-12pm.

This is an opportunity to:
- Meet your local officers
- Discuss local policing issues
- Share concerns and community information
- Receive crime prevention advice

📍 The Owl, Bromham
📅 Wednesday 19 August
⏰ 10am-12pm

No appointment needed, just come along and say hello!

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Meet PCSO Johnson - Baydon Post Office : Sat 15 Aug 11:00

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 15:56:34 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

PCSO Johnson will be at Baydon Post Office on Saturday 15 August, from 11:00am to 12:00pm.

Everyone is welcome.

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

CORRECT SURVEY LINK: PCC launches public survey on Government's proposed police reforms

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 16:52:45 +0100

Please take the survey using this correct direct link: Share Your Views on Police Reform – Fill in form

The future of policing is being discussed nationally, and Wiltshire residents deserve a say.

Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson has launched a public survey to gather views on the Government's proposed policing reforms, including potential police force mergers, changes to local policing governance, and the future of neighbourhood policing.

While some proposals aim to improve efficiency, consistency and specialist capabilities, there are important questions about how larger regional police forces could affect local accountability, police visibility, community engagement and the ability to respond to local priorities.

Whether you support the proposals, have concerns, or simply want your voice heard, now is the time to have your say and help shape the future of policing in Wiltshire and Swindon.

Find out more about Police Reform here.

PCC launches public survey on Government's proposed police reforms

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 16:15:35 +0100

The future of policing is being discussed nationally, and Wiltshire residents deserve a say.

Whether you support the proposals, have concerns, or simply want your voice heard, now is the time to have your say and help shape the future of policing in Wiltshire and Swindon.

Complete the survey here.

Find out more about Police Reform here.

Police Powers Scrutiny Roadshow - have your say!

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 15:29:27 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

Coming up on Friday (7 August 2026), between 11am and 3pm, representatives from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon and the Wiltshire Police Scrutiny Team will be joining your local Neighbourhood Policing Team at the Swindon Outlet Centre.

Come along to find out more about how Wiltshire Police is held accountable and how police powers are monitored and reviewed.

The team will be available to:

Explain how police scrutiny works in Wiltshire

Share plans to improve understanding and oversight of police powers

Show body-worn video footage from real policing incidents

Listen to your views and feedback on how police powers are used.

This is a great opportunity to ask questions, learn more about local policing and help shape the way policing services are delivered across the county.

Chief Constable Fortnightly Update to the Police and Crime Commissioner - 31 July 2026

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 16:34:08 +0100

Dear Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Wilkinson,

Last week, it was confirmed that Wiltshire continues to have one of the lowest crime rates in England and is the safest police force area in the South West.

The latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) crime rate data outlined that Wiltshire recorded 56.09 crimes per 1,000 population for year ending March 2026 - significantly lower than both the national average for England of 83.45 and the South West average of 73.49 for the same period.

I hope that this, coupled with the recent confirmation that Wiltshire Police has been placed in the top tier of the new HMICFRS Policing Performance System, reassures our communities that we are working hard to continually improve our service to them.

Our vision of Keeping Wiltshire Safe is underpinned by my three operational priorities – Safer Public Spaces, reducing and preventing Violence against Women and Girls and improving outcomes for victims.

A key strand delivering Safer Public Spaces is preventing and reducing knife crime.

In the 12 months to May, there were 777 knife-enabled crimes reported in Wiltshire – an increase of 6.1% on the previous year. This rise is a significant concern to me, and I have directed greater proactivity to tackle this trend across all of my operational teams, focussing on those persons who are causing the most significant harm to our communities. This work is led by our operational lead for knife crime, Superintendent Mike Vass, who will be publishing our organisational knife crime strategy shortly. I will provide an update of the outcome of that activity in future letters.

However, knife enabled crime incidents involving offenders under the age of 18 has fallen significantly by 27.6% - a reduction of 42 offences from the year prior.

I believe that this demonstrates that our approach to sustained early intervention, education and partnership collaboration is having a positive impact.

This progress reflects a clear commitment to being child-centred: identifying risk earlier and intervening before children and young people become involved in violence, whether as victims, offenders or both. We have strengthened our focus on prevention, education and diversion, particularly for those most at risk.

Your continued support and funding of early intervention projects across the county, Commissioner, has been instrumental in this work.

Together, we have increased engagement with schools and education settings, supported diversionary and focused deterrence programmes, invested in community-based interventions and worked closely with families and professionals to reduce harm.

Programmes including DiversITy, Premier League Kicks, Synergy, Youth Commission and Roots and Shoots are making a real difference.

The Synergy programme has worked with 27 children across our area in the last year who were assessed as being at elevated risk of involvement in serious violence, often linked to vulnerabilities such as criminal exploitation, adverse childhood experiences or association with criminal peer groups. The programme has been recognised nationally as good practice and is now being considered for adoption by other police forces.

Our Blunt Truth education programme, delivered in collaboration with the NHS, has reached 5,080 young people over the last year. It educates children about the potentially life-changing consequences of carrying a knife and what to do if a friend or family member is stabbed.

We also continue to work closely with Owen’s World Foundation, established following the tragic death of 18-year-old Owen Dunn, who was fatally stabbed in Swindon in December 2022. The foundation has become a powerful voice in educating young people, families and communities about the dangers of knife crime and the devastating impact it has on those left behind.

We are also investing in innovative approaches, some of which have not previously been used elsewhere in the UK.

One example of this is our work with a child psychologist to provide targeted one-to-one support for young people and address the underlying causes of violent behaviour. This work is also helping our officers and staff to better manage risk and engage with vulnerable young people over a longer period. It has been supported through funding received under the Serious Violence Duty.

Other initiatives we are involved in to reduce knife crime and the impact of this type of criminality include:

The launch of the Wiltshire Police Bleed Kit Partnership with HeartSafe UK, NHS England South West and South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust. The partnership is increasing the availability of potentially life-saving emergency bleed kits in public locations across Swindon and Wiltshire. You can read more about this initiative here

Continuing to equip officers with the tools they need to keep communities safe. All frontline police vehicles are now equipped with metal detection wands to support effective and proportionate searches, while Neighbourhood Policing Teams across the Force have access to knife arches that can be deployed operationally and as a visible deterrent

Regular test purchasing operations held across the county with assistance from our police cadets

The launch of the Safer Knives replacement scheme which offers households at higher risk of knife‑related harm the chance to exchange traditional pointed kitchen knives for specially designed rounded alternatives. Our communities can find out more about this scheme here.

The collective positive impact of all this activity shows what can be achieved when partners work together with a shared focus on prevention, early intervention and enforcement where necessary.

Together, we are making a positive difference to the lives of young people across Wiltshire and helping to build safer, stronger communities.

I wholeheartedly back the national ambition to reduce knife crime by 50% by 2034, and to do this, we continue to monitor, evaluate and refine our approach.

Knife crime is not an issue policing can solve alone. A public health-style approach remains central to our response, recognising that effective prevention relies on strong collaboration between policing, local authorities, health services, probation, youth justice, education, fire and rescue services, and the voluntary and community sector.

Through these partnerships, we can better understand the causes of violence, identify vulnerability and risk earlier, and deliver coordinated interventions that achieve long-term change.

We want to hear our communities’ voice on our approach to tackling knife crime. To that end, our next Facebook Live event on August 10, will be dedicated to this issue and I will be joined by Supt Vass to take questions from the public. Our communities can join us via the Wiltshire Police Facebook page from 6.30pm. Questions can also be submitted in advance via the page.

Finally, I wanted to close this letter with a thank you to all involved in the Calne Bike Meet last weekend. I had the honour of attending, with my family, and more than 8,000 motorcyclists and enthusiasts who gathered in the town.

It was a fantastic community event, and it gave my officers the opportunity to speak directly with riders about road safety and the need for all road users to look out for one another.

The event this year was held in tribute to motorcyclist Alex Daines, 35, who tragically lost his life during a collision on the A4 at West Kennett on July 19. He leaves behind his wife Sammi and their three children.

Sadly, we have seen an increase in the number of road traffic collisions involving motorcyclists in recent months and, since the beginning of the year, 57 motorcyclists have been seriously injured and three have lost their lives – including Alex.

My thoughts are with all their families, friends and loved ones.

I also want to recognise the professionalism, compassion and care of the officers, staff and volunteers who have responded to these incidents, including response teams, the Serious Collision Investigation Team and family liaison officers.

We continue to encourage motorcyclists to refresh and develop their riding skills, while urging drivers of all vehicles to take extra care at junctions and to look twice for motorcycles.

Through our BikeSafe programme, motorcyclists can enhance their skills, improve their road awareness and develop safer riding habits. I am pleased that 105 motorcyclists have taken part in BikeSafe so far this year. More information on the programme can be found here.

Kindest regards to you,

Catherine Roper

Chief Constable, Wiltshire Police

Free Tack Marking Event with Wiltshire Police and the British Horse Society

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 13:46:00 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

Join us on Sunday 2 August, from 10am–2pm at Wadswick Country Store, Box, Corsham with the British Horse Society for a free tack marking event.

✅ Make your leather tack more secure with free tack marking
✅ Learn about rural crime prevention and safer riding
✅ Find out how to become a Wiltshire Horse Rider Volunteer
✅ Discover how to report horse riding incidents using the BHS Horse-i App and Operation Snap

Wadswick Country Store, Box, Corsham, SN13 0NY

Sunday 2 August

10am–2pm

Protect your equipment, pick up valuable safety advice and meet rural crime officers.

#RuralCrimeAwareness

Community visits across the area with the mobile police station

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 09:46:36 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

Our Mobile Police Station will be out in the community during the week commencing Monday 3 August, giving you the chance to chat with local officers, discuss any concerns, and learn more about policing in your area.

Monday 3 August
• Avondown Road, Durrington – 10:00am to 11:00am

Tuesday 4 August
• Tesco, London Road, Amesbury – 11:00am to 12:00pm

Thursday 6 August
• Memorial Hall, Newton Tony – 3:30pm to 4:30pm
• Shrewton Social Club – 6:00pm to 7:00pm

We look forward to seeing you there. Whether you have a question, concern, or simply want to meet your local officers, please come along and say hello.

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Wiltshire remains one of the safest places in the country despite rise in recorded crime

Fri, 24 Jul 2026 16:51:48 +0100

Wiltshire continues to have one of the lowest crime rates in England and remains the safest force area in the South West, according to the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) crime rate data published this week.

The figures show that Wiltshire recorded 56.09 crimes per 1,000 population for year ending March 2026, significantly below both the national average for England of 83.45 and the South West average of 73.49 for the same time period.

While the data shows an overall increase in recorded crime compared to the previous year, Wiltshire's crime rate remains substantially lower than both the regional and national averages, reflecting the continued efforts of officers, staff, volunteers and partner agencies working to keep communities safe.

Read more here.

Wiltshire Custody Visiting Scheme Recognised with National Silver Award

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 18:33:14 +0100

Wiltshire’s Independent Custody Visiting (ICV) Scheme has been recognised on the national stage after receiving a prestigious silver award from the Independent Custody Visiting Association, celebrating the commitment and dedication of the volunteers who help ensure people detained in police custody are treated fairly and with dignity.

The award recognises the important role ICVs play in providing a vital layer of public scrutiny and accountability. Managed by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC), the scheme sees trained volunteers make unannounced visits to custody suites across Wiltshire to check on the welfare and treatment of detainees, as well as the conditions in which they are being held.

⚠️ Police Public Appeal – Protect Your Property and Report Suspicious Activity

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 11:17:17 +0100

Dear residents,

Hope this message finds you well.

Police are appealing to residents and businesses to remain vigilant following a recent increase in thefts from commercial vans, sheds, garages and other outbuildings. Offenders are targeting valuable tools, power tools, chainsaws, garden machinery and other equipment. These offences can have a significant financial impact on tradespeople, businesses and homeowners.

Please take steps to protect your property:

Remove tools and equipment from vans overnight wherever possible.

Park vehicles in secure, well-lit locations and consider additional vehicle security.

Ensure sheds, garages and outbuildings are secured with high-quality locks.

Install security lighting, alarms and, where possible, CCTV systems to deter offenders and capture evidence.

CCTV can play a vital role in preventing and solving crime. If you have CCTV, doorbell cameras or dashcams, ensure they are working correctly, positioned to cover vulnerable areas and that footage is retained where possible. Even footage that appears insignificant could provide valuable evidence and help identify those responsible.

Tips on how to secure your shed-garage-

https://www.wiltshire.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/protect-home-crime/secure-shed-garage/

Tips on how to secure your vehicle/van-

https://www.wiltshire.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/keeping-vehicles-safe/vehicle-safe-and-sound/

Please report all suspicious activity to police. Prompt reporting helps officers identify crime patterns, deploy resources effectively and prevent further offences. If you see suspicious people, vehicles or behaviour in your area, report it without delay by calling 101 or using your local police online reporting service. If a crime is taking place or there is an immediate risk to life or property, always call 999.

By working together, remaining vigilant and taking simple security measures, we can help protect our homes, businesses and local communities from opportunist thieves.

Kind regards,

Lukasz Kolasinski 70901 Police Community Support Officer
Warminster Rural Beat Warminster Area Neighbourhood Policing Team (Warminster, Westbury, Tisbury, Mere) Police Station, The Avenue, Warminster, BA12 9AA

Email:	lukasz.kolasinski@wiltshire.police.uk
Mobile:	07471029004

Community visits across the area

Mon, 20 Jul 2026 11:43:29 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

Come and meet your local Neighbourhood Policing Team at our community engagement event.

Thursday 23 July
- 11:30am – 1:00pm
- Waitrose Car Park, Malmesbury

This is a great opportunity to speak with officers, discuss any local concerns, ask questions and find out what we're doing in your community.

We look forward to seeing you there!

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Chief Constable fortnightly update to the Police and Crime Commissioner

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 14:32:16 +0100

Dear Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Wilkinson,

Yesterday, Wiltshire Police was placed in the top tier for performance in a national, independent assessment.

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) confirmed that we had been placed in Tier 1 of their new Policing Performance System.

HMICFRS has stated that, whilst they may have minor, mitigated concerns about the performance of our Force, we are making progress and continuous improvements. They have confirmed that no further action or intervention is required from the performance system at this time.

Forces are assigned a tier (which is from Tier 1 to Tier 4) based on current performance, the extent of national support required and the expected level of interaction with the support and intervention process.

Our communities can read more from the HMICFRS on this here and my full statement can be found here.

This is a truly significant day for Wiltshire Police and is testament to our relentless focus on continually improving the service we provide to our communities.

Joining Wiltshire Police as Chief Constable in 2023 remains the proudest day of my career. However, I joined a Force that was in the Engage process with the worst HMICFRS PEEL grading in the country.

I knew that the incredible teams in Wiltshire Police could drive improvements and enhance the service our communities receive.

To now be in be in a cohort of Forces in the top category for our performance is incredible.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank every single officer, police staff member and volunteer for their focus, dedication and determination in improving our service each and every day.

I would also like to thank you, Commissioner, your teams, our partner agencies and our communities for their continued support and challenge whilst we worked hard on delivering these improvements.

Today’s performance grading comes just months after the latest Police Efficiency, Effectiveness and Legitimacy (PEEL) report from HMICFRS which specifically highlighted stronger performance in neighbourhood policing, emergency response, preventing crime and use of powers.

That report showed no regression in any of the areas inspectors graded in the previous inspection (published in 2024) with two areas – responding to the public and using powers fairly – seeing our grades improve. Our use of powers grade increased by two gradings.

However, our gradings for investigating crime and safeguarding children and adults at risk of harm remained static at ‘requiring improvement’. We are working hard to rapidly improve this.

You can read more about our PEEL inspection here.

I truly hope that both independent HMICFRS reports reassure our communities that we are absolutely committed to Keeping Wiltshire Safe and are always seeking to improve the standard of service they receive.

Part of continuing our improvement journey is our ability to predict, map and respond to peaks in demand for our services.

The summer months are always a busy period for police forces, but we are already seeing unprecedented levels of demand in Wiltshire.

In June this year, we recorded over 12,000 incident logs - a 7.4% increase compared to the previous year and a 9.1% increase on 999 call volumes.

During Saturday 27th June, we experienced 578 calls to 999 – this is the highest volume of emergency calls in a 24-hour period we have ever recorded.

As the summer continues, there are some ways that our communities can help to reduce the demand on our control room so that those most in need of our help get it as quickly as possible:

Only call 999 if there is an immediate danger or threat, a crime is happening at that time, or you see something that needs immediate action

For non-emergencies, these can be reported online or in person at one of our stations. Stations with front counters that are open to the public can be found here

You can contact your Neighbourhood Policing Team directly via the Your Area section of our website

For an update on a specific case, please contact the officer directly (either using the direct telephone number they provided you or using their shoulder number as the first part of their email address – for example XXXX@wiltshire.police.uk), or visit this page on our website

For support and guidance about which matters should be reported to the police and which should be reported to other agencies, visit this section of our website.

We will always be here when our communities need us the most.

Finally, I know that many in our communities will be gearing up to watch the World Cup final this Sunday.

In addition to increasing patrols at key points during the tournament, we have also focused our resources on the crime types that we know are, sadly, likely to increase during a significant sporting event.

These include drink and drug driving offences and domestic abuse related crimes.

Data from the timespan of the last Euros tournament in 2024, showed that 11% of all reports to Wiltshire Police were for drink driving and 22% were for domestic abuse. Both are abhorrent crimes which can have life changing consequences.

As part of our public awareness campaign, we’ve issued this video showing the immediate interactions between our officers and those caught drink driving in our county.

More information, support and advice connected to our campaign, can be found on our website here.

I hope everyone continues to enjoy the summer safely and please do contact us if you need our help.

Kindest regards to you,

Catherine Roper

Chief Constable, Wiltshire Police

Meet Andrew Lemon, your local Neighbourhood Policing Team Inspector

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 11:02:02 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

I'm Inspector Andrew Lemon, and I'm delighted to have joined the Devizes, Marlborough and Pewsey Neighbourhood Policing Team.

I’m also the Force Tactical Lead for Rural Crime delivery across Wiltshire Police. I have been a police officer for 25 years and worked in many areas of policing, inclusive of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Proactive and Volume Crime Investigation, Intelligence and Response Policing.
Having recently taken on responsibility for policing this diverse and vibrant area, I wanted to introduce myself and share some of my priorities for the months ahead.
Our communities are unique, from our market towns to our rural villages, but one thing remains constant – people want to feel safe where they live, work and visit. My focus is on making sure we are visible, accessible and responsive to the issues that matter most to local residents.
Working alongside our dedicated neighbourhood police officers, Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) and partner agencies, my priorities will include:

Tackling burglary and protecting homes, farms and businesses

Preventing and disrupting rural crime, including offences that impact our farming communities and countryside, inclusive of agricultural acquisitive crime, hare coursing and poaching

Targeting retail and business crime, specifically shoplifting and repeat offenders who affect local businesses and town centres

Addressing anti-social behaviour and ensuring our public spaces remain safe and welcoming for everyone

Disrupting drug-related activity, safeguarding vulnerable people and acting on information provided by our communities.

Neighbourhood policing is at its best when we work together. I am keen to listen to your concerns, understand what matters to you and ensure that our policing priorities reflect the needs of the communities we serve.
Over the coming weeks and months, you'll see me across Devizes, Marlborough and Pewsey, meeting residents, businesses, community groups and local partners.

