The number of Warwickshire Direct locations offering police front counter services has doubled, with six new sites joining the existing six at locations at libraries across the county.
On October 1, the libraries at Lillington, Nuneaton, Polesworth, Wellesbourne, Whitnash and Wolston joined those at Alcester, Coleshill, Kenilworth, Shipston on Stour, Southam and Warwick in being able to offer access to police services.
This is alongside the existing borough council services in Atherstone and Bedworth, the justice centres in Nuneaton and Leamington Spa, and police stations in Rugby and Stratford-upon-Avon. Overall, it means that public access to police front counter services has been significantly expanded.
Run in partnership with Warwickshire County Council, the Warwickshire Direct facilities have trained staff alongside computer terminals that people can use to find out information themselves. The libraries provide people with a single point of access to local information, advice and other key services, from applying for a disabled parking blue badge or asking about free school meals.
Police services offered include crime and incident reporting, putting you in touch with local officers, access to your local Safer Neighbourhood Team, and reporting anti-social behaviour.
The locations were chosen following a review of current and anticipated demand. The aim is to make the best use of partnership resources and offer improved accessibility to members of the public wishing to use the service. The Warwickshire Direct service will be regularly reviewed to ensure it meets the needs of the local community who want to contact the police.
This is excellent news and a good demonstration of how the police can work with partners to deliver improved services. Increasing the visibility and accessibility of the police in our local communities is a key commitment of my Police and Crime Plan, so I am delighted to be able to make this significant progress so quickly.
This month I have unveiled the first draft of my Police and Crime Plan for Warwickshire, for consultation with communities and partners across the county. With the aim of creating a safer, more secure Warwickshire, the plan sets out my priorities for the next four years.
I'm delighted at the news that Leamington has achieved the prestigious Purple Flag status for its evening and night time economy. Purple Flag is a town and city centre award – similar to the Blue Flag for beaches – which aims to raise the standard and broaden the appeal of town and city centres between the hours of 5pm and 5am.
Tomorrow (October 8) marks the start of Hate Crime Awareness Week, a national campaign which aims to encourage everyone to work together with communities affected by hate crime to stage awareness events.
Here are some of the key events in my diary for the month ahead:
