Quickly exit this site by pressing the Escape key Leave this site
We use some essential cookies to make our website work. We’d like to set additional cookies so we can remember your preferences and understand how you use our site.
You can manage your preferences and cookie settings at any time by clicking on “Customise Cookies” below. For more information on how we use cookies, please see our Cookies notice.
Your cookie preferences have been saved. You can update your cookie settings at any time on the cookies page.
Your cookie preferences have been saved. You can update your cookie settings at any time on the cookies page.
Sorry, there was a technical problem. Please try again.
This site is a beta, which means it's a work in progress and we'll be adding more to it over the next few weeks. Your feedback helps us make things better, so please let us know what you think.
In May 2022, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and the College of Policing introduced the National Police Race Action Plan. This plan aims to make positive changes in policing to improve experiences for Black people who work with or are affected by the police.
In October, we celebrated Black History month, which gave us all the opportunity to learn more about the positive and pioneering contributions made by Black communities.
This year, our focus for the month was centred around discovery and participation, encouraging everyone within the organisation to take the time to learn more about how the Black community has shaped so much of our culture.
Each week, we provided new content for our officers and staff to engage with, whether listening to a thought-provoking podcast or picking up a book by a Black author.
Black History training is also now being delivered into our Leadership Courses and is part of the Valuing Diversity and Inclusion module of initial training for police officers. This includes individual impact stories delivered by our WEPA colleagues.
Over the next few months, we will be rolling out the online Black History Training from the College of Policing for all Wiltshire Police employees to complete.
During 2025, we will be creating a bespoke Black History and anti-racism curriculum, which focuses on Wiltshire Police and the history of our Black communities, as well as their experiences and lessons learnt from them.
This course will be developed and delivered in conjunction with WEPA colleagues and community members providing invaluable lived experience.
September saw the graduation ceremony of the pilot of the We Rise programme. This programme centred around investing in the learning and development of a cohort of employees who are underrepresented or have protected characteristics and who show potential in the Force.
We Rise provides an opportunity to invest in the courage, confidence and competence of those who sometimes lack the conviction to see themselves in the way that other more confident people see themselves.
The pilot has been a huge success and has made a lasting impact on all those who attended. The 2025 We Rise programme will soon be starting with both officers and staff from underrepresented groups within Wiltshire Police and the OPCC for Swindon and Wiltshire.
We are currently undertaking a full review our various mentoring and support offerings to all officers and staff within Wiltshire Police and the OPCC for Swindon and Wiltshire.
As part of this review, we are exploring the opportunity to roll out a new national peer-to-peer coaching and mentoring network endorsed by the College of Policing. This mentoring network will allow employees to support and mentor one another irrespective of their force boundaries.
From a Race Action Plan perspective, the network will be proactively offered to our Black officers and staff and will provide a fantastic opportunity to receive and provide mentoring opportunities with Black colleagues from other Forces.
We have continued to make significant progress with regards to our organisational talent acquisition, recruitment and onboarding processes.
We have completed an assessment redesign for every level and every role type to ensure fairness and consistency throughout the organisation. Every advert is now run through our gender decoder and reference to Wiltshire Police being a diverse employer with an inclusive culture is now included within every external advert.
Every external advert is also now posted on DWP, as well as paid channels to ensure a wider and more inclusive reach. We have also introduced consultative briefing meetings before any job advert goes live, to broaden thinking on essential criteria, working patterns and job titles which has helped to increase applications from a wider and more diverse pool.
Moving forward, we have plans to change our assessment methodology for new front-line colleagues. This innovative change will move away from written and competency-based applications to task and potential-based applications. This change will help to eliminate bias and increase our inclusivity as well as candidate engagement.
Wiltshire Police will adopt an agreed method for publishing data in line with the national approach to ensure consistency in analysis and scrutiny of police powers. Whilst there is no nationally agreed mechanism for publishing data, all forces are required to submit data returns via the Home Office Annual Data Returns (ADR). This is likely to expand and will include traffic stops moving forwards. There is a requirement for Police Forces to publish stop search data on their websites and this is in place for Wiltshire.
The Force has an independent external scrutiny panel, where members of the public can scrutinise all cases of Use of Force, Stop and Search and Taser use to determine fairness and correct usage, as well as internal boards to review data and use of powers however the data collection remains an issue with current ICT platforms.
We are also carrying out an audit of our training provisions. An initial assessment has been completed and enhanced training around Use of Force and Stop and Search is being rolled out, with additional training for frontline response officers and those undertaking Sergeant training. This audit identified gaps which were filled through the mandatory completion of e-learning around Stop and Search, Use of Taser and Use of Force.