Please stay connected to Community Messaging as details of when and where I will be in the area will be advertised soon.
If you see me, please come and say hello. Your information, feedback and support plays a vital role in helping us keep Wiltshire safe.
#NeighbourhoodPolicing

PCC welcomes national recognition for Wiltshire Police but says focus must remain on delivering for the public

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 16:20:59 +0100

Wiltshire Police has today been placed in Tier 1 of HMICFRS' new Policing Performance System, with inspectors recognising improved performance and evidence the force is moving in the right direction following its recent PEEL inspection.

Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson said: "This is an important endorsement of the progress that Wiltshire Police has made over recent years.

"Only a few years earlier and under previous leadership, Wiltshire Police was among the poorest performing forces in the country and subject to intense scrutiny from inspectors.

“Today's assessment demonstrates just how far the organisation has come and reflects the determination of officers, staff and volunteers to deliver better policing for the people of Wiltshire and Swindon.

"I have consistently said that we should recognise progress where it has been made.

"This achievement has not happened by accident and it reflects strong and stable leadership, clear operational priorities and a relentless focus on improvement.

“It also reflects the hard work of officers, staff and volunteers who have remained committed to providing a better service to the public every day.

"As Police and Crime Commissioner I am delighted to be able to share their success, however, my priority to provide robust scrutiny, challenge and accountability on behalf of the people of Wiltshire and Swindon for their policing service remains.

To read more about what the Commissioner said and his expectations for Wiltshire Police going forward, read the full statement on our website
www.wiltshire-pcc.gov.uk/about-us/news/2026/july-2026/pcc-welcomes-national-recognition-for-wiltshire-police-but-says-focus-must-remain-on-delivering-for-the-public

A disappointing result should never lead to abuse

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 13:16:57 +0100

We may not have got the football result we wanted yesterday, but disappointment is never an excuse for domestic abuse.

Whether you're continuing to follow the rest of the tournament or switching off football altogether, everyone has the right to feel safe at home, regardless of the score.

We know that major sporting events can sometimes be linked to an increase in domestic abuse. If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, support is available.

If you are concerned about domestic abuse happening to someone you know, or want to report information about an offender, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously.

Or visit our Victims Hub to find out more about the help and support available.

And if you're heading out to watch any of the remaining games this weekend, take a look at our Getting You Home Safe campaign page for practical advice on enjoying a safe night out.

Community event with the Neighbourhood Policing Team

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 09:45:49 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

Have something you’d like to discuss with your local Neighbourhood Policing Team?

Join us at our upcoming community event:

📍 Location: All Cannings, Convenience Store
📅 Date: Tuesday 21 July
🕘 Time: 9:00am – 11:00am

Drop by for a chat, raise any concerns or get advice from your local officers.

We look forward to seeing you there! 👮‍♂️

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Hundreds of people safeguarded since launch of South West crackdown on drugs

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 16:50:12 +0100

Operation Scorpion continues to deliver results across the South West.

Since 2022, Police and Crime Commissioners and police forces from across the South West have worked together to make the region a hostile environment for drug crime. The joint approach has led to more than 1,580 arrests, £3 million worth of drugs seized and 1,380 vulnerable people safeguarded.

In Wiltshire alone, officers have made 311 arrests, seized £684,900 worth of drugs and safeguarded 114 people.

Together, we're disrupting organised crime, protecting the vulnerable and making our communities safer.

Read more here.

You can report drug-related crime via 101 or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Community visits with the neighbourhood policing team

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 10:01:19 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

Your Neighbourhood Policing Team will be attending the following upcoming community events:

Tuesday 13 July 2026
- 7:00pm–8:00pm
- Froxfield Parish Meeting

Wednesday 14 July 2026
- 7:00pm–8:00pm
- Chilton Foliat

These are great opportunities to meet the team, raise any concerns and have your say on local policing matters.

We look forward to seeing you there!

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Temporary change to SARC appointment location

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 14:52:56 +0100

You may have already seen that all appointments for the Swindon & Wiltshire Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) are temporarily taking place at Hope House in Gloucestershire while the Swindon site undergoes improvement works.

- All services remain fully available

- Referral routes and contact numbers are unchanged

- Travel to appointments will be arranged and funded

- You will see the same team of professionals for continuity wherever possible

- Alternative locations can be provided if Gloucester is not suitable, including Bristol, Bournemouth and Devon & Cornwall.

We've answered some of the most common questions, including what the changes mean for those accessing support.

Find out more and read our FAQs here.

Theft from Commercial Vehicle – Wylye Road, Warminster to Sand Street, Longbridge Deverill

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 08:01:19 +0100

🚨 POLICE APPEAL FOR INFORMATION 🚨

Theft from Commercial Vehicle – Wylye Road, Warminster to Sand Street, Longbridge Deverill

Wiltshire Police are appealing for information following the theft of a contractor’s van and specialist roofing tools on Tuesday 7 July, between 11:00am and 4:00pm.

The victim’s white Vauxhall Vivaro was parked on Sand Street, Longbridge Deverill, near the bridge over the river towards Sutton Veny, when offenders forced entry by cutting a hole in the side of the van and stole a large quantity of valuable tools.

Investigators believe those responsible may have followed the roofing contractors from an earlier job on Wylye Road, Warminster, before targeting the unattended vehicle.

We are particularly keen to identify two vehicles seen in the area:

🚐 A silver van with damage to the passenger door.

🚐 A white roofing-style van with blue writing, believed to display the name “LS Roofing” or “LM Roofing” (or something similar).

There were reportedly three male occupants between the two vehicles.

Did you see anything?

Were you travelling through or living between Wylye Road, Warminster, Longbridge Deverill, Sutton Veny, or the surrounding villages between 11:00am and 4:00pm on Tuesday 7 July?

The Warminster Neighbourhood Policing Team would like to hear from anyone who:

Saw either of the vehicles described above.

Witnessed any suspicious behaviour.

Has doorbell, CCTV or dashcam footage from the area or along the route.

Can identify the vehicles or provide any information about their movements.

Even information that may seem insignificant could prove vital to the investigation.

📧 If you have any information, please contact the Warminster Neighbourhood Policing Team at:
WarminsterAreaNPT@wiltshire.police.uk and quote Crime reference Number: 54260081517

Thank you for your support in helping us investigate this offence and protect our local communities.

Introducing the new Inspector for Trowbridge, Melksham and Bradford on Avon

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 16:42:10 +0100

Hello, my name is Lou Oakley, and I am the new Inspector for the Trowbridge and Warminster Neighbourhood Policing Team.

I have served with Wiltshire Police for 20 years, having joined in 2006 as a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO). Throughout my career, I have worked across a range of departments, including Response Policing, Neighbourhood Policing and the Police Support Unit (PSU), a specialised unit trained to an advanced tactical level in public order and riot control.

For the past two and a half years, I have been an NPT Inspector in Warminster. On 22 June 2026, my area was expanded to include Trowbridge, Melksham and Bradford on Avon. I am also the Force Tactical Lead for Stop and Search and have recently completed my Firearms Tactical Commander's Course.

My passion is frontline policing. I firmly believe that tackling the root causes of crime can make a real difference in our communities while helping to build trust and confidence in policing. I also recognise that policing cannot solve crime alone, which is why I value working closely with partner agencies to develop long-term problem-solving approaches.

Based on policing demand, crime data and feedback from our communities, the current priorities for my neighbourhood policing team are:

✅ Anti-social behaviour in Trowbridge town centre
✅ Crime associated with the town centre
✅ Shoplifting
✅ Road safety

My immediate focus is addressing crime and anti-social behaviour in Trowbridge town centre. On 2 July 2026, I met with members of Trowbridge Town Council and Wiltshire Council's Anti-Social Behaviour Team to discuss ongoing concerns. Together, we carried out a walkaround of the town centre to identify issues and agree on the next steps.

A clear plan is already in place to tackle these concerns, but we need your support. We are asking residents, businesses and visitors to report all incidents of crime and anti-social behaviour. Wiltshire Council, supported by Wiltshire Police, is looking to begin the process of introducing a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO), and evidence from reported incidents will play a vital role in supporting this.

We are your police service, and we need your help. If you see something suspicious, please tell us. If you see one of my officers out and about, stop and say hello. If you would like our team to attend a community event or speak to a local group, please contact us at:

📧 TrowbridgeAreaNPT@wiltshire.police.uk

To report crime or anti-social behaviour:

📞 101
💻 Report online via Wiltshire Police
📧 asb@wiltshire.gov.uk (Wiltshire Council Anti-Social Behaviour Team)

Always call 999 if someone is seriously injured, at immediate risk, or there is an urgent threat to public safety.

I look forward to working with our communities and partners to make Trowbridge, Warminster, Melksham and Bradford on Avon safer places to live, work and visit.

Inspector Lou Oakley
Trowbridge and Warminster Neighbourhood Policing Team

Chief Constable fortnightly update to the Police and Crime Commissioner - 3 July 2026

Fri, 03 Jul 2026 15:29:18 +0100

Dear Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Wilkinson,

This letter will primarily focus on a range of positive and proactive examples of policing and partnership, to provide reassurance to our communities that Wiltshire Police is listening to their concerns, and acting upon them. However, it is equally important that I am transparent and acknowledge where there has been a failure of duty.

This week a Wiltshire Police officer was sentenced after assaulting a 13-year-old child while on duty in Chippenham.

The detail of the incident, and the subsequent independently led criminal process, is in the statement which is linked above. The officer's actions fell far short of the standards expected by the communities of Wiltshire and by Wiltshire Police. Such behaviour has no place within policing and does not reflect the values of our organisation, nor the dedication and professionalism demonstrated every day by the overwhelming majority of our officers, staff and volunteers.

I want to reassure our communities that Wiltshire Police is committed to taking robust action when wrongdoing occurs. It is essential that we maintain a transparent and accountable approach whenever individuals fail to meet the standards expected of them. Our communities rightly expect and deserve this, and we will continue to ensure that officers and staff are held to account, regardless of rank or role, in order to maintain public trust and confidence in policing. I will continue to be honest and open whenever these failures in public service occur with both yourself and our communities and partners.

This week is National Anti-social Behaviour (ASB) Awareness Week. On 1 April of this year, we launched our Anti-social Behaviour Action Plan, which clearly articulates our structured approach to prevention, early intervention, enforcement and partnership working. Our commitment to proactive and visible neighbourhood policing is also a golden thread throughout the action plan.

Wiltshire Police continues to increase its visibility and engagement across our county, and particularly this week we have been focusing on our town centres, parks and open spaces where our communities gather to ensure people feel safe, respected and supported.

ASB is a significant concern for our communities. Tackling and preventing this remains a core focus for Wiltshire Police and is central to the delivery of my operational priority of ‘Safer Public Spaces’. However, this can only be achieved with the support of our communities and partners, and I am grateful that Wiltshire Police is supported by an extremely close relationship with both, and together we are working to robustly deal with this behaviour that can cause so much misery to others.

Recently published figures from your office for Wiltshire highlight continued progress in tackling ASB. Whilst there have been national changes in crime recording which means some ASB reports are now categorised as other crimes, and as a result Wiltshire Police has seen a slight increase in the recording of offences such as public order and criminal damage, ASB across the county has fallen by 6% over the past year, with 585 fewer incidents recorded (9,240 compared to 9,825 the previous year).

More importantly, community perceptions continue to improve. The proportion of residents who believe ASB is a problem in their local area has reduced from 10% to 6.8%, placing Wiltshire below the national comparator of 8.0%. This is a significant measure because it reflects how people feel about safety and quality of life in their communities.

More people are telling us that they feel safer where they live, work and spend their leisure time and this positive result reflects the combined efforts of Wiltshire Police, your office, local authorities and community partners to prevent ASB, respond to concerns and create safer public spaces for everyone.

Partnership activity continues to expand and deliver positive outcomes. Initiatives such as the Taxi Marshal schemes in Swindon and Salisbury are reducing alcohol-related disorder and helping people return home safely, while programmes such as Premier League Kicks are providing young people with constructive opportunities, trusted role models and a positive alternative to anti-social behaviour.

Similarly, the Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP), launched in Salisbury, is already demonstrating its value. By bringing together retailers, local authorities, Wiltshire Police and your office to share intelligence and coordinate responses, the partnership is improving the collective response to retail crime and ASB. Early success has supported plans for wider rollout across the county.

Neighbourhood Policing Teams (NPTs) remain at the centre of this delivery. They provide the visible and accessible policing presence that communities expect, while working closely with partners to identify local issues, protect vulnerable individuals and prevent escalation.

We continue to strengthen public engagement through the Your Area section of our website, ensuring residents can easily connect with their local officers, understand priorities and stay informed.

Whilst it is positive that overall ASB has reduced over the past 12 months, we do experience an increase in reporting during the summer months. Wiltshire Police will respond to this through targeted patrols, hotspot policing and continued neighbourhood engagement. I encourage our communities to continue to report any concerns, and we will work with partners to tackle them.

However, I would also ask those people who are behaving in a way that causes upset to others to – simply – stop. Wiltshire Police will support and encourage everyone to enjoy our public spaces, however we will continue, with partners, to deal robustly with unacceptable behaviour. This can be evidenced by action already undertaken to tackle areas of concern.

The introduction of a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in Swindon to address unauthorised car meets has resulted in a significant reduction in incidents, with only three reports recorded since implementation. This has addressed longstanding community concerns and improved safety across affected areas, including neighbouring communities. Alongside this success in Swindon, partnership working has supported the implementation and ongoing enforcement of PSPOs in Salisbury and Devizes, providing additional powers to tackle issues such as street drinking, disorder and nuisance behaviour that can have a significant impact on residents, visitors and local businesses.

In Pewsey, officers carried out a thorough and determined investigation into a series of criminal damage offences affecting a number of vehicles, resulting in the arrest of two suspects. The enquiry involved extensive investigative work, including the review of CCTV and doorbell footage, public appeals for information, and proactive engagement with the local community. These arrests demonstrate the value of strong partnerships between the police and the public, and I would like to thank local residents for the information and support they provided, which played a significant role in progressing the investigation and helping us achieve this positive outcome.

In Swindon, a Closure Order at the Oasis site has prevented further incidents of trespassing and anti-social behaviour, highlighting the impact of early intervention and effective partnership working. By taking decisive, evidence-led action, officers and partner agencies have been able to address community concerns, protect the site, and improve the quality of life for local residents.

Many of the issues that affect community confidence and feelings of safety can be linked to wider criminality, including drug-related offending and county lines activity. Tackling this criminality remains a key part of our wider approach to improving community safety and addressing local concerns.

During the latest phase of Operation Scorpion, Wiltshire Police made 36 arrests, disrupted 122 drug supply networks, seized over £47,000 in cash and removed eight dangerous weapons from Wiltshire. Activity included targeted patrols in known drug-dealing hotspots, enforcement action against premises linked to criminality, safeguarding visits to vulnerable people and high-visibility operations in town centres and the night-time economy.

These results send a clear message that Wiltshire will not tolerate those seeking to profit from drugs, exploit vulnerable people and bring harm into our communities.

Our focus remains on delivering a balanced and effective response: reducing harm, addressing root causes and maintaining public confidence. Through strong neighbourhood policing, sustained partnership working and a shared commitment with your office and wider stakeholders, we are making meaningful progress.

We will continue to build on this momentum, ensuring that our communities across Wiltshire and Swindon feel safe, heard and supported.

Kindest regards to you,

Catherine Roper,

Chief Constable, Wiltshire Police

🚔 Local Policing Community Alert – Chilmark Village

Fri, 03 Jul 2026 13:26:38 +0100

Dear Residents,

We have received reports of individuals carrying torches during the night and looking into parked cars and vans in the Chilmark village area.

Residents are reminded to:

Always lock your vehicles, even if they are parked outside your home.

Remove all valuables from your vehicle or keep them out of sight.

If possible, park in a well-lit area close to your property.

Consider installing CCTV cameras or other security devices.

Invest in forensic property marking kits and other crime prevention measures to help deter thieves and assist with identifying stolen property.

Please remain vigilant and keep an eye out for any suspicious activity in your neighbourhood.

If you witness a crime in progress or believe there is an immediate threat to life or property, call 999 immediately. For non-emergency reports, suspicious circumstances, or to pass on information, please contact the police on 101.

Working together as a community is one of the best ways to help prevent crime and keep Chilmark Village safe.

Community visits across the area with the mobile police station

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 16:33:40 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

Your local Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) will be out with the Mobile Police Station next week.

Come along to meet your local officers, discuss any concerns, receive crime prevention advice and find out more about policing in your community.

Monday 6 July

Crockerton Garden Centre – 11:00am–12:30pm

Heytesbury High Street – 1:30pm–3:00pm

Tuesday 7 July

Westbury High Street – 10:00am–11:30am

Tesco Express, Leigh Park – 12:00pm–2:00pm

One Stop Car Park – 2:30pm–4:00pm

Thursday 9 July

Charlton Village Hall – 10:00am–11:30am

The Stalls, Ansty – 1:00pm–2:30pm

Friday 10 July

Stourhead – 10:00am–12:00pm

Hindon Village Stores – 1:00pm–3:00pm

Sunday 11 July

White Horse, Westbury – 11:00am–1:00pm

You can:

Report local issues

Receive crime prevention advice

Meet local officers

Learn more about the work of the NPT.

Whether you have concerns about crime or anti-social behaviour, would like advice on keeping yourself and your property safe, or simply want to meet your local policing team, please come along and have a chat.

We look forward to seeing you there.

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Police Powers Scrutiny Roadshow - have your say

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 14:17:54 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

Next Wednesday (8 July 2026), between 11am and 3pm, representatives from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon and the Wiltshire Police Scrutiny Team will be joining your local Neighbourhood Policing Team on Warminster High Street as part of the Police Powers Scrutiny Roadshow.

Come along to find out more about how Wiltshire Police is held accountable and how police powers are monitored and reviewed.

The team will be available to:

👮 Explain how police scrutiny works in Wiltshire
📊 Share plans to improve understanding and oversight of police powers
🎥 Show body-worn video footage from real policing incidents
🗣️ Listen to your views and feedback on how police powers are used.

This is a great opportunity to ask questions, learn more about local policing and help shape the way policing services are delivered across Wiltshire.

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Premier League Kicks secures funding to keep young people active in Swindon

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 10:36:08 +0100

A community sports programme helping young people stay active, build confidence and steer away from anti-social behaviour will continue for another year, after funding for the Premier League Kicks programme in Swindon was extended.

The programme, which is run by Swindon Town FC Community Foundation and jointly funded by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) and the Premier League Foundation, works with young people aged 8–18 across the town.

Since launching in 2019, Premier League Kicks has provided free, regular free football sessions designed to offer a safe space to socialise, stay active and access positive role models, while also helping to reduce anti-social behaviour and improve community safety.

The continued investment is part of the Police and Crime Commissioner's wider work to prevent crime before it starts by supporting projects that give young people positive opportunities and stronger connections with their communities.

Read more here

Wiltshire Police officer sentenced after assaulting child on duty

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 16:17:57 +0100

A Wiltshire Police officer has been given a suspended jail sentence after he assaulted a 13-year-old boy in Chippenham whilst on duty.

PC Daniel Rusling, a response officer, admitted one count of assault by beating during a court appearance last month.

