Thousands of students and staff at Middlesbrough College will be able to see for themselves the commitment of Cleveland Police to deliver a first-class service to the local community when a copy of the 'Policing Pledge' charter is unveiled at the college tomorrow (Wednesday, August 12).
The initiative to have a copy of the pledge on display at the college has come from College Principal John Hogg and Chairman of the Governors, Councillor Hazel Pearson OBE, who is also a Member of Cleveland Police Authority, which, together with the Force has adopted the charter of excellence developed jointly with the Home Office, the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Association of Police Authorities.
Councillor Pearson will join College Principal John Hogg, Authority Vice Chair Peter Race MBE and Deputy Chief Constable Derek Bonnard for the unveiling ceremony and she says it is an opportunity to demonstrate that the police service is at the heart of the local community.
Explains Councillor Pearson "The Policing Pledge sets out targets to be met across areas such as quality of service, call and incident handling and keeping victims updated on the progress of investigations -- reflecting and supporting the 'Putting People First' commitment developed by our Chief Constable Sean Price with backing from the Authority.
"We believe it is vital that we make all sections of the community aware of what they can expect from their local police service which is why I suggested having a copy of the Policing Pledge on display at the college for everyone to see."
With the ambition to: "Support law abiding citizens and pursue criminals relentlessly to keep your neighbourhoods safe from harm", the Policing Pledge sets out important responsibilities for the Police, including:
- Always providing the highest level of service and professionalism in dealing with members of the community;
- Understanding concerns over policing & community safety and engage with communities to set priorities for action at the local level;
- Dealing effectively with call & incident handling, especially where it involves those people who are vulnerable or otherwise in need of swift assistance from the police;
- Keeping people informed and updated about the issues that they have raised as concerns as well as keeping victims of crime updated on the progress of their investigation; and
- Aiming to provide an excellent service 'each time, every time' , but when this does not happen, to have clear mechanisms in place to redress and recover the situation at the earliest opportunity, thereby securing the trust and confidence of those we serve.