— With tough budget cuts ahead, Lincolnshire Police Deputy Chief Constable Neil Rhodes wrote a letter explaining the upcoming changes in the force’s operations.
Neil Rhodes is the Deputy Chief Constable for Lincolnshire Police
Many people across the county will have heard that from May 31 Lincolnshire Police are changing the way we work.
Lincolnshire as a county is a very safe and pleasant place to live, work in and visit. We are committed to maintaining the quality of policing services and retaining the confidence of the people of Lincolnshire. Our aim is to be there when we are needed and always to be visible and vigilant.
However, we have to achieve these aims whilst meeting unprecedented challenges with a budget that is to reduce broadly by 16% or £19 million over the next four years. Changing the shape of the force is the best way we can do this.
You may have already heard that there will be a reduction of about 70 police officers and 90 police staff posts over the next financial year and that we may have to lose as many as 130 officers over the next four years.
We currently have just under 1,200 police officers and 1,200 police staff. We have worked really hard to ensure the frontline has seen the lowest reduction in staff. Similarly, by managing shifts, duties and annual leave across the whole county, instead of in pockets, we believe we can deliver a better service despite having fewer officers.
We have introduced a more common sense approach to our structure. For many years we operated with the county split into three policing divisions. Moving to a structure without these artificial divisions has enabled us to take out a layer of management.
We have looked carefully at how we provide the 24 hour emergency response. We plan to free up our dedicated response officers from a chunk of paperwork to spend more time dealing with incidents.
In future our response officers will deal with all incidents that need an urgent or priority police attendance. They will carry out initial enquiries to a high standard and then hand over to investigation teams, leaving them free to patrol our communities and continue providing that emergency response.
Because of these changes we are able to transfer a number of officers into what we call our neighbourhood policing teams, those constables and community support officers dedicated to policing the area where you live.
There are currently 56 police constables and 149 PCSOs in neighbourhood policing teams across Lincolnshire. The changing response role has allowed us to really concentrate our resources in neighbourhood policing so that in future there will be about 175 constables (three times as many) and 149 PCSOs in neighbourhood policing teams.
Don’t misunderstand me, they will still have to support their colleagues who respond to emergencies, but their daily focus will be on patrol and working visibly in their communities. From June, the public will start to really feel the benefits of these changes.
We are introducing an appointment system for incidents that don’t require an immediate response. People will be able to make an appointment to see a member of their neighbourhood policing team at a time that suits them.
Our teams dealing with vulnerable children and victims of domestic abuse will remain in place. Specialist units like firearms and dog handlers will remain and be more flexible in their deployment. Dedicated teams of investigators will work on day-to-day crime and make a commitment to keep victims updated on progress.
Many of our officers work in plain clothes, away from public sight, dealing with serious criminals and offences, including prolonged murder enquiries. By working in collaboration with other forces across the East Midlands region we are able to really increase our capacity and resilience so that when demand is high we are able to cope well.
This is the start of an exciting and important time for Lincolnshire Police and the community we serve. Over the coming months we will be reviewing the changes and pressing ahead for further improvement. However, I am well aware that, despite all our planning, over the coming months there will inevitably be some teething problems but we will learn quickly and make improvements.
Our job is to provide the very best policing service to the Lincolnshire community. From 31st May the way we do this may change but our commitment to high standards and working to meet community needs remains steadfast.
If you would like to share your thoughts with me in relation to the changes we are making, I would very much like to hear from you. Please email me or write to me at Police Headquarters, PO Box 999, Lincoln, LN5 7PH.
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Neil Rhodes is the Chief Constable of Lincolnshire Police. The role marks the culmination of his police career which began when he joined Lincolnshire in 1986. During 15 years with Lincolnshire Police he progressed from Constable to Superintendent, working across the county as a patrol officer, a detective and in roads policing before joining Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary at superintendent rank.
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It has been a tragic week with three deaths on Lincolnshire’s roads after two male motorbike riders and a man on a pedal bike lost their lives.
The roads are now busier again after further lockdown restrictions were eased on April 12, but since then three men have sadly died.
A man died after falling from his pedal bike in Branston on Wednesday, April 14 and police said his death is not being treated as suspicious.
On the same day, a 34-year-old male died after a crash involving two motorcycles near Gainsborough.
The man who lost his life in the collision was riding a silver Wuyang motorcycle. The second motorcycle was a blue Suzuki being ridden by a man in his 30s, who was taken to hospital with suspected serious injuries.