Today (30/06), he was sentenced to an eight week custodial sentence suspended for 12 months and unpaid work at Bristol Magistrates' Court.

The incident took place outside Monkton Park police station in the early hours of October 14 last year when the victim, who was among a group of six children, had called 999 asking for help after reporting being threatened by people in a car.

Body Worn Video captured Rusling repeatedly swearing at the child, who was wearing his school uniform, and pushing him aggressively several times.

Thankfully, the child was not injured as a result of the assault.

This matter has formed part of an independent investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) who are overseeing both the criminal and misconduct elements of this case.

Wiltshire Police Deputy Chief Constable Mark Cooper said: “Firstly, I want to apologise directly to the victim in this case – a child who was simply asking us to help him. I also want to extend this to his family, all the other children involved and to our wider communities – you absolutely expect better from us and we let you down.

“The actions of Daniel Rusling that morning were criminal – he ignored his fundamental duty to protect a vulnerable person and, instead, used violence and vile language to intimidate and scare him.

“I want to stress that his actions are, in no way, representative of our organisation nor the vast majority of our officers, staff and volunteers who come to work every day with the sole intention of serving our communities.

“We will continue to identify and remove from our organisation anyone with the attitude clearly demonstrated by Daniel Rusling.

“We will also continue to ensure we learn from such appalling matters and make our stance on them unequivocally clear to the rest of our organisation, our partners and our communities.”

An expedited gross misconduct process will now take place regarding Daniel Rusling.

You can read the full statement from the IOPC here.

You can watch Body Worn Video of this incident here. Please note this contains offensive language and could be distressing for viewers.

Salisbury businesses invited to build on success in tackling retail crime

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 15:16:30 +0100

Businesses across Salisbury are being encouraged to play a continued role in efforts to reduce retail crime following positive results achieved through partnership working between retailers, Wiltshire Police and other local agencies.

A joint letter from Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson and Chief Constable Catherine Roper has been sent to retailers across the city, recognising the contribution businesses have already made through the Salisbury Business Crime Reduction Partnership and setting out opportunities to strengthen that collaboration further.

The partnership has helped businesses and agencies share information, identify repeat offenders and coordinate action to support a safer environment for staff, customers and the wider community. Recent activity has demonstrated the benefits of this approach, with partners reporting encouraging progress in identifying and addressing persistent offending and reducing anti-social behaviour.

Read more here and you can also download the letter below

Anti-social behaviour falls across Wiltshire and Swindon as ASB Awareness Week begins

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 18:22:21 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

As part of the national Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Awareness Week, Wiltshire Police is continuing its focus on tackling anti-social behaviour and the impact it has on individuals, families and communities.

Reducing ASB supports the Chief Constable’s priority of creating Safer Public Spaces across the county.

ASB isn’t just a minor issue. It can seriously affect people’s quality of life and confidence in their community. That’s why ongoing reporting and engagement from residents is so important.

Find out more in our joint update with the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner here.

• Report non-emergency ASB via 101 or online: www.wiltshire.police.uk/ro/report/asb/asb-v3/report-antisocial-behaviour/

• Always call 999 in an emergency

#ASBAwarenessWeek

PCC welcomes tougher sentencing for hare coursing but urges consistent use of new powers

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 16:37:20 +0100

Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson has welcomed tougher sentencing guidance for hare coursing offences but has warned that its impact will depend on how consistently it is understood and applied by the courts.

New sentencing guidelines, which came into force on 1 June 2026, give courts clearer direction to treat hare coursing as the serious, often organised, criminal activity it is with sentencing now firmly linked to both the level of harm caused and the culpability of the offender.

Mr Wilkinson said: “I welcome these tougher sentencing powers and the much stronger recognition of the harm hare coursing causes to our rural communities.

“This is not a minor rural nuisance. It is criminal behaviour that damages property, harms wildlife, intimidates farmers and is frequently linked to organised crime.”

To find out more, including what the PCC and Chief Constable of Wiltshire Police said, visit the web page:
www.wiltshire-pcc.gov.uk/about-us/news/2026/june-2026/pcc-welcomes-tougher-sentencing-for-hare-coursing-but-urges-consistent-use-of-new-powers

Anti-social behaviour falls across Wiltshire and Swindon as ASB Awareness Week begins

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 16:21:07 +0100

Anti-social behaviour across Wiltshire and Swindon has fallen by 6% over the past year, with 585 fewer incidents recorded, as local partners mark the start of Anti-social Behaviour Awareness Week by highlighting the work taking place to make communities safer.

The figures from May 2025 to April 2026 show 9,240 reports of anti-social behaviour compared to 9,825 reports the previous year. The figures also show that perceived anti-social behaviour has fallen from 10% to 6.8%, below the national comparator of 8.0%. The reductions come as Wiltshire Police, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, Wiltshire Council, Swindon Borough Council, businesses and community organisations continue to strengthen their joint response to anti-social behaviour, recognising that long-term success depends on prevention, early intervention and coordinated enforcement.

Unsafe e-bike and motorbike use in Westbury area

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 12:52:21 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

We understand that many residents are concerned about young males riding e-bikes and motorbikes in and around Westbury, sometimes in a manner that is disruptive or unsafe.

Please be assured that your local policing team are aware of these issues and are actively working to identify those responsible and take appropriate action. Tackling this behaviour is a priority for us, as we recognise the impact it has on the safety and well-being of our community.

To respond effectively, we rely on timely and accurate information from the public. If you witness any incidents, we strongly encourage you to report them at the time using the appropriate police contact methods:

999 if a crime is in progress or there is immediate danger

101 for non-emergency reports

Online via the Wiltshire Police website: www.wiltshire.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/

Real-time reporting allows officers to respond quickly and increases the chances of identifying those involved.

If you have captured footage of an incident, particularly where the individuals or vehicle registration can be clearly seen, you can submit this through Operation Snap.

Operation Snap is a secure online platform that allows members of the public to upload video or photographic evidence of driving offences. This footage can then be reviewed and, where appropriate, used to take action against offenders.

You can submit footage here: Nextbase

Thank you for your continued support and for helping us keep Westbury safe.

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Police and Crime Commissioner’s grants reopen to help tackle crime and support victims across Wiltshire and Swindon

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 12:25:17 +0100

Charities and community organisations across Wiltshire and Swindon are being encouraged to apply for grants of up to £5,000 from Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson’s Community Action Fund.

In partnership with Wiltshire and Swindon Community Foundation, the fund supports projects that help tackle crime, reduce violence, support victims and build safer, stronger communities.

From youth mentoring programmes that build confidence and resilience to specialist support for victims of crime, previous grants have made a real, lasting difference across the county.

This is a great opportunity for grassroots organisations that understand local challenges and are delivering practical solutions to improve people’s lives.

Click here to find out more.

Taxi marshals introduced in Swindon and Salisbury to strengthen night-time safety

Sat, 27 Jun 2026 08:32:09 +0100

Taxi marshals are to be deployed in Salisbury and Swindon this summer as part of efforts to improve public safety and provide greater reassurance to people enjoying a night out.

The initiative will begin on Saturday 27 June 2026, coinciding with England’s World Cup match against Panama, and will run through to March 2027.

Funded by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, the marshals will be stationed at key late-night locations, with AEC Protection operating at the New Canal taxi rank in Salisbury and Platinum Security covering Wood Street and the Old Town area in Swindon. These areas are among the busiest points in each town during peak hours, when large numbers of people are leaving venues and seeking transport home.

The introduction of marshals is intended to create a safer and more controlled environment at these pressure points. Acting as a visible and reassuring presence, they will support people to access taxis safely, help manage queues and intervene early where situations risk escalating.

Their role will include assisting members of the public, particularly those who may be vulnerable, engaging with local businesses and door staff, and working alongside police where necessary.

The approach reflects a growing emphasis on prevention in the night-time economy, with trained personnel providing support at moments when risk is highest. By maintaining a consistent, high-visibility presence, marshals are expected to reduce opportunities for disorder and improve the overall experience for those visiting our city and town centres at night.

Philip Wilkinson, Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon said:

“Everyone should be able to enjoy a night out and get home safely without fear. Taxi marshals provide a visible and reassuring presence at some of the busiest points in our town and city centres at night, helping people access transport safely and reducing the risk of incidents.

“This scheme is about prevention as much as response. By having trained personnel on hand to manage situations early, support those who may be vulnerable and work alongside police and local partners, we can make a real difference to safety in our night-time economy, particularly in tackling violence against women and girls.”

A key priority of the scheme is tackling violence against women and girls, alongside improving wider perceptions of safety after dark. The marshals will be expected to provide timely, trauma-informed responses to incidents, helping to defuse situations and support individuals before harm occurs. Analysis over six months of the marshals work in Swindon showed that without their presence, crime would have been 52% higher in the area they covered.

They will also work in coordination with neighbourhood policing teams and other patrols already operating in these areas, contributing to a joined-up approach to community safety. Information gathered during shifts, including incidents that escalate beyond their control, will help inform ongoing policing and prevention activity.

The service will operate during peak night-time hours, when demand for transport and the potential for incidents is highest. In Salisbury, marshals will be on duty on Fridays and Saturdays from 10pm to 4am. In Swindon, they will operate from 10pm to 6am on the same days.

Additional provision may be introduced during major events, including if England go beyond the group stage of the World Cup, where increased footfall is expected.

The scheme is intended to make nights out safer and easier to navigate, giving people greater confidence about getting home and helping ensure Salisbury city centre and Swindon town centre remain places people can use and enjoy after dark without feeling at risk.

Taxi marshals introduced in Salisbury and Swindon to strengthen night-time safety

Sat, 27 Jun 2026 08:31:49 +0100

Taxi marshals are to be deployed in Salisbury and Swindon this summer as part of efforts to improve public safety and provide greater reassurance to people enjoying a night out.

The initiative will begin on Saturday 27 June 2026, coinciding with England’s World Cup match against Panama, and will run through to March 2027.

Their role will include assisting members of the public, particularly those who may be vulnerable, engaging with local businesses and door staff, and working alongside police where necessary.

Philip Wilkinson, Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon said:

Additional provision may be introduced during major events, including if England go beyond the group stage of the World Cup, where increased footfall is expected.

Appeal for information about missing man - Timothy, 55 years old.

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 14:32:41 +0100

We are continuing to appeal for information about Timothy, a 55-year-old man who has been reported missing in Sutton Benger, near Chippenham.

Officers are specifically interested to hear from anyone who may have door camera footage or dashcam footage.

Timothy was last seen at about 9am on Thursday (18/06) walking near the park in Sutton Benger towards the High Street.

He is described as being about 5ft 7in tall, with grey hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a red t-shirt, blue shorts, black trainers and glasses.

Extensive searches of nearby rural locations were carried out over the weekend by our officers, supported by volunteers from Wiltshire Search and Rescue and further enquiries are ongoing.

Anyone who knows where Timothy may be should call 101 and quote log number 181 of June 18 (18/6).

Police thank communities for a safe summer solstice

Sun, 21 Jun 2026 13:49:41 +0100

Police officers were in attendance at Stonehenge and Avebury overnight to welcome in the longest day of the year.

Approximately 20,000 people gathered to mark the event at Stonehenge, with a further 7,000 attending at Avebury. The majority of those present marked the occasion safely and responsibly.

Two people were arrested at Stonehenge on suspicion of assault, and multiple drones were seized due to a temporary restricted airspace put in place for the large-scale event.

Chief Superintendent Guy Elkins said: "This year’s summer solstice was a safe and successful occasion, and I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who attended, including our communities and the visitors to the site, who have enjoyed the event in the spirit in which it is held.

"I’d also like to thank local communities for welcoming people into the area. We appreciate your patience while thousands of visitors travel here for this special occasion. I’m pleased to say there were not the same road issues we saw last year, with minimal disruption reported across the network.

"We would also like to thank our partners and stakeholders, and of course the National Trust and English Heritage, for working with us. Collectively, we have ensured that everyone could enjoy the event peacefully.

"Finally, thank you to our officers, staff and volunteers who worked through the night at such an incredible event."

If you have information about an offence talking place please report to us by calling 101 or 999 in an emergency.

You an also report through our website, or anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Police thank communities for a safe summer solstice

Sun, 21 Jun 2026 13:48:25 +0100

Police officers were in attendance at Stonehenge and Avebury overnight to welcome in the longest day of the year.

Approximately 20,000 people gathered to mark the event at Stonehenge, with a further 7,000 attending at Avebury. The majority of those present marked the occasion safely and responsibly.

Two people were arrested at Stonehenge on suspicion of assault, and multiple drones were seized due to a temporary restricted airspace put in place for the large-scale event.

"Finally, thank you to our officers, staff and volunteers who worked through the night at such an incredible event."

If you have information about an offence talking place please report to us by calling 101 or 999 in an emergency.

You an also report through our website, or anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Eight people arrested following shooting in St Paul's Street

Sun, 21 Jun 2026 13:45:20 +0100

Three people have been arrested following a shooting in Gorse Hill, Swindon, on Friday night (19/06) bringing the total arrested to eight.

Officers responded to reports of a gunshot being fired in St Paul's Street, Gorse Hill just before 9pm.

A man in his 30s was taken to hospital with a suspected gunshot wound. His condition is described as stable but remains critical.

A 20-year-old man was arrested overnight on suspicion of attempted murder. A 19-year-old man and a 30-year-old man were also arrested in the Dorset Police area on suspicion of conspiracy to murder. They remain in custody for questioning.

Five others have been arrested and released on bail pending further enquiries including:

A 51-year-old arrested on suspicion of attempted murder

A 32-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder and being concerned in the supply of Class C drugs

A 19-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender

A 33-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and possession with intent to supply nitrous oxide for wrongful inhalation

A 16-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and possession with intent to supply nitrous oxide for wrongful inhalation

A cordon is currently in place in Farnborough Road while officers carry out their investigation.

If you have information that could help with our enquiries, please contact us on 101 quoting log number 416 of yesterday's date (20/06).

Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Chief Constable fortnightly update to the Police and Crime Commissioner - 19 June 2026

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 16:34:10 +0100

Dear Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Wilkinson,

Following the tragic murder of Henry Nowak in Southampton and the ensuing public debates on legitimacy within policing, I wanted to share what we are doing here in Wiltshire.

It is important for me to start by saying that the thoughts of all my officers, staff and volunteers remain with Henry’s loved ones.

I fully recognise the immediate strength of feeling this case has generated both locally and nationally and that communities are not only reacting to this individual case, but to broader concerns about fairness, safety, and legitimacy in policing.

Policing exists to serve everyone, and our primary duty is to keep people safe by upholding the law fairly - earning the trust of the public through our actions.

At all times, we must act impartially and without fear or favour, ensuring that no one receives better or worse treatment because of race, religion, background, politics or status.

The public rightly expect us to focus on crime, victims and public safety. However, you cannot separate fairness and police effectiveness. If people do not trust the police, they are less likely to report crime, support investigations or give evidence.

As Chief Constable, I have focussed on improving the relationship between Wiltshire Police officers, staff and volunteers and all our communities. It is essential that the public consider our actions to be legitimate for us to be able to deliver the best possible policing service.

Here in Wiltshire, I have also commissioned a review of our local policies which are linked to impartiality in the context of the ongoing national situation and how we police locally.

This is part of our ongoing commitment under His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) Inspection into Activism and Impartiality in Policing, which was published in 2024, to ensure we regularly review our policies and procedures – particularly in light of any community concerns.

Our Neighbourhood Policing Teams (NPTs) are central to this and continue to work closely with our communities to respond directly to their concerns and provide appropriate support and reassurance.

This has been highlighted over the last week as we marked the national Neighbourhood Policing Week of Action.

Throughout the week, our NPT colleagues have been undertaking a range of operational activities in addition to increasing their presence within our communities and making best use of our mobile police stations. This has ensured an enhanced police presence in our more isolated and rural communities, providing an opportunity for those communities to engage directly with our officers.

As always, our NPTs are here to listen, provide reassurance and to act robustly on any intelligence that is provided to them from the people we serve.

In addition to carrying out a range of important and positive community engagement activities, the week has showcased the extent to which neighbourhood policing has evolved in recent years.

Working closely with partnership organisations, our neighbourhood teams have been front and centre in activities which have targeted anti-social behaviour, prolific offenders, retail crime, human trafficking and modern slavery, immigration offences as well as licensing infringements and organised crime in our communities.

A round-up of the activity undertaken by our NPTs this week, open letters from our local policing Chief Inspectors and more information on the role of our neighbourhood teams can be found here.

I also dedicated this open letter to you in April to illustrating the incredible work of our NPT colleagues.

The range of proactive activity undertaken reflects the enhanced ability of our neighbourhood teams to address the underlying causes of repeat demand and local issues, improving outcomes for communities and supporting long term crime prevention.

In the last few years, there has been a positive shift in the focus placed on neighbourhood policing at a national level, with a greater recognition of its function set out in the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee and backed by a £363 million ringfenced grant.

The national uplift, supported by your implementation of the maximum permitted increase in the local police council precept, has seen a significant increase in the number of NPT posts here in Wiltshire.

As a result, I’m pleased to say that we have been able to increase the number of neighbourhood police officers by 24 (to 123) in the last year and increased the number of our Special Constabulary in neighbourhood roles by 33 (to 110).

I firmly believe that neighbourhood policing is the bedrock of our organisation.

Our neighbourhood officers, staff and volunteers play a key role in delivering my operational priorities of creating safer public spaces, reducing and prevent Violence Against Women and Girls and improving outcomes for victims.

I am sure you will join me in recognising the professionalism, dedication and focus of these teams, and the vital work they do to address the issues impacting upon the communities they serve.

A key element in fostering closer relationships with the public is ensuring our teams are located in the best locations with the right capabilities to respond to our communities in the most effective way.

In support of this, earlier this month your office announced the next phase of the Southern Policing Hub at Old Sarum.

Land off Mitre Way, near Salisbury, was secured in December and your office is now moving toward an outline planning permission submission.

This is a major milestone and a long-term investment in policing for south Wiltshire and the wider Force.

The new hub will be the main base for neighbourhood, response and other frontline teams. It will give officers and staff the space and facilities they need to work more effectively, helping to improve visibility, response and day-to-day policing across Salisbury and the surrounding area.

It is essential that our communities have the opportunity to share their thoughts about these plans and I know you are very keen to hear from as many people as possible.

A series of public engagement events will take place over the next week where residents will be able to view illustrative ideas about the site, ask questions and provide feedback ahead of the outline planning submission this summer.  

Chief Superintendent Doug Downing will be attending these events on behalf of Wiltshire Police.

These sessions will be held at Salisbury Football Club, Raymond McEnhill Stadium, Partridge Way, Salisbury, England, SP4 6PU on the following dates:

Wednesday 24 June 2026, 10am - 1pm

Wednesday 24 June 2026, 5pm - 8pm

Saturday 27 June 2026, 10am - 2pm

I would encourage our communities to attend these events, learn more about the plans and ask any questions they have.

Detailed information on the plans, community engagement and FAQs can be found on your website here.

Kindest regards to you,

Catherine Roper

Chief Constable, Wiltshire Police

Letter from Swindon Neighbourhood Chief Inspector Carly Nesbitt

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 10:24:03 +0100

Dear Wiltshire resident,

It is with pleasure and pride that as the Chief Inspector in charge of Neighbourhood Policing in Swindon I write again to you in relation to the national Neighbourhood Policing Week of Action.

The last 12 months have certainly seen some changes, not least the focus that has been put on Neighbourhood Policing nationally with the Neighbourhood Policing Grant. In Swindon, we have seen an increase of just over 25% in the number of Neighbourhood Police Officer posts. Not surprisingly, with any additional resource comes an expectation in relation to performance. Whilst we are still waiting for the detail behind some of this, your Neighbourhood Teams have been working incredibly hard, with a combined crime detection rate of over 40%, which is significantly above the national average. Over the last 12 months, we have completed in excess of 800 community engagements, obtained more than 60 closure orders and executed over 20 warrants. In the past six months alone, your Neighbourhood Teams have submitted nearly 1,900 pieces of intelligence which has helped us to detect crime within your communities. The last 12 months has also seen the establishment and growth of our Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) Panel – a multi-agency initiative - which has seen our number of CBOs rise from one to the current number of 18, with some notable sentences of imprisonment for breaches. Working with Swindon Borough Council, we have also seen the implementation of two Public Space Protection Orders within the Borough.

In addition to our daily business, we have also supported local, regional and national operations, including County Lines Intensification Week, the Summer of Action, Winter of Action, Safer Business Action Week, Internet Safety Day, Sceptre and Organised Immigration Crime initiatives, as well as working on youth intervention projects. The work of your Neighbourhood Policing Teams was recognised positively with our Force’s latest assessment from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, which is something that we are incredibly proud of.

As I said in my last open letter, Neighbourhood Policing has evolved over the years. Yes, we still carry out community engagement activities, attend schools, fetes and seek to resolve disputes, but we also tackle vulnerability, serial offenders, retail crime, human trafficking and modern slavery, gangs, immigration crime, licensing and organised crime. The partners we work with are many and varied from your local Borough and Parish Councillors, MP’s Community Safety Partnership, Dorset & Wilts Fire & Rescue, South Western Ambulance Service Trust (SWAST), Mental Health, Public Protection, Trading Standards and Immigration ,as well as key contacts within our many different communities. No day is the same!

I am fortunate enough to have a team of highly motivated Police Officers, PCSOs, Sergeants and Inspectors who are passionate about neighbourhood policing and are committed and focused on doing the best they can to tackle the long-term issues that matter to the communities they work within. We look forward to showcasing some of the work we do day in, day out, as part of our Neighbourhood Week of Action.

Letter from County Neighbourhood Chief Inspector Leighton Williams

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 10:19:28 +0100

Dear Wiltshire resident,

I arrive in the role as Chief Inspector at an exciting time. There is a recognition from Government of the important work carried out across policing and a focus on the service being enhanced by the role of the neighbourhood officer, formally known as the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee.

The neighbourhood teams across Wiltshire include a variety of roles, ranks and skills including Police constables with enhanced vulnerable victim support, Police Community Support Officers with partnership and problem-solving expertise and Rural Crime Officers with a specialist knowledge of the needs of rural community to name but a few. These officers under my command provide me the opportunity to positively influence the service we provide to the public and improve the communities we live in.

Across the county, neighbourhood teams are based at key locations. This ensures they can respond to incidents, be visible in their communities and better understand what matters most to the public they serve.

The service our teams provide is achieved in several ways, including day-to-day and intelligence led patrols on foot and in vehicles. This approach leads to the effective use of stop and search powers, disruption to anti-social behaviour and the reduction in crime and the fear of crime. Officers will make use of social media platforms and community messaging to highlight the excellent work they do, to engage with communities more efficiently and to seek a better understanding of the issues most effecting their areas.

Neighbourhood officers lead the way on problem solving policing, they are well versed in working with partners, the public and private industry to deal with incidents that cannot be solved by policing alone. They will plan and run operations that tackle anti-social behaviour, local and national criminality and to ensure we all feel safer in our homes and public spaces.

As policing continues to evolve, I am excited to be part of the journey and look forward to delivering a neighbourhood service that is diverse, accountable and fit for purpose.

This can only be achieved with the continued support of the public, who are often overlooked as our eyes and ears on the ground. Therefore, I would ask that at every opportunity the public of Wiltshire look to engage with their neighbourhoods’ team and support us in continuing to deliver you the best possible service.

My heartfelt thanks goes out to all of our neighbourhood policing colleagues across the county, our partners, and you, our communities, for your support in aiding us to tackle crime and implement meaningful and lasting solutions to local problems. Whilst the issues may differ across the county, all NPTs across Wiltshire have one focus – to keep Wiltshire safe.

If you'd like to find out more about what we've been doing for the National Neighbourhood Policing Week of Action please visit the dedicated page on our website.

Community Event with the Neighbourhood Policing Team

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 09:00:21 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

Do you have any questions you’d like to raise with your local Neighbourhood Policing Team?

Come along to our upcoming community event:

📍 Location: The Owl in the Hub, Bromham
📅 Date: Wednesday 24 June
🕙 Time: 10:00am – 12:00pm

This is a great opportunity to speak directly with your local officers and share any issues affecting your community.

We look forward to seeing you there! 👮‍♂️

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Visit from the neighbourhood policing team

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 10:01:01 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

PCSO Camilleri will be holding a community consultation in Aldbourne next week.
This is a great opportunity for residents to drop in, raise any local concerns, ask questions or simply meet your local neighbourhood officers.

Date: Monday 22 June 2026
Time: 11am - 12pm
Location: Community Junction, Aldbourne
Everyone is welcome. Your feedback helps us understand what matters most to the community and shapes our local policing priorities.
If you're unable to attend but would like to raise an issue, please feel free to message the team on email: DevizesAreaNPT@wiltshire.police.uk
#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Conference shines light on hidden domestic abuse in later life

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 07:32:14 +0100

One of society’s last remaining social taboos has been brought into focus at a conference held in Wiltshire.

The event, Domestic Abuse in Later Life, was jointly held by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon with Wiltshire Council and brought together charities, local services and national campaigners to look at a problem that speakers said continues to sit largely out of sight.

Around 700,000 people aged over 60 are estimated to experience domestic abuse each year in the UK, although the real number is likely to be higher; partly because many older people do not report what is happening to them. Those working in the sector say people may not recognise abuse after years of living with it or may feel unable to speak out because of dependence on a partner or family member.

Read more here

Mobile Police Station – Coming to your area

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 17:23:03 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

Your local Neighbourhood Policing Team will be out and about next week with the mobile police station at the following locations:

Monday 22nd June
6:00–7:00pm – Centenary Pavilion, Archers Gate, Amesbury

Tuesday 23rd June

5:00–5:45pm – Village Hall, Bulford
6:00–7:00pm – Recreation Ground, Durrington
7:15–8:00pm – Packway Parade, Larkhill

Friday 26th June

5:00–6:00pm – Recreation Ground, Middle Woodford
6:30–7:30pm – Recreation Ground, Tilshead

Come along to speak with your local officers, raise any concerns, and find out more about what we’re doing in your area.

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Neighbourhood Policing Team visits across the area with the mobile police station

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 10:12:22 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

Your Neighbourhood Policing Team will be out next week in the Mobile Police Station. Here’s where you can find us:

Monday 15 June
- St Mary’s Church, Great Bedwyn – 10:00am–12:00pm
- Frog Lane, Great Bedwyn – 4:00pm–6:00pm

Tuesday 16 June
- Post Office, Baydon – 10:00am–12:00pm
- The Bridge Inn, Horton – 4:00pm–6:00pm

Wednesday 17 June
- Collins Farm Shop, Bromham – 10:00am–12:00pm
- Central Convenience Stores, Potterne – 4:00pm–6:00pm

Thursday 18 June
- Devizes Market Place – 9:00am–11:00am

Come along to meet the team, raise any concerns, or ask a question.

Everyone is welcome, but if you’re unable to attend and would like to get in touch, please email us at: DevizesAreaNPT@wiltshire.police.uk

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Community visit today in Marston Meysey with the neighbourhood policing team

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:49:38 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

We’ll be holding a community consultation today (Thursday 11 June) at 11:30am in Marston Meysey as part of this week’s Mobile Police Station activity in the wider Bassett area.
This is a great opportunity to:

- Meet your local Neighbourhood Policing Team
- Raise any concerns or issues in your area
- Get crime prevention advice
- Find out what we’re doing locally

We appreciate it’s short notice, but we’d really like to hear from you if you’re nearby.

The Street, Marston Meysey

11:30am today!

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Plans confirmed to invest £5.3m in victim support, crime prevention and community safety

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 11:07:17 +0100

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) has confirmed plans to invest more than £5.3 million in victim support, community safety and crime prevention services during 2026/27.

The plans set out how the OPCC will continue commissioning vital services that support victims, reduce serious violence, tackle anti‑social behaviour and help break cycles of reoffending, all of which are priorities in PCC Philip Wilkinson's Police and Crime Plan.

Click here to find out more.

Community visits across the area

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 16:15:41 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

PCSO Camilleri will be holding a community consultation in Baydon this June.

This is a great opportunity for residents to drop in, raise any local concerns, ask questions, or simply meet your local Neighbourhood Policing Team officer.

📅 Wednesday 17 June 2026
🕖 7pm – 8pm
📍 Baydon Village Hall

Everyone is welcome. Your feedback helps us understand what matters most to the community and shapes our local policing priorities.

If you're unable to attend but would like to raise an issue, please feel free to message the team on email: DevizesAreaNPT@wiltshire.police.uk
#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Home Office funding to support targeted action on serious violence in Wiltshire and Swindon

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 14:50:20 +0100

A new round of Home Office funding awarded through the Serious Violence Duty will continue to support targeted initiatives to prevent and reduce serious violence across Wiltshire and Swindon.

The funding forms part of a new national allocation and will enable partners in policing, health, education and community services to sustain and expand proven prevention activity, strengthen early intervention, and deliver targeted action in areas and communities most affected by serious violence.

Decisions on how this funding is deployed are informed by a refreshed Strategic Needs Assessment (SNA), coordinated by the Serious Violence Joint Steering Group, which provides a clear evidence base on the scale and nature of serious violence locally.

Read more here.

Community visits across the area with the neighbourhood policing team

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 14:47:10 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

Your local Neighbourhood Policing Team will be out in the community this week.

Whether you have questions, concerns, or just fancy a chat, please come along and say hello at one of our upcoming sessions:

🗓️ Thursday 11 June
📍 St Michael’s Church Hall, Lyneham
⏰ 1:00pm – 2:30pm

🗓️ Friday 12 June
📍 Gainsborough Shops Car Park, Royal Wootton Bassett
⏰ 10:00am – 11:00am

📍 Jubilee Club House Car Park, Lydiard Millicent
⏰ 3:00pm – 4:00pm

Come along, have a chat, and get to know your local team.

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Celebrating Volunteers’ Week – A Milestone for Wiltshire Specials

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:39:28 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

As part of last week’s Volunteers’ Week, we are proud to recognise the dedication, professionalism and impact of our Special Constables across Wiltshire Police.

We are particularly celebrating an outstanding achievement within the Specials Road Safety Team. Five officers have successfully completed an intensive four-day training course to become accredited Scene Managers, which is a significant milestone not only for them personally, but for the organisation as a whole.

For the first time in Wiltshire Police history, Special Constables within the Roads Safety Team are now trained and equipped to manage the scenes of the most serious and complex collisions across the county. This development represents a major step forward in enhancing our operational resilience and demonstrates the increasing depth of capability within our volunteer workforce.

The addition of Special Constable Scene Managers strengthens the Roads Policing Team’s ability to respond effectively to critical incidents, ensuring scenes are managed professionally, efficiently and with the utmost care for those affected.

This achievement highlights the exceptional commitment our volunteers bring; giving up their time to develop advanced skills that directly support frontline policing and improve public safety.

Deputy Specials Chief Officer Ben Williamson said: “I could not be prouder of the dedication shown by these five Special Constables and the wider organisation that has supported their development. This is a truly significant moment for Wiltshire Police.

Our Special Constables continue to demonstrate that they are not only committed volunteers, but highly capable officers who bring real value to operational policing. By investing in their skills and providing opportunities such as Scene Manager training, we are strengthening our ability to serve our communities and respond to serious incidents with professionalism and expertise.

This is a fantastic example of what can be achieved when we support and empower our volunteers.”

As we mark the end of Volunteers’ Week, moments like this remind us of the extraordinary contribution made by our Special Constabulary. Their dedication, professionalism and willingness to go above and beyond embody the very best of policing.

Thank you to all our volunteers for the invaluable role you play in keeping Wiltshire safe.

Meet your local Neighbourhood Policing Team this week.

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 09:37:49 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

This week, PCSO Cook and PCSO Thomson will be in the community at the following locations:

📍 Wednesday 10 June
🕙 10:00am – 12:00pm
Tesco Café, Beversbrook

📍 Thursday 11 June
🕙 10:00am – 12:00pm
Calne Library

These drop-in sessions are a great opportunity to:

✅ Speak with the team about any local concerns
✅ Find out more about policing in your area

We’d love to see you there, so feel free to pop in for a chat!

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Chief Constable fortnightly update to the Police and Crime Commissioner - 5 June 2026

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 10:09:37 +0100

Dear Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Wilkinson,

As we mark Volunteers’ Week, I want to recognise and celebrate the extraordinary contribution made by our volunteers across Wiltshire Police.

They are a valued and integral part of our policing family, supporting every aspect of our service and helping us build safer, stronger communities across Wiltshire and Swindon.

This is time freely given in support of our organisation to ensure we are keeping Wiltshire safe, reflecting the deep sense of civic duty which runs through our county.

We are incredibly fortunate to have more than 1,000 volunteers who have given over 33,000 hours of their time in the last year alone.

They undertake a wide range of roles, including Special Constables, Police Support Volunteers, Community Speed Watch Volunteers, Police Cadets and our Independent Advisory Groups - each playing a vital role in strengthening trust, visibility and effectiveness across our service.

Across the last year, our 72 Police Support Volunteers (PSVs) contributed 914 hours, supporting 43 events ranging from counter-terrorism training exercises to initiatives such as Hotel Watch. They have worked across departments such as Professional Standards, the Criminal Justice Unit and Citizens in Policing to improve the quality of our service to the public. To find out more about PSVs, visit our website here.

Our 94 Special Constables have also made an exceptional contribution, giving more than 30,000 hours over the last 12 months. They carried out 1,417 duties, attended 1,171 incidents and completed 700 hours of focused patrols — working alongside Police Officers to protect and serve our communities.

Some of those Special Constables have worked across our Roads Policing and Specialist Operations Unit, contributing to more than 3,200 hours of specialist support such as response driving, drone operations and public safety roles.

Our Specials Road Safety Unit is fully integrated within our Roads Policing unit, contributing directly to improving the safety of our roads. Their recent completion of Scene Manager training now enables them to support at serious and fatal collisions. Meanwhile, our drone team continues to maximise operational coverage across the force area.

This week, I have had the privilege of joining our Special Constables in Chippenham, hearing first-hand about their experiences and the difference they make to our communities every day.

Deputy Chief Constable Mark Cooper and Assistant Chief Constable Deb Smith have both spent time on duty alongside our Special Constabulary this week, underlining our shared appreciation and respect for their contribution.

In March, we were delighted to be joined by the Minister of State for Crime, Policing and Fire, Sarah Jones MP, on a drug warrant in Trowbridge. As part of the deployment, we were keen to show her how Special Constables support our action - including our drone department. We received excellent feedback on how we deploy, support and value our Special Constabulary.

Last month, officers and academics from the Swedish Police Authority joined us in Swindon to find out more about Project Vigilant. Our Swindon Specials Neighbourhood Support Team attended during the deployment, as they often do, to help us ensure safer public spaces, particularly during the evenings.

We are currently recruiting for more Special Constables. To find out more and to apply, visit our website here.

Volunteers also bring specialist skills that directly enhance our operational capability.

Beyond operational policing, volunteers make a significant difference within our communities. We now have more than 650 Community Speed Watch volunteers who carried out over 2,300 sessions in 2025. More information on our Community Speed Watch scheme can be found on your website, Commissioner, here.

Both our organisations are fortunate to be supported by volunteers in so many ways. I know you have representatives from our communities supporting your function of scrutinising the actions and outcomes of Wiltshire Police.

These include Community Scrutiny panel members who look at use of force and stop and search in addition to Independent Custody Volunteers – who ensure our custody personnel are adhering to policy and that all detainees are treated in the right way.

Our Independent Advisory Groups (IAGs) also remain vital to challenging our thinking and representing the communities we serve. We now have 162 IAG members who continue to provide their insight through five local, geographical boards feeding into our Strategic IAG. You can learn more about the role of our IAGs here.

We are also extremely proud of our Police Cades. With 63 cadets across four units – including a new unit in Warminster – these are young people in our communities who continue to make a remarkable contribution to our organisation.

From fundraising and community engagement, to supporting enforcement activity alongside neighbourhood teams and partner agencies, they demonstrate the values and commitment that underpin policing. Find out more about our cadets here.

As we look to the future, we continue to welcome new volunteers and are particularly keen to attract individuals with specialist skills in cybercrime, digital investigations and IT - areas that are increasingly critical in modern policing.

You can find out more information about becoming a volunteer for Wiltshire Police by visiting our website.

We are also incredibly fortunate to be supported by a variety of Watch Schemes and initiatives, also run by volunteers, which underpin the critical role our communities play in helping us keeping them safe.

These include Neighbourhood Watch, Farm Watch, Horse Watch and Heritage Watch.

Just last month, trained volunteers on horseback supported us as part of Operation Close Pass, a nationwide initiative aimed at reducing collisions caused by drivers failing to give enough space to vulnerable road users. You can read more about this here.

You can find out more information on all the watch schemes and initiatives here.

Our volunteers are also helping to shape the future of our organisation by playing an integral role in the training our officers.

As an example, we use volunteers to support our practical training exercises by role playing within several scenarios – such as witness and suspect interviewing, public protection and enhanced medic training. We also utilise our volunteers in the interviewing process for senior leaders.

The life experience and professional expertise that our volunteers bring are invaluable. They challenge us, support us, and help us continuously improve. Encouragingly, our latest intake of Special Constables is more than double the previous cohort - bucking national trends and demonstrating the strong spirit of civic service across Wiltshire and Swindon.

To every one of our volunteers, I want to say thank you. Your dedication, professionalism and willingness to give your time so generously is deeply valued. You are an essential part of Wiltshire Police, and your contribution makes a lasting difference to Keeping Wiltshire Safe.

Kindest regards to you,

Catherine Roper

Chief Constable, Wiltshire Police

Important travel information: Middlewick Open Gardens event (6th and 7th June)

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 09:00:24 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

We’re looking forward to supporting the Middlewick Open Gardens event this weekend in Corsham (6th and 7th June).
There may be increased traffic and some delays on the A4 (Pickwick, Corsham) across both days, so please allow extra time if you’re travelling through the area.
Your Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) will be on site throughout the weekend, carrying out high-visibility foot patrols, so please feel free to come and say hello if you see us.
We hope everyone attending has a safe and enjoyable weekend.
#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Community Safety Alert – Derelict Buildings

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 10:05:18 +0100

Hello,

We have received reports of children and young people entering derelict and abandoned buildings in the local area.

