Hampshire police chief addresses public concerns in Q&A

The session, which took place on Thursday, December 12, allowed members of the public to submit questions to Chief Constable Scott Chilton.

The event, known as COPS (Commissioner’s Oversight of Policing Services), was streamed across three Facebook pages.

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(Image: Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and Crime Commissioner)

The session focused on the priorities in the commissioner’s new police and crime plan launched earlier this year after 10,000 residents responded to her consultation.

More than 100 questions were pre-submitted by members of the public, and more than 70 people joined the online session.

The most popular topics were police visibility, e-scooters, and road safety.

Questions on business crime, rural crime, serious violence and anti-social behaviour (ASB) were also put to the chief constable in the hour-long event.

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PCC Donna Jones said: "It was great to hear from so many people and understand people’s concerns.

"It’s clear police numbers and visibility remain top priorities for communities.

"The chief was able to answer questions on visibility and foot patrols, and as commissioner, I was pleased to provide updates on my pledge to reopen police stations and my Local Bobby scheme.

"This was a really informative session for residents who are concerned about the use of e-scooters and anti-social behaviour."

Other popular questions put to the chief constable by the PCC on behalf of the public were how the force is ensuring officers have the right skills to tackle rural crime and organised crime gangs in rural areas, the growing issue of scams and fraud, particularly at Christmas time, and the launch of the PCC’s Business Crime Partnership.

The COPS recording is available to watch on the PCC’s website at COPS meetings - Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner.