Neighbourhood Policing Week 2025: Force praises its committed neighbourhood policing teams
Dorset Police is celebrating its neighbourhood teams for their ongoing commitment in engaging with communities, being tough on crime and keeping people safe.
Neighbourhood Policing Week of Action, which runs from Monday 23 June to Sunday 29 June, is being celebrated in Dorset by highlighting the vital work carried out by police officers, police community support officers (PCSOs) and volunteers, who go above and beyond to protect the public and keep the communities of Dorset safe.
Neighbourhood policing teams continue to engage in high-visibility data-driven hotspot patrols to target serious crime by 70 per cent and anti-social behaviour (ASB). This successful initiative is now being expanded into areas, such as Wimborne, Swanage, Dorchester and Blandford. Since its launch in April 2024, this initiative has significantly reduced serious crime by 70 per cent and ASB by 66.8 per cent in identified hotspot areas.
Neighbourhood policing lead, Assistant Chief Constable Mark Callaghan said: “Neighbourhood policing is at the heart of everything the Force does and plays such an important role in working collaboratively with our communities.
“Our neighbourhood policing teams remain connected and proactive, going out in our communities every day targeting offenders, preventing crime, problem solving, safeguarding the vulnerable, gathering intelligence and engaging with the public.
“Your local neighbourhood policing teams are there to listen to any concerns you have about your local area.
“During the summer we see a significant increase in visitors, and our neighbourhood teams are out and about across Dorset focusing on tackling ASB and crime, we also enhance our resourcing where we see increased numbers of people such as seafront areas. We work with our partners to keep our communities safe.
“Our neighbourhood teams have tackled criminality around drugs, anti-social behaviour and violence using both criminal and civil powers. An example of our approach to ASB is that around anti-social cyclists and motorbikes often being highlighted as being a concern for residents and businesses. Our neighbourhood teams have listened to these concerns and are now trialling SmartTag in Bournemouth and Poole, a new device to help us remain tough on anti-social cyclists and motorcyclists by ‘tagging’ an offender and their bike with a water-based marking solution.
“I am so proud of the work of our committed neighbourhood teams, who go above and beyond every day to stay tough on crime and keep people safe.”
Neighbourhood teams will also receive a welcomed boost over the coming months as we welcome additional resources recruited as part of the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee.
Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner, David Sidwick, said: “Our Neighbourhood Policing Teams play a vital role in keeping Dorset residents safe; they are the backbone of community policing. Their work fighting crime helps to build trust and confidence with the communities they serve. They know what concerns local residents have and are determined to act upon them to ensure local people feel safe in the place they live and work.
“Thanks to extra funding through the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, it will see more officers out and about in our communities, building on these vital connections, deterring crime, and boosting residents’ feeling of safety. I fully support this week which is dedicated to shining a spotlight on the crucial work our Neighbourhood Policing Teams do across all of our communities, and I thank them for their continued hard work in keeping Dorset one of the safest counties.”
If you are concerned about issues in your neighbourhood, please contact your local neighbourhood team online at www.dorset.police.uk/contact, or by calling 101. If a crime is in progress or life in danger, always dial 999.
We have a range of career opportunities with Dorset Police. To find out more, please visit: https://www.dorset.police.uk/police-forces/dorset-police/areas/careers/careers/