These sites can be very dangerous and may contain:

• Unsafe or collapsing structures
• Weak floors and roofs
• Broken glass and sharp materials
• Hidden hazards and hazardous substances

Even if a building appears empty, it is not safe to enter. Parents and carers are encouraged to speak with young people about these risks and remind them to stay away from such locations.

Please report any concerns, including:

• Damaged fencing or easy access points
• Signs of trespassing or suspicious activity

Call 101 (non-emergency)
Report online: www.wiltshire.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/
Call 999 if there is immediate danger or a crime in progress.

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Theft from Motor Vehicles- Community Appeal

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 07:20:18 +0100

We are appealing for information following a series of thefts from vehicles in the Mere area.

The incidents happened overnight on May 14 and 15 in Lynch Close, Bramley Hill and Clements Lane.

Cash, wallets and tools were stolen during the incidents.

On each occasion, we believe the vehicles had been left unlocked and it is likely the offenders have been trying car door handles in the area. Please ensure all vehicles are locked and valuables removed from inside at all times.

Anyone with information, including CCTV or doorbell footage, should call 101 and quote 54260057854. Alternatively, call CrimeStoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Community engagement to begin after land secured for new Southern Policing Hub

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 15:18:40 +0100

Plans for a new Southern Policing Hub in Old Sarum are progressing, with community engagement events set to take place this June.

Land was secured for the proposed development in December — a key milestone in delivering a modern policing base for south Wiltshire.

Residents are now being invited to attend engagement events to view early site plans, explore initial ideas, and share feedback ahead of an outline planning application later this summer.

The new hub is intended to replace Bourne Hill with a modern, fit-for-purpose facility, helping officers work more efficiently while maintaining a strong, visible presence in local communities.

Help shape the future of local policing by clicking the link in the comments below to find out more, including upcoming engagement event dates here.

Stay Safe Online & Protect Yourself from Fraud – Community Drop-In Sessions

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 12:02:28 +0100

Join us for a series of friendly Cyber & Fraud Advice Drop-In Sessions at your local library. This is a great opportunity to speak directly with Cyber Crime & Fraud Protect Officers and get practical advice on staying safe.

📍 Warminster Library
📅 2nd June
⏰ 11:00am – 1:00pm

📍 Salisbury Library
📅 4th June
⏰ 11:00am – 1:00pm

Whether you’ve been affected by a scam, want to improve your online security, or simply have questions, come along for a chat.

✅ Learn how to spot scams and avoid fraud
✅ Get practical tips to stay safe online
✅ Ask questions and raise concerns
✅ Free, informal, and open to everyone

No booking required – just drop in at any time during the session.

Help protect yourself, your family, and your community. We look forward to seeing you there!

Marking Volunteers’ Week: A Message from the Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 11:05:29 +0100

In his latest blog, Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson marks the start of volunteers week by highlighting the vital role volunteers play in supporting policing and community safety across Wiltshire and Swindon.

From Special Constables to Independent Custody Visitors and more, volunteers bring time, expertise and invaluable insight—strengthening services, supporting communities, and helping ensure transparency and accountability.

Read the full blog here.

Campaign to reduce knife-related violence sees safety initiatives launched, test purchasing operations and weapon sweeps

Fri, 29 May 2026 16:45:24 +0100

Knife crime prevention in action across Wiltshire

Last week, as part of the national Sceptre campaign, Wiltshire Police carried out weapon sweeps, school visits and test‑purchase operations to help keep our communities safe.

New initiatives launched included:

• Bleed Kit Partnership providing life‑saving equipment across the county

• Safer Knives scheme helping households swap pointed knives for safer alternatives

Officers also engaged with young people in schools and community projects, raising awareness of the dangers of carrying knives.

Test purchase results show more work is needed – several retailers failed to challenge under‑25s attempting to buy knives.

Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson said: “Preventing harm before it happens is a shared responsibility. These initiatives are practical steps that can make a real difference.”

Read more here.

5,149 motorists recorded exceeding the 30mph speed limit outside junior school

Wed, 27 May 2026 10:33:48 +0100

Dear Swindon Resident,

Over the past 12 months, targeted speed enforcement operations have been carried out on Queens Drive, Swindon, outside Holy Cross Junior School. During 65 enforcement sessions, and as of 8 May 2026, a total of 5,149 motorists were recorded exceeding the 30mph speed limit.

A breakdown of outcomes is as follows, depending on individual driving history and previous convictions:

4,503 drivers attended Speed Awareness Courses

570 drivers received fixed penalties and licence points

76 cases are progressing to court

Queens Drive is an unusual location. Although it is a 30mph road, it consists of six lanes — three in each direction — effectively creating a “mini‑motorway” directly outside a primary school. Along the same stretch is an ambulance station and a day hub that supports vulnerable and homeless adults. This combination of high‑speed traffic and vulnerable pedestrians makes strict speed compliance absolutely essential.

Officers have observed parents with children attempting to cross all six lanes of traffic rather than using the nearby pedestrian crossing, placing themselves and their children at significant risk. Vulnerable adults have also been seen stepping into the road without full awareness of the dangers. These behaviours, combined with excessive vehicle speeds, create a serious and entirely avoidable threat to life.

We are working closely with the local schools and Swindon Borough Council to secure additional signage and road‑safety measures. Some motorists have commented that signage is insufficient, and some satellite navigation systems still incorrectly display the road as a 40mph limit, despite the reduction to 30mph in 2018. Drivers must not rely on sat‑navs or mobile devices to determine speed limits; their full attention should remain on the road ahead. If unsure, motorists should default to 30mph until signage indicates otherwise. It is a speed limit, not a target.

As a civilian Speed Enforcement Officer for Wiltshire Police, my full‑time role — alongside colleagues across the county — is to tackle the elements of the “Fatal 5”: speeding, mobile phone use, not wearing seat belts, drink and drug driving, and careless or distracted driving. Enforcement locations across Wiltshire are selected using risk‑based analysis, allowing us to focus our efforts where the likelihood of harm is greatest.

We often hear comments such as, “Don’t you have anything better to do?” or “Shouldn’t you be dealing with crime or anti‑social behaviour?” What many people may not realise is that policing is made up of specialist departments, each trained and tasked to address specific issues. Our department exists for one reason: to prevent deaths and serious injuries on our roads. Road‑safety enforcement is not a distraction from policing — it is a core part of protecting the public.

Drivers must also take responsibility for their own actions and behaviour. A vehicle is a powerful machine, and even a momentary lapse in concentration can have devastating consequences. A phone call, turning to speak to passengers, or impaired alertness due to tiredness, alcohol, or drugs can all affect judgement and reaction time. Road conditions — including wet surfaces, potholes, and poor visibility — must also be taken into account. While modern vehicles often include advanced safety features, these cannot compensate for poor decision‑making.

Driving is a privilege, not a right. The last thing any driver wants is to lose their licence, seriously injure someone, or cause a fatality. Our priority is to prevent harm, protect children, and ensure that everyone using Queens Drive can do so safely.

Ultimately, this is not about “catching” drivers — it is about education and awareness. Our aim is to promote safer behaviour, reduce risk, and ensure that everyone gets home safely.

Yours sincerely,
Andy Hicks
Speed Enforcement Officer
Wiltshire Police

Chief Constable fortnightly update to the Police and Crime Commissioner - 22 May 2026

Fri, 22 May 2026 14:07:03 +0100

Dear Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Wilkinson,

We have made significant improvements in the last three years – as recently outlined in our latest HMICFRS PEEL inspection - in addition to operating in a challenging financial environment.

Last year, we saved £8m and we need to realise a further £4.6m in efficiencies this year. We have already identified most of the required savings for this year, strengthened our financial discipline, and protected our reserves which allows us to better plan ahead.

However, it is vital that we continue to make thoughtful decisions to prioritise the function of our organisation above its form.

To provide a more consistent service, improve our ability to respond to emergencies, investigate crime more effectively, and maintain a visible and accessible neighbourhood policing presence, we are strengthening our frontline function.

Whilst we will maintain our current ten Neighbourhood Policing Teams (NPTs), we will improve frontline response and investigations by bolstering the resources embedded within our communities.

This will include:

Realigning more resources to the frontline – including moving our specialist safeguarding capability into our local policing function so we can take a more joined-up approach to vulnerability, safeguarding and reduce harm earlier. Our Crime Taskforce will also be realigned to Local Policing, strengthening our ability to tackle the issues that matter most in neighbourhoods

Increasing the use of mobile police stations to improve access and visibility in our urban and rural communities. This will be strengthened by a new, third mobile police station which will be launched this summer

There will be no change to public front counters access across our policing estate

Continuing to deliver against the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee - we will increase the number of police officers working alongside Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) and Special Constables, raising our neighbourhood policing strength to 206.

These improvements are part of our long-term transformation plan for our organisation, will ensure we are Keeping Wiltshire Safe and assist me in delivering your Police and Crime Plan.

They will also support in achieving my three operational priorities – Safer Public Spaces, Reduce and Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and Improve outcomes for victims.

A wealth of information on our Neighbourhood Policing Teams can be found on the dedicated Your Area section of our website here.

Alongside the realigning of resource to our frontline, we are also reviewing our wider workforce and ways of working to ensure that resources are focused on core policing, public protection and the areas of greatest demand.

This will include the continued removal of vacant posts, only recruiting critical posts and investing in digital technology so officers and staff can spend more time on operational policing and less time on administration.

In looking to strengthen our frontline capability, we have reviewed our response to rural crime.

As part of this, we are moving away from having a small rural crime team and will instead embed dedicated, specially trained Rural Crime Officers into each of our NPTs. These officers will act as key points of contact within our rural communities, while also providing specialist support to colleagues dealing with rural crime matters.

This week, we convened our first Rural Crime Independent Advisory Group. This group has been established specifically to focus on rural crime, and its members bring valuable expertise and lived experience from across the rural sector.

We are confident that the IAG will support us in strengthening trust and confidence between rural communities and the police, help inform operational policing, encouraging greater reporting of rural crime and building stronger partnerships across agencies and local communities.

Under my priority of Safer Public Spaces, I wanted to update our communities on Operation Sceptre which has been running all week.

Operation Sceptre is the national police initiative in England and Wales focused on tackling and preventing knife crime and serious violence.

In Wiltshire, test purchasing operations were held across the county with assistance from our police cadets and weapon sweeps with the use of metal detectors took place at various locations.

This year, Operation Sceptre coincided with the launch of the Wiltshire Police Bleed Kit Partnership – an initiative between Wiltshire Police, HeartSafe Uk, NHS England South West and South West Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust. The initiative aims to improve community safety by providing potentially life-saving emergency bleed kits in public spaces throughout our local communities.

Each bleed kit contains haemostatic dressings, trauma dressings, and a tourniquet to help stem the loss of blood in the critical first few minutes. They are available to the public 24/7.

You can find more information about Bleed Kits on this website.

This week, your office also announced that we have become the latest force in England to trial replacing pointed kitchen knives with rounded tip alternatives, as part of a scheme aimed at reducing serious violence and injuries in the home.

Participants will be offered the opportunity to exchange traditional pointed kitchen knives for specially designed rounded versions, alongside advice and support intended to reduce the likelihood of knives being used in violent incidents.

The scheme, which will begin in Swindon, is funded through the Drug Forfeiture Fund, with backing from your office and will target households identified as being at greater risk of knife related harm.

More information about this trial can be found here.

Another key priority for us is to reduce and prevent Violence Against Women and Girls.

The exceptional work our teams are undertaking within the night time economy, particularly in tackling sexual predatory behaviour, is gaining significant recognition both in the UK and internationally - reinforcing our position as a leading force in protecting women and girls.

We are now widely recognised as a pioneering force for Project Vigilant, an initiative that deploys both plain clothed and uniformed officers to undertake intelligence-led patrols in hotspot locations. This proactive approach enables us to identify potential sexual predators at the earliest opportunity and prevent sexual offending.

This week, we were delighted to host colleagues from Stockholm Police in Sweden, who are seeking to enhance their approach to public space sexual violence. They specifically sought out a police force experienced in delivering Project Vigilant to support knowledge exchange and training.

Given our established expertise already supporting organisations such as South Wales Police and the British Transport Police we were pleased to welcome them and share our learning. With thanks to our specialist officers and staff who supported this visit.

During their visit, they observed our approach to assessing risks in public spaces, how – through Vigilant Communities - we work collaboratively with partners and how we are equipping our communities with the skills to assist us prevent offending.

In the past six months alone, our officers have assessed almost 200 individuals within the night time economy, demonstrating both the scale of our activity and our commitment to early intervention and prevention.

This work reflects the dedication, professionalism, and innovation of our teams, with this week’s visit highlighting the significant impact they are making, not only locally but as a model of best practice internationally.

Finally, I would like to congratulate the Wiltshire Police Equestrian Team on their achievements at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, all of those who were recognised through the Wiltshire Police Federation Awards yesterday and I would like to welcome those who graduated today as part of the latest Police Now cohort.

Kindest regards to you,

Catherine Roper

Chief Constable, Wiltshire Police

Community visits with the mobile police station next week

Wed, 20 May 2026 12:36:56 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

We’ll be out with the mobile police station across the neighbourhood policing area next week.

It’s a great opportunity to raise concerns, get advice or just say hello 👋.

🚲 Bike Marking will be available at EVERY location – a quick and effective way to protect your bicycle and register it on the national BikeRegister database. Don’t miss out!

🗓 Tuesday 26 May

📍 Winsley Village Hall – 9:00am–10:00am (PCSO Dybowska & PC Dentry)
📍 Keevil High Street – 11:30am–12:30pm (PCSO Griffin & PCSO Freeman-Hole)
📍 Longfield Community Centre, Trowbridge – 2:30pm–3:30pm (PC Gilmour & PC Tilley)
📍 Paxcroft Community Centre, Trowbridge – 4:00pm–5:00pm (PC Tipple & PC Greenland)
📍 Marks & Spencer, Trowbridge – 7:00pm–8:00pm (PCSO Brain & PC Coombs)

🗓 Wednesday 27 May

📍 Semington High Street – 9:30am–10:30am (PCSO Dybowska & PC Thornell)
📍 Paxcroft Way (outside Harris, Hill & Gibbons Vets) – 11:00am–12:00pm (PC Tipple & PC Greenland)
📍 Hilperton Village Hall – 1:00pm–2:00pm (PCSO Brain & PCSO Dybowska)
📍 Trowbridge Train Station – 2:30pm–3:30pm (PC Gilmour & PC Tilley)
📍 Asda Car Park, The Shires, Trowbridge – 7:00pm–8:00pm (PC Gilmour & PC Coombs)

🗓 Thursday 28 May

📍 Fore Street, Trowbridge – 1:30pm–2:30pm (PCSO Brain & PCSO Dentry)
📍 Forest Community Centre, Melksham – 5:00pm–6:00pm (PC Coombs & PC Dentry)

🗓 Friday 29 May

📍 Holt Village Hall – 10:00am–11:00am (PC Dentry & PCSO Walters)
📍 Tesco, County Way – 2:30pm–3:30pm (PC Dentry & PCSO Dentry)
📍 Town Hall, Melksham High Street – 7:00pm–9:00pm (PCSO Griffin & PCSO Freeman-Hole)

🗓 Saturday 30 May

📍 Southwick Country Park – 9:00am–10:00am (PCSO Dybowska & PCSO Piper)
📍 King George V Park, Melksham – 4:00pm–5:00pm (PCSO Griffin & PCSO Freeman-Hole)
📍 Sainsbury’s, Trowbridge – 7:00pm–8:00pm (PCSO Wallace, PCSO Griffin & PCSO Freeman-Hole)

🗓 Sunday 31 May

📍 Bradford-on-Avon Train Station – 10:00am–11:00am (PCSO Dybowska & PCSO Piper)
📍 Trowbridge Park (Tour De Trowbridge 🚴‍♀️) – 12:30pm–2:00pm (PCSO Wallace, PC Tipple & PC Greenland)

We look forward to seeing you out in the community 👮‍♂️💬.

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Meet Your Local Neighbourhood Police Officer – Moredon

Wed, 20 May 2026 09:17:10 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

You are warmly invited to meet PC Liam Beattie, your local Neighbourhood Police Officer for Moredon.

This is a great opportunity to raise any concerns, ask questions, or simply have a chat about local policing issues in your area.

Date: Thursday 21 May
Time: 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Location: Moredon Sporting Hub, Cheney Manor, Swindon, SN2 2QJ

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Wiltshire Police Cyber and Fraud Drop In: Bradford on Avon Library

Tue, 19 May 2026 14:59:12 +0100

🔐 Stay Safe Online & Protect Yourself from Fraud – Community Drop-In Event

Join us for a friendly Cyber & Fraud Advice Drop-In Session at Bradford on Avon Library.

📅 Date: Thursday 21st May
⏰ Time: 11:00am – 1:00pm
📍 Location: Bradford on Avon Library

Whether you’ve been a victim of fraud, want to improve your online security, or simply have questions about staying safe, this is a great opportunity to speak directly with a Cyber Crime Prevention Officer.

✅ Get advice on avoiding scams and fraud
✅ Learn practical tips to stay safe online
✅ Ask questions and raise concerns
✅ Free, informal, and open to everyone

No booking required – just drop in at any time during the session.

Help protect yourself, your family, and your community.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Campaign to reduce knife related violence launches today

Mon, 18 May 2026 12:14:08 +0100

A campaign aimed at reducing knife-related violence launches today (18/5).

Sceptre is a national knife crime campaign which takes place twice a year. This month, Sceptre will highlight once again the need for responsible retailing from local business owners with a strong focus on test purchasing operations across the county.

Test purchasing operations will be held throughout the week with assistance from our police cadets. Weapon sweeps with the use of metal detectors will take place and the knife arch will travel to various locations across the county.

Sceptre coincides with the launch of the Wiltshire Police Bleed Kit Partnership – an initiative with Wiltshire Police, HeartSafe Uk, NHS England South West and South West Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust. The initiative aims to improve community safety by providing potentially life-saving emergency bleed kits in public spaces throughout our local communities.

Read more here.

Appeal for witnesses after cars stolen from Yatton Keynell

Sun, 17 May 2026 21:30:00 +0100

We are appealing for witnesses following a burglary in Yatton Keynell.

At around 2.20am today (17 May), occupants of a property in the village were woken by the sound of vehicles reversing off their driveway. It was then discovered that their home had been searched and three vehicles had been stolen.

The vehicles taken were:

Blue Hyundai

Green Abarth

Black Mercedes AMG C43

Keys to another vehicle were also taken.

Two of the stolen vehicles have been found in the Bristol area, where officers from Avon and Somerset Police recovered them for forensic examination. The third was located earlier today near Notton, Corsham.

➡️ If you saw what anything suspicious in the area last night or have information that could help with our enquiries please contact us on 101 quoting reference number 54260058659. You can also contact us through our website: Report a crime | Wiltshire Police or by emailing: ChippenhamAreaNPT@wiltshire.police.uk

📞 Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Facebook Live event with the Neighbourhood Policing Team - Tuesday 19 May

Thu, 14 May 2026 14:21:41 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

Join us live on Tuesday 19 May from 1:00pm–1:30pm for our neighbourhood policing Facebook Live chat.

This is your chance to:

✅ Hear the latest local policing updates
✅ Ask questions directly to your neighbourhood officers
✅ Raise concerns about issues in your area

We’ll be live for 30 minutes, so come along and get involved in the conversation.