Disproportionalities in the use of TASER have been identified and addressed by having accountability and learning processes based on scrutiny and supervision. Annual training and Continuous Professional Development (CPD) refreshers around legitimate use, decision-making and communication are taking place.
A lead TASER officer has been put in place and the Force follows College of Policing guidance, with every TASER firing being reviewed and any scrutiny feedback is recorded. All TASER officers are trained to national standards and Wiltshire Police have increased the number of TASER-trained officers.
Effective de-escalation training is in place as part of annual mandatory TASER training which the Learning and Development team have developed in line with guidance from the College of Policing.
Similar to with Use of Force and use of TASER, Wiltshire Police are identifying and addressing disproportionality in the use of Stop and Search powers, particularly in relation to drugs and the searching of children.
The Learning and Development team are developing training around decision-making and the consideration of disproportionality rather than solely focusing on the technical aspect of searching. Protected Learning Days are running which are training days focussed mostly around Stop and Search, Use of Force and disproportionality. All officers receive an annual refresher course in Stop and Search powers through practical application, and a mandatory e-learning package is in place for all officers and staff to raise awareness and improve decision-making.
Clear policy is needed in relation to the smell of cannabis alone not being grounds for a Stop and Search. The smell of cannabis can ultimately form part of an officer's grounds to justify the search. However, it is not enough on its own to justify a search, and this has been reiterated through the training and the e-learning refresher.
A review of strip searches of Black detainees is underway. Disproportionality in strip searches within custody is understood, however it is not clear whether these individuals have also been subject to Stop and Search procedures.
Section 60 covers the use of Stop and Search powers related to the possession of offensive weapons and sharp blades and training is in place around legitimate use, decision-making and communication.
We are managing the intelligence-led use of powers and how effectively they deal with incidents of serious violence. Updated guidance and documentation has been delivered to all authorising officers.
Community scrutiny panels are in place to scrutinise the use of Section 60 CJPOA. If a Section 60 is implemented, an automatic referral will be sent to the external community scrutiny panel for them to review. An automatic referral will also be sent to the internal Stop and Search tactical board for them to discuss and review.
We will carry out a self-assessment as to whether we are complying with Authorised Professional Practice (APP) and provide feedback to the College of Policing. Our approach to Section 60 is currently in place and aligns with APP.
We have not yet begun to record vehicle stops. Organisationally, we are waiting for the roll-out of a Pronto update to record vehicle stops and this is not due in place until April 2025. We are not currently in a place where we can accurately assess our data in this field, but work is ongoing to understand how we can best collect and record our data.
Stakeholders within the monitoring and insurance industry will be encouraged to supply relevant data, and as this is collated, the specific impact on Black people will be considered. Any apparent disparities will be subject to challenge and learning processes will be implemented based on scrutiny and supervision.
The NPCC lead for Body Worn Video will define operational parameters that ensure consistent national usage by police officers and staff. This will deliver enhanced confidence in policing legitimacy, providing a mechanism to proactively identify and rectify racist behaviours and bias in interactions with Black people when using powers.
The OPCC for Swindon and Wiltshire has set up Youth Advisory Panels for underrepresented communities, including Black youth.
This forum will allow young individuals to share their life experiences and opinions on policing practice. The goal of the panels is to help build trust by giving young people from local communities a voice to express how they are policed and using the feedback to shape relations between the police and the community.
Our Neighbourhood Policing Teams have been working with the OPCC and have partnered with schools to create educational workshops to break misconceptions and open dialogue on the challenges faced by Black youth.
The Positive Action Team works with colleges to encourage those on Public Service and Community Care courses to join the Force once they have finished studying. This includes providing students with an overview of the job roles and guidance on assessments and the application process.
The Employment Initiatives Programme aims to diversify police recruitment and provide young people with various career pathways as well as breaking down barriers of distrust between police and the youth communities.
The Positive Action Team are also using the social media platforms Facebook and LinkedIn to engage with the community. This method will modernise policing communications and help them to reach more young people.
The Neighbourhood Harm Reduction Unit (NHRU) works with Independent Advisory Groups (IAGs), which act as a supportive bridge between Wiltshire Police and the communities it serves. IAGs allow dialogue, feedback and co-designing of the Wiltshire Police Ethnicity, Diversity and Inclusion strategy. IAGs are instrumental in giving feedback on the use of police power and incidents within the community.
NHRU and the OPCC are advertising for more IAG members, especially focusing on encouraging those from ethnic minority backgrounds to join the committee. IAGs and other key members of the community help the police in assessing the likely impact of any planned police operations, as well as the reaction to any spontaneous, unforeseen incidents, that may cause a potential loss of confidence from within the Black community.
IAGs use their views to help to shape plans in order to minimise concerns from the community and promote procedural justice, where the police have a duty to explain clearly and openly the rationale behind the use of any policing powers that may impact on any individual or group’s human rights.
Our officers are trained on trauma awareness and cultural competency as part of ongoing professional development to ensure that the police understand the historical and psychological impact of policing in the community.
We also have 20 champions trained in trauma counselling and we work with trauma experts, social workers (RCRP), psychologists and NHS staff to build trust through transparency.
The OPCC and Wiltshire Police will regularly publish data and updates to ensure the community understand where we are as a Force as well as the planned steps for further improvement.
To identify more local Black leaders to work with, we need to create initiatives that promote safety, community cohesion and justice. This partnership will lead to addressing issues like stop and search practices, gang violence or racial profiling.
It is important to understand the population demographic in the county. While the overall pattern suggests that Wiltshire is not as racially diverse as other counties, the data from Swindon shows that it is more diverse than other towns in the county. Wiltshire has increased in population by 8.4% since 2011 to around 510,300 in 2021.
The percentage of people from the ‘Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh’ ethnic group increased from 2.0% to 2.8%, while across England, the percentage increased from 7.8% to 9.6%. In Wiltshire, the percentage of people within the ‘Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African’ ethnic group increased from 0.7% in 2011 to 1.1% in 202.
In 2021, 94.3% of people in Wiltshire were within the 'White' category (a decrease from 96.6% in 2011), while 1.7% were ‘Mixed or Multiple Ethnicities’ category (compared with 1.2% the previous decade).
We will be implementing Cultural Awareness and Competency training for officers to better understand the historical and current issues affecting Black communities. By doing so, the officers will be able to approach policing with greater empathy and cultural sensitivity, especially where victims of trauma are concerned.
The Learning and Development team will be introducing a mandatory training in January 2025, surrounding aspects of Black history. We are already training our offices on recognising and overcoming unconscious biases.
The OPCC for Wiltshire and Swindon will collaborate with Wiltshire Police to conduct future listening exercises and surveys within the community to assess community views and the specific needs of the Black community.
Significant efforts have been made to raise public awareness about reporting hate crimes, marking a positive step toward greater community engagement and response. Building on this progress, we are introducing a scrutiny panel dedicated to hate crime offences. This panel will enable members of the public to review cases and provide feedback through the Community Safety Partnership.
Feedback will be shared with the Hate Crime Board, which includes representatives from the police and partner agencies. This board serves as a central forum for discussion and driving improvements
There has been a focus on enhancing training for all police officers and staff. This initiative has contributed to a better understanding and more effective handling of hate crime incidents.
Over the coming months, our Learning and Development team will collaborate with the Wiltshire Ethnic Police Association (WEPA) to ensure that training content is inclusive. This initiative aims to enhance police officers' and staff members' awareness of the challenges faced by our communities.
Training programs for hate crime advisors have been expanded to ensure they are well-equipped to support victims and address their needs effectively. This includes identifying additional champions within the force, ensuring tools and resources are up to date, and enhancing internal SharePoint sites.
These improvements will provide all officers and staff with better access to information and a clearer understanding of the support available for victims of hate crimes.
A robust support pathway has been established to assist victims reporting hate crimes, ensuring they receive the necessary help. Revised communications provided to all officers will help victims better understand the range of support available. Additionally, direct contact from Horizon Victim care will ensure victims' needs are understood, and tailored support pathways are implemented.
Enhanced reporting on victim surveys, including hate crime. The ‘Victims’ Journey' is used as a template for reporting and analysing victim data.
Independencies between the Police Race Action Plan (PRAP), Operation Soteria and the Victim Strategy have been mapped which allows actions to be co-ordinated.
Updates regarding the PRAP are part of the agenda at the Victim Rights and Provision Board.
A significant challenge remains in the lack of ethnicity data outside of hate crime, affecting several critical areas:
Moving forward, addressing the data gaps it is the main priority. To this end a victim strand will be introduced within the disproportionality board.
On Thursday 1 August 2024, the National Police Chief's Council published an update regards the progress of the Police Service against the Police Race Action Plan. Below you can read about the status of the plan for Wiltshire Police at a local level:
Below you can read about our progress at a local level:
The Wiltshire Ethnic Police Association (WEPA) is an active and supportive group. It was started in 1999 and was previously called The Wiltshire Black Police Association but the name was changed in 2020 to become a more inclusive staff support network. WEPA tries to bring the importance of race and heritage to the forefront of how our force supports its officers and staff. Meetings are held regularly and create a safe space for members to get peer support.
