Residents across Northamptonshire were given their latest opportunity to quiz Chief Constable Ivan Balhatchet and Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone.
The latest online ‘Chat with the Chiefs’ was held last night (March 31) on Facebook and YouTube – with more than one hundred questions submitted on various topics that matter to people across the county.
The session began with Ivan and Danielle outlining what had been achieved following on from the first Chat with the Chiefs back in October. This included updates on:
- A reduction in anti-social behaviour (ASB) in Rushden thanks to increased police patrols as part of Operation Renew – while Danielle’s ASB Early Intervention Team are now providing specialist support to young perpetrators at their secondary schools.
- A survey earlier in the year asking more than 2,500 young people for their views on policing and safety, which will shape forthcoming recommendations to tackle anti-social behaviour.
- Live Facial Recognition being used for the first time in the county to help tackle Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). Two vans were placed in prominent positions in the county over four days in November/December and led to seven arrests (three of which were VAWG related) and nine offenders being spoken to.
Following on from the success of this live facial recognition operation, Ivan outlined how the technology will be used further over the next two months in Northampton, Kettering, Corby and Wellingborough. This will allow the Force to check images in real time against a pre‑determined watchlist of people of interest or who may pose a risk of harm.
The issue of e-scooters also prompted many questions. Ivan was able to update residents on the impact of Operation Journey, a targeted enforcement initiative in which more than 120 illegal e-bikes were seized last week to improve road safety and reduce anti-social riding. The operation focused on identifying unregistered, uninsured and dangerously modified e-bikes and scooters – with several riders now under investigation for related offences.
Ivan and Danielle also fielded questions on school parking, drug use, police officer standards and the ongoing efforts to find police stations in Kettering, Corby and Towcester.
Chief Constable Ivan Balhatchet said: “This was another opportunity to hear from people across the county and understand what matters to them.
“I want to thank everyone who submitted questions in advance and live on the night. As with the last Chat with the Chiefs, we had some valuable feedback that will help to inform our work.
“It was important to explain what has been achieved since the last online session, and there has been some good progress on tackling road safety and anti-social behaviour.
“I have said there is no magic wand to fix all the challenges that we face. But we can always try to do more. So I will sit down with Danielle to review any further actions we can take that will help to improve safety for our residents.”
Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone added: “Holding the Chief Constable to account for the performance of Northamptonshire Police is an important part of my job.
“These online sessions help our residents to play a key role in that process and allow Ivan and myself to be visible and accessible to people.
“It’s important for us to be honest and transparent in our answers, and hopefully those who watched will have heard about the great work that is being done by our police officers and staff to disrupt criminality in our neighbourhoods.
“This also gives us a platform to make people aware of our new initiatives and to thank the hundreds of police volunteers who help us to keep our communities safe.”
The full Chat with the Chiefs session can be watched below (starting at the 16.45 mark).
A record of all the actions that have been taken from Chat with the Chiefs can also be found at the following link: Chiefs Chat – Northamptonshire Police & Fire Commissioner