A 54-year-old man from North Lincolnshire also died after his motorbike crashed with a Royal Mail post van on the A631 near Glentham at around 4pm on Thursday, April 15.
This comes after it was revealed on March 11 that for the first time in over three decades nobody had died on the county’s roads in the first months of the year, according to Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership.
Lincolnshire Police revealed earlier this week that between 2018 and 2020 twenty five motorcyclists lost their lives on Lincolnshire’s roads.
There have been 285 coronavirus cases in Greater Lincolnshire and eight COVID-related deaths so far this week – a 7% drop in cases and one less death from the previous week.
The government’s COVID-19 dashboard on Friday recorded 32 new cases in Lincolnshire, eight in North Lincolnshire and three in North East Lincolnshire.
On April 16, three deaths were registered in Lincolnshire and none in Northern Lincolnshire. These figures include deaths both in and out of hospitals, as well as residents in hospitals outside the county.
NHS England reported two hospitals this week so far, compared to none this time last week.
On Friday, national cases increased by 2,596 to 4,383,732, while deaths rose by 34 to 127,225.
In local news, Lincolnshire health bosses expect COVID-19 cases to rise in our region as lockdown is eased, but are optimistic that if numbers are kept low enough, then people will be free to enjoy the summer.
Andy Fox, Deputy Director of Public Health at Lincolnshire County Council, said the lifting of coronavirus restrictions this week had not caused any specific concerns yet.
Since Wednesday, Greater Lincolnshire has again seen a decrease in its infection rates overall, against an increase nationally.
All districts have seen a fall in their rates, except small increases in North Lincolnshire and South Holland. Lincoln has stayed the same and has the lowest rate in the region.
Boston has the highest infection rate of COVID-19 in Greater Lincolnshire and is ranked 9th in the UK.
Here’s Greater Lincolnshire’s infection rates up to April 16:
Greater Lincolnshire’s infection rates from Apr 9 to Apr 16. | Data: Gov UK / Table: James Mayer for The Lincolnite
England’s R number has dropped slightly to between 0.7 and 1 according to the latest data this week. This means for every 10 people infected with COVID-19, they will pass it on to between seven and 10 others.
The new Indian variant of the COVID virus that’s been detected in the UK has all the hallmarks of a very dangerous virus.
It has two new significant mutations in the spike protein that help it infect cells and evade the immune system.
People are “likely” to need a third dose of the coronavirus vaccine within 12 months of getting the first two, Pfizer’s chief executive has said.
Dr Albert Bourla said a booster jab could be necessary “somewhere between six and 12 months” after the second one – and every year thereafter.
Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Friday, April 16
Greater Lincolnshire includes Lincolnshire and the unitary authorities of North and North East (Northern) Lincolnshire.
58,919 cases (up 43)
41,028 in Lincolnshire (up 32)
9,275 in North Lincolnshire (up eight)
8,616 in North East Lincolnshire (up three)
2,185 deaths (up three)
1,613 from Lincolnshire (up three)
304 from North Lincolnshire (no change)
268 from North East Lincolnshire (no change)
of which 1,302 hospital deaths (no change)
810 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (no change)
41 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)
1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)
450 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (no change)
4,383,732 UK cases, 127,225 deaths
DATA SOURCE — FIGURES CORRECT AT THE TIME OF the latest update. postcode data includes deaths not in healthcare facilities or in hospitals outside authority boundaries.
Plans to demolish part of a former play centre and Chinese takeaway to build 41 new student flats, have been submitted to the City of Lincoln Council.
Killingbeck PLG has applied for permission to demolish “most” of the existing facade of the former home of Imagination Station and Big Wok, on Beaumont Fee, and rebuild it as part of the development.
The main hall, a warehouse and a recently built “link block” to the rear of the building will also be demolished, and will be completely replaced with a new extension.
In documents to the council, the applicant describes how the 41”study bedrooms” will be en-suite and open off a central circulation area.
The build will form part of the Iconinc post-graduate residential units development next door and will sit opposite the Park Court student accommodation on Park Street.
It will include 12 apartments on the ground floor, 11 at first and second floor and seven units on the third floor.
How the build could look.
The application said: “There is a clear need for good quality, post-graduate, city centre, residential accommodation and the economic case for the redevelopment of the site is reinforced by the fact the site can be linked with the new Iconic development so amenities can be shared.
“The demolition of the existing property and the proposed redevelopment will bring positive benefits to the area economically and aesthetically.”
As part of the build, residents will gain shared access to existing facilities including the gym.
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