Police Now officers are playing a vital role in tackling crime and anti-social behaviour in Staffordshire.
Communities nationwide where Police Now officers have been posted for the last 22-months have seen 38,772 fewer incidents of anti-social behaviour compared to the same time period from October 2016 – equivalent to a 14 per cent drop.
Officers on Police Now’s National Graduate Leadership Programme have been working alongside their colleagues within their local neighbourhood teams.
As well as the drop in anti-social behaviour, communities have also seen 14,301 fewer incidents of criminal damage & arson – a fall of 13 per cent. There were 12,460 fewer incidents of burglary – a fall of 16 per cent – and 31,732 fewer incidents of theft, equivalent to a 14 per cent fall.
PC Natalie Millward of Staffordshire Police spotted an increase in 999 calls in Normacot. She realised that most of them were non-emergency calls coming from one person. She met the person and realised she was on the autism spectrum. She realised that usual communication techniques were not working. She conducted a survey with colleagues and realised that further training in the area would benefit the force. She designed a ‘pocket guide’ for frontline officers with information and guidance on working with people on the autism spectrum. The force has changed how it connects with other organisations that offer support on autism and it is looking to develop a more specific training package. Officers will now be assigned to support on cases involving people with autism
PC Millward said: “I’ve found that it’s important to be yourself, be confident and engage with the community to understand how they want to work with you as their local officer.”
Police Now’s mission is to transform communities by recruiting, developing and inspiring diverse leaders in policing.
Officers on Police Now’s programmes develop skills in leadership and problem-solving. They share a commitment to public service, fighting crime and inspiring social change alongside their colleagues.
Police Now has recruited a total of 1,830 officers across 33 forces in the UK, including Staffordshire Police, with 30 police constables and nine detective constables joining the force via this route.
Police Now consistently recruits more officers who are women or from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds compared to any other entry route into policing. Police Now recruitment data shows that of those starting on Police Now’s National Graduate Leadership Programme in Staffordshire in 2020, nearly one in five (18 per cent) identified as coming from a black, Asian and minority ethnic background and more than two thirds (71 per cent) identified as women.