NEXT week is National Response Policing Week and, along with police forces across the country, we will be recognising and celebrating the great work that is done by frontline uniformed officers working on our response teams (in West Mercia we call them ‘patrol’ teams).

These are the officers who respond to 999 emergency and 101 calls for service from members of the public.

In Herefordshire we have patrol teams based in Hereford, Leominster, Ledbury and Ross-on-Wye. They work shifts to provide 24/7 cover and they deal with a huge range of incidents and issues including reports of crime, anti-social behaviour and disorder, vulnerability such as missing people or those in immediate mental health crisis, road traffic collisions and domestic abuse, to name but a few.

These officers work with partners including other emergency services, Herefordshire Council and third sector groups to bring incidents to a swift and safe resolution.

The very nature of this role can lead to trauma, and I’m exceptionally proud of all of our patrol officers who support victims of crime in times of crisis, ensure that they gather evidence to bring perpetrators to justice, implement safeguarding measures and also look after their shift colleagues, coming back shift after shift to ensure our communities are safe.

Senior management colleagues and I will be spending some time on patrol next week to get back to the front line and say thank you to our patrol colleagues for all that they do.

Look out for updates on our social media, we are on Facebook as ‘Hereford Cops’, traditional media and on Neighbourhood Matters, which is a system where you can keep yourself up to date with local events, issues and crime prevention advice by registering at https://neighbourhoodmatters.co.uk

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You will also find surveys where you can give your views on any concerns.

HELEN WAIN

HEREFORDSHIRE POLICE COMMANDER