📅 Date: Tuesday 19 May
⏰ Time: 1:00pm–1:30pm
📍 Where: LIVE on the Warminster Police Facebook page.

If you would like to ask a question, you can reply to this message or ask live on the day.

We look forward to speaking with you!

#FacebookLive #NeighbourhoodPolicing

Crime Prevention Advice - Anti-Social Behaviour

Wed, 13 May 2026 12:16:51 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

We are aware of ongoing concerns in Baydon and the surrounding areas relating to anti-social behaviour (ASB) and, more recently, incidents of criminal damage.

We are actively working with partners and increasing local patrols to address these issues.

How you can help prevent crime:

•    Ensure vehicles and properties are secure at all times
•    Keep gardens, sheds, and outbuildings locked
•    Consider installing CCTV, doorbells or sensor lighting
•    If safe to do so, make a note of descriptions, times and locations
•    Speak with young people in your household about the impact of ASB and criminal damage.

Reporting incidents:

Your reports help us build intelligence and take action.

•    Non-emergency incidents (including ASB or criminal damage that's already happened):
o    Call 101
o    Report online via the Wiltshire Police website: www.wiltshire.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/

• If criminal damage or ASB is happening at the time (in progress), or there is immediate danger:
o Call 999

• Anonymous reporting:
o Contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111

Why reporting matters:

Even if an incident seems minor, every report helps build a bigger picture. This allows us to:

•    Identify patterns
•    Target patrols
•    Take enforcement action where appropriate

We appreciate your continued support in helping keep our communities safe.

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Community visit with the Calne Neighbourhood Policing Team

Wed, 13 May 2026 09:56:23 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

On Thursday 14 May, PCSO Mark Cook and PCSO Jasmine Thomson from the Calne Neighbourhood Policing Team will be holding an engagement session at:

☕ Costa Coffee in Phelps Parade - between 10am and 12pm.

This is a great opportunity to:

✅ Speak with us about any local concerns
✅ Find out more about policing in your community
✅ Take part in equine tack stamping to help improve the security of your horse tack!

We’d love to see you there. Come along for a chat!

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

⚠️ POLICE COMMUNITY ALERT – COLD CALLERS & ROGUE TRADERS ⚠️

Wed, 13 May 2026 08:55:43 +0100

Dear All,

Residents are being warned to remain vigilant following reports of cold callers and rogue traders operating in the area, offering roofing and property repair services.

A company has reportedly been going door-to-door claiming urgent roof repairs are needed. Please be cautious of anyone arriving uninvited and pressuring residents into agreeing to work or making immediate payments.

Wiltshire Police are also promoting “No Cold Calling” stickers and general crime prevention advice for residents.

✅ Always:

• Ask for ID and company details

• Get written quotes from trusted local traders

• Take time before agreeing to any work

• Check reviews and recommendations independently

• Contact family, neighbours, or friends if unsure

❌ Never:

• Feel pressured into making quick decisions

• Pay cash upfront

• Allow unexpected callers onto your roof without verification

If you notice suspicious activity or would like crime prevention advice or a “No Cold Calling” sticker, please contact Police Community Support Officer Kolasinski at:

lukasz.kolasinski@wiltshire.police.uk

You can also contact the police on 101. In an emergency, always dial 999.

Please share this message with elderly or vulnerable neighbours who may be more at risk.

Kind regards,

Lukasz Kolasinski 70901 Police Community Support Officer
Warminster Rural Beat Warminster Area Neighbourhood Policing Team (Warminster, Westbury, Tisbury, Mere) Police Station, The Avenue, Warminster, BA12 9AA

Email:	lukasz.kolasinski@wiltshire.police.uk
Mobile:	07471029004

Chief Constable fortnightly update to the Police and Crime Commissioner - 8 May 2026

Fri, 08 May 2026 14:06:02 +0100

Dear Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Wilkinson,

I wanted to start this fortnight’s update by sharing the latest information regarding the increased UK terrorism threat level and what we are doing to support our communities.

The thoughts of everyone at Wiltshire Police remain with all those affected by the series of recent attacks on Jewish communities across the country and the horrific terror attack declared in north London last Wednesday.

As a result of this, last week, the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) raised the UK terrorism threat level to SEVERE meaning an attack is highly likely. 

Many of our communities will be wanting to know what they are being asked to do following the change in threat level. I understand this announcement may cause concern, but I ask that our communities be alert and not alarmed.

Wiltshire Police officers, staff and volunteers, as across the whole of the UK, together with our security service partners, will continue to work both day and night to protect everyone against the threat of terrorism.

We routinely work with community and faith groups, and this will continue as we seek their support and assistance. 

Communities have shown time and time again that they are united in their rejection of those who wish to divide us and spread hate in the name of extremism.

Here in Wiltshire, Assistant Chief Constable Deb Smith has been leading our local response to the increased threat level.

As a result, we have:

Increased our proactive patrols within our communities

Engaged with local community and faith leaders and businesses to ensure they know who their local officers are and to address any concerns or questions they have

Proactively reviewed our local response plans with local partners to ensure we are all clear on roles and responsibilities

Ensured our frontline staff are kept well informed of the latest security information from the Counter Terrorism Network.

I ask our communities that if they see anything that doesn’t feel right, report via gov.uk/ACT. In an emergency, always call 999.

For non-urgent matters, you can reach out to us through our website or to your local neighbourhood teams here. It is also possible to raise concerns or report incidents anonymously through Crimestoppers here or by calling 0800 555 111 - all information will be shared with us. 

I would like to further reassure our communities that there are well rehearsed plans for a range of major incidents to help us review and improve our emergency response.

Just this week, our entire Senior Leadership Team participated in such an exercise which tested both our local emergency plans and how we work collaboratively with local, regional and national partners to keep our communities safe.

We know that, in times of uncertainty, our communities want to see and hear from us more.

Across April, our ten Neighbourhood Policing Teams (NPTs) undertook 750 individual engagements with our communities across Swindon and the rest of the county – an increase of more than 250 engagements from March.

These included drop-in sessions, school visits, attending local meetings, places of worship and community events.

You can find out who your local NPT are, where they will be and what their local priorities are by visiting the Your Area section of our website.

Forging ever stronger relationships with our communities is also based on knowing what crimes are having the biggest impact on them.

For many of our communities, this is the scourge of rural criminality.

I hope our communities were reassured to see that, following excellent collaborative police work including other police forces, we recently charged seven people with hare coursing.

In the early hours of Saturday 25 April, officers responded to an incident involving three vehicles reportedly hare coursing across rural land near Ludgershall.

One of the vehicles was subsequently stopped following a pursuit on the A303 in Hampshire, while another was later found abandoned.

Seven people were arrested after the vehicles were found to contain dead hares and equipment associated with poaching.

All seven men were charged with being equipped for searching for/or pursuing hares with dogs and will appear before Salisbury Magistrates’ Court in August.

As part of their bail conditions, none of the seven suspects are permitted to return to Wiltshire.

We recognise the significant impact crimes like hare coursing have on our rural and farming communities and we are committed to taking robust action against those responsible.

We rely on reports from the public to help us target our operational activity. If you see hare coursing taking place, call 999 to report a crime in progress. You can report all rural crimes via our website here.

Finally, I wanted to reiterate that we are always here when our communities need us and every single officer, police staff member and volunteer are steadfast in our commitment of Keeping Wiltshire Safe.

Kindest regards to you,

Catherine Roper

Chief Constable, Wiltshire Police

Police Powers Scrutiny Roadshow - have your say.

Fri, 08 May 2026 10:15:03 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

This coming Wednesday (13 May), between 11:00am and 3:00pm, representatives from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon, alongside the Wiltshire Police Scrutiny Team will be in Swindon Town Centre as part of a Police Powers Scrutiny Roadshow.

They’ll be on hand to:

👮‍♂️ Explain how scrutiny works within Wiltshire Police
📈 Share plans for improving how we understand and monitor the use of police powers
🎥 Give you the chance to watch body-worn video from real incidents
🗣️ Hear your views on how powers are used.

This is a great opportunity to learn more, ask questions and help shape policing across Wiltshire.

Come along, say hello and get involved.

Community visits across the area with the mobile police station

Wed, 06 May 2026 11:55:48 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

Your Neighbourhood Policing Team will be out and about with the Mobile Police Station, visiting communities across the area.

Come along and:

👋 Speak with a Police Community Support Officer
💬 Share any local concerns or information
📄 Get crime prevention advice and community updates

📍 Monday 18th May
Codford Village Hall – 11:30am to 12:30pm
Codford Village Hall – 5:00pm to 6:30pm

📍 Tuesday 19th May
Sutton Veny Village Hall – 4:30pm to 6:00pm

📍 Thursday 21st May
Maiden Bradley Village Hall – 7:00pm to 8:00pm

📍 Saturday 23rd May
Shearwater – 4:30pm to 5:30pm
Clay Hill – 5:45pm to 6:30pm

No appointment needed – just drop by for a chat! We’re always happy to meet members of the community and hear what matters to you.

👮‍♀️ We look forward to seeing you there!

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Community visits across the area with the mobile police station

Wed, 06 May 2026 11:49:54 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

Your Neighbourhood Policing Team will be out and about with the Mobile Police Station, visiting communities in the area.

Come along and:

👋 Speak with a Police Community Support Officer
💬 Share any local concerns or information
📄 Get crime prevention advice and community updates

📍 Wednesday 20th May
Mere, Andy Wood Pavilion – 2:00pm to 3:00pm
Nadder Centre, Tisbury – 3:30pm to 5:00pm

📍 Thursday 21st May
Hindon Post Office – 5:30pm to 6:30pm

No appointment needed – just drop by for a chat! We’re always happy to meet members of the community and hear what matters to you.

👮‍♀️ We look forward to seeing you there!

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Community visits with the mobile police station

Wed, 06 May 2026 11:42:43 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

Your Neighbourhood Policing Team will be out and about with the Mobile Police Station, visiting communities across the area.

Come along and:

👋 Speak with a Police Community Support Officer
💬 Share any local concerns or information
📄 Get crime prevention advice and community updates

📍 Monday 18th May
The Duke at Bratton, carpark area – 1:30pm to 3:00pm

📍 Tuesday 19th May
Penleigh Skate Park – 7:30pm to 9:00pm

📍 Monday 18th May
Westbury White Horse – 5:30pm to 6:30pm

No appointment needed – just drop in for a chat! We’re always happy to meet members of the community and hear what matters to you.

👮‍♀️ We look forward to seeing you there!

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Increase in WhatsApp account takeovers

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 13:59:53 +0100

We are seeing a significant increase in WhatsApp accounts being taken over by criminals. This commonly occurs when individuals are tricked into sharing a one‑time passcode (OTP) sent by WhatsApp.

Once an account is compromised, offenders frequently contact the victim’s friends, family, or community groups, impersonating them and requesting money, vouchers, or personal information.

How These Scams Work

Criminals may:

Pretend to be a friend, family member, or trusted contact

Claim they are locked out of their account

Say they have accidentally sent you a code

Pose as WhatsApp support or a business

They will ask you to share a 6‑digit WhatsApp verification code.

👉 Sharing this code allows the criminal to take control of your WhatsApp account.

How to Protect Yourself

✅ Never share a WhatsApp verification code

WhatsApp will never ask for this code

No legitimate person or organisation needs it

Anyone requesting a code is attempting to compromise your account

✅ Enable Two‑Step Verification

This adds an extra layer of security to your account.

To enable:

Open WhatsApp

Go to Settings → Account → Two‑step verification

Set a PIN and add a recovery email address

✅ Be alert to unexpected or urgent messages

Criminals often create urgency or ask you to keep requests secret.

✅ Verify unusual requests

If a contact asks for money or codes:

Check using another method, such as a phone call or in‑person conversation

✅ Do not share unsolicited codes

If you receive a WhatsApp code you did not request:

Do not share it

Delete the message

🚨 If Your WhatsApp Account Is Taken Over

✅ Re‑register your number immediately

Open WhatsApp and verify your phone number again

This action will remove the offender’s access

✅ Report the incident

Report the scam to Report Fraud
👉 https://www.reportfraud.police.uk or 0800 123 2040

Reporting helps build intelligence and protect others from becoming victims

✅ Secure your account once access is restored

Enable Two‑Step Verification

Set a strong PIN and recovery email address

Review linked devices and remove any you do not recognise

✅ Inform your contacts

Let friends and family know your account was compromised

Ask them to ignore any recent messages requesting money, codes, or personal information

Please Share This Message

Awareness plays a vital role in prevention. Sharing this information helps protect individuals and the wider community from fraud.

If something doesn’t feel right — pause, verify, and report.

Wiltshire remains one of the safest counties despite rise in recorded crime

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 12:12:53 +0100

New crime figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show an increase in recorded crime across Wiltshire in the year ending December 2025 compared with the previous year.

Total recorded crime in Wiltshire rose by just over seven per cent (39,642 to 42,711) and increases were seen across every crime category, from violence and sexual offences through to public order offences and drug-related crime.

Despite the year-on-year increase, Wiltshire continues to record the lowest crime rate in the South West and remains among the lowest within its most similar group of police force areas when population is taken into account (55.64 crimes per 1,000 residents), well below the national (83.53) and regional (73.17) levels.

Read more here.

Chief Constable fortnightly update to the Police and Crime Commissioner - 24 April 2026

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 10:15:49 +0100

Dear Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Wilkinson,

On Wednesday, our latest, independent inspection from His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) was published.

The Police Efficiency, Effectiveness and Legitimacy (PEEL) 2025-27 report illustrates that we are continuing on our long-term improvement journey – from being graded as one of the worst performing Forces in 2022 to demonstrating sustained performance in this inspection compared to our last one in 2024. Bolstering this progress is the greater financial stability the organisation now has, allowing more investment in our operational capabilities to further improve the service to the public.

It is also clear, however, where further progress is needed – which I fully recognise, agree and – with my teams – have started making the improvements necessary to ensure our service becomes ever stronger.

The table below (and also available to view as an attachment) shows how our gradings have changed since being placed into Engage in 2022 right through to the 2025-27 report published this week:

Areas identified as strong performance in the latest report include:

Inspectors found that Wiltshire Police is good at preventing and deterring crime and antisocial behaviour, with effective neighbourhood policing teams working closely with partners to reduce harm and vulnerability in local communities. They praised our visible community presence, use of preventative and protective powers, and targeted early‑intervention work with young people, including partnership programmes aimed at reducing serious violence

Inspectors rated us as good at using powers fairly and appropriately, with improved training and oversight leading to better use of Stop and Search and stronger internal and external scrutiny

When responding to the public, the report outlines significant improvements in answering 999 calls, exceeding national expectations for call handling speed (answering 90.4% of 999 calls within 10 seconds). Inspectors noted this as evidence of a more victim‑focused approach

The inspection also highlighted positive progress in crime outcomes, noting a higher proportion of positive outcomes for victims than the national median, supported by improved audit and scrutiny processes within investigations.

The report also outlines innovative practice around how our audit process focuses on investigation quality – from allocation to outcome, with an emphasis on learning and improvement.

Areas where improvement is needed:

How we are investigating crime - ensuring consistent supervisory oversight, compliance with the Victims’ Code and ensuring all opportunities are taken to keep victims of crime informed of progress with their case

Improve our safeguarding of children and adults at risk of harm – inspectors have outlined several opportunities for us to streamline our processes and recording practices to best protect those who need our support

Further develop our approach to organisational change, leadership culture and staff confidence.

His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary Kathryn Stone OBE acknowledged that the Force has already begun addressing many of these issues, including improvements to investigation audits, safeguarding oversight developing our partnerships and improving our governance. If our communities wish to read her full statement, then please follow this link.

Assisting with our onward improvement is having greater financial stability. In addition to identifying nearly £8m worth of savings last year, we have already identified most of the required savings for this year, strengthened our financial discipline, and protected our reserves which allows us to better plan ahead.

As always, I welcome the independent scrutiny and assessment HMICFRS provide and I will ensure we embed the learning from this report and continue to enhance the service we provide to our communities.

As I outlined to our communities earlier this month, the new operational priorities I have set for the Force will ensure focus and provide the governance needed to improve in the areas outlined by HMICFRS, and – of course – deliver your Police and Crime Plan, to which you hold me to account.

These priorities are:

Safer Public Spaces (building upon the foundations created under this existing priority across the last three years).

With a focus on: Knife crime, preventing youth offending, ASB and enhancing local policing within our neighbourhoods

Reduce and prevent Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG)

With a focus on: Domestic Abuse, Rape and Serious Sexual Offences, Stalking and Harassment

Improve outcomes for victims

With a focus on: ensuring high quality investigations.

My next Facebook Live event, on May 11 at 6.30pm, will be used to share more detail around these operational priorities, the HMICFRS PEEL inspection and take any questions from our communities. I will be joined by ACC Deb Smith, who leads our Frontline Policing response, and we will be also discussing the incredible contribution made by our Special Constabulary and volunteers. Our communities can submit questions for this session via this form.

Our mission is Keeping Wiltshire Safe. I remain steadfast in my belief that by maintaining a relentless focus on continuous improvement, working closely with our communities and partners, we can provide the best possible policing service and ensure that our communities feel truly safe. I would thank my teams for their hard work and dedication to achieve the improvements to date, and I know that all my officers, staff and volunteers are committed to achieving our next stage of progress.

Kindest regards to you,

Catherine Roper

Chief Constable, Wiltshire Police

Update on community visit - John Moulton Hall, Penhill

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 16:22:03 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

Earlier this afternoon, we advertised an upcoming event happening at John Moulton Community Hall in Penhill on Friday 1 May 2026.

Currently, this date may be subject to change, so we will confirm soon if the date and time will stay the same.

If you still require to get in touch with your local policing team, you can always email in advance of the meeting: SwindonCentralNorthNPT@wiltshire.police.uk

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Come and meet your local neighbourhood policing team

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 15:45:49 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

Residents are invited to meet PC Matthew Coates, your local police officer for the West Swindon Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT).

This is a great opportunity to raise any concerns, ask questions or simply have a chat about local policing issues in your area.

Date: Tuesday 28 April

Time: 09:00am – 11:00am

Venue: The Link Centre , Whitehill Way, Westlea, Swindon, SN5 7DL

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Meet your local policing team - John Moulton Hall, Penhill

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 15:31:05 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

On Friday 1 May, one of your local neighbourhood officers for Penhill, PC Dannielle Ward, will be at the John Moulton Hall in Penhill.

This is a great opportunity to come along for an informal chat, raise any questions or concerns you may have and find out more about what your Neighbourhood Policing Team is doing in your area.

📍 John Moulton Hall, Penhill

📅 Friday 1 May 2026

⏰ 10:00am - 12:00pm

We look forward to seeing you there!

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Concerns following land purchase at The Old Nurseries, Mere

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 14:00:12 +0100

We are aware of community concerns in Mere following the lawful purchase of land at The Old Nurseries by members of the traveller community.

Sergeant Lyndsey Smith said, "The Warminster Neighbourhood Policing Team has been working closely with partner agencies to ensure that community concerns are heard and appropriately addressed. These partners include Wiltshire Council, Planning, Public Protection, Environmental Health, Wessex Water, electricity providers, Road Safety, National Highways, and Mere Town Council.

"On Tuesday (21 April), officers attended the site alongside representatives from National Highways to assess concerns relating to access to and from the land. Relevant matters identified during this visit will be taken forward through the appropriate channels.

