The new man in overall charge of policing across Lichfield and Burntwood has pledged that community priorities will be at the forefront of Staffordshire Police’s work.
The pledge was made by Staffordshire’s new Chief Constable as he began his first day in the role.
Mike Cunningham has also promised that the force’s commitment to providing the highest possible level of service to the public will continue.
He joins the force from Lancashire Constabulary where he started his policing career in 1987 and, for the last two years, has been Deputy Chief Constable.
Chief Constable Cunningham added:
“I am honoured and privileged to be Chief Constable of Staffordshire, and I hope that will be reflected in being able to lead the force effectively for the foreseeable future. I am very much looking forward to buying a home here and getting to know the area.
“Staffordshire has a fantastic reputation as a high-performing, forward-thinking and innovative force that is brave enough to take risks. Its successes are rooted in a genuine commitment to putting the needs of communities and victims first. I share that commitment, and am delighted to have the opportunity to lead an organisation whose ethos and priorities focus on the important issues in policing.”
Mr Cunningham added that the force’s mission to inspire the greatest possible levels of trust and confidence amongst the people it serves would continue.
He added:
“The trust and confidence agenda is the right agenda. Trust fosters confidence, and is a reliable indicator that people are safe and feel safe. Building trust and confidence in policing is like any other relationship – you have to work very hard for it, and earn it. It’s very important to me that we have the trust and confidence of victims and witnesses, and of the wider community and those people who might never need to contact us.
“I passionately believe that neighbourhood policing is the foundation on which our relationships with communities are built and depend. If people can access our services, if we are visible to them and if we provide answers to their questions and solutions to their problems, then those relationships and the trust that comes with them will flourish.
“It is by looking at issues that people tell us are their priorities, such as anti-social behaviour or graffiti, that we can win their confidence. And it means that, on those rarer occasions when communities are troubled by major crime, we can tackle it from a position of strength.
“Community priorities are our priorities, and our neighbourhood policing officers and staff must be attentive and responsive to those needs. I am very keen to see where neighbourhood policing can take us in the future.”
During his first few weeks in post Mr Cunningham is planning a series of visits throughout the force area to help him “understand our communities and the force in more detail” and to meet many of the partner organisations in the region
