Police and crime commissioner for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Donna Jones: My thoughts on 2022/2023

They sacrifice their special time with friends and family to protect us all, and often in very challenging circumstances. My reflections on 2022 are those of a challenging year, not just for policing but for the whole country. At the beginning of the year the UK moved back to business as usual post Covid, and as a result policing demand increased. In spite of all this, recognition should be given to Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary for having one of the most high performing police officer recruitment programmes in the country.

The work undertaken to recruit the best individuals has been outstanding and to date we have recruited more than 500 new officers. Increasing police numbers and improving police visibility remains high on my list of priorities, and why I am on track to deliver 600 new officers by March 2023.

Whilst police numbers are dramatically improving, we simultaneously experienced Covid court backlogs which further delayed important cases getting to court. This has been made more of a challenge this year because of the recent barrister strikes.

I welcomed Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary’s decision to reflect my desire for officers to attend 100 per cent of domestic burglaries. We have seen some key changes in legislation this year, specifically the non-fatal strangulation offence under the Domestic Abuse Act. Officers on the Isle of Wight secured one of the first convictions of this new offence in the country. We also saw the end of automatic parole for violent and sexual offenders and life in prison for those who kill children; heinous crimes committed by dangerous people will now be punished appropriately.

The death of HM Queen Elizabeth II brought 10 days of national mourning and triggered the biggest policing operation the UK has ever seen. More than 200 officers from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary went to help in London and elsewhere to ensure gatherings and events were safe.

More recently, I was delighted to announce the legal name change of the constabulary to include the Isle of Wight to rightly reflect the people who live on the island. I was honoured to have HM Lord-Lieutenant Susie Sheldon unveil the new logo with the new force crest with His Majesty’s new cypher at Newport Police Station in November.

As commissioner, I am looking forward to 2023 to continue to build on the pledges in my Police and Crime Plan to make Hampshire and the Isle of Wight safer. I will continue to invest in community safety projects, street lighting, speed cameras, CCTV, police drones, bikes and motorcycles and I will continue to dedicate £200,000 annually to tackle anti-social behaviour. Chief constable Scott Chilton will be leading the force into a new era with me from February 2023 and I am very much looking forward to working with him on our shared vision.

Thank you to all those who work in the emergency services, 365 days a year, to protect us.