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Top cop wants public intelligence to help reduce crime further

February 26, 2013

Bracknell's new head of policing wants people around the borough to work with officers and help drive crime down further.

Chief Inspector Dave Gilbert, local policing area (LPA) commander for Bracknell Forest, believes the key to continued reductions in crime is engaging with the public.

He said: “Our work is driven by intelligence so anything we can do to raise intelligence will be good.

“We do react to any intelligence we get with preventative patrols, such as the rave reduction patrols we’ve been holding.

“If anyone has any information about upcoming raves or anything else, or if the public are concerned about anyone or anything they should call us. We can only react to the things we’re aware of.”

He added: “I’ve got a motto I’ve been asking everyone to work by and that’s to treat everyone as their own family. I ask them to imagine it’s their family which is the victim, whether it’s burglary or something else, and to give them the service we would want our own family to receive.

“Bracknell is a lovely place to work and the team here has a very strong relationship and I’m confident we’re already providing a great service.”

Ch Insp Gilbert, who policed Windsor and Maidenhead for four years, took on his new role at the end of January and has been out about on patrols and learning as much as he can about the area.

He said: “I want to show the people of Bracknell that crime is very low and we are working as a partnership with the council to keep it that way.

“Next to Wokingham, our crime levels are lower but, according to the polls, Wokingham is still one of the best places to live in the country.

“Perhaps when the town centre regeneration is finished people will be able to see how great Bracknell is.”

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Most recent user comments 8 of 8

It isn't the coppers on the ground, its the management.......I know a few coppers in bracknell who do a good job, they are hindered by targets, policies, and senior officers who havent a clue!

Daniel, Hanworth
27/02/2013 at 21:10

Easiest way to gather intelligence is get out of your cars and engage the community. A bit of a natter with a shopkeeper here or a short chat with a council worker sweeping the street there, Bracknell is more than a street map. You talk to us and we'll talk to you, we're not contagious.

Throw away all the daft manuals drawn up by the idiots of the last decade or so and try a bit of old fashioned policing.

timespassing
27/02/2013 at 16:48

At one point in time, we knew our local beat bobby quite well. With our “special” son, we had no choice as he was an incarnation of Houdini and despite many locks and gadgets to keep him enclosed, he would manage to go for a wander (he was about 5 or 6 years old at this time and was obviously in possession of Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak). There were numerous times I would have our bobby return him home after I’d had to report him as missing. Thankfully, the service we had was second to none but I can only thank god it was 14+ years ago when policing was a community service rather than the farce it has become now. I dread to think what would happen now if I had a kid like that.

HK, bracknell
26/02/2013 at 17:55

When I was doing my training at Hendon we had visits every week from different community representatives - Sikh, Muslim, Jewish, African, Asian, Gay, etc.

Every one of them bemoaned the lack of proper beat officers - and all said that if the police were more visible - as you suggest Tonk - then their community would be more disposed toward the police as it would be seen as a joint enterprise.

Sadly, despite lip service, modern policing isn't interested in such sentiments. Keep the budgets down, targets up, and minimise contact with the public to avoid trouble. You only have to see things like the IPCC report out today on the Sapphire Unit in South London to see how wrong senior officers have got it. It's all about figures and promotion opportunities.

Just ask Bowden and the now DI Squire.

Winstanley, Bracknell
26/02/2013 at 17:18

Everyone watching everyone else and grassing to the authorities?.....Sounds like the old USSR to me.

The police appear more interested in acting as an extension to HMRC by issuing fines: Kerching, rather than doing real police work.

I want to see police on the beat again: someone that gets to know his or her local beat and knows who to keep an eye on. I used to be a great supporter of the police but not now. In far too many cases, it appears to me that, the junior ranks are shaven headed thugs in uniform and the senior ranks are politicians in uniform. I don't think the new PCCs are a step in the right direction and if anything, these new posts will politicise the police even more.

Tonk, Wokingham
26/02/2013 at 13:18

Not interested - CI Gilbert I've lost count of the times I've rung in about crimes being committed and NOTHING gets done. I've offered to accompany Bracknell officers to the location of wrong doing and been all but told to p*&s off.

As a former Met officer I know the value of working with the public, maintaining a visible presence, effective patrolling, and carrying out core duties.

Shame your officers don't.

And the new PCC seems to care even less than them.

Winstanley, Bracknell
26/02/2013 at 10:52

Alas, over the years, the apathy of the public has grown due to the police seldom doing anything. You report a crime and a few days or weeks later you might get a visit from them. This in turn makes people not bother reporting petty crime. Unfortunately, petty crime these days are things like burglaries, car break ins and the like. Personally, I don’t class this as petty as it can ruin lives and always leaves the victim financially worse off. There is seldom any urgency from the local police which is a shame. Crime figures go down simply due to the lack of reporting. There again, when the little scroats are caught, they get a slap on the wrist and told not to do it again or are given the status symbol of an ASBO. Bring back corporal punishment and make the ferrells do hard labour for their crimes. Oh, of course, we can’t do that as it’s against their human rights.