In July 2024, each staff support network including WEPA (Wiltshire Ethnic Police Association) was appointed a sponsor from the Force’s Chief Officer group. Assistant Chief Constable Ian Saunders will support the association as an executive ally. Providing direct access to Force decision makers and strategic support to overcome barriers and raise awareness of the challenges our WEPA members face.
Launched in December 2023, We Rise is a leadership program aimed at investing in underrepresented groups within Wiltshire Police. Designed as an intersectionality development initiative, it centres around giving talented people the tools and confidence to excel. We Rise will see its first 18 graduates in September 2024 and will be open to another 30 officers and staff for the 2025 program.
A small but passionate Positive Action team actively supports applicants, new recruits and those looking for promotion. They spend time connecting with diverse communities at local community events to encourage people from diverse backgrounds to think about a career with the police. They perform an essential part of the forces commitment to being as representative of the community we serve as possible. Their hard work is integral to Wiltshire Police being named 22nd on the Inclusive Companies ‘Top 50 UK Employers’ list for 2023/24. Currently, Wiltshire Police are the highest ranked police force on this list.
In September 2023, Wiltshire Police commissioned Diversity and Inclusion training from an external ED&I (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) training specialist to support the ongoing internal Police Race Action Plan work. Members of WEPA were consulted on the content and delivery method to try and ensure a quality program. In December 2023 we decided to bring this program in-house and hire a Wiltshire Police ED&I Trainer.
In June 2024 we updated the initial police training to include the College of Policing ‘Valuing Diversity & Inclusion’ module. This updated module now includes lived experiences from several officers with a diverse background and how to challenge/report inappropriate behaviour.
In December 2023 we launched a new internal channel, Safe2say for officers and staff to report wrongdoing at any level without fear of reprisal. The bespoke channel is 100% anonymous and can be accessed by any member of the force. We hope this new channel gives our colleagues from a minority background who don’t feel they can openly report, an opportunity to do so in confidence.
On the 9 November 2023 we held our annual ED&I internal conference live streamed across the county from our Devizes Headquarters. This year's conference focused on creating a safe space to share lived experiences and bring diversity, equality, and inclusion to life in our organisation and for the communities we serve. We strongly encourage all employees to attend and take advantage of the opportunity to learn more about how to create and support an inclusive organisational culture.
Workstream Two ensures the police service acts fairly, respectfully, and equitably towards Black individuals.
Our main area of focus has been Workstream One: Represented (Internal culture and inclusivity). We believe that working on our culture and inclusivity within Wiltshire Police is the cornerstone of delivering progress in all other workstreams.
In July 2024, Superintendent Dave Minty was selected to lead Workstream Two. Two members of the Wiltshire Ethnic Police Association (WEPA) will join him, WEPA Chair, Inspector Ho Tsang and Police Constable Matoyizi Katsande. Together with our Chief Officer Group they will develop plans for Workstream Two; an update will be issued in the Autumn.
You can view our latest stop and search data here or visit the OPCC website to learn about how our Police Powers are scrutinised.
Workstream three highlights the importance of involving Black people in the governance and decision-making processes of the police service.
Our main area of focus has been Workstream One: Represented (Internal culture and inclusivity). We believe that working on our culture and inclusivity within Wiltshire Police is the cornerstone of delivering progress in all other workstreams.
In July 2024, we appointed Superintendent Mark Lynch to lead Workstream Three. He will be joined by two members of our Wiltshire Ethnic Police Association (WEPA), PCSO Roland Revers and Personal Assistant Jane Campbell. Together with our Chief Officer Group they will develop plans for Workstream Three; an update will be issued in the Autumn.
You can learn more about how we currently engage with our communities here.
Workstream Four aims to ensure the police service effectively protects Black individuals from crime and diligently seeks justice for Black victims.
Our main area of focus has been Workstream One: Represented (Internal culture and inclusivity). We believe that working on our culture and inclusivity within Wiltshire Police is the cornerstone of delivering progress in all other workstreams.
In July 2024, we asked Head of Victim Services, Julia Gay and Superintendent Conway Duncan to lead Workstream four. Inspector Blake Kennedy and Digital Engagement Lead, Alison Lester will join them from our Wiltshire Ethnic Police Association (WEPA). Together with our Chief Officer Group they will develop plans for Workstream Four; an update will be issued in the Autumn.
You can learn more about Horizon, Wiltshire’s Victim and Witness Care Service here.