"Wiltshire Police is committed to ensuring that all members of the community — both long‑standing residents and new arrivals — are treated fairly, respectfully, and in accordance with the law. We will continue to monitor the situation and respond proportionately to any issues that arise.

"To date, only a small number of reports have been received in relation to the site. Anyone wishing to report a crime is encouraged to contact Wiltshire Police on 101, via our website, or by calling 999 in an emergency. Local neighbourhood policing teams can also be contacted through the Your Area section of our website."

Community visits update on Tuesday 28 April 2026 - Devizes Neighbourhood Policing Team

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 09:28:23 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

Your neighbourhood policing team are amending timings for their community visits next Tuesday (28 April).

Here are the updated times where you can visit, speak to your local officers about policing concerns or just say hello:

1:30pm-2:30pm - Bromham – Bromham Community Hub

3:00pm-4:00pm - Rowde, The Rowdey Cow

7:00pm-8:00pm - Devizes, Devizes Wharf

8:00pm-9:00pm - Devizes, Devizes Leisure Centre

We look forward to seeing you.

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Wiltshire's Police and Crime Commissioner responds to latest HMICFRS report

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 16:27:44 +0100

Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson has given a statement after Wiltshire Police gets its latest inspection report and gradings.

He said: “The latest HMICFRS PEEL inspection confirms that Wiltshire Police is moving in the right direction, with clear and independently recognised improvements. Progress since the very difficult inspection outcomes of 2022 is real, credible and sustained but there is still more to do.

“For some time now, it has been evident to me as Police and Crime Commissioner that Wiltshire Police is no longer recovering from failure. The Force has moved decisively into the more demanding phase of embedding improvement and building long‑term, sustainable performance.

“That matters because policing is not judged by inspections alone. It is judged by how safe people feel in their neighbourhoods, how quickly emergency calls are answered, whether help arrives when it is needed, how fairly people are treated and how well victims are supported. The latest inspection evidence shows tangible improvement across these measures, while also being clear about where greater consistency and grip are still required"

Read more about the Commissioner's comments on our website
www.wiltshire-pcc.gov.uk/about-us/news/2026/april-2026/wiltshires-police-and-crime-commissioner-responds-to-latest-hmicfrs-report

You can read the full HMICFRS PEEL Inspection Report for Wiltshire Police here:
Wiltshire PEEL Assessment 2025–2027 - His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services

Community visits with the mobile police station

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 16:24:05 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

Our mobile station will be out and about across the neighbourhood policing area next week!

Pop along to speak with your local officers, report any policing concerns or get advice.

🕘 Morning visits (9:00am–11:00am)

Monday 27 April – Aldbourne, Large Car Park
Tuesday 28 April – Bromham, Collins Farm
Wednesday 29 April – Rowde, The Rowdey Cow
Thursday 30 April – Devizes, Market Place
Saturday 2 May – Lydeway, Planks Farm Shop
Sunday 3 May – Baydon, Outside Post Office

🌆 Afternoon and Evening Visits

Monday 27 April
📍 Lockeridge Village Hall – 3:00pm–5:00pm

Tuesday 28 April
📍 Bromham Community Hub – 1:30pm–3:00pm
📍 Rowde, The Rowdey Cow – 3:30pm–4:30pm
📍 Devizes Wharf – 5:00pm–6:00pm
📍 Devizes Leisure Centre – 8:00pm–9:00pm

Wednesday 29 April
📍 Market Lavington Village Hall – 1:30pm–3:00pm
📍 Easterton Village Hall – 3:30pm–4:30pm
📍 Urchfont, The Green – 5:00pm–6:00pm
📍 Little Horton, The Bridge Inn – 6:30pm–7:30pm
📍 Bishops Cannings (Car Park near Village Hall) – 8:00pm–9:00pm

Thursday 30 April
📍 Devizes, B&Q Car Park – 3:00pm–5:00pm

Friday 1 May
📍 Pewsey, Bouverie Hall – 3:00pm–5:00pm

Saturday 2 May
📍 Burbage, Royal British Legion – 3:00pm–5:00pm

🗣️ Everyone is welcome – no appointment needed.

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Salisbury man stands trial for rape and assault

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 17:00:29 +0100

The trial of a man from Salisbury accused of two counts of rape, grievous bodily harm (GBH), and actual bodily harm (ABH) got under way this week.

Scott McKenzie, formerly of Gainsborough Close, pleaded not guilty to all charges at Winchester Crown Court in September 2025.

McKenzie is charged with raping and assaulting a woman in Catherine Street, Salisbury, in December 2020.

He is also accused of assaulting and raping a woman in Prague, Czech Republic, in May 2023.

The trial started on Monday, April 20, and is expected to last around four weeks.

Joint effort delivers early wins against retail crime in Salisbury

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 12:58:11 +0100

A toughened approach to shoplifting and anti-social behaviour in Salisbury is being hailed as proof that retail crime can be tackled successfully when businesses, police and councils work together. A coordinated crackdown has delivered early results, strengthening the case for closer partnership working to stem the rise in theft on the high street.

The Business Crime Reduction Partnership, coordinated by the OPCC, has brought together retailers, Wiltshire Police and local authorities to improve intelligence-sharing and speed up the flow of evidence. The initiative comes as police leaders warn that too many cases are being undermined by a failure to provide CCTV and witness statements.

In an interview with The Telegraph, Rav Pathania, head of business crime at the Metropolitan Police Service, said investigations were being hampered because officers often do not receive the footage needed to identify suspects. Without that evidence, he warned, offenders are slipping through the net.

Read more here

Wiltshire pilots new national scheme to improve court support for domestic abuse victims

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 11:15:03 +0100

Wiltshire has been selected as one of the core pilot areas in a new national initiative aimed at transforming the support domestic abuse victims receive as their cases progress through the courts.

The pilot will test enhanced measures to strengthen victims’ understanding of, and confidence in, the Crown Court process.

Under the scheme, victims will be offered the opportunity to meet prosecutors before trial, giving them a chance to ask questions about the process and better prepare for what lies ahead.

The programme will also bring additional domestic abuse victim liaison officers into pilot areas, increasing the level of tailored, consistent support for those navigating the justice system.

Read more here.

Join us for a Facebook Live Q&A event on the Trowbridge Police Facebook page - next Monday night!

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 17:26:19 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

Join us for a Facebook Live Q&A event on the Trowbridge Police Facebook page with Neighbourhood Inspector Andy Lemon and Sergeant Gemma Rutter from the Trowbridge Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT).

🗓 Monday 27 April 2026
⏰ 6:00pm – 6:30pm

They’ll be discussing key local issues, including:

✅ Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB)
✅ Road Safety
✅ Retail Crime

This is a great opportunity to hear directly from your NPT and find out what’s being done in Trowbridge.

You’ll also be able to watch live and engage during the session. Please feel free to ask your questions by replying to this message or tune in and ask live on the night!

👉 Make sure to follow the Trowbridge Police Facebook page and tune in on Monday 27 April at 6pm when you see the LIVE display icon.

#NeighbourhoodPolicing #FacebookLive

Be aware of "dirty oil" car sale scams

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:17:20 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

We are seeing an increase in reports of a scam targeting people selling vehicles privately through sites such as AutoTrader, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace. This scam is often referred to as the “Dirty Oil” scam and can lead to sellers being pressured into selling their car for far less than it’s worth.

How the Scam Works

The Set‑Up
Fraudsters pose as genuine buyers and arrange to view a privately advertised vehicle. They often arrive in pairs and act very enthusiastic and knowledgeable about cars.

The Distraction
While one individual distracts the seller (for example by asking to see paperwork, the boot, or discussing a test drive), the other secretly sabotages the vehicle. This is typically done by:

Pouring oil into the coolant reservoir

Pouring oil onto hot engine components or the exhaust/tailpipe

The “Engine Failure”
Soon after, the engine appears to fail dramatically, producing thick white or blue smoke. The scammers claim the engine is “blown” or that the car needs a major and costly repair.

The Pressure Sale
They then offer a very low amount (often 30% or less of the asking price), claiming they are doing the seller a favour by “taking it off your hands as scrap”. The goal is to pressure the seller into a quick, panicked decision.

Warning signs to watch for

Buyers insist on coming in pairs

One person distracts you while the other stays near the engine bay

Sudden catastrophic “engine failure” during or immediately after a short test drive

Aggressive pressure to accept a low offer on the spot

Claims that repairs will cost “thousands” without any proper inspection

How to protect yourself

Never leave buyers alone with your vehicle
Keep the car in sight at all times. Be especially watchful if the bonnet is opened.

Have someone with you
A friend or family member present makes distractions much harder.

Check before and after viewings

Inspect the coolant reservoir for oily residue or dark contamination

Look for fresh oil around the engine bay or exhaust

If possible, take photos of the engine bay and coolant tank before viewings

Be sceptical of sudden failures
A well‑maintained car does not usually suffer dramatic engine failure out of nowhere. Heavy smoke appearing suddenly is a major red flag.

Trust your instincts
If something feels wrong, stop the viewing immediately.

If you suspect a scam

Refuse the sale and ask the individuals to leave

If they refuse to leave or become threatening, call 999

If the suspects have already left, report the incident to Report Fraud

Share this warning

Please share this message with friends, family, and neighbours – especially anyone selling a car privately. Awareness is the best defence against this type of fraud.

Open letter from the Wiltshire Police County Hub Superintendent to mark the start of Response Policing Week

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 12:46:20 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

This week marks Response Policing Week of Action and I want to use this time to recognise and celebrate the extraordinary contribution of our response officers.

As the County Hub Superintendent, I am responsible for delivering local policing across both urban and rural communities outside of Swindon. I lead a team of over 400 officers and staff who specialise in response, neighbourhood, and rural policing.

Response officers are those who attend the 999 calls, but response policing is so much more than this. It’s often the public’s first impression of the police - at the very first moment someone needs help, reassurance, or protection, our response officers are there. It is the knock on the door in the middle of the night, the calm voice at the scene of a collision, and the steady presence when someone’s world has suddenly changed.

Our response teams face situations that are unpredictable, emotionally charged, and often deeply distressing. In recent months alone, officers in North Wiltshire have attended serious incidents involving deaths of young people, serious assaults, and families in crisis. They have been the first to comfort children caught up in tragic circumstances, the first to manage the aftermath of violent disorder, and the first to support victims who are frightened, confused, or grieving. These experiences stay with people. They shape them. And they can take a toll on mental health in ways that are not always visible.

Yet despite these pressures, our officers continue to serve with professionalism, compassion, and resilience. They make split‑second decisions in environments where the information is incomplete and the stakes are high. They do this repeatedly, shift after shift, without hesitation. The courage required is immense and the humanity required is what makes this work so important and so complex. it is important to also recognise our Special Constabulary, who support our response teams, often stepping up and volunteering their services at some of the most distressing incidents.

I see, every day, the quiet acts of dedication from our response teams - officers who stay beyond the end of their shift to ensure a vulnerable person is safe or to offer support at a chaotic crime scene, those who support colleagues after a tricky job and recognise that sometimes the hardest part of policing is what you carry home with you.

It is vital that we acknowledge the emotional impact of this work. Trauma does not always announce itself loudly – for many, it builds up over time. That is why our commitment to wellbeing must remain unwavering. No officer should ever feel they must cope alone. This week, our own Wellbeing Van will be visiting response teams ensuring easy access to specialist services and fostering a culture where seeking help is recognised as a sign of strength, not weakness. As well as this, the charity Rapid Relief Team (RRT) is visiting multiple police stations across the country, including some of our policing hubs here in Wiltshire, to show their support for the welfare and wellbeing of our officers.

To the public we serve - please know that behind every uniform is a person who joined policing because they care deeply about your safety.

And to our response teams - thank you. Your dedication does not go unnoticed. You embody the core purpose of policing - to protect, to reassure, and to stand firm when others cannot.

James Brain

County Hub Superintendent

Open Letter from Swindon Hub Supertintendent Mike Vass to mark Response Policing Week

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 12:30:59 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

As we mark Response Policing Week of Action, I want to take a moment to speak directly to our communities and - importantly - our response officers, who serve Swindon with unwavering commitment. This week is an opportunity to shine a light on a part of policing that is often misunderstood, yet absolutely vital to public safety.

Response policing is, at its core, the frontline of our service. It is the unknown scenes at every incident. It is the rapid shift from calm to crisis, from reassurance to lifesaving intervention. Daily, our officers step into situations that most people will thankfully never have to witness, and they do so with professionalism, courage, and humanity.

Every day, response officers are the first to arrive when someone is in danger, distressed, or experiencing the worst moment of their life. They are called to violent incidents, serious collisions, missing persons, domestic abuse, mental health crises, and countless other emergencies. They make split‑second decisions under pressure that carry real consequences. They absorb trauma, conflict, and uncertainty, then move on to the next call because someone else needs them.

However, what the public rarely sees is the emotional weight that comes with this work. Officers may go from comforting a grieving family to dealing with a volatile confrontation minutes later. They may spend hours searching for a vulnerable missing child, then immediately respond to a high‑risk arrest. They do this shift after shift, often without pause, often without recognition.

They show extraordinary resilience. They support one another, they adapt, they learn, and they keep going because their priority is protecting the people of Swindon. It is crucial that we acknowledge the emotional impact such a difficult job can have on them, and our volunteers from the Special Constabulary who often support our teams. Wellbeing is a priority and our Force Wellbeing Van will be visiting our stations and policing points across Swindon this week to ensure easy access to specialist services for our response teams. The charity Rapid Relief Team (RRT) is also visiting stations nationwide to show their support to our response officers – their support is really valued and can make a big difference.

To our response officers, this week is to celebrate you. Your actions make a big difference to many lives. You face difficult, unpredictable, and often dangerous situations with a level of commitment that deserves a huge amount of respect. I also want to acknowledge the families and loved ones who our officers return home to after every shift. Your support enables them to serve, and your sacrifices are hugely appreciated.

Thank you for everything you do, every day, to keep Swindon safe.

Mike Vass

Swindon Hub Supertintendent Mike Vass

Community events with the neighbourhood policing team

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 14:21:33 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

We’ll be out and about with our mobile police station over the coming days and would love to chat with you.

If you have any questions, concerns, or just want to say hello, please come along to one of the locations below:

📅 Monday 20 April
📍 Toomers Garden Centre Car Park
🐎 Tack Marking Event
⏰ 2:00pm – 3:30pm

📅 Tuesday 21 April
📍 Lydiard Millicent Parish Village Hall
⏰ 3:00pm – 4:00pm

📅 Wednesday 22 April
📍 Boroughfields Sainsbury’s Car Park, Royal Wootton Bassett
⏰ 1:30pm – 3:00pm

📅 Friday 24 April
📍 The Spotted Cow Car Park, Marston Meysey
⏰ 10:30am – 11:30am

🐎 Information on the Free Tack Marking event – Monday 20 April

At Toomers Garden Centre, we’ll be offering a free tack marking service, helping to deter theft and support recovery.

Please bring along any saddles or tack items you’d like marked.

We look forward to seeing you there! 😊

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

PCC backs joint action in Wiltshire village described as "Brands Hatch"

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 14:39:13 +0100

Wiltshire's Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Wilkinson, has listened to the concerns of residents in one Wiltshire village following a number of recorded speeding incidents this year.

According to speed enforcement figures, a vehicle breaks the thirty miles an hour speed limit in Chitterne every three minutes. Nearly eighteen percent of drivers caught breaking the law receive a fine, points on their licence or are left facing court action.

Mr Wilkinson joined a speed enforcement session in Chitterne and spoke to residents about the work being undertaken by Community Speed Enforcement Officers (CSEOs) in the county and partnership work through the Wiltshire and Swindon Road Safety Partnership to address speeding. He heard how vehicles used the B390, which goes through the village, as a ratrun to avoid congestion on the A303 and A36, and regularly ignored signs to slow down.

Read more here

Police and Crime Commissioner welcomes Wiltshire Police’s new operational priorities

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:18:56 +0100

Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson has welcomed the announcement of Wiltshire Police’s new operational priorities, shaped by what local people say matters most to them.

From April, Wiltshire Police will focus on three key areas: Safer Public Spaces, Reducing and Preventing Violence Against Women and Girls, and Improving Outcomes for Victims. This means more visible local policing, tackling antisocial behaviour and violence, stronger action to protect women and girls, and better support, care and communication for victims of crime.

These priorities will guide policing across Wiltshire and Swindon over the coming year and reflect a clear commitment to keeping communities safe, supporting victims and building trust and confidence in local policing.

Read more here.

Chief Constable fortnightly update to the Police and Crime Commissioner - 10 April 2026

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 15:25:41 +0100

Dear Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Wilkinson,

Neighbourhood policing is the bedrock of an effective police service.

Our Neighbourhood Policing Teams (NPTs) forge deep relationships with our local communities by ensuring our service is visible and accessible.

Exactly a year ago today, the Government set out finer detail regarding the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee which mandated increased and intelligence-led patrols in our communities by named officers, targeting crimes impacting upon them the most.

I wanted to use this letter as a point of reflection to highlight some of the phenomenal work our NPTs do in making our communities feel safe inside and outside their homes every day.

Investing in our NPT officers and staff:

We have increased the number of neighbourhood police officers by 24 (to 123) in the last year and increased the number of our Special Constabulary in neighbourhood roles by 33 (to 110)

All neighbourhood officers, supervisors and Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) are progressing through the Neighbourhood Policing Programme career pathway, a national training framework introduced in 2025 to establish neighbourhood policing as a recognised specialist role. The programme develops skills in community engagement, structured problem solving, partnership working and tackling anti-social behaviour. This strengthens the ability of neighbourhood teams to address the underlying causes of repeat demand and local issues, improving outcomes for communities and supporting long term prevention

We also actively monitor any abstractions within our NPTs to ensure our neighbourhood policing service is protected and consistent.

Responding to community concerns:

All submissions made to our NPTs via our website are responded to within 72hrs and we ensure that timely updates are provided on action taken.

Increased engagement with our communities:

So far this year (until the end of March), our NPTs undertook 1,376 engagements within our communities. This included school visits, drop-in sessions, attending local authority meetings and community events. This is an increase from 833 engagements during the same period last year. Our communities can find out where their local NPT will be in their local area via the Your Area section of our website

Additional neighbourhood policing vehicles have been introduced to improve visibility, mobility and coverage, particularly in rural and geographically large areas. This underpins the guarantee’s aim of having consistent, visible policing across every community and enables officers to spend more time in their neighbourhoods rather than travelling back to stations. This will also include the introduction of a third mobile police station in the coming months

We are constantly looking at ways we can reach all the communities we serve. Our Wiltshire and Swindon Community Messaging service plays an increasingly important role in enabling us to directly contact members of the public with relevant information and updates. You can sign up to our Wiltshire and Swindon Community Messaging service by following this link.

Case study: Neighbourhood policing in action - tackling e-bikes in Melksham

Over recent months, we have seen an increase in the number of incidents involving young people wearing balaclavas riding around on e-bikes in Melksham. This has, understandably, caused some concern within our communities there.

Across one day, we utilised 15 officers from our neighbourhood teams, supported by the Drone Unit and the Roads Policing team, and:

Undertook five stop searches in Melksham

Arrested three people on suspicion of driving and drug offences

Seized three e-bikes

Executed warrants at three properties in the local area

Seized £2,400 in cash, cannabis with a street value of approximately £2,500 and six mobile phones.

