A message from our Chief Constable in response to the publication of the Police Reform White Paper

Yesterday (26/01), the government published a set of proposals to overhaul the way policing is run in the UK.

I believe there is too much complexity and duplication of effort within policing, which is taking us away from what we are here to do: To protect our communities by fighting crime, serving victims and building trust. For this reason, I am cautiously optimistic about the proposed plans. We need to remove barriers, improve consistency, and make sure we have the tools we need to meet modern challenges.

Criminality is constantly evolving, which means so does policing. Thames Valley Police is no stranger to innovation – it is part of our DNA. Several Initiatives that were born in our force have been rolled out nationally as best practice – for example to prevent knife crime, tackle violence against women and girls and the use Generative AI virtual assistant Bobbi to improve public contact.

For the people who work in policing, serving tirelessly to make a real difference to our communities, the idea of change in the coming years, is no doubt daunting. I will be working closely with other leaders in policing over the coming weeks and months to shape the plans as they develop.

For our communities the prospect of change may similarly feel uncertain. My message is one of reassurance. First and foremost, the excellent standard of service we strive to provide for our communities is non-negotiable.

At a local level, this is business as usual for us. Whatever the structural changes, we remain committed to delivering visible, responsive community-focused policing within the Thames Valley. Our focus is, and remains, on protecting our communities.