Police forces in Dorset and Wiltshire thanked local communities and visitors for contributing to a largely peaceful weekend after the lifting of further COVID-19 restrictions and the reopening of the hospitality industry.
Dorset Chief Constable James Vaughan said: “I am very grateful that most people seemed to have taken on board our plea to come back safely and to respect, protect and enjoy our communities. We had extra patrols throughout the county and officers widely engaged with people out and about and businesses.”
“My message to everyone, whether you are a visitor or a resident, remains that you have a duty to act responsibly and not to become involved in drink-related anti-social behaviour or leave your rubbish to litter our beautiful region.
“If we all act responsibly, we can all enjoy a safe summer.”
Police and Crime Commissioner Martyn Underhill added: “I’d also like to thank the public for behaving in a way that respects our communities. Please continue acting responsibly throughout the rest of the summer.”
In Wiltshire, the force had a quieter time than expected and the majority of people feel confident that Wiltshire Police is doing the best it can to manage the policing response to the COVID19 pandemic, according to a public survey.
More than 2,800 people responded last month and more than 80 % felt engagement from their local policing team had either increased or stayed the same during the pandemic.
Almost 59% agreed or strongly agreed with the statement: “I feel confident that Wiltshire Police are doing all they can to manage the policing response to COVID19”. But concerns were raised by those who had reported breaches of lockdown to the police and felt that more should have been done to respond to those reports.
Assistant Chief Constable Deb Smith said: “Now, more than ever, it is imperative we have the support and confidence of our communities and I believe the results of the survey show we have been able to maintain that positive relationship with the public.
“It is clear there are some areas which could have been better dealt with, particularly how we responded to those people who reported breaches of COVID 19 restrictions.
The type of work carried out by the force during the pandemic had changed, but not reduced, with greater focus on proactive operations and dealing with the rising levels of certain types of crime, such as domestic abuse and child abuse.
Police and Crime Commissioner Angus Macpherson said the public survey had been an important way of giving the people of Swindon and Wiltshire an opportunity to give feedback to the police.
To read a summary of the public survey results please go to the Wiltshire Police website or the Police and Crime Commissioner’s website.