This work builds on the proactive crackdown on illegal e-bikes and e-scooters we launched last summer and our NPTs will be supporting again this summer. You can read more about this here.

In my last letter to you, I also outlined two other incredible NPT-led success stories – the Clear, Hold, Build initiative in Broadgreen, Swindon where our teams have arrested more than 130 people and seized almost £600,000 worth of drugs and a human trafficking investigation in Chippenham which began from community concerns being raised to our NPT. You can read more about these case studies here.

Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB):

A key part of the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee is tackling ASB in a robust, transparent way.

Last week, we published our joint, bespoke ASB action plan for Wiltshire which outlines how we will prevent, respond to and reduce ASB within our communities.

ASB has a real and lasting impact on people’s sense of safety, confidence and wellbeing.

Across Swindon and Wiltshire, communities rightly tell us that they want to see consistent, visible and effective action taken where behaviour causes harm, distress or disruption. I share that expectation.

Our plan sets out clearly how we, working with our partners and communities, will respond. It reflects our commitment to preventing harm, supporting victims and taking firm action against those who persistently cause misery to others.

We will use all powers available to us, focus our resources where they are most needed, and ensure our approach is informed by evidence, local insight and community voice. Neighbourhood policing sits at the heart of this work.

Through strong partnerships, problem-solving and visible policing, we are determined to deter ASB and to intervene early to prevent escalation.

This action plan provides a clear framework for delivery and accountability. It sets out our priorities, how we will measure success, and how we will continue to listen and respond to those we serve.

Our aim is simple: to ensure that communities across Wiltshire can feel safer and more confident, knowing that ASB will be challenged and addressed.

You can find our ASB action plan here.

We will continue to build upon the strong foundations we have laid in Wiltshire under the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee to continually develop and improve the service our communities receive.

Neighbourhood policing plays an integral role in delivering the three new operational priorities for Wiltshire Police; Safer Public Spaces, Reducing and Preventing Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and Improving Outcomes for Victims. More details on these priorities can be found here.

The dedication and diligence of our NPTs is instrumental in Keeping Wiltshire Safe.

Kindest regards to you,

Catherine Roper

Chief Constable, Wiltshire Police

Vehicle security information

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:05:26 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

Over the past few weeks, our community has seen an increase in vehicle break-ins. Please take a moment to review your vehicle security as a few steps can make a big difference:

•    Always lock your vehicle, even if you’re only stepping away for a moment
•    Remove valuables such as bags, wallets, tools, and electronics, or at least keep them out of sight
•    Avoid leaving keys, key fobs or documents (like logbooks) inside the vehicle
•    Park in well lit areas or near CCTV where possible
•    Consider additional security, such as steering wheel locks, window etching or alarms
•    Report anything suspicious, such as unusual behaviour or people trying door handles, to the police via the appropriate non-emergency channels.

Please report anything suspicious via 101 or online: www.wiltshire.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/

In an emergency, always call 999.

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Correction Community visits across the area with the neighbourhood policing team

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 16:34:45 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

The days mentioned were wrong! Sorry about that…! We've updated the information below.

The Malmesbury Neighbourhood Policing Team will be out and about this month, and we’d love to see you.

If you’re in the area, please feel free to stop by, say hello and have a chat with your local officers.

📍 Malmesbury Garden Centre
🗓 Tuesday 14 April 2026
⏰ 11:30am – 12:30pm

📍Tallis Amos Group (John Deere)
🗓 Tuesday 21 April 2026
⏰ 12:00pm – 1:30pm
📍 Culkerton Road, just off the A429 between Kemble and Crudwell

We’ll be on hand to answer questions, offer advice, and listen to any concerns you may have.

These events are part of our ongoing commitment to being visible, accessible and working closely with our community.

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Community visits across the area with the neighbourhood policing team

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 16:09:14 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

The Malmesbury Neighbourhood Policing Team will be out and about this month, and we’d love to see you.

If you’re in the area, please feel free to stop by, say hello and have a chat with your local officers.

📍 Malmesbury Garden Centre
🗓 Monday 14 April 2026
⏰ 11:30am – 12:30pm

📍Tallis Amos Group (John Deere)
🗓 Monday 21 April 2026
⏰ 12:00pm – 1:30pm
📍 Culkerton Road, just off the A429 between Kemble and Crudwell

We’ll be on hand to answer questions, offer advice, and listen to any concerns you may have.

These events are part of our ongoing commitment to being visible, accessible, and working closely with our community.

We look forward to seeing you 👋💬

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Community visits across the area

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 15:45:26 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

PCSO Camilleri will be out and about in the Marlborough area this April, holding local community consultations.

These drop‑in sessions are a great chance to discuss any neighbourhood concerns, get crime prevention advice, or simply say hello.

📅 Wednesday 15 April 2026
🕚 11am – Midday
📍 Chilton Foliat Village Hall

📅 Thursday 16 April 2026
🕚 11am – Midday
📍 Baydon Village Shop & Post Office

Everyone is welcome, so please come along if you live or work locally. Your views help us shape local policing priorities.

If you can’t attend but would like to raise an issue, feel free to reply to this message or contact the Neighbourhood Team on email: DevizesAreaNPT@wiltshire.police.uk

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Community visits across the area - Bradford on Avon, Melksham and Trowbridge

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 11:16:44 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

Your local Neighbourhood Policing Team will be out and about across the area with the mobile police station between 7th–12th April.

📅 Tuesday 7th April

The Bell Pub, Broughton Gifford – 2:30pm–3:30pm
PCSO Walters and PCSO Dybowska
Hilperton Village Hall – 6:30pm–7:30pm
PC Miller and PCSO Dentry

📅 Wednesday 8th April

Melksham High Street – 10:00am–11:00am
PC Coombs and PCSO Griffin

King George V Car Park – 3:00pm–4:00pm
PCSO Thomas and PCSO Griffin

Tesco, County Way – 7:00pm–8:00pm
PC Miller and PCSO Dentry

📅 Thursday 9th April

Station Approach, Bradford on Avon – 10:00am–11:30am
PC Dentry, PC Tilley and PCSO Thomas

Trowbridge College – 3:00pm–4:00pm
PCSO Dentry and PCSO Thomas

📅 Friday 10th April
Supporting the Police Powers Roadshow at The Civic Centre, Trowbridge

11:00am–1:00pm – PC Tipple and PC Greenland
1:00pm–3:00pm – PC Thornell and PCSO Dybowska

Melksham High Street – 7:00pm–8:00pm
PC Thornell and PCSO Dybowska

📅 Saturday 11th April

Fore Street, Trowbridge – 10:00am–11:00am
PC Hannis and PCSO Brain

King George V Park – 4:00pm–5:00pm
PCSO Walters and PCSO Dybowska

Fore Street, Trowbridge – 8:00pm–9:30pm
PC Tipple, PC Greenland, PC Gilmour and PC Thornell

📅 Sunday 12th April

Wicker Hill, Trowbridge – 11:00am–12:00pm
PC Hannis and PCSO Brain

Sainsbury’s, Melksham – 2:00pm–3:00pm
PCSO Piper and PCSO Dybowska

Come along for advice, to share concerns, or just to say hello.

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Free Bike Marking Event - in partnership with Malmesbury Town Council

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:06:36 +0100

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

Next week (Wednesday 8 April) there will be free bike marking sessions to help protect your bike from theft and improve the chances of recovery if it’s ever lost or stolen.

📍 2:30 – 3:30pm
The Old School Room, Malmesbury Town Hall

📍3:45 – 4:30pm
By the play park, Avenue De Gien

📍4:45 – 5:45pm
The Activity Zone, Bremilham Road

No booking required - just turn up with your bike!

This is a great opportunity to get your bike securely marked and added to the national register. We look forward to seeing you there!

#NeighbourhoodPolicing

Chief Constable fortnightly update to the Police and Crime Commissioner - 27 March 2026

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 15:46:03 Z

Dear Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Wilkinson,

Next week, I will be launching the new operational priorities for Wiltshire Police.

For the first three years of my tenure as Chief Constable, I set three priorities- reviewed annually- to inform operational activity, ensure delivery of your Police and Crime Plan and with the objective of Keeping Wiltshire Safe.

These were Safer Public Spaces, Violence and Burglary.

I would like to share some of the significant successes we have achieved under these priorities since 2023.

Priority: Safer Public Spaces

Enhanced visibility in our communities: We have more than doubled the use of mobile police stations out in our communities (from 175 deployments in 2024 to 416 in 2025) and consistently increased how many local meetings and events our neighbourhood teams attend – from 9,800 in 2023, 11,385 in 2024 to 11,655 last year. I am excited to confirm a third mobile police station will be in use later this year, so I expect our community engagements to continue rising

Project Vigilant: This dedicated, long-running operation focuses on tackling behaviour that makes women and girls feel unsafe in public spaces by intervening before crimes are committed. It focuses on predatory behaviour displayed by potential offenders - not on others changing their habits – within the Nighttime Economy and aims to disrupt the early signs of harmful activity. Now, Wiltshire Police are one of the leading police forces taking Project Vigilant further by providing training to our new police officers, so they are immediately aware of the community concerns and enforcement opportunities Project Vigilant affords them. We are also using our experience to share learning with other police forces, we are deploying our drones to support and expanding into our Vigilant Communities initiative. This phase of Project Vigilant involves members of the community sharing information with us when they spot signs of predatory behaviour in our public spaces. More information about Project Vigilant can be found on our website here, and a more detailed explanation of what a Project Vigilant deployment involves can be found on this YouTube video

Utilising our Neighbourhood Policing Teams (NPTs) during dedicated operations: Across December and January, our NPTs led a two-month highly proactive programme aimed at improving town and city centre safety with a focus on retail crime, anti-social behaviour (ASB), street crime and night-time economy offending including Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). This resulted in almost 200 arrests, more than 860 dedicated ASB patrols and more than 350 public engagements with our communities. You can read more about this initiative here.

Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB): There are now 17 live Criminal Behaviour Orders in place in Swindon (compared to one in 2024) and 10 across the county. CBOs replaced Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) and prohibit the offender from doing anything outlined in the order which can include them being banned from certain shops or areas. We’ve also seen the use of Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOS) in Swindon – one banning the use of e-bikes and e-scooters, alongside other restrictions such as street drinking, public urination and riding pedal bikes in a way that endangers pedestrians in the town centre. Another was brought in specifically to tackle illegal car meets in the town. The first enforcement of this PSPO resulted in more than 50 tickets being issued and has led to a dramatic reduction in car meets in Swindon. There are also PSPOs in Devizes (tackling issues such as street drinking in the Market Place) and one in Salisbury (which targets street drinking in the city centre).

Developing our relationships with businesses: Across Wiltshire, our neighbourhood teams engaged with local businesses more than 700 times in the last year to understand the issues they are facing and how we can best support them. Last November, your office oversaw the formation of the Salisbury Business Crime Reduction Partnership to prevent and deter criminal activities and create a safer environment for shoppers, workers, and visitors to the city

Stop and Search: We have seen an increase in the use of Stop and Search by 50% from 1,925 (from March 2023-March 2024) to 2,889 (from March 2025-March 2026). When used effectively, this can prevent onward offending within our communities

Tackling rural crime: During the 2024/25 Hare Coursing season (August to April), 22 people were arrested for Hare Coursing/Poaching offences – a 500% increase compared to the previous 12 months. Of these 22, 15 were convicted and more than £3,000 in fines were issued. Between August 2025 and February this year, we arrested 15 people for Hare Coursing/Poaching offences. Of these, eight are awaiting court dates (no further action was taken regarding the other seven). We’ve also seen a 21% increase in the number of rural crime reports made to us from 178 to 216 (from Feb 2025-Feb 2026)

Strong victim satisfaction: Our overall victim satisfaction rate was 77.9% in the 12 months to 2024 and 74.2% in the 12 months to December 2025. Hate crime victim satisfaction is now at 81% - up from 65% in the 12 months to February 2025

Increasing the safety of our road network: In addition to holding more road safety operations in the last 12 months, we have also seen a significant rise in the number of Fixed Penalty Notices we are issuing for speeding offences – from 12,504 tickets in the 12 months to December 2024 to 16,669 in the 12 months to December 2025. In November, Wiltshire and Swindon’s Road Safety Partnership held a road safety summit with a range of partners, ensuring closer working to improve road safety across the county. You and I opened this conference to emphasise the criticality of enforcement, education and engineering working hand-in-hand.

Priority: Violence

Reduction in most serious violent offences: We have seen a decrease in the numbers of the most serious, violent offences which includes murder, manslaughter, attempted murder, endangering life and Grievous Bodily Harm from 313 in the 12 months to March 2023 to 297 in the 12 months to February this year

Increase in the conviction rates and further action being taken in rape and serious sexual offences cases: Cases where Further Action was Taken (FAT) have doubled over the past 12 months, with FAT rates for rape and serious sexual offences now at 9% and 10% respectively. Conviction rates for these cases stand at 76% in 2025. We are also seeing an increase in the number of rape and serious sexual offences being reported to us – from 1,760 in the 12 months to Feb 2025 to 2,019 in the same period to Feb 2026. Our communities can read more about all outcomes available post investigation here.

Increase in the identification and recording of stalking offences: From the 12 months to March 2023 to the 12 months to February this year, we have seen an increase of 68% in the number of stalking offences being recorded. The outcome rate for stalking in the 12 months to February was 17.8%

Significant reduction in the number of wanted Domestic Abuse (DA) offenders: Following a Force-wide operation last October, we reduced the number of outstanding DA offenders from 425 to 249. We remain committed to further reducing this number. We have also seen an increase in the number of DA reports being made to us (from 6,802 in 2024 to 6,974 in 2025). We believe this is due to our communities having greater trust and confidence that we will take action when they reach out to us to help them

Enhanced partnership collaboration: We are proud to be part of a coalition called Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAWG) in Wiltshire, comprising of members of the public, members of the judiciary, police, representatives from domestic abuse organisations, and business leaders. The EVAWG act as a critical friend to our organisation - providing insight and guidance to improve our service to victims and communities. Collectively, we made a commitment to ensure that our approach to VAWG now firmly centres on the voices and lived experiences of victims. We are also dedicated to championing local charities and support groups, such as the Salisbury Soroptimists who support victims of domestic abuse with guidance as to how the justice system works, and useful organisations that can provide support. In May last year, we launched a Multi-Agency Tasking and Co-ordination process (MATAC). This unites policing teams with our partners to target, disrupt, and engage with offenders who pose the most risk to the public. We cannot tackle violent offenders in isolation so we will continue to further develop these crucial partnerships

Increase in the detection of drug possession: Due to our increased visibility in communities and proactivity with using Stop and Search, we have seen a 10% increase in the number of drug possession offences, from 934 in the 12 months to March 2023 to 1,032 in the 12 months to February this year.

Priority: Burglary

Since 2023, 1,858 residential burglaries were reported to us, and we attended 1,855 of these. Of the three we didn’t attend, two were at the request of the victim and one was following no further contact from the reporting person despite extensive efforts from officers. On balance, I can confidently state that, where victims allow us entry, we attend 100% of residential burglaries reported to us

Over the last year, we have seen a 4% reduction in the number of residential burglaries reported to us (583 were reported in the 12 months to February)

Last year, we ran a dedicated operation into a series of high-value residential burglaries targeting large rural properties. We are currently working with other Forces, sharing the intelligence we have gathered to locate the offenders who we believe are responsible for more than 100 burglaries across the country. In addition, under Operation Ragwort - a rural crime collaboration formed between all police forces and Police and Crime Commissioners in the south-west and our bordering forces in the south - we recently seized several diggers, tractors and quad bikes stolen from rural properties. These were all returned to their rightful owners

Working with colleagues in the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit, we’ve also dismantled an Organised Crime Group responsible for a series of commercial burglaries in the county.

In addition to the significant improvements in our operational delivery, I would also like to reflect upon the enhancements within our Corporate Services (police staff) function. These mean we have not only delivered improved outcomes, but we have done so whilst achieving the nearly £8m efficiencies required this year. The collaborative efforts of our officers, staff and volunteers have built ever stronger foundations for the next year and I would like to thank them for their dedication.

I would also like to take this opportunity to publicly thank our partners, communities and your office, Commissioner, for their support which have resulted in these important outcomes and improvements to our service.

Looking ahead, the operational priorities from April 1st will be:

1. Safer Public Spaces (building upon the foundations created under this existing priority across the last three years).

With a focus on: Knife crime, preventing youth offending, ASB and enhancing local policing within our neighbourhoods

2. Reduce and prevent Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG)

With a focus on: Domestic Abuse, Rape and Serious Sexual Offences, Stalking and Harassment

3. Improve outcomes for victims

With a focus on: ensuring high quality investigations.

The deliverable, tangible outcomes under each of these priorities can be found in the 2026/27 Plans on a Page which we have published today here.

The two plans – owned by Deputy Chief Constable Mark Cooper and Chief of Corporate Services John Derryman – outline the activities we will deliver to achieve these priorities.

I will be using my next Facebook Live event, on May 11 at 6.30pm, to share more detail around these operational priorities and take any questions from our communities. This Facebook Live will also focus on our HMICFRS PEEL inspection report – which we are anticipating will be published in the next few months – and the contribution made by our incredible volunteers. Our communities can submit questions for this session via this form.

Whilst I hope our communities can see the improvements we are making to the service we are delivering, there is more to do.

My officers, staff, volunteers and I remain fully committed to Keeping Wiltshire Safe.

Kindest regards to you,

Catherine Roper

Chief Constable, Wiltshire Police

Stay safe from bank and police impersonation scams

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 16:10:57 Z

Hello {FIRST_NAME},

We are aware of recent reports where criminals are contacting members of the public on the phone, posing as bank staff or police officers.

These scams can be very convincing, but you can protect yourself by knowing the signs and taking simple steps.

🚨 What the scammers do.

Criminals may contact you claiming:

- Your bank account has been compromised
- Your money is at risk and needs to be “moved”
- They are a police officer investigating fraud
- They need your account details, card, or PIN
- A courier will visit your home to collect your bank card, cash, or documents.

They may spoof phone numbers so the call appears to look genuine on screen.

If someone claims to be from your bank:

✔ Hang up immediately if you are told your funds or accounts are at risk
✔ Do not move money or share any personal or banking information
✔ Report the incident to Report Fraud online or by calling 0300 123 2040.

If someone claims to be from the police:

✔ Ask for their name and collar number.
✔ Hang up the phone.
✔ Wait a few minutes or use a different phone.
✔ Call 101 to confirm the officer’s details.
✔ Real police officers will never ask you to move money, share PINs or hand over bank cards.

✅ Top tips to remember:

•    Banks and police will NEVER ask you to transfer money to a “safe account”.
•    Do not trust caller ID as numbers can be spoofed.
•    Take your time. Genuine organisations will never pressure you.
•    If in doubt, end the call. You are always allowed to check.
•    If a courier is on route to or outside your property. Call 999 immediately. This is a crime in progress, and do not open the door or hand anything over.

Need help?

You can report it to us online (www.wiltshire.police.uk/ro/report/fo/v2/report-fraud-bribery-corruption/) or if you think you’ve been targeted, contact your bank straight away and report it to Report Fraud (0300 123 2040).