End of Term Report 2021-24

View the 2021-2025 Police and Crime Plan

Foreword

I was first prompted to seek election as the Police and Crime Commissioner when I heard a former Chief Constable warn of the financial catastrophe facing Lincolnshire Police back in 2015.

When I was elected, I knew that stable finances would be the foundation on which all developments must be built and I made that goal the priority of my first years in office. I am delighted to report that goal was achieved, and this financial year has seen the highest budget ever for Lincolnshire Police. That stability has allowed a multitude of positive developments in the last three years – from new state of the art equipment for front line officers to an unprecedented level of engagement with the public.

All the achievements listed in this report have been made possible by careful financial management and the help and support of partners and the public. Whilst it was clear that financial security as important, it was also evident that the long-term funding position for the county would remain challenging.

We remain one of the lowest funded forces in England and Wales and, though I have played a part in persuading the Government to review this position, it will inevitably take time to address this problem. That means that to create a local police force that can claim to be one of the most effective and efficient we needed to innovate – and that has been a cornerstone of my Police and Crime Plan. The achievements within this term of office have been
testament to what can be achieved with creative thinking and a commitment to listening to the public.

Many of the initiatives and successes set out in this report have followed the priorities set out by our communities. I believe the progress of this plan by my office can be explained in four key stages – we engaged, we listened, we examined and we actioned.

It is a blueprint I intend to follow as long as I am the Police and Crime Commissioner.

Marc Jones – Police and Crime Commissioner

Delivery against the Police and Crime Plan

Victims services better than ever before with new website, 11 additional staff and high praise from independent national assessors.
Put finances on an even keel and delivered the highest ever budget for policing in 2023.
Invested in cutting edge technology to ensure Lincolnshire Police are equipped to fight 21st century crime.
A record number of police officers recruited.
Better engagement than ever before with all areas and ages across the county.
Almost £11 million of additional funding brought in from Government to be spent on keeping our communities safe.

Priority One: Community safety and prevention in partnership

Installed nearly 100 call blockers in the homes of the most vulnerable people, blocking 5,500 scam calls.
Brought in more than £2.3 million in Safer Streets funding to install hundreds of additional CCTV cameras across the county.
Created a new team to engage with Lincolnshire residents to understand, address and escalate local issues
Established the county’s first ever joint control room with Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue.
Launched the Environmental Crime Partnership with partners to tackle fly tipping.
Launched a ground-breaking county-wide campaign to highlight the dangers of frauds and scams, delivering over 5,000 prevention packs to the community.
Funded over 200 higher risk young drives to advanced test level.
Commissioned a county-wide CCTV review to see how systems operate and where there are gaps.

Priority Two: Listening, responding and being accountable

Launched the first ever county[1]wide crime and policing survey to understand the views of Lincolnshire residents.
Introduced regular public meetings with the Chief Constable to review police performance.
Delivered on the public’s priorities of preventing and tackling crime, with results published for all to see.
Launched a leading edge online firearms licensing system.
Paid for additional staff in the force control room to handle 101 calls.
Saved Lincolnshire Alert from closure, taking over the management of the service and providing regular updates to over 13,000 residents.
Established the ‘Safer Together Team’ to engage with and support members of the community.
Engaged with thousands of young people to understand their views on community safety
Transformed firearms licencing service from the worst to the best in the country and maintained outstanding standards.
Increased the number of call takers in the force control room from 58 to 90 to handle 999 and 101 calls.

Priority Three: Protecting and supporting victims and the vulnerable

Launched and funded a host of projects to raise awareness of, and address, violence against women and girls.
Launched ground-breaking dementia wrist bands with encoded personal information to help protect vulnerable residents if they get lost
In-house victim service awarded with the ‘Victims Choice Quality Mark’ and praised as a “remarkable example of best practice”.
Launched a brand new, user friendly victims website.
Committed £3 million to driving down violence on our streets, including a groundbreaking knife crime reduction education programme for young people.
Launched enhanced support services for victims of hate crime.
Offered modern slavery awareness training to hundreds of volunteers and charity workers.
Provided nearly £500,000 of additional support for victims of sexual violence.

Priority Four: Policing that works

Established a new Roads Policing Unit, leading to an 8% decrease in those killed or seriously injured on our roads.
Created an award-winning “blue light” campus in Lincoln, delivered by securing £7.5 million of Government funding.
Created a Rural Crime Action Team, with hare coursing incidents being cut by 66%.
Expanded the Force’s digital forensics team to help combat criminals using new technology to carry out their offences.
Funded the installation of a state-of-the-art command and control system for Lincolnshire Police, improving response to the public.
Funded 13 extra community based police officers to improve neighbourhood policing.
Increased staffing numbers in the force control room to ensure excellent response times, with 91% of 999 calls now answered in 10 seconds.
Secured funding from the Government to provide 170 additional tasers for front line officers.
Opened a brand new officer training centre in Skegness.