Crime down and more officers:

PCC Annual Report

Police and Crime Commissioner John Dwyer has published his latest Annual Report detailing progress on his Police and Crime Plan and other public priorities, with figures showing Cheshire was one of just eight areas in England and Wales where crime fell in 2022/23.

Alongside Cheshire's reduction in crime of 4% -- compared to a national average increase of 4.5% -- 2022/23 also saw the number of police officers in Cheshire reach 2,361, the highest number since the 1970s. 129 officers were reallocated to priority roles, which has helped to improve incident response times and arrest rates, and support Cheshire Constabulary's community policing model, as well as its response to serious and organised crime.

There was also further investment in 82 additional police staff. Many of these were in the Force Control Centre (FCC), leading to a reduction in call abandonment rates and improved answering times for 101 and 999 calls.

The ability to hire more FCC staff to improve the service comes from public backing for a small rise in the police precept, and the report highlights how the Commissioner has carried out the largest ever budget surveys in Cheshire to seek the public's support.

In 2022/23 the Commissioner's office also secured over £5 million in funding on top of the general policing budget to support the Constabulary's Safer Streets campaign, as well as programmes to support victims of domestic abuse and change the behaviour of perpetrators.

Police and Crime Commissioners are required to publish an Annual Report on progress against the Police and Crime Plan each year. You can read the 2022/23 Annual Report here.