The Police and Crime Commissioner for Dorset has launched a new plan to set the strategic direction for policing in the county for the next four years.

Commissioner Martyn Underhill unveiled his new Police and Crime Plan for Dorset today, based on thousands of conversations had by the commissioner during his previous term in office and during a specific consultation period.

This was held from December 2016 to January 2017 and more than 2,000 Dorset residents shared what they wanted to see from police in face-to-face meetings and online.

The Police and Crime Plan has four key pillars – protecting people at risk of harm, working within Dorset communities, supporting victims, witnesses and reducing re-offending, and transforming the service for the future. 

Commissioner Martyn Underhill believes that setting the strategic direction for Dorset Police is his most important task to undertake for the people of Dorset and is confident he has listened to what Dorset wants from its police force.

He said: “It is my ambition that everyone in the organisation, from mechanics fixing police vehicles, to control room staff and front line police constables, right through to chief officers, understands and works towards the priorities set out by the public. 

“The plan closely reflects what residents have told me matters most to them. It is not my plan for Dorset, it is ours. At its heart, it’s about improving public confidence, trust and satisfaction in policing.”

Chief Constable Debbie Simpson said: “My team and I worked closely with the commissioner to establish a plan we are all committed to delivering and confident can be achieved. The nature of crime is changing and we must change with it. 

“I welcome the new priorities for Dorset, which allow us to stay ahead of the curve and tackle new challenges head on.”

Commissioner Martyn Underhill assured Dorset residents that they will be kept updated about how the plan is progressing during his time in office – with help from the web. 

He said: “While I am excited to be talking about my new plan today, I want to make sure that this announcement is followed by regular updates throughout my term. 

This is why I have launched an interactive function on my website where residents can stay up to date with progress being made at the click of a button.”

The new function allows the public to view all updates on the Police and Crime Plan or to filter the information by time period or specific policing interests, such as rural crime, restorative justice and 101 improvement.

The interactive function also gives people access to video, images and examples of the commissioner’s lobbying correspondence, as well as links to further information.

Over the next four weeks, Dorset Police will be holding weekly ‘ask the experts’ media events at various locations across the county on each of the priority areas in the plan.

Residents are encouraged by Dorset Police to regularly visit www.dorsetpoliceplan.com and provide feedback directly to the commissioner at pcc@dorset.pnn.police.uk