Respecting Diversity

Diversity of geography - rural/coastal/urban, technologies and of people. Differing policing and communication styles for differing real and online communities.

Rural Communities

I have overseen the development of a dedicated Rural Crime Team to support our rural communities to be resilient against crime. As a member of the National Rural Crime Network with other Police and Crime Commissioners around the country we work together to evidence and highlight the issues blighting rural communities and act together on their behalf.

Diverse Communities

I see my role as helping improve community cohesion and reduce the likelihood of hate crimes occurring. I have led a team that has helped re-instigate the Respect Festival in Plymouth in 2018, developed the first ever diversity festival for Torbay called Into the Mix and host with the force a range of Bluelight Days for our learning disabled community. Plus I also support the many Pride events across the two counties to celebrate those in our community who are LGBT+ and proud.

One of the important roles carried out by a Police and Crime Commissioner is the scrutiny of policing and you can see our reports on the Use of Force and Stop and Search here. With key recommendations about disparity in the data my scrutiny panel's recommendations aim for greater transparency of what's happening in our communities.

Young Communities

I have personally attended a number of British Youth Council Conventions in the past few years, debating and working alongside them to tackle the issues that matter to them such as Stop and Search and violence. My office has commissioned a Young Persons Victims of Crime Service which I have spoken to users of this service and it has been invaluable to provide support in their times of need.