Welcome to a new monthly update which I hope you will find informative.

My name is Colin Seaton and I am the Deputy Area Commander for the Wycombe Police Area which includes Marlow and Princes Risborough and together with the Area Commander Superintendent Gilbert Houalla, I have responsibility for delivering your policing services.

I am delighted to be working in Wycombe not least because I have lived in the heart of Wycombe for several years; I spent two years as a Detective Sergeant in Wycombe nine years ago and it truly feels like I have returned home. I hope through these articles you will be provided with an insight into my role as a member of the Wycombe Police Command Team and the work of your local policing teams as we strive to make our communities safer.

A key priority is to ensure that you have a stronger voice in deciding which issues we tackle at neighbourhood level and where we devote our resources. To achieve this we have introduced monthly open meetings on each neighbourhood where you can meet your local neighbourhood team and ‘Have your Say’. I would be pleased if you could attend a ‘Have your say’ meeting which is your unique opportunity to tell us what you want us to do, where and when. At the meeting we will give you an intelligence and crime briefing so you know what is happening on your area; come and hear it from us first. This will ensure your voice counts in determining the priorities to be addressed and you can find the meeting dates and times on your neighbourhood page on the Thames Valley Police website or by calling the Thames Valley Police non-emergency number 0845 8 505 505.

You have consistently told us you want to see the police being more visible. We are working hard to achieve this by ensuring that neighbourhood teams spend more time on patrol as well as undertaking specific operations.

Through working hard with our partners, including Wycombe District Council, we have seen excellent reductions of over 1,800 crimes in 2009/10 compared to the previous year. However, these reductions are not reflected in your perception of crime and your confidence in how well we are working together to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour.

Therefore, one of the key challenges we face is continuing to achieve reductions in crime, as well as improving this level of confidence.

There are a number of ways we hope to achieve this over the forthcoming months, including: - Members of the Public Safety Team, who are made up of officers from TVP and Wycombe District Council and deal with anti-social behaviour, will be attending Have your Say meetings to take reports of anti-social behaviour and offer advice - The Public Safety Team have also recently published information in relation to breaches of ASBOs (Anti-Social Behaviour Orders) - Feedback cards are now being distributed to areas where anti-social behaviour has been dealt with to let all the neighbours know how the situation has been resolved, where possible.

- Every three months the Community Safety Newsletter, CSI, is produced and distributed across the district. This contains up to date information on the work of the Wycombe Community Safety Partnership.

- Members of the Community Safety Team within Wycombe District Council will undertake patrols with police officers and PCSOs in key areas in order to provide information to members of the public, and offer crime reduction advice.

Operation Gauntlet will start at the same time as the school holidays in an effort to see the same reductions in the small number of robbery offences, as seen last year when the operation was mounted.

The operation will also involve a high visibility presence from uniformed officers and community safety partners across designated areas as well as a staffed crime reduction van which can be used as a mobile police station to report incidents as well as gather information about reducing your risk of crime.

Horses from the Force’s mounted section will also join the operation on scheduled dates and posters warning people to keep valuables safe and hidden will be displayed throughout The Rye to raise awareness.

Nightsafe is a partnership which includes Thames Valley Police, Wycombe District Council and Bucks Drug and Alcohol Action Team. Working together, the partnership aims to ensure that Wycombe and the surrounding areas are fun, but safe places for a night out for everyone.

The Wycombe Community Safety Partnership is a supporter of the ‘Watch Your Game’ campaign to remind football supporters to drink sensibly and stay within the law. Through the duration of the FIFA World Cup our communities in Wycombe District can be reassured that the Police will be available to help ensure the majority enjoy themselves while dealing robustly with any who cause trouble.

Over the next few months, we will be contacting people who have received either a warning, or have been reported for alcohol-related behaviour in our area by sending out postcards which state that alcohol related crime, disorder or anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated within the Wycombe District. Enclosed will also be some literature and advice on alcohol and substance misuse.

You can also read local monthly updates from your Neighbourhood team by visiting your neighbourhood page on the Thames Valley Police website. I am currently working with the Community Safety Manager at Wycombe District Council to purchase stands for each of the supermarkets in High Wycombe town centre so printed copies of the neighbourhood updates can be made available to you – there will also be updates on the work of the Public Safety Team.

Finally, please remember that Wycombe is a pleasant and safe place to live and work and there are many people working very hard to keep it that way.

Regards, Colin Seaton Chief Inspector