For many people in Norfolk, policing feels increasingly distant. You might see fewer officers on the streets, struggle to know who to contact about local problems, or feel that decisions are being made somewhere else by people who do not understand your area. My priority is to change that.
I want to see residents genuinely notice practical differences about how the police engage in their areas. In a village worried about speeding, the police would be expected to work with parish councils and residents on a clear local plan. In a town struggling with anti-social behaviour, local businesses, youth workers and police would be brought together rather than passing responsibility between organisations. In Norwich neighbourhoods dealing with shop theft or street disorder, residents would have regular opportunities to tell the police what is happening and see what action follows. And to an extent that is already being done and very successfully, but it needs to be done consistently across Norfolk.
Partnership working matters because many of the issues that make people feel unsafe are not purely police problems. A teenager repeatedly getting into trouble may need support from schools and youth services. A vulnerable person causing repeated disturbances may need help from health and social care. By getting organisations around the same table, we can solve problems earlier instead of responding after they have escalated.
For residents, there’s good news. It means less bureaucracy and more action. It means not being told that an issue falls between agencies. It means clearer communication about what is being done and who is responsible.
I also want policing in Norfolk to be less political. Whether you live in Norwich, King’s Lynn, Great Yarmouth, Thetford, Cromer, Dereham or any of the other market towns or villages, you should feel the police are on your side. The measure of success should not be headlines or party advantage. It should be whether people feel safer walking home, whether communities trust the police, and whether local problems are actually being solved.
That is what putting communities back at the heart of policing would mean in everyday life across Norfolk. That is what we in the Green Party have long beeb pushing for and will continue to push for.
Let’s make history and elect a Green Party Police and Crime Commissioner for Norfolk on 16th July!