The Chiltern & South Bucks Policing Issues Forum was an independent, resident-led platform to assist communication between residents and Neighbourhood Policing across the Chiltern & South Bucks parts of Thames Valley Police Buckinghamshire Local Command Unit. It covered the neighbourhood areas of Amersham, Burnham, Farnhams & Taplow, Chesham, Chalfonts, Denham & Gerrards Cross, Iver Stoke Poges & Wexham, Missendens.
Sadly, the volunteers who ran the Forum(s) for more than six years stepped back in late-2024. We should like to thank Thames Valley Police’s neighbourhood policing teams, and originally Chiltern & South Bucks District Council for inviting us to develop the platform, and for their support and encouragement. There is no doubt that the Police valued our platform and the engagement.
Thank you also to the Police and Crime Commissioner and his office for their support. We also received awards from the High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire, citing our steering the platform through challenges of COVID-19 and the change in Council structure. Sadly the unitary Buckinghamshire Council did not share the views of Thames Valley Police, the Police and Crime Commissioner or Chiltern & South Bucks District Council. After four years of grappling with such indifference or even obstruction, those behind the Forum decided to put their voluntary efforts to better use.
This website is no longer being maintained or updated, but for now it has not been taken down as some of the information built up over the years remains relevant and may be helpful. But please do check information against more up-to-date sources!
Facilitating effective communication between residents and Neighbourhood Policing
Police forces throughout the UK have to balance national and Force priorities with more local demands, driven by the experience of citizens. Through the former, they combat many of the worst threats to society, and a clear expectation is set ‘from the top’. But full confidence in policing depends just as much on meeting the public’s expectations. Local policing must be seen to do everything it can to respond to local needs, and keep our communities safe.
The Forum operated a transparent process for discussing, setting and reviewing focus areas for our Neighbourhood Police Teams. Surveys were held three times a year, followed by meetings open to all residents, attended by senior Thames Valley Police officers and where appropriate, guest speakers and subject matter experts.
To help our Neighbourhood Police teams to be the Force’s ‘eyes and ears’ in their localities, we urged residents to take all opportunities to make their concerns and wishes known.
Neighbourhood Teams’ Focus Areas
These were set at regular Forum meetings.
Actions to pursue neighbourhood priorities were reported in the quarterly newsletters published by each Neighbourhood team. This website carried a comprehensive up-to-date collection of these reports, including also information on current team personnel, times and locations of opportunities to meet team members at ‘Have Your Say’ meetings, offenders brought to justice, and other policing news.
Similar surveys are now performed on a county-wide basis by Thames Valley Police. Information can be accessed on the Police.UK website – scroll down to “What’s happening in your area?”
How Intelligence can contribute to the effectiveness of Policing
Rightly, we look to our Police forces for our security through law enforcement.
But policing at its best has a proactive, problem solving approach. Most harms cannot simply be dealt with by reactive enforcement – think in particular of knife crime, County lines, drug dealing, but this is equally applicable to many other harms.
But to achieve this, data and intelligence are critical. Much of this will come from the public. This is another reason that maintaining the public’s TRUST is essential.
Forum post: What type of policing do we want? October 22nd 2023
The Forum’s Reporting Crime page explains this importance, and HOW residents can report and pass on information and concerns. We, as citizens, can help our Police to deliver a proactive, intelligence-led service.
Enhancing our own personal and Community resilience
We rely on policing to keep our community safe, but we need also to be realistic about resourcing and limits of coverage. That’s why there is a need for residents, individually or collectively, to contribute to the resilience of their community.
Burglary and Speeding regularly show up as the greatest concerns of residents. Meanwhile, of all crime types, we are by far most likely to fall victim to fraud or a scam. Through this website, we promote Neighbourhood Watch and Community Speedwatch, national initiatives to which residents can volunteer to improve safety of our homes and on our streets. We also promote greater awareness of frauds and scams as a means of improving resilience.
PROTECT OUR HOMES by joining Neighbourhood Watch.
MAKE OUR STREETS SAFER with Community Speedwatch.
PROTECT OURSELVES with greater understanding of threats and appropriate actions.
